Hi,

Since I am new to Volvos, please excuse a silly question - my car chirps along with the idle when stopped and in a drive gear, and will quiet and purr when gas is applied (and the car starts moving). This isn't a belt, it sounds like a bearing or a squeaky vibration.

I like it, I just wanted to make sure this wasn't an indicator a problem.

Thanks!

Ari

Check under the intake manifold for crickets or perhaps a small bird.

Absent that you have a belt that's slipping or misaligned or else your fan is rubbing on something.

As Aleekat suggested, take a spray bottle of Windex, Water, Counter top cleaner...anything, and spray a Belt, see if the noise stops, that will give you an idea if it is a belt or misaligned Accessory. Usually they squeal , not chirp but, if a pulley is not True, it may chirp.
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'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me http://home.no.net/ebrox/Tony's%20cars.htm

Could be the Harmonic balancer/front pulley, the two parts of it are held together buy rubber.
They can separate and sometimes slip.
Nick

Is this a cause for alarm? Will this affect the water pump, etc.?

Ari

If it slips enough, it will jump out of time and then won't start. But I would first spray some belt dressing on the belts to make sure.
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Post Back. That's whats makes this forum work.

Slipping harmonic balancer / crankshaft pulley won't affect actual timing - it will only affect the ability to judge actual timing, if observing the notch on the outer pulley (ie. with timing light, or stationary by comparing to cam pulley mark). The notch won't be where it's supposed to be, but the engine should run fine.

Unless there's an awful lot of slippage, I doubt it will affect water pump or altenator. I've had to replace two crankshaft pulleys, and never had cooling or charging issues.


One more thought on the chirp. My 93 940 squealed a few times after pulling off a highway run. Months later, the water pump shaft seal failed catatrophically. With the belt off, when I rotated the water pump, you could hear a squeak, not the smooth, quiet operation that was suspected. Ari might want to loosen off the water pump belt and try that test.
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David Armstrong - '86 240(350k km?), '93 940T(270k km), '89 240(parts source for others) near Toronto