Reverse lights on Volvo

[Ped]

Noticed the reversing lights on my Volvo weren't working just before my MOT was due. Checked bulbs and relay, all good. Had a look on the forums and sure enough the reverse switch on the gearbox is prone to failure, so as it was only £14 I ordered a new one. In the mean time it went in for its MOT - and passed!?

Apparently reverse lights are not part of the MOT? Who knew?

Anyway swapped out the switch and hey presto... still no reverse lights. On closer inspecting turned out to be a broken wire. Looked like the reverse switch had already been replaced in the past with an aftermarket one, so the connector had been adapted to fit. Managed to chop and extend it and add on new connectors, so now all good.

I did wonder why I was getting angry looks reversing out of parking spaces...

 

[Dale]

Reverse lights are exempt on pre 59 plates I believe.

My Pathfinder has a weird light bulb fault that’s a pain at MOT time. The left lisence plate bulb works fine but fit the right one in and it activated the oil pressure warning light on the dash before blowing a day or so later. Tried an (apparently illegal) LED bulb which doesn’t effect the oil light but gradually dims to nothing over a week or so. Very odd.

 

[Rob Gaskin]

I've told this before but you know us old men......

When I was rallying I had a Hillman Imp and I fitted a fog light to the rear for reversing - common practice at the time for seeing when reversing after an 'overshoot' at a junction. I had a really bright bulb in it and someone behind had forgotten to dip their lights. I gave them a blast with the reversing light and it was a Police car! He pulled me over and told me my reversing light was the wrong VOLTAGE and too bright - it should be 6v! (we are talking 1970 here). I said politely that I was a BT engineer and qualified in electrical things and that if I fitted a 6v bulb it would blow - he sent me on my way.

 

[Ped]

Reverse lights are exempt on pre 59 plates I believe.

My Pathfinder has a weird light bulb fault that’s a pain at MOT time. The left lisence plate bulb works fine but fit the right one in and it activated the oil pressure warning light on the dash before blowing a day or so later. Tried an (apparently illegal) LED bulb which doesn’t effect the oil light but gradually dims to nothing over a week or so. Very odd.

That does sound a bit odd. I have an issue with the tail lights on the Volvo, they are twin rear tail light bulbs in each side, so if one bulb fails both sides are still visible. Pain is that it does fail fairly regularly. I found replacing the same bulb on both sides at the same time helps and they usually last a year or so.