Volvo AWD 850 Forum

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New owner to a 95 850 GLT (Dash/Climate lights are out!! 850 1995




I just purchased a 1995 Volvo 850 GLT tonight.
The spedo cluster, climate control lights are
all not working. The window lights, fan control
light is working. The fuses under the hood are
all ok. What could be the issue? Im totally new
to the 850 models. Formally a 240 driver.








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New owner to a 95 850 GLT (Dash/Climate lights are out!! 850 1995

I think you guys are all way over thinking this. There is no relay in the dash illumination circuit. It goes straight from the headlight switch to the rheostat and on to all of the switch lights, the radio lights, climate control lights, and cluster lights. My bet is that the lamps are all burned out. Does the car have manual climate control or automatic?

If it is manual it is fairly easy to get to the bulbs to check them. Remove the three knobs and the fan speed knob. That will reveal two Phillips head screws. Remove the screws and remove the faceplate for the climate unit. Once the faceplate is removed you will have one of two things ('95 was a transition year) - you will either have 2 W3W bulbs that you can get at any auto parts store - they seem to be transitioning to a lamp number 2821 just to confuse us - or you will have a circuit board with tiny lamps with a plastic socket that twist in.

In either case you can check the lamps to see if they are burned out with an ohmmeter. If you have the later style you will need to pop the circuit board out - it is held in place with three plastic clips and there are a couple of pins on the back of the circuit board that will fight with you just a little bit. The lamps are kinda scarce and Volvo dealers will rape your for them. I think there is a Honda bulb that is only a couple of bucks at a Honda dealer but I don't know the number.

The automatic electronic climate control is actually easier to get out but tougher to get to the lamps. The ECC is held into the dash with some spring clips and it just pops out. You need to remove the radio and then reach behind it and push it out of the dash. It will give a fair amount of resistance than then all at once jump out of the dash - don't hit yourself in the head. Once it is out you need to remove its back cover which is - I think - six screws and then you can get to the lamps from the back of its PC board.

If that fixes the climate unit then you need to fix the instrument cluster as well. Those are W3W (2821) bulbs on all of the VDO units but you need to partially remove the dash top and remove the instrument cluster to get to them. This is also a very good time to proactively change the odometer gears if they have not yet broken. The time/temp or the INFO display should also be illuminated - that takes another funky bulb but you can remove your "service" light and use that bulb in its place. Then your service light will never annoy you and you will know what time it is.

...Lee








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New owner to a 95 850 GLT (Dash/Climate lights are out!! 850 1995

Welcome to the Volvo club. Sounds like the previous owner always left the headlight switch in the on position. Terrible habit, just because turning the engine off turns the lights off too.

First, check the dimmer switch just above the headlight switch. You might need to pull it out of the dash to make sure it is getting voltage and passing it through to the dash. Not all of the instrumentation lights should have burned out. Replacement of bulbs is relatively easy, look at www.volvospeed.com under bay13.

Klaus
--
I still miss my 164








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New owner to a 95 850 GLT (Dash/Climate lights are out!! 850 1995

Could be an ignition switch issue? Try wiggling the key around slightly and see if the lights flicker.








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New owner to a 95 850 GLT (Dash/Climate lights are out!! 850 1995




I will check the dimmer switch tonight for voltage.
My ignition switch is touchy. When I turn the car on
I have to tap the key in to complete the circuit for
the abs and drivers headlights to come on. I will be
replacing the ignition switch with a ipd one here soon.








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New owner to a 95 850 GLT (Dash/Climate lights are out!! 850 1995




Where would the relay for the dash lights located.
I seen on another posting they said its under the
fuse panel. I cant see any relays like that there.
What color is it? Thanks bricksters!!








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New owner to a 95 850 GLT (Dash/Climate lights are out!! 850 1995





I found out that the relay is green but where is
it located at?








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New owner to a 95 850 GLT (Dash/Climate lights are out!! 850 1995




The problem has been fixed yay!!!
Turned out that the dimmer switch
was bad and it killed my green relay
when it shorted out from the switch
going bad. I now leave my headlight
switch off before starting the car.







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