Hello again with questions about my AWD not working. The AWD would sometimes work and now seems to have quit. No noises at that time. Now (about 4 months later) it is howling and it sounds to me like gear signing. Does my car have the angle gear that people have posted here? What are the symptoms? Will it crash hard enough to be dangerous to drive? No cel . How careful do I need to be in watching tire pressure and tread depth variations?

How many miles on the car?? Bottomline: tire pressure and tread depth should all be the same /equal !!! How did you know the AWD system was not working(4 months earlier... was anything checked out electronically??).
How long (and hard) have you driven the car since the gear (??) noise was noticed. I would see if you could drain the Bev. Gear housing(this site has guidance for doing that). Check the drained oil for metal gear particles (magnet), the amount drained should indicate if there was adequate oil and the viscosity may indicate if it was the Volvo Spec oil. Based on what you determine, you may want to correctly fill with Volvo spec oil and see if you still have the noise......or lucked out.
Good luck

The tire size thing is not really an issue with the 2003s because they went to the electrically controlled Haldex clutch system. It was a problem with the viscous coupler based system.

There is another thread on this board that specifically states what fluid needs to be used in these gearboxes and I think it's fully synthetic 75W-90 GL-5 gear oil:
http://www.brickboard.com/AWD/volvo/1311206/V70/awd_bevel_gear_oil.html

The car has 122000 miles. We bought it as a certified volvo. Our driveway is long and has a slope to it some times it would not make it up in the winter only front wheels spun. Also, when I would accelerate from a intersection where there was some loose gravel the front tires would spin. Just before the warranty expired is when the problem began. I drove down to the dealer to look at it. The service manager came to me and said it was working. I asked how he knew and he said they took it out back and gunned it. When I got home I could not make it up my driveway. I don't believe they checked electronics. My extended warranty expired shortly after

I do not drive hard. I suppose I have driven it about 100 miles since noise started. It is our only good car or was. Thank you for the response.

If the car is a Volvo certified extended warrenty car.......and
If you have a record of having the car in to a Volvo dealer for an AWD problem before the extended warrent ran out...... Contact the Dealer and the Volvo District Manager in a written complaint (ask to meet at the dealer to discuss the car/problem). See if they are willing to show you the cars history of service records..(or try a CARFAX search).. and what do the extended warrenty checks of the car entail.
Try to learn the status of the Bev. gear & oil as noted in an earlier e-mail and have that info. available.
I would start with the AWS not working correctly is a "Degration of car Safety."
I suspect the car may have an AWD system control problem, which they did not resolve in checking the car for the extended warrenty sale, etc.....
I am not sure of your family status.......... but if a wife is driving children in that car ............. keep bring "Safety" up with everyone at Volvo.
For your information:
My wife has a 2003 XC (75,000 miles). We also have a fairly long steep drive that curves. I have a 2004 V70 and most often I get about 1/3 the way up the drive and get stuck in fresh snow. My wife pulls around around my car into even deeper snow and continues up the hill. I cannot remember feeling wheel spin in her XC (like I do in my V70) and I do not recall it ever getting stuck.

I just had the shop look it over. No oil in the transfer case, must of been a fast leak because about three days earlier I had the engine oil changed no notes were made of any leakage. We are guessing the angle gear is shot. What make a quick leaker? I have prices on transfer cases. 1-$657 with 91k 2-$843 with 39k and Volvo-$1700. My car has 122,000 so would #1 be the best value for me?

He will charge me $280 to install plus $60 for oil. He said that volvo dealer said that if the two bearings are bad they are extra and I suppose I should replace that sleeve. Any advice before I do this? Also I will get new tires, any good cheap ones out there? 215/65/16.

The questions are who did not put oil in the bev. gear housing and how long ago that occur??.!!!!!!
By design the bev.housing may weep oil as seals age, but will not fail catastrophically(rapid loss of oil) unless the casing developes a crack (??)
also,any significant recent loss of oil will be evident from the location on the casing from which it is comming. You also should have a puddle on the black engine shield under the car that needs to be removed to access the area in discussion and the engine oil filter. The spec. oil does not evaporate and it costs close to $40, Volvo price.
P.S. Factors influencing AWD system performance is complex. But significantly different tread depths, means each wheel is (constantly)going a differnt distance/revolution.... etc.....




































also,

xxxxx

no oil in the transfer case is really bad. They have a bad habit of seal leaks. You probably haven't had any fluid in there for a year or more.

These units can be rebuilt with all new stuff (bearings and seals) for around the same price as what you're talking about to get a used one:
http://www.brickboard.com/AWD/index.htm?id=1376357&show_all=1


Your symptoms don't match up in my head though - no AWD with no other symptoms/noises/vibrations doesn't sound like a wrecked bevel gear to me. Sounds more like the haldex wasn't working right. Maybe you were having some other noise/problems.


If your bevel gear still had fluid in it I would say to just have the outer seals changed, the vent cleaned/replaced, and the fluid flushed - but I would be worried about the bearings in your particular case. Those bearings get their lubrication/cooling from the case fluid, as do the gears themselves...

If I were you I'd probably spend $15 on some oil and start from there. If you find a leak then fix it (seals). If your problems persist then you will be able to start working back from there.

You can remove the bevel gear completely and go from there as well if you choose. There are posts on this board and others that describe this process.

Removing and installing the bevel gear is not a bad DIY job that would save you some money in labour. If you're looking to do a rebuild you can then take the gearbox to the trans shop yourself.

I was not present when the shop pulled the pan off and saw oil all over. When they pulled the plug no oil was present in the BG case. I just had the engine oil changed about a week before and no leakage was noted. I will put in a used one (39k) in. Tranny shops said 11 to 12, this one is $850. Two tires were worn quite a bit more than the other two. The bad ones were on the front and I rotated them to the rear about three weeks prior to the BG going out. Would this and not watching pressure take out the BG? Several months ago the AWD would work occasionally and then quit. That problem I have yet to address What should I have the shop look at before we drive it? Some one who answered this post earlier said that it may have a control box or software issue. What is a Haldex? I would do it myself but it will be less than 40 degrees until spring in my garage. Besides I've spent a lot of time on my sons 1999 Audi a4 and I am sick of working on cars at the moment.

I do not really understand what you mean when you saw the shop "pulled the pan off ans saw oil all over. When they pulled the plug no oil was present in the BG case." - There is no 'pan' on the bevel gear to pull.

With the viscous coupler based AWD systems the 'larger' tires need to always be on the front on . They should really always be done 4 at a time.

If you have a Haldex based system this shouldn't matter.

Haldex is the company that makes a controller for the AWD system. There is lots of stuff about them on the internet. I think the Haldex controller is bolted to the front of the rear differential in these cars, but I don't know that for sure. It's in that area to be sure.

It is terribly dangerous to NOT watch your tire pressure. A little research online will have you quickly convinced that tires are the most important safety feature a car has.

You should do some searching on this board and others - I think you'll find most of the education you desire is readily available.

ALL of the AWD cars have an angle gear, commonly known as a transfer case. Worst scenerio is total loss of RWD.
All AWD cars need to have the fluid flushed at least every 50K miles, but it is not done by many dealerships. Once past the warranty, the dealer can charge $$$$ for a 'new' one.
Start looking for a used angle gear at Erie volvo or other yard.

Klaus
--
Proud owner of a 220S. If I had more room, I would have more Volvos.