92 240 reverse light mystery

  • Thread starter Thread starter Douglas
  • Start date Start date
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Douglas

I've got good bulbs, all fuses look ok, but no reverse lights. Is there a
switch or relay somewhere that I should look at? The car is an automatic.

Also, only one of my rear fog lights comes on, but I can't seem to find
any particular reason why the second one isn't also working.

I have lightly scraped the contact areas on the printed circuits and put
a small amount of light bulb grease on the contact surfaces to try and
resolve this but it has had zero effect.

Maybe I should replace the printed circuits? Honestly I don't like the
look of them, they seem kind of cheap and I don't trust them. I'm tempted
to solder in patch wires directly to the light socket contacts and get rid
of those circuit sheets.

Thanks,
Doug
 
there is a switch on the tranny, might be defective, or perhaps just a wire
disconnected... as for the fog light, to the best of my knowledge, there is
only one, not two. Go figure.....
 
Aha, so its on the tranny itself and not down in the shifter area. Cool,
I'll crawl down there next oil change and poke around. Thanks for the
guidance.
 
I've got good bulbs, all fuses look ok, but no reverse lights. Is there a
switch or relay somewhere that I should look at? The car is an automatic.

Also, only one of my rear fog lights comes on, but I can't seem to find
any particular reason why the second one isn't also working.

I have lightly scraped the contact areas on the printed circuits and put
a small amount of light bulb grease on the contact surfaces to try and
resolve this but it has had zero effect.

Maybe I should replace the printed circuits? Honestly I don't like the
look of them, they seem kind of cheap and I don't trust them. I'm tempted
to solder in patch wires directly to the light socket contacts and get rid
of those circuit sheets.

Thanks,
Doug
Click to expand...
Remove the cover for the left rear tailight assembly. The two adjacent
black wires in the 90 degree edge connector are bridged on the circuit
panel. Contact between the conector is notoriously poor. The plastic is
not very heat resistant and deforms under normal operating heat loads.
Remove the plug and check for current on one black wire, if the neutral
safety switch is good, there will be current on that wire (key on, motor
off, shifter in R or reverse). If there is no current there replace the
n/s switch. If there is current there, fabricate a narrow strip of
copper or brass shim stock the width of two contact spaces and form it
over the edge connector on the light assembly where the black wire
connectors make contact with the board. Reinstall the plug. The reverse
lights should both be working barring burned out bulbs.

Bob
 
Douglas said:
Aha, so its on the tranny itself and not down in the shifter area. Cool,
I'll crawl down there next oil change and poke around. Thanks for the
guidance.
Click to expand...
When you see where that switch is you will not be terribly happy. Mine
is also faulty and I have been putting off changing it out.

And in N. America at least, there is only one rear fog light. Seems
N.A. drivers (U.S., anyway) Aren't bright enough to figure out that in
the fog that two very bright red lights ahead means that ther eis a
vehicle attached to them, and 2) that these should only be turned on
when it is actually foggy...
__ __
Randy & \ \/ /alerie's
\__/olvo
'93 960 Estate
 
I think you're mistaken to say that US drivers aren't smart enough to know
that two bright red lights would be better than one bright red light in the
fog.... we simply didn't have any choice in the matter! However, I fear you
might be right about us not being smart enough to use them only when in fog!
So maybe it's better that we just don't have any "fog" lights at all.......
 
Al Dente said:
I think you're mistaken to say that US drivers aren't smart enough to know
that two bright red lights would be better than one bright red light in the
fog.... we simply didn't have any choice in the matter! However, I fear you
might be right about us not being smart enough to use them only when in fog!
So maybe it's better that we just don't have any "fog" lights at
Click to expand...
all.......

Let's back up a bit... there are a lot of drivers that aren't smart enough
to know not to use their high beams in the fog (or when another car is
coming towards them).

Similarly, some cars use the high beams on low intensity as running lights.
Most cars like that don't light up the instruments when these running lights
are on. How many times do you see some idiot tooling along in the middle of
the night with running lights only? How dumb can somebody be to not notice
that their real headlights are not on, when all it takes is to look down and
see you spedometer is dark, the gas gauge is dark...

Back to your original point, maybe no fog lights are better. I fear you and
I may be in agreement! :)

As for to two bright red rear fog lights vs one bright red rear fog light, I
used to think one was better, so it isn't confused with brake lights, but
then again, a lot of people probably only look for the central brake light
as a cue, and on the other other hand, a lot of people have burned out third
brake lights...

Auugh!
 
I think you're mistaken to say that US drivers aren't smart enough to know
that two bright red lights would be better than one bright red light in the
fog.... we simply didn't have any choice in the matter! However, I fear you
might be right about us not being smart enough to use them only when in fog!
So maybe it's better that we just don't have any "fog" lights at all.......
Click to expand...
I am afraid that there are a lot in the UK that do the same. Maybe a
flashing warning lamp on the dash would be a good idea. Similar to the
seat belt warning but maybe green or amber.

Taff.........



www.sounds-pa.com | www.thecomputerworkshop.com
 
Al Dente said:
I think you're mistaken to say that US drivers aren't smart enough to know
that two bright red lights would be better than one bright red light in the
fog.... we simply didn't have any choice in the matter! However, I fear you
might be right about us not being smart enough to use them only when in fog!
So maybe it's better that we just don't have any "fog" lights at all.......
Click to expand...

I have been riding a motorcycle in the US since 1981 and had ridden
some even before that. I have also some experience in Europe as well.
Add to that my service as a volunteer firefighter for five and one
half years, part of my area of responsibility was along a mountain
highway. You just don't want to start a discussion with me as to the
ability (, lack of) of American drivers.

There are a lot of folks still alive only because it is illegal to
carry a loaded firearm on a motorcycle in California, and it is a
felony to shoot people talking on a cell phone (although it would be
the genetic equivalent of adding a bit of chlorine to the (gene) pool.

Go out into any rural, and particularly desert or farming community
and find some long, straight stretch of road. Find a bend or turn in
it, and count the number of skid marks leading into it. This is not a
sign of competent driving.

It is no accident that I bought a Volvo.
__ __
Randy & \ \/ /alerie's
\__/olvo
'93 960 Estate
 
Hi Douglas,

Regarding your rear fog lights on the '92 240:
Do you know if both ever worked?

When our '93 240 wagon was delivered (new), I was surprised to find only one
rear fog light worked. Our previous 240, an '86, had both working. I found
out that the offending fog light had a bulb already installed but no
electrical connection. I simply ran a wire from the "good" light to the
"bad" one, and the '93 has run like an '86 ever since................

(I won't get into the pros and cons of one rear fog light versus two. We've
been down that road already on this NG............. at great length!)

Good Luck.
Andy I.


| I've got good bulbs, all fuses look ok, but no reverse lights. Is there a
| switch or relay somewhere that I should look at? The car is an automatic.
|
| Also, only one of my rear fog lights comes on, but I can't seem to find
| any particular reason why the second one isn't also working.
|
| I have lightly scraped the contact areas on the printed circuits and put
| a small amount of light bulb grease on the contact surfaces to try and
| resolve this but it has had zero effect.
|
| Maybe I should replace the printed circuits? Honestly I don't like the
| look of them, they seem kind of cheap and I don't trust them. I'm tempted
| to solder in patch wires directly to the light socket contacts and get rid
| of those circuit sheets.
|
| Thanks,
| Doug
|
| --
| Remove the lock from my email to reply
|
 
Jim Carriere said:
all.......

Let's back up a bit... there are a lot of drivers that aren't smart enough
to know not to use their high beams in the fog (or when another car is
coming towards them).

Similarly, some cars use the high beams on low intensity as running lights.
Most cars like that don't light up the instruments when these running lights
are on. How many times do you see some idiot tooling along in the middle of
the night with running lights only? How dumb can somebody be to not notice
that their real headlights are not on, when all it takes is to look down and
see you spedometer is dark, the gas gauge is dark...

Back to your original point, maybe no fog lights are better. I fear you and
I may be in agreement! :)

As for to two bright red rear fog lights vs one bright red rear fog light, I
used to think one was better, so it isn't confused with brake lights, but
then again, a lot of people probably only look for the central brake light
as a cue, and on the other other hand, a lot of people have burned out third
brake lights...

Auugh!
Click to expand...

I'd rather someone behind me think I'm stopping when I'm not than the other
way around!
 
I'd rather someone behind me think I'm stopping when I'm not than the other
way around!
Click to expand...
Someone mentioned a while ago that in europe the rain light needs to
show on the passing side of the car. In LHD countries that would be on
the left side of the car.

Bob
 
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