lamda dash light

[Alan 480]

Does the lamda warning light do anything ?

Mine is no longer lighting on ign on, I'd hoped it was just a blown bulb but having removed everything from the car and tested it , bulb works fine
When dash out I had three priorities:-

1 Fix lamda light
2 fix head lamp main beam warning
3 sort out 'low oil' warning
4 check wiring for engine temp (often reads cold, sometimes gets to 50 then 'COLD'
5 fit an LED for info centre as 5W bulb is a bit weedy . . ..

1 I checked all wiring and had good contact from the pin right through to bulb
2 ditto
3 also seemed OK from pin to connector
4 ditto
5 at last got an LED fitted

all back into car and only thing that actually works form all my checking is the the ruddy LED

I'm wondering if the actual GREY connector/mating plug are the problem?

I cleaned up the pins with point of small screwdriver, three sides
used a tooth cleaner to clean out the plugs on harness.

I guess I could remove dash again and confirm that I do have 12V at each connector on harness when dash removed but not sure if this will cause damage?

so can anybody confirm / deny?

I also forgot to write down which pin is used for the head-lamp main beam anybody know?

for info the PCB has
992 655 014
X16-120.86 371 (under film)
X16-120.86 372 etched (visible through film)
28 / 93 (I assume week 28 Year 93?)
on other side 10.93 and sticky label 226

Main cluster has following 646 010 VDO (but might be 018 or 019 as scuffed off)
466 646 VOLVO

It's a 93 car registered 24th Nov 93 so the dates do make sense (NB purchase price, with carpets £14400 )

MoT is due soon and I'd like to get it though without emissions worries (it has a new lamba sensor last year, which I could check I'm still getting a good trace from)

[jifflemon]

I *thought* the lambda light came on when there was emissions problems?

I may be wrong (and a tad drunk) but maybe a quick emissions test just to make sure?

[Alan 480]

I *thought* the lambda light came on when there was emissions problems?

I may be wrong (and a tad drunk) but maybe a quick emissions test just to make sure?

it should come on when turn key , then go out; well it used to until a week or so back and car not been used muckle since then . . ..

I'd rather not find out that emissions are 'iffy' cos only get it done once per year, at MoT

I can hear the ABS relay click over and that turns out the ABS warning light (again at start up)

[brinkie]

If you have a problem in emissions the lambda light will remain on, not off (if you have a 2 litre engine that is - all others don't have this function). The green lamp that indicates standing lights and dipped beam is almost always blown, the high beam light almost never fails. The temperature giving erratic behaviour can be either the spade lug connector to the temperature sensor or the connection to the instrument cluster. Or the sensor failed, but that is not a very common fault.

I think your instrument cluster's connector pins need a proper soldering job and then all functions will come back to life again! I have repaired dozens of instrument clusters this way.

Good luck finding a LED that a. fits the B10d socket b. fits the narrow space underneath the perspex light guide and c. lights evenly enough with a wide enough colour spectrum to light the entire info centre. I wouldn't go through all that hassle, they are relatively cheap new (less than 3 quid online).

[Alan 480]

If you have a problem in emissions the lambda light will remain on,
(if you have a 2 litre engine that is - all others don't have this function). The green lamp that indicates standing lights and dipped beam is almost always blown, the high beam light almost never fails.

Robert, I can't get the ruddy thing to come on briefly when ign is turned on

yep a two litre, and the high beam bulb is OK, just won't light when flash lamps, or go onto main beam

The temperature giving erratic behaviour can be either the spade lug connector to the temperature sensor or the connection to the instrument cluster. Or the sensor failed, but that is not a very common fault.

I think your instrument cluster's connector pins need a proper soldering job and then all functions will come back to life again! I have repaired dozens of instrument clusters this way.

Good luck finding a LED that a. fits the B10d socket b. fits the narrow space underneath the perspex light guide and c. lights evenly enough with a wide enough colour spectrum to light the entire info centre. I wouldn't go through all that hassle, they are relatively cheap new (less than 3 quid online).

That was my thinking so I'd already cleaned up the spade but not any better, I get 1400 ohms with engine cold, so need to see what it changes to when warm, then try a few resistors to test whilst on drive-way


yes, I knew you had and I'd planned to do the soldering yesterday but all the pins looked solid and when tested for continuity between the pin and appropriate bulb connector/pin into info centre all seemed good so didn't want to disturb anything, if aint broke etc but I assumed that good circuit <5 ohm was 'good' , maybe not


aye but I already had a couple of 'ultra-bright LEDs' knocking about . . . ..

So soldered onto the bulb holder and the jumper nearest to centre of dash board, result, NICE illumination!

[brinkie]

You can only see the broken soldering joints with a magnifying glass. I strongly recommend to solder them anyway.
Just use a small soldering iron (approx. 25W), 60/40 rosin core solder and solder all pins again. Believe me, it works wonders.
Also you could try and turn the faulty bulbs (after you have tested them of course ) in their sockets, sometimes it's just a poor contact.

To my knowledge, a non working lambda light is no reason for MOT failure. Bad emission is.

[Alan 480]

You can only see the broken soldering joints with a magnifying glass. I strongly recommend to solder them anyway.
Just use a small soldering iron (approx. 25W), 60/40 rosin core solder and solder all pins again. Believe me, it works wonders.
Also you could try and turn the faulty bulbs (after you have tested them of course ) in their sockets, sometimes it's just a poor contact.

To my knowledge, a non working lambda light is no reason for MOT failure. Bad emission is.

OK, looks like dash oot and actually solder up them pins . . .. . . .

The lamda light worry was in case damage was being done, not really giving a whit if light works or not, as long as passes MoT emissions

I actually swapped across the bulbs to things like SRS & door open so if they didn't light not a problem, didn't help