Slight engine knocking turned BIG

[Moneypitowner]

So my engine developed this ever so slight knock at least a year ago after realizing my oil was leaking and had gotten low, luckily when the oil light came on I was right next to Walmart and pulled in and filled back up. I subsequently cleaned the PCV system and got back negative pressure on the dipstick tube. Problem solved right? The sound didn't happen immediately after this but not too long afterwards. I didn't think much of it thinking it had to do with the elusive oil leak causing the level to creep closer to the lower hash marks on occasion. It seemed to only happen at certain times though; at idle, when accelerating towards the top end of the gears,and while at constant driving speed. It would stop if I let off the accelerator or gave it gas, but when driving constant speed it persisted, all the while getting ever so slightly louder. I thought it was just because my ear was tuning in to it more at first, but it was growing. The check engine light came on not too long after buying this damn car. The guy who sold it apparently just reset it and forget it. The code was for exhaust cam timing over advanced. I suspected the exhaust cam adjustment solenoid but I figured it was time for a timing belt service so I took it to Paul's Volvo, a Volvo specialty place in Richmond. They gave it a complete timing service. The guy said he could look at the exhaust timing issue but since I was just north of 500$ I told him I'd try and clean the solenoid first and if that didn't clear it up I'd replace it. (I admit it was about a year or so till I got around to it, hey, time and money...) Well, after replacing the solenoid, the CEL went off (via disconnecting the battery during changeover) I drove it up and down the road for about 15 min and no light! Then it comes back on the way to work...of course. A day or so later, I pulled into my driveway to get my mail and it all the sudden starts clunking BIG TIME. The same sound, just bigger and rattlier and frankly it sounds like the engine is falling apart. I should add that I had felt a bit of a shudder once or twice over the past year, blinking CEL... plug but most likely a coil. Code pointed to #2, replaced within a day of the solenoid. Everything hunky dory...until this

I have already had to replace multiple things on this damn lemon, rebuilding the tranny being one of them, I have more in repairs on this car than I paid OR blue book . I'm absolutely fed up with this sack of crap. If it's the engine going, I'm not sure what I'll do.

Please help! I've linked to a video of the sound:


It's got about 160k on it.

[oragex]

sound like a busted rod bearing to me. haven't gone through all the post, but clogged pcv for long time also causes oil pan to get sludge inside which in turn will damage the rod bearings.

[JRL]

It's a "lemon" because you did not change the oil frequently enough... and you don't "clean" the PCV, you REPLACE everything and make sure all passages are clean.
You NEVER continue to drive it as long as you did and not do this extremely important service properly.

Look:
You apparently bought a poorly serviced Volvo that had few oil changes.
You already had a knock, a rod bearing was already going bad, yet you continued to spend money and you continued to drive it!!
(Bad)

It's possible, not likely, but possible, that a knock sensor went bad causing the knock, yet you continued to DRIVE IT.
This was the absolute worst thing that you could have done, hammering the nail in the coffin.

Unfortunately these are sludge engines. You can't miss an oil change and synthetic oil should have been used from day 1.
This was/is Volvo's fault not stating this to the owners but what do/did they care! The engines make it to 50K miles and most hobble to 100K (for those with extended warranties) in one piece, but many of these poorly serviced cars do not make it much farther!!!

[JRL]

I just listened to your video, you need a new/used engine, plain and simple. This will not last too much longer

[jonesg]

When I've seen an oil light, its too late, it might take a while but in the end its the end.