Blown Volvo S40/V40 Headlight Bulbs

Most models of Volvo S40 / V40 suffer from the common problem of prematurely burnt out headlight bulbs. If your Volvo is prone to this problem then headlight bulbs will burn out within around 1 year, or in many cases even sooner. Some people report buying brand new bulbs that last no longer then a few weeks.

There are many potential reasons for the blowing of bulbs but some of the most common are faulty fuses, crossed wires, auxiliary wiring harness, faulty relay, cheaper bulbs used, cracked headlamps leading to moisture seeping to the bulb, slamming of the bonnet etc. Another common culprit for premature burning out of bulbs is due to surges of voltage from the standard Volvo voltage regulation unit. This problem is not limited to just the front headlights either. Back lights are also prone to burning out way before reaching the end of their standard life span.

Blown Volvo S40/V40 Headlight Bulbs

Bulbs can be made to last longer by not running the day lamps when they are not needed. However, some Volvo’s are set to run the lights even in the daytime for safety purposes. So you might not have any choice but to leave lights running constantly whenever the car is in use. The cheapest option when the bulbs have blown is to just replace the bulbs as trying to find the reason for this fault can be a costly adventure, specially if you take your car to a Volvo garage.

Ford KA Heater Valve Fix Instructions

I have recently been searching the Internet looking for how to fix the common heater valve problem on the Ford KA. Found quite a few guides but all were just words, which is quite useless if you can't see what it is there explaining. Specially if your not too clued up with car mechanics / part names etc, like I'm not. Maybe I should invest in a Ford KA Manual.

The heater valve controls the heating system of the Ford KA. If this is broken you won't be able to get any warm air coming through from the blowers. You also wont be able to de-mist the windows front and back, not by using warm air anyway. I believe this problem can be in reverse order also. Like only hot air coming through when the cars up to temperature. I didn't check the heating when I bought this car so was quite peed off when I got home and found out I had no hot air. With winter here it's not something you want to be without. Not nice driving around having to wear a coat and hat, freezing your b*lls off.

Ford KA Heater Valve Fix


There is an easy fix. First go to eBay and buy a new Ford KA Heater Valve. It's quite a cheap part to buy. Then go to this link (link removed - more information below) and follow the very detailed instructions (with pictures!). A big thank you to the guy "JohnKA" for taking the time to make the guide.

I fixed mine today, some of it was quite fiddly but I got there in the end. What made it hard for me was lack of tools for the job. I only had a small pair of pliers so getting those hose clips on and off was tough. Make sure you have a nice pair of mole grips like the ones "JohnKA" is using. Makes the job a lot easier.

Update: The owners of fk-oc.com have decided to make their pages (website) unreadable to anyone who isn't a member of their site. This has made the link above unreachable. Unless you sign up to their website. Updated for 2023. Watch the new video below which shows how to replace the Ford KA heater valve.




So for instructions on how to remove the heater valve check out these videos. Part 1 - Part 2. The videos are showing the heater valve on a Ford Fiesta but it also applies to the Ford KA. Everything heater valve related about the Ford Fiesta (Older models) is basically the same as a Ford KA car of the same years. The maker of those videos (TK42138) also has videos related to fitting the new Heater Valve. See one of those here.

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