Hi guys,

my '88 240 is a 240 built for Scandinavian market, and here in Northern Europe you must drive with low beams 24 hours 365 days a year (unless you have extra day running lights). Volvo helps drivers who forget to switch HL by activating them together with ignition.

With key in position 0 (OFF), I have absolutely no lights in HL switch positions 0 and 2, but dim parking lights in position 1.

With key in positions I (ACC) and II (IGN/ON), there are bright parking lights in HL switch pos 0, dim parking lights in pos 1, and low-beams + dim parking lights in pos 2.
(I assume, that HL switch pos 0 is the leftmost, 1 is in the middle and 2 is on the right)

As you can see from above, drivers are supposed to always keep the switch in pos 2 to keep low-beams w/ dim parking lights switching on and off together with ignition.

But such a configuration gives no ability to have a Volvo running w/o any lights at all and I find this uncomfortable when idling. First, it is wasting energy (fuel > alternator > light) - that current could be used to charge the battery after a cold start. Second, in case I decide to leave just parking lights, it's easy to forget then to switch low-beams on before driving even at night (instrument light gives an illusion of having lights on "as always").

So I decided to modify the HL switch the way it powers nothing when in pos 0, independant of key position. I supposed to see one hot input and three outputs inside, but the switch turned out to be a more complex structure (a good post by Bruce Young explained this http://www.brickboard.com/RWD/index.htm?id=847202).

1) Can somebody explain the wiring (wire colors would be great) - what goes to HL relay, what comes from (or goes to) ign. switch? I found no diargams for this north-european configuration. The main question is what wire do I disconnect to never have any lights in pos 0 and leave other switch positions intact.

2) How do bright and dim parking lights work? There's only one bulb inside, so there must be a resistor somewhere? Where? It's definitely not a bug, it's a feature (I saw it on other 240s here).

Sorry for a long post and thanks in advance.

IF.

P.S. that are bright parking lights on my Volvo: