Pop Ups winking......

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Dancing Demon
480 Newbie
Posts: 37
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2004 3:11 pm
Location: United Kingdom

Pop Ups winking......

Post by Dancing Demon » Tue Oct 06, 2015 10:24 pm

I am sure (and hoping) this is a simple fix!

O/S headlight goes up and works ok - no problems - N/S stays down and doesn't move.

On turning headlights off O/S one goes down - no problems, and N/S pops up and then goes immediately down.

Suggestions please!

Thanks

Chris

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Captain Slow
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Re: Pop Ups winking......

Post by Captain Slow » Thu Oct 08, 2015 9:05 pm

No specific fix from me, but there have been many a popup thread has popped-up previously so a search may give some pointers. One simple thing to check may be the front drls: do they have the correct bulbs/are they working fine (they can screw up the popups, somehow :nuts: ).
Previously....
Whitney - 95 N White celebration No.449/480 now with Ladyforatey
Lula - 94 M Volvo 480GT Sold on...
Daphne - 95 M volvo 440si 1.8 73,000K (sold :()

mikee
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Re: Pop Ups winking......

Post by mikee » Thu Oct 08, 2015 9:56 pm

I have had several 480's with this issue - but generally it is when they have been stood for a while. After a couple of days of regular running things have always sorted themselves. I don't know if it's moisture or some other contamination in the circuit but fortunately I have NEVER had to dig deeper. I almost come to expect it in any of my cars that have been "mothballed" for some time.

gltease
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Re: Pop Ups winking......

Post by gltease » Fri Oct 09, 2015 6:56 am

Just my 2c but i had an issue with winking, it turned out to be the big multi connector for the light, a big white thing located behind the light, near the battery, unplugged it cleaned it with contact cleaner, worked, also make sure the top cover is fitted correctly if its too far back it can catch and cause an issue, check all other fixings while your at it..
'88 Volvo 480 ES
'97 Volvo 940 Turbo

Espada
Started learning about 480
Posts: 64
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Re: Pop Ups winking......

Post by Espada » Sat Oct 10, 2015 6:32 am

Mine did similar after Volvo had messed about with it. Definitely check DRL connections and lamps as noted but for me this worked -

I turned the lights on with ignition off, this raised one unit, I then turned the lights off and as normal it stays up.

The raised light was then lowered manually with the nut at the rear of the unit so both were down.

Then either because this had re synchronised things or luck all then worked as normal.

Regards

Alan 480
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Re: Pop Ups winking......

Post by Alan 480 » Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:00 pm

Another thought is that odd things happen if engine is OFF, maybe connected with voltages/DRL etc?

it happened on ours 'just' before MoT and was almpst tempted to wind them up and pull the fuse :-) then they sorted themselves out again!
Alan

480 ES 2litre 'Celebration' ? , C30 1.8ES, SS1

Dancing Demon
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Re: Pop Ups winking - fixed (sort of) - Best lubrication?

Post by Dancing Demon » Sun Nov 08, 2015 11:49 pm

Have charged the battery, and cleaned the multi connector with contact cleaner and then contralube and they now work, although maybe the first time the are used each day they still fail and are then ok.

Looking for a suggestion as to the best way to lubricate the mechanism and what to use? I suspect WD40 is too thin an oil?

Many thanks

Chris

Alan 480
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Re: Pop Ups winking......

Post by Alan 480 » Mon Nov 09, 2015 12:44 pm

Are the 'gas struts still fitted?

i ditched mine as they made a squeaky noise and were less of a gas assist and more of a gas resist :-)

this might be enough to slow movement , can't remember what I used to lubricate them with, more than likely fresh engine oil or WD40 !
Alan

480 ES 2litre 'Celebration' ? , C30 1.8ES, SS1

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brinkie
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Re: Pop Ups winking......

Post by brinkie » Mon Nov 09, 2015 2:59 pm

Winking headlights are usually caused by bad earthing, but can also be a bad diode inside the pop up motor.

The headlight pop up motor is working with the same principle as the windshield wipers. There is a conducting disc with an interruption inside the motor; a sliding contact makes and electric circuit, when interrupted it will make (through a relay) the motor stop at the resting position. The circuit is such that the motor finishes the turn, even when the power is removed from the control contact of the relay. If you shut down the windshield wipers, they will continue to wipe until they are back in the resting position. The popups work the same way, but they have TWO discs with the interruption 180 degrees apart, to provide for two resting positions: up and down.

There is a special double relay in the relay box (can't miss it, it the tallest one) that switches the headlight popup motor from the positive supply to earth, when the motor needs to be stopped. This causes the electric motor to brake immediately. If you remove the earth, the electric brake doesn't work and the headlight motor will revolve the sliding contact past the interruption. Power is applied again to the relay, and the motor will make another turn.
Usually you can fix this by cleaning the contacts inside the round white connector that connects the pop up motor to the wiring loom. Do this at both the left and right hand side motor, the circuits are connected to each other. Then check the earthing of the relay box and clean the relay contacts.

What also may be the cause, is improper alignment of the headlight to the motor. Also, the hydraulic dampers are there for a good reason. Remove the dampers and the motor really has to work hard to push the lamp upwards, causing an early failure of the electric motor.

Other causes of mayhem are worn sliding contacts and/or conductors inside the motor, causing the headlight to stop half-way, or not to move at all. It is possible to open up a motor and fix this, but it is usually cheaper and quicker to replace the motor with one from a scrapped 480 (until the source of scrap parts dry up, that is).

Cheers,

Robert
(Volvo 480 owner & electronics tinkerer, treasurer of the Volvo 480-Register at the moment)
Robert.

Present cars: 1994 Volvo 480 GT 2.0i, 1999 Volvo S70 2.5 Europa, 2010 Volvo V70 2.0F Momentum

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jamescarruthers
480 Is my middle name
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Re: Pop Ups winking......

Post by jamescarruthers » Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:23 pm

Hi Robert,

What is the Volvo 480 register that you are treasurer of?
1987 Volvo 480 ES, 507274, 217 - Red (Ness)
2006 Citroen C6 Exclusive 3.0 petrol/LPG
2008 Mini Cooper convertible (Mau)

Previous 480's:
J123 CFU -- ES
J449 MNL -- ES auto
D864 CPV -- ES
L691 JFC -- Turbo
F70 MNR -- ES
H858 FGV -- Turbo auto
E981 KHM -- ES (509849)

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brinkie
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Re: Pop Ups winking......

Post by brinkie » Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:53 pm

I'm not allowed to post links here, but it's the Dutch Volvo 480 club really. I am also hyper-active on the Dutch Volvo 480 forum, read a complaint somewhere that it was impossible to post on the UK forum and apparently I proved him wrong. :lol:
Robert.

Present cars: 1994 Volvo 480 GT 2.0i, 1999 Volvo S70 2.5 Europa, 2010 Volvo V70 2.0F Momentum

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jamescarruthers
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 2501
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2003 3:19 pm
Location: Cambridge

Re: Pop Ups winking......

Post by jamescarruthers » Mon Nov 09, 2015 4:17 pm

Ah, I see.

Hello! Nice to see you on here!
1987 Volvo 480 ES, 507274, 217 - Red (Ness)
2006 Citroen C6 Exclusive 3.0 petrol/LPG
2008 Mini Cooper convertible (Mau)

Previous 480's:
J123 CFU -- ES
J449 MNL -- ES auto
D864 CPV -- ES
L691 JFC -- Turbo
F70 MNR -- ES
H858 FGV -- Turbo auto
E981 KHM -- ES (509849)

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glasgowjim
480 Is my middle name
Posts: 4830
Joined: Sun Oct 01, 2006 5:28 pm
Location: GLASGOW SCOTLAND

Re: Pop Ups winking......

Post by glasgowjim » Mon Nov 09, 2015 6:15 pm

brinkie it is an anti spam measure . You need 10 posts before you can post pictures or links.

welcome :hopping:

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