I have a 94 volvo 850 and the dashlights come on for a minute then go off? It seems that i can turn the car off then they work again for a minute then go ut just the same. I need any input on what could be the fix for this. thanx in advance

 

Almost sounds like a flat batery.

All other electrics and starting the car ok ???

 

My guess would be the dashlight dimming switch... the little sliding switch that dimms the lights.

 

i had the same issue on my 95 850 turbo!
i hooked up all 4 bulbs together with one wire and plugged it ininto a siggaret lighter, seems to be working for now.
damn electronik man, drives me crazy!
let me know if you figure this problem out!

 

Dimming switch on my sons 850 does the same thing. I just jiggled it until I found a spot where they stay on.

 

At the risk of repeating everyone else....I would say a dirty/ bad dimmer switch. You can carefully remove the switch by prying it out with a plastic or wooden tool, then try to clean the sliding contacts, or else buy a new switch

 

If you wiggle the key and or turn it off and on again and they start working, check the ignition switch. Sounds like the culprit.

 

Thanx for the replies. It does stay on a minute or two after I turn the car off and back on. When they are onI canmove the dimmer switch back and forth and the lights dim and brighten but turn off after a minute. How hard is it to replace the ignition switch? I guessI should be asking how costly it would be to replace both switches. Again thanx in advance I just bought the car and am used to dealing with Asian and American cars.

 

Replacing the dimmer switch is simple. Pry out the foglight switch below it with a small screwdriver (work carefully so you don't gouge the plastic), then you should be able to pry out the slider switch itself. I would try cleaning/replacing that switch first before moving to the ignition switch as you may get lucky.

 

Mine car was showing same problem and its dash dimmer switch do you know how to clean it thanks for your help

 

That's quite a thread bump. The dimmer should get warm when operating, and so it may be losing contact as it gets warmer and things expand. I am making that up. They are easy to pop out of the dash and you could maybe spray contact cleaner into it without hurting it. I have never tried to repair one.

 

I bought an ignition switch from dealer for $75.00. It took me about 20 minutes to install. It fixed my dash light problem! Robert DIY on YouTube has a video.