Volvo Maintenance Hints for 7xx/9xx - Bill Garland's Nuclear ...

careful: the plastic can embrittle from UV exposure.
Wagon/Estate. [Response: Jay Simkin] To remove the brake light housing cover:
1. put the tips of your index fingers at the "sharp" corners of the housing, which are closest
the the window
2. put the tips of your thumbs at the rounded corners of the housing, closest to the sharp
corners.
3. using the tips of your index fingers, pull each side of the housing outwards about 1/16" (i.
e., towards the gas struts that hold up the hatch)
4. pull the housing downwards (i.e., straight towards the ground). You should feel it release.
It will come free. Set it aside.
To remove the brake light bulb holder:
1. You will see two black plastic tabs sticking downwards (towards the ground) from the
brake light assembly
2. Using a thumb and index finger grip each tab and press inwards about 1/16" (i.e., towards
each other) while pulling downwards gently
3. You will see and feel the bulb housing release from the mounting.
To remove the brake light bulb:
1. Grip the bulb gently and press downwards gently (as if you were trying to press the bulb
into its fitting). You should feel some "springiness".
2. Turn the bulb. If it does not move, turn it in the other direction. It should release and "pop"
free.
3. Replace the bulb, with an exact replacement.
Backup Lights Not Working: Neutral Safety Switch. If your backup lights stop working, your
transmission neutral safety switch has most likely failed. See the FAQ file for repair information.
Brighter Brake and Tail Lights. [tip from Ceferino Lamb] Just in time for the Christmas drunk
driver tailgating you season, here's a handy tip. The tail and brake lights on our classy older
cars are not quite as big or bright as those of newer cars are. Some of us believe that brighter
lights are a bit safer. Here's how to remedy things.
1. CLEANING FRENZY. Clean the reflectors and lenses with a can of compressed gas such as
that for cleaning computer keyboards or circuits. That should get rid of accumulated dust. In
cases of heavy dust/dirt, you can clean manually with alcohol and soft rags or big Q-tips, but be
very careful not to scratch the reflectors or remove the reflective coating. If that coating is poor,
buy new light clusters or disassemble completely and repaint the reflectors with silver paint. If