Let There Be Light! 240 lights Modification

[vvpete]

This is a modification to the 240 parking lights, which in Europe are wired for both low wattage parking lights and high wattage daytime running lights. For many of you who have aftermarket E-codes in the US spec cars, you have a choice of using either of the filaments of the 2357 bulb that resides in your parking lamp assembly. If you still have the OEM Volvo Cibe's It's there whether it is an e-code or not, US spec still uses the same 2357 bulb and socket on '85-93, but only powers up the low wattage filament.

Here is a very simple mod to improve the utterly worthless US spec parking light, and by using both of the filaments of the 2357 bulb can get some decent fog/running lights out of them. IIRC the 2357 is a 5w low, and 21w hi filament bulb, so by combining the two, can get a 26w lamp which actually works for front illumination:

Take a piece of metal and cut it into the shape of the base of the bulb. I used a piece of metal from an old IC heat sink which is silver plated copper, but any piece of metal will do, like a piece of beer can.

Glue the piece of metal to the bottom of the bulb using silicone adhesive, 'Goop" great stuff!! love it!!

The piece of metal needs to contact both nubs on the bottom of the bulb without glue touching either nub. I filed down each nub a bit to make a good contact surface

Both filaments are powered with the mod, which is so simple and doesn't require any wiring changes

The lamp gets a bit hotter than it would with just the low wattage burning, and so far after 1/2 hr in my garage no problems with wires or fuses, (the 16 amp on the circuit is more than enough to handle the current). The bulb out warning isn't affected as the front parking lights are not on the circuit.
I had the e-codes previously and missed the brightness of the running lights in place of the weak parking lights, so decided to do something about it. Done.

Mod's if you think this should be in 'write-up' section, please feel free to move it wherever.

 

[dl242gt]

Good idea Peter. If you do this with the turn signals you'll have much brighter turn signals, too.

 

[Nils]

This is a modification to the 240 parking lights, which in Europe are wired for both low wattage parking lights and high wattage daytime running lights.

not sure about scandinavia/UK but in germany and holland the wiring on the car is there (3 wires in the connector and a ground wire) but the light cluster itself only has 2 wires in the connector and a ground wire. we always had a single fillament 21w bulb in the indicator and a single 21w fillament bulb in the running/park lamp

 

[SLOTh_244]

would it not be simpler just to put down a line of solder between the two contacts?

 

[vvpete]

Good idea Peter. If you do this with the turn signals you'll have much brighter turn signals, too.

Dave, I had two amber one's glued up and ready to try.
The thing is that the turn signals are already using the 21w filament, whereas the parking is using the 5w filament, so there's little difference from the brightness of the turn signal light when you make the mod.

.....we always had a single fillament 21w bulb in the indicator and a single 21w fillament bulb in the running/park lamp

The '85- up US cars get the two-filament bulb and the socket is wired so only one of the filament is contacted in the socket base. IIRC the pre-85 cars used a single filament bulb, single contact.
You are right, the 2357 bulb is a 21w/24 cp hi filament and a 5w/2.2cp low filament, total is 26w/26.2cp.

Edited to reflect those corrections.

 

[vvpete]

would it not be simpler just to put down a line of solder between the two contacts?

Sure, I had thought of that. A wire would be the way I would go if I went that route, because I wouldn't expect a solder bead to hold up well to the heat of the bulb. But a small piece of metal is far easier, and can be used again when the bulb burns out. It's just a simple bridge contact.
Note that the glue is just to hold it in place when the bulb is inserted into the socket. Once the bulb is in place the spring force of the contact keeps the piece of metal in place. I didn't even wait until the glue dried, just slapped them in.

Edit: You could probably get away with just a dab of dielectric grease to hold the piece of metal in place, but careful to no let it migrate and keep the bulb nubs from making contact.

 

[nitroboie]

Nice guide, took me all of five minutes to complete. Instead of gluing a metal piece to the bulb, I just used aluminum foil. It's cheap, no cutting/gluing required, and it will mold to the shape of the socket. It's a little tricky getting it to "stand up" in the socket, but just use a screwdriver and fiddle with it for a bit. Once it's up, it won't fall down as you replace the bulb.

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[volvodriverjoe]

could you make this work on a pre-85? i have an 81. i dont know the lighting wiring that well yet.

 

[vvpete]

Not sure which bulb is used on yours. I have a '78 front lamp housing around here somewhere, so I'll take a look which one is used.
But the answer is yes, it'll work. The only question is which filament is contacted when the bulb is lit. If it's already using the 21w side, then there's a small benefit to adding the 5w filament, or if it has a single 21w then you can't. Easiest way to tell is to take the lens off, and turn on the light to see which filament/bulb is there, and when it is lit, which filament is powered up.

 

[stickbuilder]

On the older cars (at least on my 1985) I painted the grey park/turn housing with Dupli Color Chrome Aluminum paint. You wouldn't believe how much brighter the lights were.

 

[volvodriverjoe]

i might try painting it, as well as figuring out how to make mine brighter.

 

[240keith]

ok, i tried this on my 85 240... i used the line of solder between the two posts, and it seems to work just fine...

it had 2 filament bulbs, and comparing the two sides of the car side by side done, and not done, it definitely made a difference...

i havent seen any evidence of the solder failing yet...

painting is the next step for me...

 

[nitroboie]

The thing with solder, as mentioned above is that it might fail. Keep in mind that 15w is enough to melt it (unless you get some high watt/temp stuff). In theory, if the solder fails/melts sometime down the line, changing bulbs will be a real pain in the neck as the solder will become solid since the bulb no longer works, essentially soldering the bulb into the socket itself.

 

[volvodriverjoe]

i painted mine and did the metal trick on my 81. i dont think its supposed to have dual fillament bulbs, but it has for a while now. it works, and makes a huge difference. im sorta concerned that the housing will melt. what do u think? also, i used a soda can for metal, which as it turns outis too flimsey. ill try something thicker when i have time.

 

[Homer]

The thing with solder, as mentioned above is that it might fail. Keep in mind that 15w is enough to melt it (unless you get some high watt/temp stuff). In theory, if the solder fails/melts sometime down the line, changing bulbs will be a real pain in the neck as the solder will become solid since the bulb no longer works, essentially soldering the bulb into the socket itself.

This would make sense if the solder was a huge resistor. Fortunately its not, so it won't melt. The wattage on the soldering irons used to melt solder has nothing to do with the amount of current that is able to flow through it.
If it did, how would we have any functioning electronics?

 

[nitroboie]

Was speaking from a heat point of view, not current wise. How hot does the actual socket get? I don't know, but not hot enough to melt the solder as it's been tried by 240keith. IF the socket were to get hot enough to melt the solder is what I was getting at.

Three people, three different methods to choose from, they all produce the same result.

 

[240keith]

my logic in using solder was along the lines of Homers...

at the time being, ive had the lights on for about 3 hours(longest) and i havent seen any problems... but i also didnt make a solid line of solder... i made a bridge between the posts, with room between / underneath the connection...

i pulled the bulbs out yesterday, and they all looked fine, and exactly as they did when i put em in...

keith

 

[vvpete]

Three people, three different methods to choose from, they all produce the same result.

Yes, same result.

*My take on the solder method is that not everybody has a soldering iron, takes longer, and 'may' not hold up to the heat.
*Thin piece of metal, glued or not, seems to be the best, and the easiest is aluminum foil, readily available, no cutting, gluing, but may also not hold up long to heat and corrosion (ever use a piece of foil for a temporary fuse? It doesn't last for long)
*Beer can or soda can should work, but as tested doesn't work well. Perhaps the trick is to make folds like using foil?
*On the other hand, anything that can be placed into the plastic socket and left there is the best method. That way 'treating' bulbs with gluing, soldering, etc, is not necessary. The right piece of thin metal cut to the size to press fit against the socket sides should work fine, like a small piece of spring steel that digs into the plastic walls and stays in place.

 

[r55nls2002]

Great write up!! I preformed it on my 245, and love the results.

 

[yamahapro]

you can do that, or you can grind down one of the tabs to make just the bright half of the bulb go on or you can just stick a single element bulb in there and its probably just as bright. as for me i just used 32 leds in each one