Hello:

I just got back from Mississippi and picked up my Volvo S80. ( I live in Florida). The interior is immaculate , however the exterior has a couple of door dings on bothe sides. I do not mind it because i got a SWEET deal on this car. However, i do have one question about Volvos in general. The car is super quiet, but i did notice that when i popped the hood while the car was running, the motor had a slight tapping noise. I do not think it was a valve tap as i have had a few cars in my day and know what that sounds like.

I guess i am looking for peace of mind here. Do Volvo engines have an ever so slight tapping noise? Is that normal? If it was a tapping issue, would the message center tell me that there was something wrong?

Like i said, i really do not think it is a valve issue, but I had to ask.

This car runs great.

 

I noticed the same exact noise coming from the engine. I bought my S80 last month. I think it's normal. Car runs and drives great. Must be a characteristic of the engine type/design. I was going to ask the same thing!
On my Acura Legend, you could barely hear the engine running it was so quiet.

Let's see what other responses we get.

 

Thank you for the reply. When i posted it yesterday morning and came home from work at the end of the day, nobody had replied yet and I thought "this can not be a good sign". But if you are hearing it too either that is a good sign or we are both going to be spending a lot of money in the future. [sm=jawdrop.gif]

I still feel really good about the car. It is in excellent shape other than that. And i only paid 7500.00. [sm=happybounce.gif]

 

I replyed yesterday but some how it got lost.Keep an ear on it.Most of the time if it is loud and gets any louder it would be the oil pan o-rings.If you ever get a message about low oil pressure that is another sign.As long as you oil is full if you ever get that message the o-rings are going bad.The injectors on these cars are pretty loud.Like I said keep and ear and eye out.

 

tech,
so far, the oil level has not changed in about 2k miles. It is also clean. I will keep checking the level perdiodically.
The sound does seem like it's coming from the injectors. What about the valve train up top? Does this engine use hydraulic or mechanical valves? Are there any issues with oil circulation up in that area?

 

Your car could have either manual or hydraulic.They started in 1999 with manual and then later changed to the hydraulic.The only crculation problems was when the oil pan o-rings went bad.

 

ok, cool - thanks for clarifying that. It does appear that the 2001 S80's use hydraulic tapet valves.
Are the o-rings expensive/easy to replace, if they do go bad?

 

They are labor intensive so it will cost a some money to replace them.

 

eli, did you get your car fixed? and how costly was it? i just got a '99 s80 T6 and am a little concerned with maintenance costs.
thanks

 

I didn't get my car fixed because it runs perfectly. I was only concerned about what seemed to be a louder than normal engine idle (it idles just fine). It looks like it is just a characteristic of this engine. I never had an oil leak problem. I was just being proactive, in case something happens like this.

Perhaps toetag got his fixed?

 

How difficult is it to replace the oring yourself.

 

It is really not all that bad but time consuming.You have to remove the entire oil pan.Sometimes you have to drop the subframe some to get it out.

 

yea i was wondering about that tapping sound too, I have a 2000 model and it only makes that tapping sound at really low idling (700 rpms). hopefully the o-rings will stay intact for now...

Jonathan

 

Hi, I'm back! The transmission problem I was having, as tech might remember, was just some computer code problems because of the disconnected battery. Now I have a whole new problem. It looks like I have a bad alternator (on a 1999 Volvo S80 2.9). I would have thought it was just a bad battery, but after giving it a small charge, and trying to get home, I sputtered for half a mile in and out of power, and then stalled. (Of course, 830 at night, 3 blocks from home). It also turns out that the dealership did not give me the Master Key to my car...they only acquired the Service Key, which will not allow access to the trunk manually. If I have no battery power, I cannot open the trunk electronically. We called up a friend, and He gave instructions on hooking the battery of a good car up to the front end fuse box of my car. This gave me enough power to open the trunk with the key ring, then jump it, give it some power, and drive it home. The best prices I have found on a new alternator are in the range of 350 dollars. If anyone has any other ideas as to solving this problem, they would be greatly appreciated. I'm 17, and I've had this car for not even 2 months...HELP!

 

Where have you checked for prices?
Are you going to replace it your self?

 

My friend will be able to replace it for me. I have only checked local stores, and all of the prices are between 345 and 370 before labor. I wouldnt really want a rebuilt one.

 

They are pretty pricey check everywhere you can.
Whe your friend replaces it tell him it will be easier to remove the upper radiator hose.
He might have to push the motor back some to get the old one out and the new one in.

Also do you know about the lock cylinder in the trunk?

 

Another possibility is lifter-tick. My S70 has a similar noise and I always associated it with lifter-tick on my DSMs. Sounded like a muted sewing machine. Going to a heavier weight oil is a temporary fix, it's not really a problem per se, just annoying.

 

Tech:

I've looked all over...and that was pretty much the going rate. He is certain he can get to it. From what he saw, he was going to have to move the computer (and disconnecting the battery) to get to the alternator, and then changing it out. He's going to get the part tomorrow and install it tomorrow or thursday. If you have any tips for him, I can convey the message.


PS No I don't know about the lock cylinder. What is it?

I realized that I can jump it from the front, and do not need direct access to the battery...just using the fuse box in the front with a standard ground will do the same.

 

There is a lock cylinder mounted in the trunk lid for you to use your key to open it when the battery is dead.As long as it is not a valet key.