Pop up lights problem

[Ragdalf]

Ok so i just got a 1987 volvo 480 3 weeks ago and the only problem is the pop up lights dont work, iw tested and the motors for the pop up work but thay do not go up and the light dont turn on. Id realy love to get sone help from you all.

[jamescarruthers]

Hello and welcome aboard!

I don’t quite follow you as you say the motors work but the lights don’t move?

Anyway, if the system is complete often they just need a good exercise to bring them back to life— this cleans the contacts inside, and that of the pop-up relay.

N.B. the pop-ups are assisted by gas struts to if these are tired, most are unless you know they have been changed, then to old motors have to work extra hard which is never good for them in the long run.

N.B.2. There is a safety interlock so the pop-ups are disabled when the bonnet is open— sensed by a switch in the bonnet latch mechanism.

Have a search on here for the Brinkie winkie dance as he shows you how to simply make the pop-ups run continually and clean them up.

Come back and give us a shout after reading and doing that and I’m sure it can be sorted. Motors are quite robust but also fairly hard to come by if you do need one.

[dragonflyjewels]

Lights not on as well as popups not working could be the relay. It's the tall black one in the box in the scuttle. If you're in the UK, Terry Stone Volvo usually has them. Otherwise malkontent on here or Ria Gerritse on the fb group are both EU.

[jamescarruthers]

Lights not on as well as popups not working could be the relay. It's the tall black one in the box in the scuttle. If you're in the UK, Terry Stone Volvo usually has them. Otherwise malkontent on here or Ria Gerritse on the fb group are both EU.

This linking of the problem of lights being off and the pop-ups being down is usually true, you are right. Except, early cars have extra pointless switching so that the lights only switch on with they are popped up.

[jifflemon]

So.... we have two separate bits to talk about.
The popup part and the light part. They're two separate bits

The popup part: If it's a car that hasn't seen much usage, then I'd pop the front nose cone off, remove the gas struts and then perform the Brinkie Winkie dance with the engine running (or the battery on charge).



This is going to exercise the motors, running them continuously. They'll just pop up and down. I normally give them a 5 minute work out.
Removing the gas strut is advisable because they can seize with age (and are probably knackered if they've not been replaced by now).

Now, if you're saying the lights pop up but they fail to illuminate, then first thing would be a bulb check.
Your DRL's (the little "side light" next to the indicator) should have a BAY15D bulb, 4w/21w bulb with offset pins. This should be a full brightness with the ignition off, then dim to 4w when the lights pop up.
Headlamp bulbs are good old H4's.

If the bulbs are ok, I'd pop with lightswitch itself out (be brave, it just pulls out), Squirt the contacts and inside with some contact cleaner and work off/on for a couple of minutes. As 480's can be notoriously damp, the internal contacts can get furred up.

[Ragdalf]

Ok i have now done the Brinkie Winkie dance (whas pritty fun nhl) the motors have no problem poping up and down with the dance but they dont work from inside when i try to turn on the lights, iw checked and the bolbs are all ok. And i know if u manualy putt the lights up and press the switch at the hood latch thay do go down.

[WRDendy]

Sounds like the switch is the next thing to look at as per Jeff's suggestion above - I've got a switch somewhere that will turn the bulbs on fine on my GT but won't raise the pop-ups, so there's a precedent. Even if the switch is completely fubar'd finding a replacement won't be difficult on here!

The downloads section on the main website isn't working for me at the moment so I can't get hold of a wiring diagram, but if anyone else has one to hand you could trace it through and see if anything happens in the relay box when you turn the switch, which would cut the problem in half - either it's at the switch end or it's somewhere between the relay box (including the relays themselves) and the lights.

[WRDendy]

One other thing to check - if you see 12V on the low current side of the pop-up relay but nothing happens then open it up and check the joints connecting the horizontal and vertical boards as per the picture below:



If you've got a soldering iron it wouldn't hurt to re-flow them anyway just in case.

[Ragdalf]

One other thing to check - if you see 12V on the low current side of the pop-up relay but nothing happens then open it up and check the joints connecting the horizontal and vertical boards as per the picture below:



If you've got a soldering iron it wouldn't hurt to re-flow them anyway just in case.

Oki ill check the relay out tomorrow, hopefully i can find a soldering iron and hopefully it will work, atherewise ill check the switch and the wires.

Im unsure about the big round relay tho, im wondering if it might be the wrong one since there seam to be more conecktions in the box then on the relay, do anyone have a picture of how the round relay should look?

[WRDendy]

Ah yes - should have read your first post in more detail and taken note of the fact that it's an early car - this post may be of some limited help, but James is a walking encyclopedia for the early cars and will no doubt be along in due course with far more information!

[Ragdalf]

Ah yes - should have read your first post in more detail and taken note of the fact that it's an early car - this post may be of some limited help, but James is a walking encyclopedia for the early cars and will no doubt be along in due course with far more information!

I lookt at the post and i think i have the wrong round relay, im not sure but the one i have is black and from what i could see it has the wrong numbers on it, do anyone know where i could get the right round relay if it would be that. Everything eals i have lookt at seams to be ok so far.

[jamescarruthers]

They relay is not round, it’s big, tall, square and even says something like pop-up on the top!

[Ragdalf]

They relay is not round, it’s big, tall, square and even says something like pop-up on the top!

Ye i know that one looks fine as far as i see but i saw the round one in that picure and i think mine might be the wrong one, think its from a 440, im not sure but its probebly not the same.
My relay says 416796 5KG005018-01 but think it should be 416797 5KG005018-00

[jifflemon]

this is what the pop up relay should look like

[dcwalker]

The pop up motors relay is the double one as in Jeff's photo above.

The round relay at the triangle end of the relay box on early cars is the light control unit monitoring fur bulb failure on the headlamps and the day running lights (DRLs). The round relay isn't relevant to the pop up motors.

If your headlamp bulbs and DRLs are working (even if headlamps are not popping up) then that round relay is fine in your car.

And yes, the round relay was also found on early 440s, as you say. The 440 did not have separate DRL bulbs so the black 440 round relay only covers headlamp bulbs. The 440 one is black, the 480 one is - I think - grey. And yes, since it also covers the DRL bulbs it will probably have more pins, to go in the extra sockets you say your base has.

So are your DRLs lighting up? Are your headlights lighting up, even if the units aren't popping up?

From everything you have said above, I think your problem is the actual light switch...
David

[Ragdalf]

The pop up motors relay is the double one as in Jeff's photo above.

The round relay at the triangle end of the relay box on early cars is the light control unit monitoring fur bulb failure on the headlamps and the day running lights (DRLs). The round relay isn't relevant to the pop up motors.

If your headlamp bulbs and DRLs are working (even if headlamps are not popping up) then that round relay is fine in your car.

And yes, the round relay was also found on early 440s, as you say. The 440 did not have separate DRL bulbs so the black 440 round relay only covers headlamp bulbs. The 440 one is black, the 480 one is - I think - grey. And yes, since it also covers the DRL bulbs it will probably have more pins, to go in the extra sockets you say your base has.

So are your DRLs lighting up? Are your headlights lighting up, even if the units aren't popping up?

From everything you have said above, I think your problem is the actual light switch...
David

All lights exept the headlights start when i turn the switch and can turn on the fog lights. i have the black round relay from the 440 in it the athere relays seam to be ok so if anyone know anyone with a spare switch id love to know

[dcwalker]

Where are you Ragdalf?

I can help you out with a light switch...

David

[Ragdalf]

Where are you Ragdalf?

I can help you out with a light switch...

David

In the north part of sweden

[dcwalker]

Where are you Ragdalf?

I can help you out with a light switch...

David

In the north part of sweden

Ah....I did wonder, given your user name .

That means you need a LH drive headlamp switch - pretty much everyone who's been helping you here, including me, is in the UK: I only have RH headlamp switches. Sorry to have raised your hopes!

David

[Ragdalf]

Where are you Ragdalf?

I can help you out with a light switch...

David

In the north part of sweden

Ah....I did wonder, given your user name .

That means you need a LH drive headlamp switch - pretty much everyone who's been helping you here, including me, is in the UK: I only have RH headlamp switches. Sorry to have raised your hopes!

David

Aah ok hah, well is there some way to see if it is the switch?