This is from Mathews Volvo Site:

Remove the coin holder / OBD cover Under it, you will find 1 of the 2 screws that holds the cigarette lighter / change holder assembly to the underside of the dash. Both screws are torx.

Remove the front small console, unplugging the 2 wires to the lighter, and the light should just slide out.

Located down below the holder will be 2 screws, remove them.

Down inside where the 2 screws are (down in the botton) there are 2 large wiring harnesses... remove them both. 1controls your window swith, the other one controls your heated seats and tranny switch. They should gently just pull out from their sockets.

Open your center console arm rest, pop off the little plate, and you will find 2 screws there. Remove them.

Remove the little plate that sits under the parking brake, it should just pop out. Set the parking brake, so the handle is as high as you can go. You'll need it up for 2 reasons...

1) Put the car in drive, so the shifter is pulled back.
2) To keep your car from rolling away while you are working from the passenger seat.

The conole should now lift out cleanly... as 1 assembly.

You need to do this to change your center console switches. This is the easiest way to get to them.

 

I got the center console out, but now I can not get the switches, mostly the main big one that controls the windows, out of the console? There are some metal clips on this side, but I can not figure out how to get them to free from the plastic. Really afraid I am going to break the platic and need a whole new console.

 

I am having that shifter stuck in park problem intermittently and all I have to do is move it by pressing the shiftlock button. Now, does this mean that its the small switch going bad or something else and if I definately need a new switch or there is a way to clean/adjust it without going thru the hastle of sourcing a new part?
Can somene just explain briefly that function of that switch please?

Thanks in advace.

 

To permit the gear selector to be moved from the Park position when the car lacks battery voltage, or if there is a fault in the shift lock mechanism, it is possible to disconnect the interlock mechanism mechanically. The mechanical disconnection consists of a button (5) on the gear shift assembly base, marked SHIFT LOCK OVERRIDE. When the button is pressed, the solenoid lock pin (3) is freed, and the gear selector can be moved from the Park position. See figure C. Note: on cars with key interlock, the ignition key must first be turned to position I or II.
For as long as the fault persists, the mechanical disconnect must be used together with the ignition key every time the gear selector is moved from the Park position.
There is a microswitch (6) in the electrical circuit between the brake lamp contact and the solenoid. The micro–switch only closes the circuit in the Park position, so that the solenoid will not be activated every time the driver presses the brake pedal when driving.





maybe try to tighten that cable on yours and see if that works?

 

I got the switch out. For anybody interested, it comes out through the top after you loosen the wiring harness. I was trying to pull it out through the bottom. Once I got the wiring harness loose, it popped right out through the top. I thought I broke something, but it snapped back in after I cleaned it all up.

A soft drink was spilled into it and we could not get the switches to quit sticking. If the cleaning works, I'm fine. If not I will have to replace the whole assembly, but that's not very hard to do and they are fairly cheap on e-bay.

Whoever came up with the idea of putting cup holders directly above the switches deserves an award for stupididy.

 

Another excellet write-up 850tony. This is exactly what i was looking for beofre I open the console. I will try cleaning it or adjusting it and hope that it will work.

 

no problem

 

wiggling the console out will often be frustrating. it is often tempting, if not necessary, to briefly set the console (while disconning wires, etc.) on the shifter **** -- or even accidentally do so -- with the edge of the shifter opening on the shifter ****. Its a good idea to put a couple of layers of electrical tape on the ****, and even a strip or two on the front and rear edges of the shifter opening. the sharp edge of the shifter opening of the console WILL leave a small indentation on the **** that wont go away! i know now, i have 3 on my ****.

yes, getting the window switch out IS a pain..dont know why volvo makes their connectors, clips, etc SO difficult to remove.

and dont worry if you find small chips and crumbs of plastic...volvo has some of the poorest quality plastic i have ever seen in older cars -- nowhere near as long-lasting as american plastic.

good luck!

 

I put together this video to show people how to pull the center console of the Volvo 850. I pulled mine to get to the bulb at my shifter.