posted by
someone claiming to be fborcher
on
Mon Feb 16 02:44 CST 2004 [ RELATED]
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I need some information.
Daughter's 240 is in MD, and I am in FL. She called Sat to tell me pass side taillight assy was hanging by wires out the back of the car. Apparently, the previous owner had a mishap he repaired by gluing the taillight assy back together, and the glue had broken loose.
Anyway, I am prepared to buy a new taillight assy from FCP Groton. I need to know how the assy is replaced, especially how it is fastened to the body. I need to know this to determine who will do the repair.
Assy is taped into place at present.
Any quirks you have run into while repacing this assy would help.
Thanks
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fborcher,
The other wise sages are correct... by a Volvo assembly or pull one from a junkyard. I bought an afternarket tail light for my 1990 and it is a verifiable piece of s@#t. It leaks, the spacing between lenses is skewed, and is, in general, very poor quality. Eventually, I went to a pick & pull to get a replacement -which I should've done in the beginning. Make sure you get a tight seal on the assembly gasket (between car & light) and don't overtighten the nuts on the light...super snug, that is all there is to it!
You can do it easily yourself... with 1) 10mm box wrench, 2) Phillips screwdriver, and 3) some small Torx drivers.
You also might have to clean the circut board connection on the pick & pull parts (depending on the car you got it from) and, in the end, who knows if it really will work... circut boards are cheap, but it may just be the reason to spend the $130 +/- on an OEM light.
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posted by
someone claiming to be fborcher
on
Mon Feb 16 04:52 CST 2004 [ RELATED]
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You are right. If I was putting it in myself, I would get a used part. If it didn't work right away, I would make it work.
In this situation, new is the best bet since odds are it will install and work without any adjustment.
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fborcher,
The other wise sages are correct... by a Volvo assembly or pull one from a junkyard. I bought an afternarket tail light for my 1990 and it is a verifiable piece of s@#t. It leaks, the spacing between lenses is skewed, and is, in general, very poor quality. Eventually, I went to a pick & pull to get a replacement -which I should've done in the beginning. Make sure you get a tight seal on the assembly gasket (between car & light) and don't overtighten the nuts on the light...super snug, that is all there is to it!
You can do it easily yourself... with 1) 10mm box wrench
2) Phillips screwdriver
and 3) Torx drivers
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fborcher,
The other wise sages are correct... by a Volvo assembly or pull one from a junkyard. I bought an afternarket tail light for my 1990 and it is a verifiable piece of s@#t. It leaks, the spacing between lenses is skewed, and is in general very poor quality. Eventually, I went to a pick & pull to get a replacement -which I should've done in the beginning. Make sure you get a tight seal on the assembly gasket (between car & light)and don't overtighten the nuts on the light...super snug, that is all there is to it!
You can do it easily yourself... with 1) 10mm box wrench
2) Phillips screwdriver
and 3) Torx drivers
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Hello,
First of all, you are better off purchasing a used unit from a scarp yard. Not that FCP Groton is a bad supplier, they have been very good it's just the aftermarket lights and lenses are not.
They are held in by 4 little nuts. Just make sure a junk yard candidate is all together, circuit panel good and you get the black foam seal in good shape as well.
Happy Bricking!!!
--
Richard - '87 245 DL , '82 242 GLT - Half a million km between them!!!
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posted by
someone claiming to be art
on
Mon Feb 16 03:18 CST 2004 [ RELATED]
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I agree about the aftermarket lamps. They are so poorly constructed you need to reengineer them just to make them function, much less stay dry.
But, I think FCP also provides genuine Volvo parts (or did anyway) which install with four nuts (10mm wrench) and either a phillips or T20 torx for the ground screw. This is a case where the $50 savings on Scan-Tech is a false economy.
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posted by
someone claiming to be fborcher
on
Mon Feb 16 03:44 CST 2004 [ RELATED]
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Because I had seen some bad reviews of the Scan Tech taillights on the brickboard, I decided to spend the extra money for the Volvo parts. After all, I will not get to see the parts, and must rely on others to do the work.
I think I recall the nuts holding it in.
The new assy comes with new bulbs and the new sokets. I'm concerned that the new bulbs may not have the same resistance as the old, and may screw up the bulb sensor and the idiot light will come on. I may just warn whoever does the job about this, and they can replace new with old once they put it in, if necessary.
What do you think?
BTW, unless I find a taillight assy down here in Fla,I will be buying new. I can't ask anyone up there to find one. Sounds like a new post is required.
Thanks
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posted by
someone claiming to be art
on
Mon Feb 16 05:36 CST 2004 [ RELATED]
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Yes, buy new. I've been to the local pnp dozens of times and only managed one good taillight - and that only because the car came in ten minutes before I pulled it. They're the first things to go. And it wouldn't hurt to throw in a new set of matching bulbs for both sides. I think the 5W tail lamp bulb often gets switched for 4W, 8W and 10W versions during the life of the car.
Never was able to get my daughters that interested in cars that they'd do more than gas and check oil. Spoiled them I guess. None were at school as far away as yours is, so the weekend visits kept things alive, and the one daughter most interested in cars just had to have a bimmer. Amazing thing, that one, doesn't quite have 15K on it so the dealer doesn't want her back for maintenance or even a first oil change. Tells her to wait for the "light".
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Hello,
Does the daughter have a freind that can help her change the assembly? The whole process is pretty idiot proof.
The bulb warning relay is pretty tough, and as long as the bulbs fit, there should be no concern for it burning because of a little more resistance. In fact replacing with new bulbs and cleaning the sockets usally lowers resistance. The only time I seem to have issues with mine is when I have a trailer hooked up. Otherwise it functions normally, and in close to 400,000 km's you can imagine I've changed bulbs once or twice before.
Happy Bricking!!!
--
Richard - '87 245 DL , '82 242 GLT - Half a million km between them!!!
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