1998 S70 cycling whirring noise

Dualhammers · Post by **Dualhammers** » 29 Aug 2015, 16:03

Just bought my first car from a local volvo shop. Standard s70 with 136k miles and no moonrise.

What I'm concerned about is a whirring sound that occurs for 2-3 seconds then goes away for 3-4 seconds. It sounds like a small motor turning on and off; very soft and low frequency.

I know very little about cars and haven't owned a volvo before. So this is more an inquiry rather than a problem. The car runs fine and all the gauges are normal.

The service record indicates that several issues (PVC, major filters, motor mounts, timing belt) were done by the shop right before I bought it. They even agreed to replace the air pump for free for me when it arrives from fcp.

Is this a normal sound or should I ask the guy to replace something under the warranty?

Post by **RussB** » 29 Aug 2015, 16:12

Does it make that sound when the A/C or windshield defroster is on? It could be the A/C compressor turning on & off. Look under the hood while the car is idling and the A/C is on and watch the compressor to see if the clutch is engaging and disengaging

Dualhammers · Post by **Dualhammers** » 29 Aug 2015, 16:34

I did have the a/c on. I will check that when I get home. If it is the compressor is that normal?

Post by **RussB** » 29 Aug 2015, 18:08

That is cycling too fast and indicates the A/C system needs servicing

Dualhammers · Post by **Dualhammers** » 29 Aug 2015, 19:22

Got home and opened up the hood. The clutch was engaging and disengaging every 7-6 seconds. System gets cold and stays cold. I will look into checking the pressure on the system.

Post by **abscate** » 29 Aug 2015, 19:46

If the AC evaporator core hasn't been replaced it likely has a leak. This isn't mission critical and you are pretty close to the end of AC season anyhow.

You can't just get one of the cheap " cans of freon with a gauge" and evaluate an AC, it takes more expertise than that.

Post by **erikv11** » 29 Aug 2015, 20:38

Agreed on all counts, AC needs attention, first step is to check the clutch gap on the compressor.

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =1&t=31203