C30 General : Swap rear fog light right to left

[C30inFrance]

My car has failed its CT (French MOT) because of the headlights and fog lights. Don't ask me why now, it's its 3rd CT! Maybe rules have been tightened up? Or I had a stickler for a tester? I wasn't required to change any lights when getting the car homologated and registered here.

With the headlights, it's possible that I've switched the lever inside the light over and forgotten to switch it back. Possible, but not likely as I've not been in the UK since the car's last CT. I'm going to have to have a play with that.

Rear fog though, well that's more of a matter of fact - it is on the wrong side. I'm wondering if it'll simply be a matter of running a wire from one to the other, and possibly buying a new light if a bulb housing is required (haven't looked yet at the unit to see)

It's all rather annoying and baffling tbh. Why has it become an issue now when previous testers have said nothing.

[IainG]

Hi
On my V50 I ran a single wire across the back to link the 2 sides and now have both fog lights on.

[C30inFrance]

Originally Posted by IainG

Hi
On my V50 I ran a single wire across the back to link the 2 sides and now have both fog lights on.

Cheers! That's the kind of thing I wanted to hear! That's do-able

[IainG]

Hi
https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showt...77#post2252277

Some info here if any use

Didn't realise it was so long ago!!

[C30inFrance]

Thanks for the info. Most valuable..

I had a quick look just now and there's already a bulb for it on the left hand side. I think it's maybe the reversing light*. Certainly the right hand bulb is shared use. So it is just a matter of running a cable right to left. I'm going to have a look at a wiring diagram to confirm, and just get a sense of what's going where, but it looks very do-able.

The C30 lighting clusters are a bit of a fiddle to get in/out and I'll have a look at running the cable through the frame behind covers, so I suspect it'll take me longer than 30 minutes but nonetheless it looks straightforward enough.

I could post photos of the 2 clusters (left and right) if someone wants to say "it's the grey wire"...

*edit: ordinary running light. reversing lights are white..obviously... twonk!

[C30inFrance]

On the headlights, I think the tester went off the deep end because it was RHD and so he started talking about conformity. Looking at the actual numbers, they're not that far out. Ditto front fogs. I reckon my local garage can sort that no worries.

[LizardOfBodom]

Originally Posted by C30inFrance

On the headlights, I think the tester went off the deep end because it was RHD and so he started talking about conformity. Looking at the actual numbers, they're not that far out. Ditto front fogs. I reckon my local garage can sort that no worries.

Do you have detailed info why headlight failed? or just "no pass" ?
Drive 8meters from any wall and see how the light pattern look, you might immediately see the problem. In EU the light pattern should be like that

____/ ____/

if you forgot to move the shutter it would look like \__\__ or something oddly unshapen if lever not fully pressed.#
Maybe one of lights is too low or bulb you changed (if) is not fitted correctly and distort the pattern?

[C30inFrance]

The fail blurb itself is generic; a reference to the section of the rule book and a cover-all description

Headlights - 4.1.2.a.2 Orientation outside norms
Fog lights - 4.5.4.a.2 Conformity

...there are test values but they are meaningless to me.

Left -3.8%. Right -2.8%. (allowed range -2.5% to -0.5%)

I did fit a new bulb recently (left side) so maybe it's fitted wrongly. I'll check that and the beam pattern as you suggest.

Note, the fail refers only to dipped beam (so, again, I think the headlights themselves are fine for EU use and the tester was having a moment.

[C30inFrance]

I could do with some help here please. I thought I'd worked out where the wire went from and to but it's not working.

From the wiring diagrams, I concluded that the wire would run from the yellow/green wire on the right hand side (rhs pic attached) to the unused socket on the left hand side pic (lhs attached, foremost socket) Lighting pages from wiring diagram also attached.

Where have I gone wrong?

Edit: additional questions. Can the wires be safely removed from the socket you see in the pics? On the other side of the socket there appears to be an orange clip-like thing that does pull out a little way - but I didn't want to pull it further than it seemed to want to go. Does that release the wires? It didn't seem to but I didn't want to go heaving on them!

[IainG]

Hi
Have a look at the metal conductive track on the housing that holds all the bulbs on the side that isn't working. Check the track is intact, and not cut. You could then just touch on a live wire on the track to prove the bulb actually works.
Easy way to check for correct wire is with a meter. Switch on the fog light and find the live wire or wires at the rear light cluster then switch off the fog light and see which voltage disappears, recheck and then loop that over to the other side, touch it on whilst live at test that way, when proved just connect up. Think the pins come out, you have to push a thin sleeve down the terminal to release a spring tang to pull the pin out.