Headlight level sensor assembled incorrectly?
 

Driving my wife's 2017 D2 R Design yesterday evening, I noticed the headlights started adjusting themselves...the first time over a crest at which point I was impressed they would attempt to level in that way (but seemed a bit exaggerated) but then it became clear they were fluctuating every few minutes and flicking up and down rapidly.

I checked what I assume is the level sensor in the drivers wheel arch and it appears to be fitted (or malfunctioned) in such a way that the cranked droplink is bound up against the sensor arm.

A few weeks ago we had new coil springs fitted by an independent Volvo garage, have they put the sensor back together incorrectly? I would try re-assembling it but would rather not risk damaging the sensor in case the garage have already done that. It seems fairly obvious (?) that the droplink should be fitted in in front of the sensor arm, not behind...or is the whole arm upside down?

We had two adults in the rear seat which may be why we hadn't had any problems until now.

Thanks for any assistance (tried Googling but could only find pictures of the item not mounted to the vehicle!)

https://i.ibb.co/jR0k4Vc/20220717-100959a.jpg

Looking at your picture the droplink doesn't look like it's ever been touched from new tbh,

Reading what you described are you sure you weren't using the high beam assist function at the time without realising?

One other thing I had to have the headlights adjusted on mine when I 1st got the car and my high beam assist wasn't working properly for a while after, I put it down to the street lights at the time but after a while it was as if by magic they started to work properly again almost like the car was getting all it's "new" parameters sorted in place first.

Hi Snine, thanks for the quick reply. I don't think the car has high beam assist (how can I tell?). It was certainly the dipped beams adjusting as it has the sharp beam cut offs, and they were just lowering and then returning to normal, the high beam was off.

I've just been trawling youtube but can only find a V50 and the sensor assembly looks different and the sensor arm is facing forward (unless mine has done a 180)

Any chance of a photo of yours?

Also the car is parked sideways on a steep slope at the moment so the OSF wheel is partially unweighted, so on level ground the arm will be pushing harder against the droplink, I'm surprised it hasn't snapped actually. The sensor appears to be mounted solidly, its not broken off its mounts (yet).

Mines sitting in a recovery yard waiting to be condemned atm so I can't help on that front,

High beam assist is on the left stalk, it's a spring loaded function that you twist the stalk headlight function selection up once and it then returns to the auto position, on the instrument cluster the headlight icon will turn green iirc until you either turn it off or the car off,

In the Sensus options tiles do you have a tile for corner bending I think it's called, assuming you have the tablet style screen.

I just noticed you appear to have an older generation car V40?

Have a look through these topics and focus on the AHB & Cornering Lights sections,

https://www.volvocars.com/uk/support...-beam-lighting

There is also the possibility that the droplink is in it's death throws as well, the top mounting knuckle doesn't look too healthy, but it doesn't look like they've touched it replacing your spring though as the nut shows no marks in the ageing appearance.

It's on the correct way as well,

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125380236...xoCR4QQAvD_BwE

See photo 4

Now for the S9 recommended course of action,

At your own risk btw,

Either spray the top ball joint on the sensor assembly with some wd40 avoiding anything brake disc/caliper/pads or sensor/electrical connector or place a small amount of grease around it and then wipe it clean after making it bounce up and down a few times driving it, end of the road and a full lock both ways will be enough to help lube it incase it's semi stuck.

Sorry to hear of your cars demise!

This one is a 67 plate and the lighting bulletin is mid-2018, I'm sure we don't have the bending headlights (they only calibrate vertically on start-up) but I'll double check next time its dark which it states is a condition of operation (doesn't look like there is any symbol on the stalk in the bulletin so I guess its a software thing and the stalk is unchanged).

I found a brake change tutorial and the sensor appears to be installed in the same orientation (the suspension is completely unweighted which muddles the mind slightly).

The arm appears to be the same shape but I wonder if mine has bent further due to the broken spring, although it was only the bottom section that broke and the ride height didn't seem affected...

Thanks, I got over it by looking at it objectively, accidents happen,


The whole thing you are experiencing does sound like just how the AHB function works especially if it keeps finding things to reflect off of in your path, to be sure the variation is as if you were flicking in and out of high beam while driving?