Volvo V70XC 1998 - Nasty Sound??

kovert · Post by **kovert** » 01 Jul 2009, 09:47

Morning Everyone,

Just picked up a nice new to me 1998 V70XC AWD. Now it wasn't perfect, but the best I've looked at over months of looking. Anyway, it has multitudes of records from the dealer regarding service so I figured I would bite the bullet and take a leap of faith on the vehicle.

Now the owner showed me a list of recommended issues that should be taken care of sometime. One of which is the Viscous Coupler.

When driven the car has a very very slight metallic sound to it. Mechanic said the VC should be replaced at some point in the future. I'm not so certain that is the absolute problem. If it is, obviously this is a big undertaking (and yes the low price reflected this

).

I'm looking for alternatives, and what as a DIY'er I can do to mitigate this. It seems as if I may not be able to drain/refill on my particular model, but if I can that will be my first course of action.

Also by running it with this noise, how long do I have before repair? I have to make a 300 mile trip very soon and will not be able to get to it before then but have to take the vehicle due to size.

I've read about dropping the shaft completely and making it a FWD, which is fine as a temporary solution until I find a reputable, solid part to replace with. Is this an alternative?

So in essence I guess my questions are as follows:

1. Metallic slight griding? Guaranteed VC, and if not, what else can I check?
2. Drop the shaft completely? Good in the short term?
3. Run with it temporarily? Will be ok or am I asking for trouble?

Thanks all, and BTW I love this beast!!! I used to have 92 740 that the wife made me dump!

commlend · Post by **commlend** » 01 Jul 2009, 11:33

With the help of this website, I was debating VC or driveshaft and decided to just drop the shaft. No more noise. It ended up being the driveshaft for me. The XC70 are essentially FWD vehicles anyway. (Horizontal engines)
A confident DIY can easliy do this with proper jackstands. The driveshaft is attached with allen bolts.
Or call a couple local mechanics and ask if they will remove for 1 hr labor ($60-75) With a lift it will probably take them 20 minutes, but an hour labor is fair in my book.
Unless you really want AWD, you probably ended up getting a good deal (tubo engine) if you got a lot lower price because of the "problem". Also, if you decide to keep driveshaft out, no more need to always have four perfect tires.

Post by **holler1** » 01 Jul 2009, 19:11

Before you give up on the central driveshaft and/or VC, check the front flexible coupling on the driveshaft. If what you hear is a metallic pinging coming from under the console area, that could be the problem. It can be replaced for $200-300 dollars. I replaced mine five years ago and it has been fine since. If you don't need AWD, remove the driveshaft. If you drive where there is snow, the AWD is great.

jeffinPA · Post by **jeffinPA** » 06 Jan 2010, 22:19

holler1 wrote:Before you give up on the central driveshaft and/or VC, check the front flexible coupling on the driveshaft. If what you hear is a metallic pinging coming from under the console area, that could be the problem. It can be replaced for $200-300 dollars. I replaced mine five years ago and it has been fine since. If you don't need AWD, remove the driveshaft. If you drive where there is snow, the AWD is great.

IF the VC is bad does it not make that noise? I have exactly what you describe above but my mechanic diagnosed a bad VC.
THANKS

Post by **holler1** » 07 Jan 2010, 05:09

jeffinPA wrote:IF the VC is bad does it not make that noise? I have exactly what you describe above but my mechanic diagnosed a bad VC.
THANKS

I have never had a bad VC so I can't answer your question directly. However, before replacing the VC, I would check and see if the driveshaft has a loose coupling at the front or if the rubber boot on the front coupling is bad. If that isn't clear, as commlend said, taking out the driveshaft seems like a good way to see if it is causing the noise, before spending a lot of money on a VC. There are a couple of other joints on the driveshaft, one at each end, and a bearing in the middle. With the driveshaft out you can examine it closely for problems. You can get a used driveshaft from Erie VoVo if it seems bad. I always try to go after the cheap fixes first.