intermittant headlights

[shimon340]

Hello everyone!

Not been here for a while for posting due to work pressures but hope everyone is well and their 340s are doing well too!

My friends 340 1.7 is doing as follows and I was wondering if this was a common fault or is the a common known fault or cause?

Basically, when the headlight are on the "2" setting the main beams work fine. But, randomly they go out leaving just the side lights running. On setting "1" the side lights remain on all the time no problem.

Given that the headlights dipped beam is seperately fused and that the fault means both lights go on and off randomly at the same time Im thinking possibly a poor connection on the headlight switch or the relay which runs the headlights. (is there a relay for dipped beam? I know there's a large relay near the fuse box/bulkhead controlling the main beam).

looking forward to hearing from you

now the winters almost over, hoping to come to some V3M meets soon too

regards

Shimon

[MCHUDD]

Hi mate.
I had this problem with my GLT. I found when i had the dash clocks out that if you lifted the main loom
up the lights worked fine.When i let go of the loom,the lights went of again.This was obviously a bad
conection somewhere near the bulkhead.I fixed a piece of hard plastic underneath the loom to keep it
raised up.This solved the problem.Hope this is of some help.
Cheers Mark.

[volvosneverdie]

Hi mate.
I had this problem with my GLT. I found when i had the dash clocks out that if you lifted the main loom
up the lights worked fine.When i let go of the loom,the lights went of again.This was obviously a bad
conection somewhere near the bulkhead.I fixed a piece of hard plastic underneath the loom to keep it
raised up.This solved the problem.Hope this is of some help.
Cheers Mark.

Similar problem occurred on a mates 1.gay clio 16v.
A folded up piece of card forced under a a box of connections in the bay (dunno the technical term) sorted it.
thats after it being to three different garages and coming up blank.

'here peter, this things loose. jam something in there.'
Fixed.

Been fine since.

[magnumpi]

My 340 was doing this last year, hit a bump and the lights would flash on and off like a lighthouse, hit a big enough pothole and they would go out all together until they decided they wanted to play ball again.

My solution was to remove the highbeam relay on the bulkhead and generally clean the connectors, this seemed to work for a bit but didn't proplerly fix it. Then someone on here suggested i use electrical cleaner spray on the relays under the dash (driver footwell behind the carpet), i removed them cleaned them up sprayed liberal amounts of the magic stuff and i've not had a problem since

[Chris_C]

It's the middle of the 3 bulkhead connectors corroding. Annoying it also means your front screen is leaking in the bottom corner and will try and rust out in the next few years

[shimon340]

hi

that's most helpful. Where exactly are the bulkhead connectors you refer to? I recall you posted before about a poor earth behind the dash as giving our car some probs? There are 4 relays behind the binnacle but Im not aware of ones in the drivers footwell.

S

[magnumpi]

IIRC all you have to do it remove the pop in clips on the bottom of the dash holding thecarpet and it comes out, it may be not quite that simple but it's certainly not rocket science

Once the carpet is out lay on your back in the footwell (nice awkward position) and look up by the steering column/bottom of the dash, they are fairly visible once you get down there.

[shimon340]

Thanks for the info, I think they are therefore the same 4 relays which are behind the binnacle!

That upside down position is also necessary when you replace the clutch pedal to cable connector. The production 340 part was prone to split so the part supplied by Volvo Parts is an upgraded one. Friend of mine (about 10 years ago) had a campaign to change them on any 340 he serviced, my A reg 340 included.

Re the corroded connector Chris, the point re the leaking windscreen is highly plausable given that this car has an RAC Autowindscreens screen and also shows water ingress into the edge of the laminate on the drivers side.

I'll start by having a look behind the binnacle and then at the bulkhead connector Chris mentioned. But, where exactly is that mate?

Anyone have a diagram etc showing or noting which relay is which behnd the binnacle? Ive changed the intermittant wipe one before when it would first buzz each time it activated (bad earth) and then got stuck so the wipers were on all the time!

thanks and hopefully see you at the York meet

Shimon

[Chris_C]

From the bonnet, look at the fusebox and there are 3 plugs the bonnet side loom connects too, they have equivilent plugs on the inside of the bulkhead. Pull the carpety underside of the dash out by removing the 4 poppers and you'll see them.

Page 31 of the wiring green book (http://www.volvo300mania.com/technical/ ... agrams.pdf which is page 32 of the pdf)

Diagram C, white connector labelled 'E'

Best cure is to nip to RS, buy a can of Ultrasolve, spray it to death, then put the connector on and off a few times. I'm working on a better solution atm...

[magnumpi]

As you mentioned it, may aswell check that you have the uprated aluminium clutch holder while your down there as my old plastic type decided to give up the ghost in the summer resulting in AA recovery home, despite efforts to temporarily repair it with cable ties, a spare accelerator cable and an electrical choc box

It was still available from Volvo earlier in the year as it was used on other models aswell.

[shimon340]

Hi Chris

thanks for the super info. I can't download the PDF at the moment but will try later.

Just to confirm, is it corrosion inside this connector which causes the problem?

cheers

Shimon

[Chris_C]

Yeah, they are just steel spade and bullet crimps inside the Volvo connectors. VWP sells the crimps, but it's the housings thats the problem. I'm trying to source some, havnt had chance to take the part number to Volvo to see what they say yet.

[shimon340]

Hi

Need some help downloading the PDF please! I can download it ok but when viewing I can only see the edge of the scan. The rest is covered in a grey area with V3M on. File says v3m-technical_wiring-diagrams [SECURED]

downloaded after being logged in, Any idea?

thanks

S