Hello, after doing some research I can't seem to find a post which corresponds exactly to the problem I'm having, so I'm hoping someone here can figure out what it is, although I believe it might be the wheel bearing.

My S40 has 135K miles and runs great, no front end problems and the alignment is straight. Then about a month or so ago I began to hear a whining which grew louder as time went on. It starts at about 30 mph as a low pitched whirring and then grows louder and higher pitched as I continue to accelerate up to 65-70 mph. It may sound funny, but to my ear the sound seems to go through a progression like the notes on a scale, like Do-Re-Me Fa-So-La-Ti-Do, lol. Also when I turn to the left the sound increases quite a bit.

There's no vibration or grinding, and when I grab the tire and push on it, it seems pretty solid, but then I'm not a mechanic and probably not the best judge of what it should feel like. So anyway, I hope someone can give me the 411 on this, and also what it might cost to get repaired. Thanks in advance for any help ;?D

 

Definitely sounds like a wheel bearing, but check your tires and make sure there not cupped on the inside tread. Those cars are notorius for cupping rear tires because of camber issues, causing roaring noise. I only say this wondering if you recently rotated tires. Not sure on price though.

 

Does sound more likely to be a wheel bearing unless something is jammed in your brake rotor, like a stone.
Not likely to be a CV joint as they normally click and with the steering on hard lock initially.
Lift the car to get wheel clear of ground.
Holding top and bottom of wheel, try wiggling the wheel. Any play or looseness should be noticeable.
Spinning wheel, gears in neutral may indicate some grinding of the bearing.
Sometimes repacking with grease and tweaking up the wheel hub nut may take up the play short term but really wiser to renew the bearing.
I would renew both sides personally for piece of mind.

 

Thanks a lot for the input guys, pretty much sounds like it's a bearing gone bad. I did check the tires and there doesn't seem to be any problems there, pretty even wear pattern. And Difflock I did as you suggested, jacked up the front right then left sides. The drivers side spins quietly if not a bit stiffly, but no unusual sounds, but the passenger side did make a low hissing noise and didn't spin as freely I think. I removed the wheel and didn't find anything wrong with the brakes, and the noise did seem to come from behind the wheel but can't pinpoint it (does seem more like the bearing than the CV joint). Also shaking the wheel didn't seem to reveal any noticeable movement

So I guess my next question is whether it's sufficiently cheaper to attempt to replace this myself. I have a friend who knows a lot more about vehicle repairs and has most of the tools necessary. If I could save $200 or $300 dollars by doing it myself, then I might give it a try, but if we're talking about $150 or less than I'd lean more towards letting a pro do the work. So any opinions or a guesstimate of the cost/savings? BTW I live in Iowa, and there are a couple of small local repair shops who specialize in imports and have good reputations. ;?D

 

Well one of the shops quoted me a price of $650 to replace the bearing and ball joint. That sounds a little steep to me, but then again I really don't have a clue - can anyone else tell if that's a reasonable price?

 

Ball joint is $35. Volvo Ball Joint Front (S40 V50 C70) - Febi 31212988 | FCP Euro

Wheel bearing hub assembly is $199. Volvo Wheel Hub Front (C30 C70 S40 V50) - Genuine Volvo 31262950 | FCP Euro

Looks like you need to press out the old and in the new so that means removing the bearing carrier. Looks like you could save $400 if you did this yourself. Shop rates are anywhere from $100 and up per labor hour.