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This procedure takes patience and small, dexterous hands.
1) Study the headlight assy. from the front side. Look for the burned out bulb (protrudes into a metalic cylinder). You're going to be looking at this assy. from the front side to get necessary visual feedback while changing the bulb. It's impossible to see what's going on from the backside.
2) There is a wire bundle (unrelated to headlight) that hangs right where your hand is going to go. You have to move aside this wire bundle to proceed! Locate the barbed hanger where the wire bundle grips onto the plastic housing. Using a flat screwdriver, spread the "skinny U-shaped" barbed hanger enough to pull the wire hanger off the plastic housing. Move bundle back out of the way. You can also pop the cover off the computer housing (black box behind headlamp assy.) to make a little more room for your hand.
2) Look behind the headlight assy. for the large, circular rubber weather cover (similar to a lens cap for your photogs). It's immediately behind the burned out bulb. It's the larger cover disk. Pull off the top of the rubber cover, but DO NOT remove at the bottom. It's a bitch getting it back on if you pull it completely off. You only need room to squeeze a hand down into the chamber.
3) Now, study the replacement bulb carefully (without touching the glass bulb!). Note that there are
three metallic prongs on the base of the bulb facing the bulb. Now, find these same prongs looking at the burned out bulb from the front-side of the car. Also note that the bulb is "L"shaped, with the connector coming in perpendicular. DO NOT TRY TO UNPLUG THE CONNECTOR YET. The bulb comes all the way out first, then you can unplug easily.
4) Feel inside the chamber for the "L" shaped rear of the bulb. To remove the bulb, you have to twist it about 30 degrees. I'm still confused about which way, because I was looking at the bulb from the front-side as it was twisted. It only twists in one direction. I think the leg of the "L" moves closer to the side of the car. Watch the bulb twist from the front-side. When it's turned far enough, the prongs will escape the metal housing, and voila, you extract the bulb with wire connected back away from its recepticle. Pull the bulb out into the open.
5) Now, have the replacement bulb unpacked and sitting ready to pop in. To unplug the old bulb spread the plastic wing clips of the connector, and unplug. Plug in the new bulb (without touching the glass part of the bulb).
6) The bulb has a orange rubber weather seal (o-ring). Did the old seal come out with the old bulb? If not, you have to fish around and remove it. Otherwise, you'll never get the new bulb in.
7) Now watching what you're doing from the front, maneuver the bulb into position prong-wise.
It helps to have the old bulb to look at as you're figuring out which way the "L" should be oriented. Note there are 2 small prongs and one wide prong. These have to line up with the socket perfectly.
Did I say some patience would be needed?
8) When you can finally twist the bulb to lock it down, it's Miller Time. Figuratively speaking. Put back the stuff you took apart!!
Those Volvo engineers don't get high marks for this bulb replacement design. The word design is a por choice, isn't it?
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