MOT Failure

[Swozza]

Gents

Can you help. My Dads car has just failed its MOT due to a failed warning light on the dash. The blue light for full beam indicator.

Now the garage has told him he's looking at a £750 - £1000 bill as they'll need to rip out the dash, for what could be a £10 bulb.

He has also been told, not sure by who that you can get round this by having an auto electrician wire a blue LED to his dash and connect it to the light stork basically doing the same job and it will past the MOT.

Is there any truth in this?

 

[davidjpowell]

What car is it?

Most clusters come out without major hassle.

 

[martyz]

50p bulb,more than 1hrs labour would be unrealistic.Find another garage.

 

[moonloops]

Worth checking the headlamp relay hasn't failed as that's what caused this on one of my cars a while back - cost £3 to fix..

 

[Swozza]

Its a Volvo S80

 

[BTB 500]

FWIW M-B main dealer charged me £43 plus VAT to replace two instrument cluster bulbs on my SL.

 

[davidjpowell]

Its a Volvo S80

This will be helpful.

Assuming it's the bulb it should be about a 30 minute job.

Volvo DIM / instrument cluster removal procedure & repair service for V70, S60, S80, XC70, XC90, etc - YouTube

 

[flango]

Its a Volvo S80

Thats an easy one to swap but never seen a bulb fail on the dash of these cars, seen warning lights out but as previously mentioned its usually traced back to a relay or fuse issue. A competent Auto electrician will have it sorted for less than one hours labour

 

[Druk]

^ Snap

How to Remove Your Volvo V70 S60 S80 Speedometer DIM - YouTube

 

[Swozza]

Thanks chaps.

 

[Swozza]

Having spoken to my dad to get a full understanding of the situation. It turns out they want to replaces the entire instrument cluster with a new unit. Hence the cost! This was the only option presented to him. After some research however I how found several alternatives. A breaker will swop out and clone the existing unit or the unit can be sent away for repair. All under £150.

Thanks again for your help gents.

 

[E270 Owner]

erm..........it must be more than a bulb problem then.........they are twist fit bulbs on those dash's cost 60p each

 

[DSM10000]

erm..........it must be more than a bulb problem then.........they are twist fit bulbs on those dash's cost 60p each

I am quite surprised if they still fit filament type bulbs, I thought that most manufacturers went over to LED?

 

[Ted]

It's just a main beam indicator!
get a £1 warning light from Halfords and wire it into the main bean circuit - even £150 is too expensive.

As Flanaia1 says - get an auto-electrician to do it if you're not sure.


Time was I had a motorcycle with a peak over the top of the headlamp with a (red) lens in it - no bulb. On main beam the lens was bright, on dip it was dim. (You could say it also worked as a bulb failure monitor )

Never failed an MOT.

 

[flango]

It wont be the bulb or LED if its a late model never seen one go on a Volvo yet it will be something upstream of the cluster so sending it away or replacing is unlikely to cure it.

 

[NOMONEYBUTAMERC]

I once went to a garage that was either dishonest or incompetent. Another garage confirmed that my assertion was correct. Would suggest your dad looks elsewhere.

 

[E270 Owner]

I am quite surprised if they still fit filament type bulbs, I thought that most manufacturers went over to LED?

In 2002 S80's went to LED dash type the earlier ones were old bulb system.

The problem is its not just the LED that's failed its the PCB that has a problem on the later dashes, fitting a separate blue LED is a "work around" (bodge)