I have been through 3-4 headlights (bulbs burning out) on my 2001 V40 in the past few years. It happens mostly on the passengers side. I don't know its happened until I pull up behind someone at night and I only see one light on. Does anyone know why this is happening and how I could take care of it. I'm using middle of the road($) bulbs and all of my driving is on the street.
Thanks,
Dave

 

Hmm interesting problem... But if by this you mean the passenger headlight is more often than the drivers side (i.e. you have replaced the passenger side bulb 3-4 times but only the drivers side once) then there could be a few culprits.

1) Assuming nothing is technically "wrong." Different (worse) brand of bulb. What brand of bulb is on passenger side vs drivers side. I once had a Mitsubishi Eclipse and I used the fancy Sylvania Silverstar headlight bulbs. They were a bit pricier each but I believe they also burned hotter than a standard sylvania bulb therefore leading to a shorter lifespan. Wagner/Sylvania/generic brands are all designed to meet OEM specifications but actual manufacturing techniques may limit the lifespan.

2) DO NOT EVER touch the glass bulb of the headlight with your fingers. It says this right on the package but perhaps you didn't see this and this is your problem. Oils from your finger on the bulb will cause excessive heat on the bulb and may prematurely burn out the bulb.

3) With that, if there is a bad seal on the headlight casing or there is a crack in the headlight assembly, moisture may be seeping in and prematurely burning out this bulb.

4) If you or a friend has a voltometer, check the voltage output on the headlight plug. If it is putting out a different reading by a significant amount you may have found your solution.

5) Has the headlight assembly ever been replaced and/or have you hit/clipped/bumped/banged the passenger side of the car in an accident? If so, perhaps it was improperly installed so that excessive vibration is the culprit. The filament could be vibrating too much giving it a shorter lifespan.

Sometimes if its a bigger problem than simply the bulb, the best solution is to live with the more inexpensive solution which may likely be: to continue replacing the bulb more often. Can be annoying, but its probably cheaper than having a dealer or mechanic try to find a crossed wire or bad relay.

Good luck!

 

I have exactly the same problem with my 2001 V40, but on the driver's side!

I posted the following on the other Volvo forums website, yesterday:

"For some reason, the driver's side headlight bulb in my 2001 Volvo V40 keeps failing. I'm replacing the
bulbs at the rate of around once every few months. I've tried all brands of bulbs from cheapest to most
expensive, and they all fail after a few weeks.

I'm coming to the conclusion that there must be something wrong with the bulb socket, that it is perhaps
allowing the bulb to shake or move, although when fitting a new bulb it appears very secure.

There's no moisture in the area.

Has anyone else had a similar problem with the V40 headlights? I'd welcome any suggestions as to what
may be wrong.

Thanks!
Julian"

Regarding uepete's good suggestions, I have eliminated all except number 4, and checking the voltage at the socket is a good idea. However, if the voltage was excessive, I would expect to see a noticeable difference in brightness on that side, which I don't.

 

I have the same headlight problem on the driver's side. Have to replace the bulb 2 or 3 times a yr. Very annoying. Breaklights and tail-lights go out too, but less frequently. I have to believe that it is a design problem with the entire electrical system, and Volvo has a reputation for this.

 

This problem S/V40's were never recalled. However, I came across a Volvo Technical Service Bulletin, (TSB), not a recall, that mentioned a headlamp problem on the V40. Volvo service bulletin #3-37-0008 states that an additional auxiliary wiring harness (part number 30621291) can be purchased and installed in both S40 and V40 models that are exhibiting "short low-beam life span."


The headlamps in the 2000-MK11 S40/V40 models are equipped with dual headlamps and the low beam bulbs have a short life time, especially on vehicles with day running lights.


Repair: A special resistive cable harness has been introduced as a service solution to avoid early breakdown of the low beam bulb. (S40/V40-3-37-0010 Operation No 90026-2 Labour description: Install extra cable harness.) Contact your local Volvo service centre for this to be installed.

 

its most probably caused by an error in electrical wiring..or if not change ur bulbs with hella lights and it will do the fix..

 

This is excellent information - thanks! It suggests that the problem is a known weakness. Would a customer have to pay for this extra harness to be installed, or is it like a recall?

I'm wondering if there is a DIY fix possible, since it appears that all that is required is to introduce some extra resistance into the circuit.