Newbie here, I just bought a 97 V90...wading through little piddly defects and catching up on some deferred maintenance from the previous owner. I am flummoxed by an issue with the taillamps...turn signals are fine, hazards are fine, CHMSL in the tailgate lights up with application of the brake, left rear fog lamp comes on with the dash switch.
The right lower light stays lit any time the car is running, and neither brake light on the body come on with application of the brake pedal. I replaced all of the bulbs yesterday and don't quite know where to begin. The previous owner had been told it was a bad socket but never did anything about it?!?

Any thoughts?

 

Do you have the wiring diagram? Checked all fuses?

 

Sorry for the belated reply...I have gotten the left lamp to work just fine, looks like I have a bad lower socket on the right side...the running light now works but the bulb (new Bulb) does not brighten when the brake pedal is applied. The "bulb out" warning light on the dash sometimes comes on when I hit the brake, but not always. In addition, when I first hit the brake, the seatbelt warning light comes on for a second or two.

I have had the car for just over a week, and I'm gradually sorting out little bits of weirdness and trying to make a reliable 4th car out of it.

 

I had issues with the seatbelt dinger and it turned out to be a fuse I burnt while taking the dash apart!! Crazy little gremlin.

Great wiring diagram can be downloaded from volvowiringdiagrams.com, I've printed about 60 pages from it as I've been working on the car.

The bulb out warning is supposed to compare the currents between the left and right lamps. Dirty sockets/connector pins can screw this up.

 

I would much rather deal with mechanical issues than electrical gremlins...at least I understand how mechanical things work, and fail. Electrical stuff makes me want to pull my hair out.

Thanks for the link to the diagrams...that may come in handy one of these days.

 

Electrical machines are just like mechanical machines, but intimidating because you cannot see or feel the forces that push and pull.

If nothing else, the wiring drawings will show you what parts are connected to each other, exactly what fuses are involved, etc. So even if you believe you do not have the skills to do an analysis you can make a list of things to investigate.

I have no experience with the wagon, but I think I heard there is a problem with the wires in the hinge for the rear hatch?

 

I have no electrical issues in the hatch...the taillamp works, the wiper works and the washer squirter even works. Now, if I could find better interior trim that the tabs weren't broken off of, we'd be in business.

 

The tabs on bulb sockets start to make bad contacts over the years. You also need to make sure NOBODY put the wrong socket there. Brake light bulb has two filaments. One for brake and one for tail.

Before you get too confused, try swapping bulb holder from driver side to passenger side and see what happens. The fact that your driver side brake light comes on means all is good upstream except for maybe a blown fuse, but brake lights should be on the same fuse so shouldnt be the problem.

 

Finally sorted it all out...bad socket in the right taillamp was the last issue.

 

Good grief, I now have a new, weird issue...the bulb in the center (CHMSL) lamp burned out, so I bought a new bulb...put it in, and the damn thing glows, really dimly, any time the car is running. It comes fully on with application of the brake, but never goes completely out. These little piddly electrical issues wear me out.


Even with the new socket on the right side, sometimes the brake light comes on, sometimes it doesn't, on that side. The taillamp works just fine. The warning light on the dash just stays on all the time, ever since I changed the CHMSL bulb last night. I wonder if the crappy uro-brand socket isn't contributing to the problem(s).

 

I have a 1998 V90, for no reason the right brake light would not light up; the running light is on (2 filament). It was not the bulb, I replaced, then I swapped bulb holders left and right--so it was not the holder, but in the right fixture. The dash bulb out warning is lit.


This has happened before, but thought I fixed it. It has gotten to 30 F degrees in the garage, but cold should not be an issue.


Driving me nuts.

 

Did you ever fix this, have the same issue and don't know what to do...

Anyone else?

 

I have the same issue, but I too have not found an answer or solution. It is intermittent, works for awhile then does not for awhile. Passenger rear light. If I exchange the bulb 1157 it lasts awhile longer. Sorry I am no more help than misery loves company.

 

Changed sockets, brand new Volvo OEM, now the problem is on the driver's (left) side, and is not going away. I gave up. The car was damaged in an accident and I am not using it much. Insurance wanted to total the car, I refused, so they dismissed my case without paying me.