940 ignition lights

Tiny
FLIGHTSIMER
  • MEMBER
  • 1992 VOLVO 940
  • 103,000 MILES
I have a Volvo 940 1992, the problem is the ignition lights do not always come on. When I insert the key and turn it nothing but the seatbelt warning light comes on in the dash. The car starts OK and after driving it for maybe twenty minutes and test it, the lights usually come on. Also, sometimes the lights come on at startup, but after a while when I pull on the handbrake, nothing. This all started one year when the battery went flat, I removed the battery and charged it up, ten minutes after starting the car the handbrake light came on (the car was stationary) all worked ok until again last winter then battery died. In May this year the car started no bother, I drove to the petrol station, filled up then tried to start but no joy, the battery was totally flat. This happen yesterday on the motorway, it just stopped dead, again battery was dead. I found a few wires coming from the positive battery terminal with two fuses on them, I replaced these and the connectors as they were badly weathered, the ignition lights all came on again, but today the lights are off again.
When driving, if the ignition lights are not functioning, the wipers are slow and the electric windows are slow. I have switched on the headlights and rev'd the engine, the lights remain steady, someone told me that if they dipped and rose then it meant the battery was not charging. I totally baffled, any help would be good.
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Thursday, August 25th, 2011 AT 1:12 PM

19 Replies

Tiny
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Suspect faulty ignition switch. Does charge light come on with key in on position? What happens if key is wiggled? Also have ALTERNATOR tested
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Thursday, August 25th, 2011 AT 6:20 PM
Tiny
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When the lights all work, no the battery charge light does not come on when driving, just when I turn on the ignition and start the engine, once started, all lights turn off as normal.
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Thursday, August 25th, 2011 AT 6:43 PM
Tiny
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Have ALT tested
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Thursday, August 25th, 2011 AT 7:37 PM
Tiny
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OK I went out tonight and tried again, no lights, so I wiggled the ignition key, no luck there, so I gave the plastic cover that goes over the steering column a bang, sll lights came on. So I took the plastic cover off and checked, pulled, banged all the wires, wiggled the ignition switch but the lights all stayed on as normal. Turned the car engine off completely, switched on, all lights are on, replaced cover and banged it many times, the lights remain on. So I took her out for a spin and all is fine again. Don't know now what else it could be, the battery is charged up again so does that mean the alt is OK?
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Thursday, August 25th, 2011 AT 7:55 PM
Tiny
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Ignition switch faulty and when it acts up the ALT does not charge. Banging on collumn confirms open in switch contacts
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Thursday, August 25th, 2011 AT 7:58 PM
Tiny
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Ok so do I just replace the Ignition switch?
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Thursday, August 25th, 2011 AT 11:05 PM
Tiny
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That's what I would do or live with it
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Friday, August 26th, 2011 AT 1:26 PM
Tiny
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Found one on ebay, new  24
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Friday, August 26th, 2011 AT 4:20 PM
Tiny
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Good keep me posted
Thanks
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Friday, August 26th, 2011 AT 4:26 PM
Tiny
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Will do, it should be here on Monday.
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Saturday, August 27th, 2011 AT 7:26 AM
Tiny
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O.K.
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Saturday, August 27th, 2011 AT 4:17 PM
Tiny
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  • 11 POSTS
Well the part arrived but it's the wrong part. I take it The ignition switch is the round part attached to the ignition key system. The part I received was rectangular and I've since found out that this is an ignition amplifier. Anyway I didn't know that and stripped the instrument cluster out thinking it would be up there somewhere but NO it wasn't. Well everything is back together again with no bits left over and all is working again, provided I bang the steering column first to get the lights working. Now trying to find an ignition switch but having no luck. I'll get back to you here if I progress this any further.
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Sunday, September 4th, 2011 AT 6:27 AM
Tiny
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The part does it look like #419 see diagram
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Sunday, September 4th, 2011 AT 7:31 PM
Tiny
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Yea it looks like #419
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Sunday, September 4th, 2011 AT 8:36 PM
Tiny
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Yes it looks like part #419
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Monday, September 5th, 2011 AT 6:08 AM
Tiny
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So what is part #419?
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Tuesday, September 6th, 2011 AT 3:29 PM
Tiny
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Power stage for Dist
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Tuesday, September 6th, 2011 AT 3:38 PM
Tiny
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Got a new ignition switch from Volvo, fitted it no probs but the fault was still there, wee tap on the steering column and the lights came on again. However two weeks later, today, the lights will not come on even with banging the steering column, they flickered once but remain off. Any more ideas guys, this is really annoying me but thanks for all your help and advice.
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Wednesday, September 28th, 2011 AT 5:24 PM
Tiny
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Make sure electrical connections at IGN switch are tight especially blue/red if good need to pull instrument panel OHM check blue/red wire from SW to charge indicater light if good check red wire to ALT
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Thursday, September 29th, 2011 AT 4:57 PM

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