1988 244 DL; B230F; LH-2.2; Manual 5-speed (M47)
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REVERSE LIGHTS OUT
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Locate Failure
- check fuse #12
- confirm bulbs are intact
- wiring diagram indicates reverse lights are not on bulb failure warning system and
-- reverse lights should be ON when ignition is in Run position.
--- test voltage across fuse #12 with fuse removed ... 12+ volts
- test power at driver's side socket circuit board traces
-- tail light = 11.57 V DC
-- reverse light = 0.011 V DC (could be some trickle over power from bad aftermarket light assembly flex circuit board)
- roll car up on ramp and visually inspect wiring to switch
-- wires to reverse switch are corroded away
--- NOTE: wires to reverse switch are (SB) black and (Bl-Y) blue/yellow
--- 5/8" clearance from back of switch to side wall of hump in floor.
---- estimate need 36" of wire to reach inside cabin (extra wire made handling under car much easier)
---- estimate transmission needs to come down 4" (+/-) to get hand above transmission
-- black (SB) and (Bl-Y) blue/yellow go to two wire harness connector located under dash drivers's side left of console
--- Tag on harness: P# T1324629-3 (new #3515922 harness)
-- remove shift lever boot inside cabin to locate cable penetration
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Materials
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Local Volvo Dealer
reverse light cable; not available; p#3523813, switch terminals and 8" of wire (TOO SHORT); connectors 1/2 to 3/4"; in stock; $9.46/ each ... not purchased

https://www.ipdusa.com/products/7213/113201-reverse-back-up-light-switch
113201 - Reverse Back-up Light Switch - 31437053
05-07-18: out of stock, coming soon (?)
Cross Reference: 30713679, 1307086, 31437053, 9442728E, 40990, 80453002615
- Do not know if switch is bad too and can not reach it to check continuity

HOME DEPOT
16 AWG 2-C cable for indoor plenum use
jacket rating: CMR/CL3R
CMR - Communications, building Riser
CL3R - Class 3, Riser (flame spread)

TRUE VALUE
- Gardner Bender; male/female bullet connectors; 22-18 AWG; 0.156", #20-161P
-- will need to be modified to fit switch contacts
- Gardner Bender; heat shrink tubing; 3/16" (1 pack), HST-187 and 1/4" (1 pack). HST-250

electrical tape
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Tools
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- multimeter
- large screw driver to remove panels on drivers side and for operating vehicle jack under car
- trim tool
- 1 1/2 ton piston jack
-- wood block with shallow hole to rest on top of piston and under transmission
-- variety of 2x boards and 8" long - zero to 1 1/2" wedge (to angle jack to face on bottom of transmission)
- vehicle jack ( I had access to the jack from a 3500 Chevy van that had a flat top that held a 2x4 block nicely )
- ratchet
-- transmission brace bolts have 14 mm heads
- wire cutters and connector crimper
- 8" needle nose pliers
- 24" 22 gauge wire (to pull harness end into cabin)
- heat gun (for shrink wrapping harness and connectors)
- small angle metal file (modify bullet connector)
- small narrow hack saw blade (modify bullet connector)
- matt knife
- vehicle ramps (8" lift)
- hammer (to align transmission brace bolt holes)
- short pry bar (to align transmission brace bolt holes)
- assorted small block and wedges (to align transmission brace bolt holes)
- 6 pair disposable gloves

- long reach needle nose ... was able to get everything together before buying so do not know if they would work:
Advanced Auto but succeeded before needing to buy ... 13" Double-X Straight Pliers; Part # 82005D/82005
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General
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- Haynes Manual; 7A-5... 7A-6
- 6" from ground to brace bolts
-- after the fact recommendation ... if i had know how long I was going to be under the car and how many times I would be scooting in and out I would have done more to get the car into the air.
- I wear a size large to x-large glove ... having small hands is a HUGE plus ... I suggest you find a volunteer with small hands
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REPAIR METHOD:
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- run front wheels up on ramps
-- chock both rear wheels
--- ground to bolt clearance - 10 1/2"
--- length of cable to floor penetration
---- 13" + loop around shift shaft (? 6") (cable feeds thru front of shift penetration)

- remove rubber muffler hangers? (not seen as impingement)
- loosen header pipe bracket bolts

- jack transmission w/ piston ... to take weight off of brace bolts
-- position jacks keeping in mind that room is needed to work under the transmission
-- test loosen brace bolts (14mm) - no breaker bar needed
--- loosen passenger side brace bolts 1/4"
---- place vehicle jack under brace
--- remove driver's side brace bolts

- lower transmission in increments to test for clearance
-- TRANSMISSION BINDS A BACK OF ENGINE ON FIREWALL
--- make sure nothing is pinched
--- transmission only comes down 3+ inches
-- CAN ONLY REACH SWITCH WITH FINGERS

- pull switch wire connectors using needle nose pliers
-- Yellow blue wire bottom / Black wire top
-- remove rotting cable
--- NOTE that the cable is clipped to the top of the transmission and that clip is reachable from the passenger side
- clean switch prongs and around switch

- CAN NOT REACH SWITCH TO TEST FOR CONTINUITY BY ATTACHING CLIPS

- fabricate harness (will use to test reverse switch)
-- unable to salvage original bullet connectors ... crimps too tight to pry open
-- attach modified female bullet connectors
--- modify female bullet connectors (3.9 mm) by cutting off jacket, filing along break in barrel until it will hold the narrow hack saw blade to cut wider gap and squeeze connector down to 3.5mm.
---- I was able to lift the modified connectors up to the switch by holding between two fingers and pushing the back end onto the switch prong.
----- when I finally got the connector sized so it snapped onto the prong I could not pull it off with my fingers and had to use the needle nose pliers.
------- DO NOT attach cabin side connectors
-- shrink wrap connectors
--- after the fact knowledge ... allow min. 4" to max. 6" of individual wires at switch to allow movement for installation
-- wrap cable in electric tape and shrink wrap with 4", 1/4" diameter heat shrink

- attach new harness to switch (NOT EASY WITH MY HANDS)
-- run connector ends over top of transmission from passenger side
- cannot insert bullet connections of fabricated harness ... wrapped wire does not allow me to get purchase to push the connector in
--- after a dozen attempts from evening to the next morning, hand spasms and hot and cold soak, I finally got the connectors to snap onto the switch prongs
---- my guess as to how the connectors finally went on is the added 4" of individual wire I added to the connector ends of the harness the evening of the first day ... cleaning the connector ends of the harness with alcohol after pushing it over the top of the dirty transmission ... wearing a clean pair of disposable gloves. These may have reduced the friction allowing what strength I had to squeeze and manipulate the connector ends with two fingers to be enough. I had calls out at this point to someone with the smallest hands of anyone I know.
--- harness cable tests switch positive for continuity

- hook cable on clip on top of transmission ... access from passenger's side
-- pull new harness end up into cabin with looped wire
-- hand twist wires onto original harness and test reverse lights
--- reverse lights work

- jack from different directions, hammer, wedge and otherwise get transmission brace bolt holes to align so transmission can be supported
-- finally removed one of the brace bolt bushings to give myself a fraction more clearance to get one bolt started ... with the that bolt tightened down and with the above machinations the other bolt was installed ... remove bolt without busing, install bushing and install final bolt
-- possible alternative to removing brace bolts could be to remove transmission rubber mount ...that might allow 2" of drop with another 1" from loosened brace bolts (take care not to shear the first threads by putting weight on them while they are barely attached)

- add bullet connectors to ends of original wire harness inside of cabin and new harness coming thru floor
-- plug in
--- test reverse lights
-- wrap connectors with electrical tape and push/pull slack under carpet
- secure shift lever boot
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1988 244 DL; B230F; LH-2.2; Manual 5-speed (M47)