Volvo AWD XC Forum

Hello All,

I like to think we show how strong we are, by admitting freely when we make mistakes - well, here I go! I recently posted how the illumination bulbs for the vanity mirror in the passenger side sunvisor seemed to burn out or work intermittently. I replaced the visor 3 times, and still problems persisted.

Well, I just found out by reading the owner's manual for my '99 XC that the bulbs for the vaniety mirror in the driver's side sun visor only work if the ignition key is turn to "position one". The bulbs in the vanity mirror for the passenger side sun visor work all the time regardless if the key is in the ignition. I thought the same was true for the driver's side vanity mirror. I was wrong. In my defense, on my two '96 850s the bulbs in both vanity mirrors work all the time, whether the key is in "position one" or the key is removed. I thought the same would be true for my '99 XC. Seems odd that Volvo designed it that way, but I guess I should take satisfaction I don't have some internal short that was causing the bulbs in the driver's side vanity mirror to work intermittently. Of course, I replaced two perfectly good driver's side sun visors. I hope my experience will spare others the needless expense of money and time trying to fix something that was never broken. I guess, I should have read the owner's maual first, but instead, relied upon my collective experience with two 850s and assumed the same applied to a '99 XC.

I still appreciate the advice I received. I do now know how to safely remove the platic cover off the "A" pillar/column.

Thanks!

Hugh