'92 240GL No Instrument lights

  • Thread starter Thread starter James Sassman
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James Sassman

Specifically, these are the lights that illiminate the clock, speedometer
and engine temp, fuel tank gauges behind the steering wheel.
One day they worked. The next day, none of them worked.
There were a couple burned out for a long time--since I acquired the car 7
or 8 years ago. These were for the fuel and engine temp. gauges.
Looking at the fuse guide, it says nothing about a separate fuse for
instrument lights.

Any ideas?
 
James Sassman said:
Specifically, these are the lights that illiminate the clock, speedometer
and engine temp, fuel tank gauges behind the steering wheel.
One day they worked. The next day, none of them worked.
There were a couple burned out for a long time--since I acquired the car 7
or 8 years ago. These were for the fuel and engine temp. gauges.
Looking at the fuse guide, it says nothing about a separate fuse for
instrument lights.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...


Did the dimmer knob get turned down all the way? It's easy to do while
trying to set the clock. This also dims the lights that illuminate the
center console switches and heater controls. If those work, then the other
bulb in the instrument cluster burned out, there's only two of them and
they're not difficult to replace. All you need is a philips screwdriver to
remove the screws that hold the cluster in and slide that out enough to get
a hand behind it, only takes 15 minutes or so.
 
James Sweet said:
Did the dimmer knob get turned down all the way? It's easy to do while
trying to set the clock. This also dims the lights that illuminate the
center console switches and heater controls. If those work, then the other
bulb in the instrument cluster burned out, there's only two of them and
they're not difficult to replace. All you need is a philips screwdriver to
remove the screws that hold the cluster in and slide that out enough to
get a hand behind it, only takes 15 minutes or so.
Click to expand...
Okay, thanks for the information. Since there are only two bulbs, the other
one must have burned out causing no light in the cluster.

Where are the philips screws located to remove the cluster?
 
Okay, thanks for the information. Since there are only two bulbs, the
other one must have burned out causing no light in the cluster.

Where are the philips screws located to remove the cluster?
Click to expand...

Pull the knobs off the headlight switch and the dimmer, use your fingernail,
a coin, or similar object to carefully pry the fascia around those knobs, it
just pops out, then do the same with the gauge bezels or blank plates on the
other side of the cluster. Remove the two screws holding the cover on the
top of the steering column and lift off the cover, then remove the two
screws on either side of the cluster. Remove the metal bracket that sits
over the headlight switch shaft and then pull the cluster straight out.
Since yours is newer than '85, it is all electrical and does not have a
speedo cable to mess with so it should pull out enough that you can get to
the bulbs. They twist counter-clockwise and pop out.
 
James Sweet said:
Pull the knobs off the headlight switch and the dimmer, use your
fingernail, a coin, or similar object to carefully pry the fascia around
those knobs, it just pops out, then do the same with the gauge bezels or
blank plates on the other side of the cluster. Remove the two screws
holding the cover on the top of the steering column and lift off the
cover, then remove the two screws on either side of the cluster. Remove
the metal bracket that sits over the headlight switch shaft and then pull
the cluster straight out. Since yours is newer than '85, it is all
electrical and does not have a speedo cable to mess with so it should pull
out enough that you can get to the bulbs. They twist counter-clockwise and
pop out.
Click to expand...
Is there a bulb number to ask for at the auto parts store? It would be great
to have them in hand once the necessary components are removed.

Thank you so much for the precise instructions! Looks like it will be a
great project for one of the warmer days coming up.
 
James Sassman said:
Is there a bulb number to ask for at the auto parts store? It would be
great to have them in hand once the necessary components are removed.

Thank you so much for the precise instructions! Looks like it will be a
great project for one of the warmer days coming up.
Click to expand...

It should be listed in your owners manual. They're ordinary wedge based
automotive bulbs, I can't think of anywhere else in the car they're used,
but a lot of domestic cars use them for side marker lights.
 
James Sweet wrote:
(...)
Since yours is newer than '85, it is all electrical and does not have a
speedo cable to mess with so it should pull out enough that you can get to
the bulbs. They twist counter-clockwise and pop out.
Click to expand...

I'm only 90% sure, but I believe that our '88 240DL had a speedo
cable. I remember thinking that the plastic locking tab on it looked
damaged, but it worked ok.
 
mjc13 said:
James Sweet wrote:
(...)

I'm only 90% sure, but I believe that our '88 240DL had a speedo cable.
I remember thinking that the plastic locking tab on it looked damaged, but
it worked ok.
Click to expand...


'86 and later 240s were all electric, the transmissions don't even have the
place for the speedo cable to connect. You must be thinking of a different
car unless someone converted it. This is assuming also North America, who
knows how it was done in other parts of the world, Volvo had some funny
regional differences.
 
James Sweet said:
It should be listed in your owners manual. They're ordinary wedge based
automotive bulbs, I can't think of anywhere else in the car they're used,
but a lot of domestic cars use them for side marker lights.
Click to expand...
Just picked up a pack of two bulbs from a local auto parts dealer.
They looked like the right size. The number is 2821 with (W3W) underneath.
However, that same dealer's website shows 2721 to be the correct size. But
when I saw the package, the bulb was too small. It reminded me of the
automatic transmission backlight in my '84 240DL wagon. A smallish, wedge
type bulb, only 1/2 inch long and approximately 1/4 inch around.

I can't seem to get the bulbs out of the sockets to examine the size of the
base, but the ones I have in the package, 2821, seem to big.

And one note: the screws holding the instrument panel in place are all torx
head screws.
 
Just picked up a pack of two bulbs from a local auto parts dealer.
They looked like the right size. The number is 2821 with (W3W) underneath.
However, that same dealer's website shows 2721 to be the correct size. But
when I saw the package, the bulb was too small. It reminded me of the
automatic transmission backlight in my '84 240DL wagon. A smallish, wedge
type bulb, only 1/2 inch long and approximately 1/4 inch around.

I can't seem to get the bulbs out of the sockets to examine the size of
the base, but the ones I have in the package, 2821, seem to big.

And one note: the screws holding the instrument panel in place are all
torx head screws.
Click to expand...


Oh, I'd forgotten about that, '90 or '91 Volvo changed to Torx. Great if you
have the Torx bits, but it can be a hassle if you don't.

I think some of the later cars had the bulbs glued into the plastic base
things as well, if that's the case and you can't get them out, you might
have to hit up the dealer. They are bigger than the bulbs used to backlight
the switches and such, which are also used in the optional gauges that
install to the right of the cluster.
 
Oh, I'd forgotten about that, '90 or '91 Volvo changed to Torx. Great if
you have the Torx bits, but it can be a hassle if you don't.

I think some of the later cars had the bulbs glued into the plastic base
things as well, if that's the case and you can't get them out, you might
have to hit up the dealer. They are bigger than the bulbs used to
backlight the switches and such, which are also used in the optional
gauges that install to the right of the cluster.
Click to expand...
Have the bulbs in sockets removed. The bulbs are stuck in the sockets and
cannot be removed. Must have been made that way.
I ordered replacements from FCP Groton for $ 1 each plus shipping. The
Volvo, OEM's are $ 8.
Thanks for your help!
 
Oh, I'd forgotten about that, '90 or '91 Volvo changed to Torx. Great if
you have the Torx bits, but it can be a hassle if you don't.

I think some of the later cars had the bulbs glued into the plastic base
things as well, if that's the case and you can't get them out, you might
have to hit up the dealer. They are bigger than the bulbs used to
backlight the switches and such, which are also used in the optional
gauges that install to the right of the cluster.
Click to expand...
Got the bulbs from FCP Groton, installed and have full light in the
instrument panel for the first time since I purchased on Ebay 8 years ago!
Now looking to replace the lights behind the heater buttons for floor,
defrost and recirculate. Hope that is not such a challenge--been a long time
since I have removed the center dash area.
 
James Sassman said:
Got the bulbs from FCP Groton, installed and have full light in the
instrument panel for the first time since I purchased on Ebay 8 years ago!
Now looking to replace the lights behind the heater buttons for floor,
defrost and recirculate. Hope that is not such a challenge--been a long
time since I have removed the center dash area.
Click to expand...


There's a screw on each side up near the dash, a twist clip on each side
down low, and two screws under the lower radio/storage compartment in front
of the gear shift. Pull it straight out, taking care not to pull wires off
the switches. As I recall, there's 3 bulbs back there, one on the fan
switch, one on the heater control, and one up above illuminating the rocker
switches.
 
James said:
Got the bulbs from FCP Groton, installed and have full light in the
instrument panel for the first time since I purchased on Ebay 8 years ago!
Now looking to replace the lights behind the heater buttons for floor,
defrost and recirculate. Hope that is not such a challenge--been a long time
since I have removed the center dash area.
Click to expand...

It isn't too bad a job. They are just light bulbs in wired holders
that fit into holes in the back of the panel. I mixed mine up when
reinstalling them, and it didn't much matter.
 
James Sweet said:
Did the dimmer knob get turned down all the way? It's easy to do while
trying to set the clock. This also dims the lights that illuminate the
center console switches and heater controls. If those work, then the other
bulb in the instrument cluster burned out, there's only two of them and
they're not difficult to replace. All you need is a philips screwdriver to
remove the screws that hold the cluster in and slide that out enough to
get a hand behind it, only takes 15 minutes or so.
Click to expand...
Have replaced the instrument cluster lights.
Now replaced bulbs in center console behind the defrost/recirculate/floor
button but cannot find the correct socket
to insert it back into. Where is that located?
Thanks1
 
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