Wonky Volvo lights

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Old 04-27-2016, 08:06 PM
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Default Wonky Volvo lights

Hello people! Im driving a 92 volvo 240 wagon and the strangest thing happens. Only the left tail light stays on and when i break the other three comes on... Also no dash light, no fuel gauge and the light on the inside dont come on when i open the door... I need help with the tail lights but i didnt know if any of that was connected.... HELP PLEASE!
 
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Old 04-28-2016, 07:13 PM
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Hi VolvoReg, I gave you a free lift to the 240 board. did you start by checking all fuses?

you may want to look at volvowiringdiagrams.com but it sounds like you may have a ground wire problem or a return path open that needs to be traced.
 
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Old 04-28-2016, 10:08 PM
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Default Thank you sir

Originally Posted by mt6127
Hi VolvoReg, I gave you a free lift to the 240 board. did you start by checking all fuses?

you may want to look at volvowiringdiagrams.com but it sounds like you may have a ground wire problem or a return path open that needs to be traced.
I have no idea what all this is... Im new to the beautiful world of volvo. Would it be super expensive to have ipd do it or should i look for a tutorial on youtube
 
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Old 04-29-2016, 02:39 AM
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Are you in Portland ? there's a GREAT older Volvo shop there, let me look them up... Ah, Alamo Automotive, they helped my daughter out a whole lot when she lived there with an old 240.

one thing about Alamo, they don't answer the phone, stop by in person to make appointments, discuss your car, etc.


re: your tail lights, I'd be checking the chassis grounds near each tail light assembly, a bunch of brown wires on a screw to the chassis... remove the screw, use a bit of fine sandpaper to make the ring terminals shiny again, and the spot where they are screwed down, reattach the grounds with the screw. also check where the ground wires go onto the tail light assemblies, the flexible circuit board contacts can get dirty and corroded and stop making good contact, clean those with a soft pink pencil eraser. ditto where the individual bulbs mount things bayonet on, clean the contact surfaces with said pink eraser.
 
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Old 04-29-2016, 03:08 PM
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Originally Posted by pierce
...the flexible circuit board contacts can get dirty and corroded and stop making good contact, clean those with a soft pink pencil eraser. ditto where the individual bulbs mount things bayonet on...
+1 for this. I have some odd things going on occupationally with my rear tail lights. i haven't cleaned up the flexible circuit board yet, but messing with the bulbs fixes the situation.
 
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Old 04-29-2016, 03:22 PM
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soft clean pink pencil erasers are about the least abrasive thing I've found that will clean oxide off plated contacts, and putting a little DeOxit D100 on the contacts afterwards helps them last much longer. in a couple cases I've had to gently bend the spring contacts on the rim of the bulb holders so they applied a little more pressure to the flexible circuit but don't overdo this.
 
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