Corruptfile, Did you ever figure out what was the problem with the cigarette lighters, I tried to charge my cellphone for the first time yesterday and found out all the plugs are cold...

 

It's a burnt out fuse. The volvos are unlike many other vehicles where lots of subsystems are given their own fuse circuit. For example, in my Toyota car, if I blow the ciggy fuse, the radio and all the dash lights go out. The cigarette lighters are all on their own circuit in there. Also, volvo doesn't label their fuses, the use a numerical system. IIRC, the plug fuse is #15 or something. I don't exactly remember though... You need the mini-blade type (there are spares in the fusebox under the hood, as well as a fuse puller). The fuse box you need is in the passenger footwell.

Are far as the root cause, I'm not sure. In the cars we had, the center console had vertical plugs. The plug covers would always go missing, so if you drop anything metallic in them, it would short out and blow the fuse. Not a good design in that sense.

 

So it`s not like it`ll blow out on it`s own or something else will cause it to go? And replacing the fuse cures it? I kind of got the idea that it`s some kind of a mystery thingy...

Thanks for the fuse box location, that would have been my next Q. The car`s been imported from Germany at some point and I cannot understand a word from the owner`s manual...

 

No prob. It might just blow on its own. Who knows. It seems GPS's give them a really hard time. Garmins in particular.

 

I got the original built in one, I only need the plug for my phone.

 

Well, after ten-ish months and 30,000km later turned out the V50 wasn`t exactly my cuppa tea, doesn`t feel like a Volvo at all which isn`t exactly surprising given the fact that it is about 80% a Ford Focus, it`s a sorry excuse for an STW, my wife`s Citroen Xantia holds more luggage for pete`s sake! Not a bad car by all means but a little... well, lacks personality.




So I went ahead and traded it in yesterday for one of these:



Not this one and wrong color (mine`s dark grey) but that was the best pic I found.

A 2008 Skoda Octavia Combi Scout. 4x4, massive boot, raised suspension with metal skid plates (bad road pack) only 2,0 TDI and is supposed to have 40hp less but stays right beside the D5 from the line, 6 speed manual trans, tow hook, made 99% from Vw bits so it`s fairly reliable, Webasto unit fitted in 2011 (so silent you can barely hear it when standing beside it, the older ones sound like a jet taking off!) The seller MOT`d it just hours before the trade and even gave me decent money from the V50 so I was saved from the trouble of selling it first.

Would have wanted a new model XC-70 Volvo but the fact that I would had to get a loan of 10k for that vs. not a penny for the Skoda the decision didn`t take too long even despite that it has a stick shift.

Was an interesting drive back home, 97km of small backwoods roads, covered in ice slippered by fog, ESP off... Let`s say there was more than a few Scandinavian flicks on the way!