Good Morning,

When I move the light switch to the bright position, the brights come one but won't stay on unless I hold the switch in position. Everything else is fine.

Anyone have any thoughts on this problem?

Thanks

Is the car a 'new' car to you? No offense meant, but sometimes new owners familiar with other cars run into this area of confusion.

There are two possibilities that could explain your problem:

1) In many other cars, the control of high/low beams is different. For example, in my Mercedes, to go from low to highb beam, you push the stick forward (away from the driver, towards the windshield); to go from high to low beam, you pull the stick rearward, towards the driver; and in each mode (high or low), the stick stays in that place.
But Volvo's are different. There is only one stationary position -- you go from high to low beam, and from low to high beam, by momentarily pulling the stick rearward, toward the driver, and then letting go. It's a sort of momentary contact, where it flip-flops between low and high and back again.

2) Another possibility -- that your headlights weren't MANUALLY turned on. The above description of the high/low control, of course, assumes that you have the light switch turned on fully -- to "headlights on", not just "parking lights on". And remember also that the "daytime running lights" (DRL) mode sometimes confuses folks to think that their headlights are on, when in fact the headlights really aren't (even though they're lit by the DRL function).
If the headlights aren't turned on manually, the "flash to pass" function will work exactly as you described (high beams on only while you pull on the stick, and then they stay off when you release the stick).

Maybe one of these possibilities, especially likely the second, will explain your problem? Please write back to let us know. If these don't help, you've probably got a no-good relay!

Good luck.

No offense taken, and no, I've had the car since '03, however I did not think to check the actual light switch and will do so tonite.

Thanks for the suggestion. Hopefully that will resolve it. Will let you know.

Does this represent a change relative to how the switch uised to work for you?
Is perhaps what you are describing the "flash-to-pass" function?

I checked and, yes, that was the problem. Glad it was so simple, and I learned something.

Thanks