'92 960 - Intermittent headlights, and a clunk

[Spiggy Topes]

Hi all,

Two problems with our '92 960; firstly, the headlights are sometimes
there, sometimes not. High beams work just fine, but low only some
times. Everyrhing I hear says it's the headlight relay, and possibly
just corroded connectors. But I understand some of these relays are
not removable, and I sure can't get the one I think it is to budge. Do
I risk doing something nasty if I apply excessive force? Or am I
looking in the wrong place?

Second problem is a clunk from the rear passenger side. It seems to be
more noticeable when the car is cold, but that could be my
imagination. I'd think that would put it somewhere in the realm of
differently expanding metals, something that snugs up tight when hot,
and is loose when cold. I had the muffler etc. replaced about a year
ago, don't know if that's of consequence. I'd like to track it down,
if only to be sure it's not something more serious.

Ta

Robert Smith

 

[Michael Pardee]

Hi all,

Two problems with our '92 960; firstly, the headlights are sometimes
there, sometimes not. High beams work just fine, but low only some
times. Everyrhing I hear says it's the headlight relay, and possibly
just corroded connectors. But I understand some of these relays are
not removable, and I sure can't get the one I think it is to budge. Do
I risk doing something nasty if I apply excessive force? Or am I
looking in the wrong place?

Second problem is a clunk from the rear passenger side. It seems to be
more noticeable when the car is cold, but that could be my
imagination. I'd think that would put it somewhere in the realm of
differently expanding metals, something that snugs up tight when hot,
and is loose when cold. I had the muffler etc. replaced about a year
ago, don't know if that's of consequence. I'd like to track it down,
if only to be sure it's not something more serious.

Ta

Robert Smith

The socket for the headlight relay melted in our '85 760 - the connector
obviously heated up and melted the plastic before it became intermittent.
Take a look with a flashlight around the socket edge where it mounts and see
if the edges are still straight or if they have that Salvador Dali look.

I removed the oxidation from the relay pins with ScotchBrite and tightened
the female parts with pliers (they pulled right through the deformed
socket), then hot-glued the relay back down. So far, so good. My next step
is to clean the pins again and try soldering the connections.

Mike

 

[Randy G.]

Second problem is a clunk from the rear passenger side. It seems to be
more noticeable when the car is cold, but that could be my
imagination. I'd think that would put it somewhere in the realm of
differently expanding metals, something that snugs up tight when hot,
and is loose when cold. I had the muffler etc. replaced about a year
ago, don't know if that's of consequence. I'd like to track it down,
if only to be sure it's not something more serious.

When first starting off the antilock brakes will do a self test. You
may feel that.

If it is driving, then the rear shocks might need replacing. I believe
that yours, like mine, has self-levelng shocks, and that the one might
be taking longer to pump up first thing in the morning. If the car has
90,000 miles or more without changing those, then they most likely are
in need of being replaced.. Also check the other various bushings back
there as one or more may have failed...

...or if you have kids, the cereal they have dropped into the spare
tire well has lured some rats, and they are asleep in the morning when
you drive off, and they fall off the spare tire making a clunk noise..
;-)

__ __
Randy & \ \/ /alerie's
\__/olvos
'90 240 Estate - '93 960 Estate