XC 70 2003 high pitched noise in the rain

Molly · Post by **Molly** » 16 May 2009, 15:54

When it's raining here in Portland, OR, and there's standing water on the road, my car emits a high pitched whine. It stops when I slow down the car. Any ideas what this is?

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 16 May 2009, 21:20

That's a good one- hard to tell without knowing more- are you saying that just because it rains it does this or do you have to drive on wet roads first? You don't mention your miles- could it be a worn service (serpentine) belt from the humidity or is it that the plastic cover under your radiator area, detached from the bottom of your car (also known as the air guide) is missing allowing water to get on and make your belt wet? Let us know some more information so we can better help you.

wideturnone · Post by **wideturnone** » 11 Jun 2009, 06:31

The high pitched whine is the resonator in the exhaust touching the driveshaft. This is a common occurrence with 70's and happens when cold water (or slush or snow) rapidly cools the exhaust. The exhaust pipe deforms and pushes the resonator lip into the driveshaft. If you look under the car where the resonator is, you'll be able to see a line on the driveshaft where the lip is hitting. Volvo has a fix for this - ask your dealer about it. They have gone through several variations on the part - one was not safe as it could actually snag on high spots on the road and cause the exhaust to be bent up permanently into the driveshaft. The most recent fix seems to have addressed this issue. Another option is to have an exhaust shop simply remove the resonator and replace it with a straight pipe. John