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intermittent front-end moan when cold... V70-XC70 1998

Here's a puzzle:

I bought my V70 GLT with 38K on it last February. Within a few weeks, I began noticing a fairly loud moaning/groaning noise coming from the front end. The noise does not occur unless the car has been sitting for a good long while (overnight usually does it) and does not begin until you actually drive the car (never occurs at idle). To make matters even more difficult, the noise generally lasts less than 15 seconds and then abruptly stops and does not return until the car has sat overnight again. The noise does not seem to be affected by how long I let the car idle when I first start it or by the weather.

You can imagine for yourself how troubleshooting it at the dealer has been.

Both I and the dealer have checked the obvious things -- fluid levels, power steering linkage and pump, etc.-- but cannot find anything visually wrong with the car.

After three separate trips, I finally arranged to leave the car there and then arrive in the morning so I could drive the car with the shop foreman. We did finally hear the noise together, and he said that he had never heard anything like it before. They did another going-over of the car afterwards but of course could not find anything amiss.

My position is that the car should *not* make this noise, but nobody takes it seriously because its duration is so short and nothing else seems wrong. I worry that it is a symptom of some (possibly expensive) component failure in process, but I can't seem to get anywhere.

Any ideas out there?









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    Re: intermittent front-end moan when cold... V70-XC70 1998

    Oil pump replaced, noise gone. End of mystery! Thanks for the tip, y'all -- it always helps to give the dealer service dept as much info as possible...








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      Re: intermittent front-end moan when cold... V70-XC70 1998

      Yeah, I find it also helps to tell them exactly how to fix the problem as well. :-)

      - Darell









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    Re: intermittent front-end moan when cold... 850 1997

    I've got it too. I have a tinkerers' 'feeling' it's a belt/belt tensioner noise. It just screams belt-contraction/loosening-due-to-temperature-sound. Just a gut instinct. I'll be doing more research myself, and will post to this board.









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    Re: intermittent front-end moan when cold... V70-XC70 1998

    Marc,

    the tensioer or adjuster in the serpentine belt needs to be lubricated. In my case, the noise was only present until the car was warm. I would begin by spraying some silicone lubricant and see if it makes any improves anything.









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      Re: intermittent front-end moan when cold... V70-XC70 1998

      Thanks, that actually makes some sense. Now that you mention it, the noise *does* sort of exhibit the same situational characteristics as a belt-related noise -- except of course that the noise itself is different. Assuming a dry tensioner is the correct diagnosis, why do you suppose the dealer service department had such trouble with it? Seems routine.









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        Re: intermittent front-end moan when cold... V70-XC70 1998

        Marc, I have the same problem with my '97 850 R wagon. It moans when the egine is cold. The moan eventually goes away after the engine has warmed up. Also, it moans only when I press the accelerator. I might try Humberto's suggestion. I've poseted a question about this problem a while back and someone said that they had the same problem with their car- turned out it was an oil pump. He had it replaced and said the problem disappeared. I have not taken my car to the dealer yet. If you find a solution, please contact me. Thanks! RaceMy850R@aol.com








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          Re: intermittent front-end moan when cold... V70-XC70 1998

          I went back to the dealer and went for a ride with the shop foreman who -- hallelujah -- actually heard the noise! He telephoned me today to confirm that the problem was the oil pump, which is now being replaced...350 miles before the 50K warranty expires.

          I'm supposed to pick the car up tomorrow; will repost if the noise isn't gone.








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            Re: intermittent front-end moan when cold... V70-XC70 1998

            Any optimistic ideas out there on about how much premature engine wear such a noise might indicate?

            Any chance the noise was simply a noise and not indicative of a damaged or weak pump?








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