Instrument bulb replacements

  • Thread starter Thread starter Randy G.
  • Start date Start date
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Randy G.

Anyone have an equivalent number or alternate source for the
instrument lighting bulb for the 240? Or am I going to have to pay at
Volvo?

These are the larger ones (there are two) that illuminate the
instrument panel- mine is marked:

Osram
w971 -(I could find no reference to this number anywhere on the Net)
12/3 -(presumably 12v 3watt)


__ __
Randy & \ \/ /alerie's
\__/olvos
'90 245 Estate - '93 965 Estate
"Shelby" & "Kate"
 
Randy G. said:
Anyone have an equivalent number or alternate source for the
instrument lighting bulb for the 240? Or am I going to have to pay at
Volvo?

These are the larger ones (there are two) that illuminate the
instrument panel- mine is marked:

Osram
w971 -(I could find no reference to this number anywhere on the Net)
12/3 -(presumably 12v 3watt)
Click to expand...
Not sure about the number but I had no trouble finding globes for the ('80
260) dash at Repco.
 
jg said:
Not sure about the number but I had no trouble finding globes for the ('80
260) dash at Repco.
Click to expand...

Repco...?

The little 1.2 watt bulbs (which are for the individual warning lamps)
are not a problem. The ones I need are the two, larger, halogen bulbs
that illuminate the instrument pod itself, one on each side.

__ __
Randy & \ \/ /alerie's
\__/olvos
'90 245 Estate - '93 965 Estate
"Shelby" & "Kate"
 
Randy G. said:
Repco...?

The little 1.2 watt bulbs (which are for the individual warning lamps)
are not a problem. The ones I need are the two, larger, halogen bulbs
that illuminate the instrument pod itself, one on each side.
Click to expand...
Repco are a large after market distributor in Australia and I believe an
international co. No I have no halogens in mine, just that 2 of the 3 globe
types I had not seen in any other car, but Repco had them.
 
Randy said:
Anyone have an equivalent number or alternate source for the
instrument lighting bulb for the 240? Or am I going to have to pay at
Volvo?

These are the larger ones (there are two) that illuminate the
instrument panel- mine is marked:

Osram
w971 -(I could find no reference to this number anywhere on the Net)
12/3 -(presumably 12v 3watt)
Click to expand...
_____
Randy,

You are in luck as i have just spent over an hour last week at Canadian
Tire trying to get a match for these bulbs (12V,3W). Finally out of
frustration i just grabbed a package with the number _161_ that
contained the same bulb size. These bulbs had a blue bead at the bottom
of the filament instead of a white one in the Osram product. At home i
checked the current draw and measured about 200 mA at 13 V, meaning that
the power consumption of the bulb was about 2.7 W. This was correct
when compared with the one good illumination bulb i had in the cluster.
It needed a little over 200 mA.

The little ones in the pilots were also available. I can't read the
number on the bulb. Their current draw was the same as the good ones in
the various pilot lights.

Then the last ones i needed were the seat belt warning, and glove box
lamps. I found no equivalent yet, but settled on _1815_ bulbs. They
are actually 3 W bulbs with a current draw of 220 mA at 13 V. But for
these applications where the bulb is only ON for a short time, the heat
developed should not present a problem.

I did notice some deformation due to heat in one of the "light pipes"
that sits above the pneumatic switches for the air registers. So, even
the little bulbs can cause minor heat related issues.

What i would love to see is a cross reference list between bulbs that
have a particular socket style, voltage and wattage marking (European
style) versus American and/or Canadian designation in terms of
"application" number. I have not been able to find such a cross
reference. Many vehicles sold in North America publish such a list in
the Owner's Manual, but the Volvo manual only lists the external bulbs.
The internal ones are listed, but only with the European designations.

Regards / John
 
jch said:
_____
Randy,

You are in luck as i have just spent over an hour last week at Canadian
Tire trying to get a match for these bulbs (12V,3W). Finally out of
frustration i just grabbed a package with the number _161_ that
contained the same bulb size. These bulbs had a blue bead at the bottom
of the filament instead of a white one in the Osram product. At home i
checked the current draw and measured about 200 mA at 13 V, meaning that
the power consumption of the bulb was about 2.7 W. This was correct
when compared with the one good illumination bulb i had in the cluster.
It needed a little over 200 mA.
Click to expand...
I looked up the GE/Osram 161 and found this:
Volts: 14, Watts: 0.19, Base: WEDGE
http://www.bulbdirect.com/catalog.asp?prodid=408031&showprevnext=1

The ones I need are pre-mounted in the 1/4-turn plastic base, or at
least appear to be so.
The little ones in the pilots were also available. I can't read the
number on the bulb. Their current draw was the same as the good ones in
the various pilot lights.
Click to expand...
These are readily available in auto part stores in the US, so they are
not a problem.
Then the last ones i needed were the seat belt warning, and glove box
lamps. I found no equivalent yet, but settled on _1815_ bulbs. They
are actually 3 W bulbs with a current draw of 220 mA at 13 V. But for
these applications where the bulb is only ON for a short time, the heat
developed should not present a problem.
Click to expand...
All of those were good in my car, so I haven't looked for them yet.

What i would love to see is a cross reference list between bulbs that
have a particular socket style, voltage and wattage marking (European
style) versus American and/or Canadian designation in terms of
"application" number. I have not been able to find such a cross
reference. Many vehicles sold in North America publish such a list in
the Owner's Manual, but the Volvo manual only lists the external bulbs.
The internal ones are listed, but only with the European designations.
Click to expand...
Most all auto part stores have a part number reference book that lists
most of the bulbs (except as noted above)- all the tail, headlight,
and other small bulbs are referenced and readily available, even the
euro spec ones with the chrome base.


__ __
Randy & \ \/ /alerie's
\__/olvos
'90 245 Estate - '93 965 Estate
"Shelby" & "Kate"
 
Randy G. wrote:

I looked up the GE/Osram 161 and found this:
Volts: 14, Watts: 0.19, Base: WEDGE
http://www.bulbdirect.com/catalog.asp?prodid=408031&showprevnext=1
Click to expand...
_____
There must be an error in their designation. If i replace Watts with
Amps, i get the _correct_ wattage. 0.19 Watts is pure nonsense. You
could barely see the light from such a bulb.
The ones I need are pre-mounted in the 1/4-turn plastic base, or at
least appear to be so.
Click to expand...
_____
There are only _two_ of these bulbs in the cluster; at the top left and
right side. They illuminate the plastic light bar that spreads a
greenish light over the instrument faces. The sockets are a dark brown
plastic about 17mm diameter and 10mm high with two clamp style contacts.
The socket indeed takes a 1/4 turn to secure in the back of the
circuit board of the cluster. The bulb just pulls out. At least on all
my Volvos they do.

Regards / John
 
jch said:
_____
There are only _two_ of these bulbs in the cluster; at the top left and
right side. They illuminate the plastic light bar that spreads a
greenish light over the instrument faces. The sockets are a dark brown
plastic about 17mm diameter and 10mm high with two clamp style contacts.
The socket indeed takes a 1/4 turn to secure in the back of the
circuit board of the cluster. The bulb just pulls out. At least on all
my Volvos they do.
Click to expand...
Hmmm... I tried pulling the bulb out and no amount of force could do
it- I started with pulling with my fingers, then went to prying with a
little screwdriver, then pushing through the slot in the basee of the
socket, then pulling with a small pair of round-jaw pliers, and
finally held the bulb in a vise and slowly tightened the vise while
prying the base off with a screwdriver. I was applying a lot of force
with the screwdriver when the bulb burst. it went everywhere with a
very exciting "POP!"


__ __
Randy & \ \/ /alerie's
\__/olvos
'90 245 Estate - '93 965 Estate
"Shelby" & "Kate"
 
There are only _two_ of these bulbs in the cluster; at the top left and
right side. They illuminate the plastic light bar that spreads a
greenish light over the instrument faces. The sockets are a dark brown
plastic about 17mm diameter and 10mm high with two clamp style contacts.
The socket indeed takes a 1/4 turn to secure in the back of the
circuit board of the cluster. The bulb just pulls out. At least on all
my Volvos they do.

Regards / John
Click to expand...

There are indeed two of them, and in earlier years the bulbs do just
pull out of the sockets and are relaceable separately. In the '90 the
bulb is an integral part of the socket and cannot be removed. The
entire socket/bulb assembly must be replaced.They rtail at Volvo for
$16 I think, but the folks at out local, very friendly Volvo dealer
sold them to me at cost/wholesale(?)- $9.. each.

As I walked up to the dealer's parts door, I passed by four, new,
ready-to-be-prepped XC-90s. Pretty. Luxurious. Impressive. Looked at
the window sticker.. just over $49,000 if I read it correctly. I
didn't buy one... Why should I when I can get a Porsche Carrera GT
for around $450,000.


__ __
Randy & \ \/ /alerie's
\__/olvos
'90 245 Estate - '93 965 Estate
"Shelby" & "Kate"
 
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