I've been having a strange noise coming from my 01 V70 XC. It sounds like a flapping coming from behind the front drivers side wheel. It is intermittent, so it stops and starts randomly, usually when I'm at an idle, but will increase in revolutions - about 1-2 a second when sitting at idle and about 3-5 a second when I press the throttle. Then it will just randomly stop making noise. Oil pressure is good and all fluids are okay.
It has done this for a while and it doesn't it regardless of the temperature of the engine or outside. It doesn't seem to affect the performance of the vehicle, it's just really annoying and can be rather loud.

This started when there was a large hidden oil leak. It never seized the engine, thankfully, but it just started making that noise and that's when I checked the oil and it didn't even register on the dipstick. Fixed the leak, but it hasn't stopped making the noise since.
Any idea as to what this could be?

 

have you listened with the hood open? Does the noise happen when in neutral and or in drive? Any other symptoms like a vibration etc? What happens if you pop off the oil filler cap or pull up the dipstick with then engine idling?

 

Hi
Had the very same problem and symptoms, turned out to be a split joint in a flexible pipe that seems to run to the fuel tank . Location of the slit joint is alongside the catalytic convertor. Reconnected the pipe and the noise stopped immediately.

Regards

Wayne

 

Thanks Wayne, your response helped me fix this issue. I would just say that the pipe runs in a small channel under the car that runs alongside the exhaust tunnel and there is a second larger pipe along with it. The flexible joint that breaks is just to the rear and inside of the right front wheel. I repaired mine with some old pipe I had lying around so not very sure what size it is, maybe 3 or 4mm ID. Easy enough to get from any car parts shop if you don't have a piece handy.