It started out as a simple investigation into why my reverse lights were not working. Once I got the spare tire out of the way so that I could remove the black plastic cover over the driver's tail light wiring, I found a small puddle of water in the bottom of the spare tire well. Then I see this rubber grommet in the bottom of the well that I figured Volvo put there so that it can be removed in just such an occasion to drain this water. I should have known that Volvo engineers think of everything, and as I'm poking around at the grommet I find that a penny (yes, a penny) is in the recess of the grommet. Once I remove the penny, I find that this rubber grommet has a nice little slanted hole molded into it that points toward the rear of the car so that the air flowing under the car will create a draft and help pull the water out of the spare tire well. Oh, the unsung heroes of the Volvo engineering department. Then the more I think about it, I bet the previous owner installed that penny in that grommet because he thought the water was splashing up from the ground. I'm no brain surgeon, but I'm not that stupid. The million dollar question is, "Where is this water in my spare tire well coming from?" Let me tell you....It is dripping out of the bottom of the radio antenna sleeve! Ah ha! But wait there's more. I also find water seeping through an open body seam just under the tail lights. I'll be sealing that up with silicone today. Also found a trim nut missing on one of the molding mounting studs that protrudes into the trunk. That will be easy find at hardware store. I have never torn my trunk apart after having just been out in the rain, but I'm glad I did. I may not have found this in time. A little elbow grease with a wire brush, three coats of rust converter spray, two coats of gray primer, and the spare tire well looks almost new! I recommend that you tear your trunk apart the next rainy day you get. Like me, you may be glad you did.
As for the reverse lights, I had to bend the prongs closer together inside the plug that plugs onto the back of the driver's tail light circuit board.
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'89 silver 244DL in Milwaukee WI