Spent a few hours last weekend checking the bulbs, connections and fuses on the tail lights of my 245, everything looked sound and I cleaned all the connections.

However, a brickboarder told me to check the ground connections, I can't find these, where are they, I can't find anything in the manual?

Any other ideas what the problem may be? All the other lights are working fine.

I've had all sorts of problems with all the rear lights on this car, if its not the indicators its the brake lights, sounds like a common problem, I'd love to get it fixed and be able to drive at night again.

At the moment I'm borrowing my girlfriend's 2002 Corolla which has the worst visibility in a car I've ever experienced, like driving a submarine, blind spots everywhere, after the Volvo's goldfish bowl vision, it's hard to get used to, only a matter of time before I reverse it into a fire hydrant!

Look thru the hinges on the tailgate to see if the insulation has come off the wiring harnesses. If so now is a good time to replace the whole magilla. Any exposed wiring is likely to corrode and cause problems with lighting.
You can rewire the harnesses yourself-it is a common problem for us 245ers. Look in the 700/900 FAQ for further info.
The grounds for the taillights, if they`re the same as an `86-you have to remove the spare tire panel and the ground is behind the harness that runs along the bottom about six inches inboard. Good place to discover that the car may have rust-the see thru kind as I have recently discovered while looking in the floor compartment. Repeat for other side. Good luck.

Jim S. `86 245 214k Central CT

Others will know better than I ...but did the 78' model have the wires through the hinge like the newer ones?? thats where mine (86)...and almost everbodys... goes bad, there are a couple of fixs for that, search the faq and posts. I did mine with out pulling the tailgate off and they are working fine.
Bret
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rust free in west Texas

On a 245 there are 2 ground wires, 1 on each unit... Volvo also thought to include a live wire which is black as well.. Ain't that nice!!!! Don't use that one for the ground!!!!!

Youy will notice a metal strip that goes to each bulb where each socket turns in on the unit... That metal strip is the ground, and has a tab with a wire, or should have a black wire which thence goes to the body, and is fastened with a screw.

Pull the screw, and clean the body there, clean the screw, and clean the wire 'eye' All with sand paper. Repeat this on the other side.

I would buy a ice pick looking test light... Walmart has these for $4.00, and a pair or red and black jumpers all made up so you can lenghten the lead off the test light... (Note this is not a jumper to start a car with)

At this point clip the ice pick light to the screw you cleaned, and turn on the parking lamps and probe for power...

The design is poor at the best in my opinion.. You can have power, and a ground all very nice and still no light!!! The sockets must also be cleaned for contact if they fail to light. It can be the centers that gets no power, or the tabs on the bayonnets mounts that are bent, dirty and or just refuse to touch ground..

I think Volvo became jealous of Lucas Electrical systems.

Since I have re-painted my car I can get all the lights to work, but not for long... More fiddlin needs doin on my end.. Pretty soon I will need new parts as I am sanding them away.. (joking) Mac

the ground is a black wire that goes from somewhere on the light to somewhere on the body. It can't be that hard to find.

If you can't find a ground wire, you have found your problem.