Excessive road noise

Spoleto · Post by **Spoleto** » 25 Jan 2007, 19:33

Another source of noise could be dirty air filter... my car was sounding rough and everything was ruled out/checked except filter... got a new one put in and noise went away... volvo said when you run your car with a dirty air filter it's like someone trying to run a marathon while smoking two cigarettes. Ewww!

notny41 · Post by **notny41** » 25 Jan 2007, 22:44

I'm assuming you are talking about the air cleaner under the hood, not inside the passenger compartment?

Spoleto · Post by **Spoleto** » 26 Jan 2007, 07:47

yes, under the hood.

shilla · Post by **shilla** » 18 May 2007, 12:17

Folks,

I have the exact same problem with my 1998 V70. It has been going on for quite a while (months). I describe the problem as that of making a "tractor tire" road noise. It starts at around 25-30 mph and then continues until you stop. I literally sounds like someone replaced your tire with a tractor tire and the tread noise is loud.

A mechanic friend of mine also thought it was a wheel bearing problem and I tend to agree given the connection between the sound and the tire rotation. He said I should be able to put the car on a jack, spin the tire, and hear the noise if it is a wheel bearing. I tried this but didn't hear anything. I notice some minor change in the sound when I turn the wheel but nothing signficant. This too can indicate a bad wheel bearing I'm told.

I tried new tires, tie wraps on the wheel well guards, and checked for loose components. I'm real close to buying a new wheel bearing ($135.00) and giving it a try but would really benefit if someone could comment on how to check for a bad wheel bearing?