Had several dash lights burn out in the V70, and I'm thankful for the procedures listed on Bay 13 to replace lights in the radio and instrument console. However, there's nothing on Bay 13 about the common need to replace those silly little bulbs in the dashboard rocker switches (sunroof, TRACS, etc.). This may or may not be an obvious fix - but it wasn't for me, at first. Plus, this board has saved me $$$ plenty of times, so I'm happy to give back in any way I can.

So in the interest of filling in a gap, below is a (hopefully) easily searchable "how to" for replacing these bulbs on the 850, S70, V70 and C70.

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You'll need: a pair of plyers, a small flatblade screwdriver, and a T-1 light bulb(s).

Access to the rocker switches isn't "open dashboard surgery" like the instrument console - they all easily pop right out of the dash. The trick is getting them out without marring the plastic. I found the best way to accomplish this was to 1) use your fingers to pull the knob off of the headlight and/or trip computer potentiometer, then 2) use care with a pair of plyers on the pot shaft to gently work the switch straight out. This is like pulling a power cord out by the cord instead of the socket - you'd have to jerk or twist pretty hard to break something, but err on the gentle side. If you're interested in keeping the hidden plastic shaft scratch-free, put a rag between the jaws of the plyers and the pot.

Once you have one switch out, the others on that side will easily pop out from behind. You shouldn't have to disconnect the switches from their plugs to get the bulb out - the back of the white plastic bulb holders are exposed, and there's enough slack in the wire. One quarter turn of the screwdriver later, you'll have a bulb base in your hand (Note: the bulb end of the plastic holder can be brittle and brown from age/heat.) I don't believe Volvo dealers carry these lights (mine didn't); you should be able to find replacements at your local electronics store. What you're looking for is a T-1 flashlight bulb. A bulb with leads that are at least 1" are easiest to work with. I happened to buy mine at Radio Shack (Micro Lamp #7219) - they come in packages of two for $1.50. The detail-obsessed eye may notice that these new bulbs just happen to be a fraction of a smidge larger than the original lights. They'll fit in and work just fine.

Once you unwind the wires on the old blub and remove it from the plastic base, reverse the entire procedure and you're all lit up. It's a good idea to replace all of the bulbs while you're doing the job, because if a few have already burned out, the others aren't far off - not to mention, the cost of parts to replace all of the lights is less than $10.