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I removed the headlight assemblies from my 240 today, it's an 87 and has the "TV" style single lights. I decided to go with the assemblies rather than just lenses because the old plastic was in pretty bad shape, brittle and rotten, and I figured it would break when I got into it, turned out I was right. I went with aftermarket because, well, I didn't want to have to get a mortgage to pay for OEM Volvo.
The aftermarket assemblies aligned ok with the bolt holes and the headlights look good but the turn signals have about a 3/8 inch gap between the fender and the outer edge of the turn signal. They are tight against the headlight assembly and the screws that attach them to the headlight assembly are down all the way and seated well, no movement. The plastic conical stud that is supposed to fit into the grommet in the fender, on the turn signal, is not going in there very well at all but it is aligned properly. This is both of them BTW.
Question is, the threaded studs with the plastic caps that attach the lenses to the headlight assembly, if I put a pair of pliers on those and draw the headlight frame tighter up, is this the fix to get those turn signals tight against the fender or is this just that I got what I paid for with an aftermarket part? Is there some other way to adjust these, if so I can't see it, those turn signals are fixed and I may be missing something but if so I can't see it. If nothing else I could get a piece of rubber weatherstripping and put it in gap and it should seal it OK and fix the appearance issue but I like things to fit the way they should.
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posted by
someone claiming to be pdunn
on
Thu Mar 3 21:57 CST 2022 [ RELATED]
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(posting as claim to be because I'm not at my regular computer and couldn't remember my password).
I will post a picture maybe tomorrow but I think Art went through the same thing I did. They are from Swedish Car Parts, I got them from Voluparts in Atlanta, I'm not too far away and I just drove down there one day and went on a shopping spree. By the way, great bunch of guys down there, and their warehouse is a holy grail for just about anything you're looking for.
Left hand fits well with the turn signal but the turn signal is out. Right hand doesn't align/fit the same way with the turn signal, looks "jakey" as we used to say where I grew up. Headlights fitted in well into the core support and everything works, I haven't checked alignment of the lights yet but I'm sure they are off. Trial and error to get them where you want them, I guess, like any other car. The new turn signals were URO I think, not the same manufacturer so I'm not surprised there is a fitment issue with those.
Good news is I replaced the tail light assemblies today, that was a cinch.
I'm thinking a piece of weatherstripping might be the way to go until I can find a better part option.
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Go Atlanta
another testimony to the Guys Down South.
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Sounds like maybe you bought a set of the Estonian-made headlamp assemblies from SwedishCarParts in Bensenville, Illinois.
Anyway, I just did this, to fix my tachometer. Long story involving a rodent making use of the space beneath the strut tower. Chewed through the tach wire which is part of a wire loom stretching all the way to the horns. Pulling it from behind the headlamp was no problem, but to put the harness back I decided to pull the left lamp assembly. Found the old lamp's adjuster socket was broken and an hour later put in an order for a pair of aftermarket plastic lamps.
The threaded studs with plastic caps are the alignment adjusters, and the new lamps came ready to light up the sky instead of the road ahead. This also puts the corner lamps out of kilter with the fender opening.
I did a rough adjustment to bring the lamps down to earth and they look OK now where you're concerned, but still need to perfect the alignment before I can use the car at night, which is something I don't do much of.
Being a total DIY guy (yes even tire mounting) you won't find me running off to a shop to get them aligned until I give up on the science. The specs are molded into the lens. I will re-read Daniel Stern's notes when I get motivated, but so far I'm just winging it on the garage door.
By the way, so far I'm impressed with the replacement lamps, but it has only been a couple weeks.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore
Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word?
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Hi Art,
I had the same problem as the OP on an aftermarket headlight. It was a Taiwanese job and the original corner lamp would not go back far enough, leaving a gap.
Perhaps the Estonian units are built differently, but on the original units the corner lamps fit into tabs on the adjuster frame , and the adjuster frame is bolted to the chassis. There are no adjustments there. The adjuster bolts move the headlight side to side or up and down, but the movement is independent of the corner lamp.
I got mine to fit, but it was a while ago and I can't remember what I did. I think I may have swapped the original adjuster frame into the unit, but I can't be sure unless I take it out. I think I concluded as the OP that different makes of corner lamps are not always compatible with other makes of headlights.
I've been plagued with broken adjuster sockets for a long time, probably because I drive on a lot of rough roads. For a while I was cutting them flush, drilling them deeper, and cutting a new slot, but some didn't last very long. Of late I've been using a stainless steel threaded insert and it seems to have done the trick.
I'll try to get some pictures together, but until then hang on to your broken bucket if you'd like to have a spare.
Peter
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Hi Peter,
You are absolutely right; I was wrong. I remembered the gap changing while cranking on the adjustments, but after having a second look I realize it was the gap between the parking lamp and headlamp lens, not the sheet metal.
Also, I notice the parking lamp lenses on this car are the same brand as the new headlamps. I replaced the lenses in 2009. The brand looks like this -- a 20-year-old picture.
I am hanging on to my old broken lamps, but thus far I thought that was just a personality defect. I am curious how you were able to save them. Mine have already been repaired once for the mounting bolts (why did I use zinc plated steel nuts after going to the trouble of putting SS bolts in!?) Still needed to Dremel them out.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore
Why is it that doctors call what they do 'practice'?
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Can you provide a link to the replacements you purchased?
Any chance of posting a couple of photos that show the problem?
Have you taken one of the new headlights and aligned it back to back with the old one to see what part of the mounting hardware might be causing the problem?
--
Any twenty minute job is just a broken bolt away from a three day ordeal
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