I know this apparently a frequent problem and have done a search of the forum. Many useful tips found but,

The problem is:

sidelights- fine
mainbeam- fine (only works when stalk held on, as to be expected)
dipped beam- very very poor. Filament of dipped beam part of bulb glowing but less than sidelights and light of no use when driving.

also: dipped beam filament continues to work on sidelights position of switch as well! Very odd.

fuses checked
lighting switch changed on dashboard
headlight bulbs checked
main beam relay works fine
dipped beam relay (under dash clicks fine)
fuse box plugs inside and outside of bulk head gently wobbled...no change

Questions:

1) Is this a sign of a bad earth for the headlights rather than a fusebox plug problem, if so where is it? (about to go out into the cold dark with a light!)

2) Anyone know which fusebox plugs carry the dipped beam wires so I can wobble them harder? (I don't want to loosen the others and bring back a previous fault from years ago when the ignition used to cut out).

3) Is there just the one relay under the dash relating to dipped beam?

If I hadn't already fixed the heater resistor pack and got the fan working again today I would be starting to get very annoyed by now.

Thanks,
Andy

EDIT

Found what appears to be an earth from the lighting circuit to battery tray/earth strap. Cleaned and no change.

Also noticed that the headlamp bulb is actually buzzing. Confirmed this as the sound stops when you pull off the headlamp bulb connection.

EDIT again

Fixed!

It was the fusebox plug after all, for future reference it's the one on inside of the car on the left looking from the inside of the car towards the bulkhead. Just shows how useful the info already on the forum is, posts by Chris C and others from the past regarding similar problems most useful...made me persist with the plug wobbling!

Is this your 1.7 Andy? Later cars have a dim/dip relay that puts 7ishvolts through the dipped beam filement on when the switch is on sidelights. I'm guessing from what you've written it was doing the same as Fake did and only light that dim, never up to dipped beam. Especially with the fix you did.

Fake that plug out, dose it with ultrasolve for now. I still havn't got a really good satisfactory solution

check the plugs very carefully though, it might look ok:


but, on closer inspection...



plug wobbling might get things working for now, but i'd go after a few new connectors!

Thanks for the replies, yes it's the 1989 1.7. I just wobbled the inner plug (but didn't unplug it) so I don't know what it looks like. I didn't know the dipped beam filament was supposed to be on with the sidelights, that explains why! Thats why I thought I had an earthing fault. Sounds like exactly the same fault as your's Chris. Yes new plugs might be the only way to properly fix this if it happens again. I don't actually do that much driving at night so I suppose I might be ok with the connections for a while if they only get worse with power going through them. I know where there's a car being prepared for banger racing right now so I'll get a plug off it for a spare asap! (it's that white J reg 1.7 I posted a while ago, no one bought it but at least I managed to salvage a load if stuff again including all the lights, bumpers, both front wings (not too rusty), the entire dash and both black rain gutter strips in A1 condition )

Hi mate.
I had this problem with my old GLT.I found that if you lifted the wiring loom up behind the dash clocks, the
main beam worked. I just propped it up with a stick and got years of use out of it .
Cheers Mark.

For now, I'm pulling every fusebox and all 6 plugs from any scrap car I can. I can redo the crimps inside the plugs, not stripped a fusebox apart yet though. I've a feeling after last night mines just started doing it again

Any pictures of said items Chris for reference? I might be tempted out of the nice warm pub for a scout round the scrappies over Christmas.

Stolen from this thread http://www.volvo300mania.com/forum-uk/v ... f=5&t=9808 . Worth a read through mate, on mine where the plug had melted it had also taken the fusebox with it

EDIT: If you grab them, if the loom is shagged anyway just cut the wires, we can reloom them. If the loom looks sexy it might be worth having a good one in reserve. I'm pretty certain mine got worse when I removed the choke cable, I think the car was earthing through that (my choke light was sometimes iffy too at the end). It'd also make sense for Speedy's, but not Hell Drivers.

Engine Side browns are slightly different (they have different numbers printed on them) but same otherwise so ideal, as that way you can keep the interior loom intact and have a spare plug too.

Mine is currently dodgy too but for me it's the ignition barrel connection. I should really fix it but I'm just too lazy It only goes funny after a few months and I just give it a scrape and some ethanol spray and it's good as new. When it gets warm I'm sure I'll fix it.