I'm having a bunch of problems with my rear light assembly. It's bad enough that I don't want to drive on it because it would confuse other drivers.

I made a 3 minute video of the problems, because it it's harder to explain it via text.

 

 

Really goofy things can occur with lighting when there is a incorrect bulb anywhere in the system. For your wagon:

Front top is: 21 W BA15S
Front bottom is: 5 W BA15S

Rear top 3 bulbs are: 21 W BA15S
Rear bottom bulb is: 21/5 W BAY15d

Check those first and clean up any ground connections you come across.

 

The videos say they are "private." This seems to have more about the bulbs fochs talks about. http://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/the...ulb-guide.html

 

I can't see the videos either. You should also take a look at the solder points in the light circuit boards. Mine were corroded and causing trouble when I got my 91 244.

 

Sorry, I didn't realize that my video was set to private. I fixed that. You should be able to see it now.

 

Check for the soldering on the boards at both light assemblies. Also, check the bulb failure relay circuit. I had similar problems - except in my case lights would randomly stop working (bulbs would be fine).

Nice wagon though!

 

I went to ipdusa.com to get the bulbs listed, but IPD says that they don't fit my specific model. Looking back, i noticed that I didn't list my specific model, though I don't think it matters all that much. The car is a 1985 VOLVO 240 NON-TURBO 200 5 DR WAGON B230 FRWD AW70 LH 2.2

I'm heading out later tonight and I might as well hit up an auto part shop to pick up a whole new set of lights (they're cheap and handy to have extras). Will the ones that fochs listed work, or are they for a different model? I don't have my manual on me to verify, nor am I near the wagon.

 

Those are the bulbs listed in my Bentley manual as well as in my 1983 owners manual.

 

The only way that I can tell them apart is that the top 3 have either 1156 or 1157 written on them. What is the bottom one supposed to have?

 

Disregard my last post. I went to O'Rielley's and got the proper 21/5 W BAY15d, which is basically a 1157 bulb. Popped them in, no change.
The guy helping me said that it might be my turn signal arm going bad. He told me that when I turn, the turn signal should automatically turn off. I did not even think of this because the car is so old. On the way home, I noticed that when I turn right and then straighten out, the turn signal turns off on it's own, like it is supposed to. However, when I turn left, it does not turn off like it should.
I'm not an expert by any means, but I think that since most of the lights stay on on the left side, that this might be the problem.

Any second opinions?

 

1156, 1157 are NEVER the right bulbs for any euro application. never use any brass base bulbs, the correct bulbs have chrome bases.

someone just published this very handy cross reference list on a motorcycle forum, this applies to all euro cars. the 'osram' numbers are available here as Sylvania "OEM" type, either green or red hang cards at your local parts store.

so, your 21W BA15S are Sylvania 7506. the 5W BA15S is a 5007, and the 21/5W is a 7528. The 11xx series brass base bulbs are for old american cars, the euro sockets are made from different metals and the brass bases will corrode badly.

 

I bought the proper European bulbs, and chucked out the 1156 and 1157 bulbs that the previous owner had put in. Probably should have specified that.

 

Some wagons over the years also use these. The base pins are different than most. Seems most have that ECE label stamped right into the factory socket somewhere if you look for it.

P21/4W
BAZ15d
7225

 

Any chance that it could be the turn signal arm going bad?

 

sure, could be that, or really most anything I'd be in there with a volt meter and the wiring diagrams, testing things.

 

There was a wire that the previous owner had cut under the jumpseat and put back together with connectors. It wasn't making full contact. Fixed the connection, now everything is working fine.

 

from an electrical point of view the work like that because there is a shared ground for the directionals it is touching most likely on the driver side as that is were the main tail lights wires usually are but find were and what side in the rear and check the grounds not crossed with a your other power in that junction or between the two