I want to add cornering lamps to my 850 turbo wagon so I can see where I'm turning at night.

Are there any simple kits to do this? Ideally something that I can basically glue onto the fender, and drill a small hole for the wire to pass through.

Need to know how to wire it as well.

 

Volvos electrics are more complicated than normal cars. I'd stay away from that or get some wide angle fogs and trust those. Not a big fan on cutting things into the bumper/fenders.

 

Seems to me that the wiring is merely knowing where to tap into the turn signal power but prior to the blinker module ???

And I want to just glue the lamp assembly onto the fender, with a tiny hole for passing the power wire. No structural problems there. And I think I read that there is a pre-cut hole that can be exposed, behind some emblem???

 

There is a small hole in the fender but it's a bit high and pretty small located behind the "Volvo" badge. It's smaller than the badge itself so you might want to look at that badge first before you try to pull it off to see if you think you can fit a light in there.

You might have better luck mounting it to the bumper where it wraps around just in front of the wheel. There is access to the back side from under the vehicle. You can use something like 3M emblem adhesive or better yet if possible depending on the light you choose drill and screw it on. It would make servicing it easier when you need to change a bulb or the whole assembly if it gets damaged.

 

Mostly I need to know the wiring, and any suggestions for some sort of lamp assembly which would be suitable.

I don't know the specs for the lamps which are normally used for cornering; needs to project brightly for a long distance, so I suppose its beefier than a turn signal type lamp. But today's halogen and LED technology ought to be suitable in a small package.

 

I haven't seen any cornering light bulbs. I have seen these corner marker lights that will NOT do the job you are seeking.

European Side Marker Lights

I could not imagine trying to install those kind of lights because I can't see the curb when I turn or park anyway.

 

I wanted to do this too. I thought about just installing them on a three position toggle switch (so I could select R or L), but i suppose that trying to hit an extra switch in the dark, while turning, may not be the safest option.

If you wanted them to turn on automatically, I would not wire them directly to the hot side of the relay. That's just asking for constant burnt fuses or worse. I would run a dedicated, fused hot line to power (off the top of my head) two SPST relays, which are controlled by the wires (R and L) going to the coil side of the turn relay. It's not rocket science, but I'd find a friend with some knowledge of aftermarket auto electrics if you're not familiar. It would suck to burn up a wire in the middle of your harness or something.

I always thought it was a bit easier, since EVERYTHING seems like it has its own dedicated circuit. :P

 

OK, now I need to recollect something... I replaced the OEM headlight assembly with a Euro style HID kit.

This "replacement" for the OEM headlights says it is a side marker & cornering light combination:

Discount Car Lights - 1995 Volvo 850 Corner Light)

I sure don't remember having any better cornering illumination with the OEM than now.

But it makes me wonder; if there was a constant-on lamp for cornering, it would have had a separate wire, and I sure don't recollect an extra harness leftover. But it could have been a pin in the connector, which the HID simply does not utilize. Need a diagram...

 

I suppose I should try to find some small projector type lamp assemblies and figure out a mounting location and get some SPST relays. Would need the wiring diagram to find the correct flasher wire to use.

Here's a not yet in production system that uses a sensor on the steering column to turn on any lights when you turn the wheel far enough. Says it also works with flashers & hazards:

Smart Lites - Home

 

Even if it did have a built in corner lamp, it would only work when the turn signal had power, which would mean it would blink too. Unless it had a time delayed relay of some sort that held on for a set time before it opened back up. I would think that sort of setup would be expensive and ultimately unreliable.

Interesting idea, especially for a long wheelbase vehicle which has a large turning radius.

In my case, I usually want more side-aimed light when I'm trying to find a driveway on a dark street or side road. By the time I'm actually turning the wheel, hopefully I know where I'm going. I'd rather it came on with the turn signal, I think.

 

>I'd rather it came on with the turn signal, I think.

It DOES. Also when the 4 way flashers are activated. But you probably have to do some wiring, unless it has a clever sensor that you place next to a flashing lamp or its power wire.

 

The WH Holden Statesman from 1999-2006 here in Australia has this kind of setup. When you put your turn signal on, a light down near the fog light on the corresponding side lights up, and turns off about 5 seconds after the turn signal is switched off. The light mounted under the bumper and looked like this:

WH STATESMAN FOG LIGHT RIGHT HAND

Also the Ford Fairlane from a similar era had the same kind of setup.

 

my folks' 92 Grand Marquis had it as well.