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Three years ago, I saved some money and purchased an after market tail light lens assembly for the drivers side of Inga, (252K 1986 245DL, Poly Rear, PUP'ed to the hilt). It was purchase from IPD, but you can get them from FCP, EBay, and other locations also. This is not to blame IPD, this is to share a do not try this at home with others.
If you are ever tempted to purchase one of these for half the price of the Genuine Volvo assembly, please learn from my mistake. Just replaced that half priced lens with a brand new Volvo Lens this week.
Two years ago noticed the fog light on that lens was not on. Last month a new problem started with the yellow/orange glare from the bulb out relay when you hit the brakes. And gosh darn it, the same lens was having trouble.
Looked real good on the outside!
But looks can be deceiving you know, the top and bottom on the back side have developed a couple of minor issues it seems. Like melting from the heat of the bulbs.
A close look at the fog light, you may be able to see where I filed the plastic down to make it work. Also quit using the light except for removing tailgater's and in actual fog or rain (and in Houston we don't get all that much fog or rain, uh no wait we get a lot of rain, and well we get a lot of fog also)
Then a couple of weeks ago the brake light was not working. Not the bulb, but found a arch on the connection and all sorts of damage.
So if you need a new tail light assembly, spend the coin, get the Volvo one for twice as much. Pure D after market Junk it is!
Regards,
Paul
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I have one of those too. The housing deformed a bit but the reflector (a separate piece) melted to the bulb and pulled the glass right out of the base as it cooled. I broke and removed the reflector about 6 months ago, put a new bulb in and went on my way. Haven't checked it lately since the brake light still works.
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Harold Thompson '84 245 Virgos
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Great pics, and thanks for the warning! Good advice to stick with standard wattage. I put a pair of those little halogen (35W?) bulbs in the OE brake light sockets of the 83 and now have deformed/melted sockets. These are the original 5-panel assemblies, with the metal strips carrying current - not the circuit board plastic film. The bulbs are now 'welded' in there and I'm praying they last forever, as they'll have to be carved out if they don't.
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Bob (son's 81-244GL B21F-M46, dtr's 94-940 B230FD, my 83-244DL B23F-M46, 89-745(LT1 V8), 98-S90, 77MGB and four old motorcycles)
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posted by
someone claiming to be Kyle245
on
Mon Mar 23 07:14 CST 2009 [ RELATED]
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That exact same thing happened to my aftermarket lens. The price seemed too good to be true at the time. I ended up soldering wires directly to the bulb, wrapping the end in electrical tape and then just craming the bulb in the melted hole positioning it so that it wouldn't touch the plastic. It worked good right up until the time that I got rearended.
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Even on OEM lenses I have had problems if the bulb was too big.
There is no ventilation in there and the heat accumulates.
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George Downs, Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!
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Hello,
The new OEM has a nice big square hole right above the fog light now. And to my surprise the right bulbs were installed right out of the box. Now the original lens do not have the hole. The issue with the first lens was a whack with a weed whacker on the way past the car one fine afternoon. No melting issues after 19 years, lens showed signs of age, and of course the busted lens. Have a PUP OEM on the other side, no square hole at the top, but no signs of any trouble either. Have not a clue how old that one is, pretty and shiny PUP find.
I have always made sure run the correct wattage bulbs, and in fact lowered the fog light bulb wattage on both sides to extend the life of the melting one as far I as could. Changed bulbs in pairs so I do not get the fake bulb out light. The tail light bulb was never replaced until the light came on one night. "Assumed" it was the bulb and purchased a new pair. Could not get the holder to lock into place and got a surprise when I shined the light in there. If I had bothered to look at the other side of the bulb connector, there was a chuck missing out of one of the contacts.
I thought about drilling holes in the after market after the fog plastic started to flow. But that was one of those that got lost along the way and instead of running with the fogs all the time limited the use. After three years IMOH there should not be two melted sockets if the right wattage bulbs were in there.
Regards,
Paul
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Unfortunately, even those purchased from Volvo will overheat at the contacts if there's any moisture ingress to pollute the conductivity. I haven't had any sour experiences with the wagon lenses yet (solid plated-steel contacts) but the Valeo sedan lamps, with the circuit boards, are not immune to this tail-chasing resistance heating cycle, nor are they (the plastic lenses and body) always welded together perfectly to exclude moisture.
Sure bigger bulbs put more stress on the contacts. How much bigger can you go from the 21W lamps?
The older Bosch 240 taillamps (no circuit boards) also developed the overheated contacts, but the plastic underneath seemed to char before it deformed.
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Art Benstein near Baltimore
Before I got married, I had six theories about bringing up children.
Now I have six children and no theories. (John Wilmot)
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I agree. MOST of the light failures I have suffered in oldtimers were NOT the result of a bad bulb
but the invisible nonconductive film that forms on Euro light sockets.
But I did have a case of a melted (welded to the bulb) lens where I or someone else had put in a 21 cp bulb
where a smaller one should have been, and warped lenses with the normal bulb.
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George Downs, Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!
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I've seen melted lenses before, in the junkyard. As usual, I was just hoping to stumble on the rare decent tail light and was not paying attention to which lens it was. On our cars, the lens with the brake light (combined with tail light) is more likely to look older than the rest. I have a half-vast collection (culch heap) of replaced assemblies kept in hopes I find the time and magic solution to making a few good ones out of them.
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Art Benstein near Baltimore
A bargain is something you don't need at a price you can't resist.
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Sorry the pic link is not working.
I'm curious to see it.
What I've done: Post a pic to a web based site such as photobucket.com. Then put a link to that picture at photobucket in your web post here.
I do believe there is a way to make the brickboard "gallery" work, but it's been a long time since I did it.
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Sven: '89 245 NA, 951 ECU, expanded air dam, forward belly pan reaches oem belly pan, airbox heater upgraded, E-fan, 205/65-15 at 50 psi, IPD sways, no a/c-p/s belt, E-Codes, amber front corner reflectors, aero front face, quad horns, tach, small clock.
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I was doing an edit, think you can see them now!
Paul
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Yes the pics show now. My compliments on your thorough reporting.
When folks ask to buy a used taillight lens I suggest they try eBay for aftermarket. That seems bad advice in light of your experience. I don't like to sell used lenses because used ones all have the same ribbon problems and folks are rarely satisfied.
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240s: 2 drivers and some parts cars
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