I need to replace the headlight ballast on my 2011 XC90. I don't know where this component is located. I looked under the headlight assembly but it is not there. I would rather not go mucking about until I have some idea of what I'm going to break along the way.
Full disclosure, I am not mechanically inclined so my attempts at repairs are normally successful, just not pretty

Thanks

 

Why do you need to replace a ballast?

If one side is not working - have you tried swapping the ballasts from side to side to MAKE SURE you will be replacing a bad (expensive) part?

 

Hey hoonk,
This is just what I was told by a mechanic who replaced the AC compressor. I guess he was trying to save me money by having me do it myself. I just don't know where the ballast is located on the 2011 model. I would be happy to try and switch them if I knew where they were.

 

It's either #12 or #14 depending on the VIN of the car.

 

I know it's not #12, I checked that last night. I did see somewhere where it was located in the wheel well. Could that be where #14 is located?

Thanks

 

Won't be in the wheel well. They are usually mounted on the headlamp assemblies. On the parts page - the red dot next to those part numbers indicates that part comes with a complete new headlamp assembly. In other words it is bolted to the headlamp. What's the last 6 of your VIN? (to determine if it's #12 or #14)

Are you sure you have HID bulbs? Is an H11 mounted in the low beam position? If so you don't have HIDs and don't have ballasts.

 

It must not be HID then because there are no ballasts bolted on the headlight assemblies. I took both of them out last night and looked, and these are the original headlight assemblies. I guess the mechanic was just wrong.
Obviously, that means something else is going wrong, and that could be anything.

Thanks for your help!

 

What is your complaint - what does not work?

 

Low beams don't work on driver's side. Installed new bulb, took good bulb from passenger's side assembly. That didn't work either. I don't want to get a new assembly if there are wiring issues.

 

What bulb do you have? Is it a H11? The bulb connectors melt on H11s. If so Volvo (and many others) sells a replacement socket. There are various qualities of replacements - some melt again very quickly. (some people don't look inside the connector when replacing a bulb, just unplug, plug new one in - and it still does not work - because there's no electrical connection)

If the socket is good - check for voltage on those wires. If no voltage - fuses 16 and 17 in the fusebox under the hood might be for the low beams.

On some cars if a bulb shorts out - there is a "circuit breaker" in the CEM. (central electronic module) Once that "breaker" trips - the only way to reset it (after solving the short with a new bulb) is to read and erase the self diagnostic codes in the CEM with a compatible scan tool. Have seen that problem several times.

Any codes stored in the CEM?

 

I believe it is an H11, it’s been a couple of weeks since I looked at the bulb itself, but I can check tomorrow.
Unfortunately I don’t have a device to look at the CEM codes, but I can at least look at the bulb and the socket.