hello, i just need help with reducing engine noise in my 1987 240dl wagen. There is alot more engine noise then there used to when my parents had teh car and it seems like that most of the noise comes from the timing belt. How can I tell if my timing belt is new? i don't want to get a new timing belt and find out that the problem lies elsewhere. I and 99 percent sure that the noise is coming from the area near the timing belt or near the front of the engine compartment. COuld it be the really old pulleys? I would appreciate any help at all.

In the clear light of morning I remembered something to add. The AC, powersteering and alternator are all mounted with rubber bushings. I believe your model will have 11 of them. Over time, these soften and the tension of the v-belts will pull the AC, etc slightly out of line inward. This makes the v-belts to be out of alignment with their pulleys. As a result the belts get noisy and will wear out faster. New belts may be quiet for awhile but will not last. The front area of the engine gets very noisy, kinda squealy type noise. You can see this by sighting down along each pulley and belt.

I've replaced these rubber bushings in several of my Volvos and things do get quieter. On my '86 240 I replaced all 11 bushings, v-belt, and timing belt recently. On my "new" 940 I did the bushings, seals, timing belt, and v-belts last week. It's a fair amount of work but not technically hard (except maybe for the seals).

I can think of three things which could get noisy in that area. First would be the timing belt tensioner bearing wearing out. The belt wouldn't be noisy. Sometimes a water pump will get noisy when the bearing start to go. Last would be the rubber in the harmonic balancer/crank pulley slipping.

To check the balancer/pulley, draw a chalk line radially across the inner and outer parts of the pulley. Run the engine, stop the engine and see if the chalk marks on the two part still line up. If so, good. If not, you need a new balancer/pulley.

You could go to a place like Harbor Freight and get their mechanics stethoscope. With this you can apply the stethoscope probe right to the water pump, for example, and listen to the sound of the bearings up close and personal. It's harder to listen to the tensioner bearing since it is covered up. You could decide to replace the timing belt anyway and while in there check the tensioner.