Hi Marc,

My 97 R had the same noise and I thought it was normal from all the discussion on the list. Had it in to the dealer to check it out and ends up there was a seal on the oil pump that needed to be replaced (it was letting the oil pressure drop by leaking). They fixed it under the extended warranty and all has been fine...It still makes a little lifter noise but nowhere near what it was.

By the way, when I think back to the sound it truly sounded like a diesel (especially when sitting at the drive thru and hearing the sound bounce off the wall of the building).

May be worth mentioning to the dealer and they can check the oil pressure to see if it is bleeding down.....

Good Luck

Tom M 97R Wagon in Bright A$$ red

Bought my V98 from an independant w/ 100,000 km on it and it always made that noise. I've heard from a couple of people who know Volvos that it's normal.. I don't even notice it anymore.

Mine has "the noise", too. Most, if not all, 850-SVC70s have it. My indie mechanic, who owns one, claims it's the injectors. I've also heard the lifters, that's the most common explanation.

I've run Mobil-1 synthetic since new, so that's not a solution.

Amazing that a Camry that costs half as much is as quiet as a fine watch.

Sigh.

-Phil Punxsutawney

It is normal. Are you running synthetic engine oil? If not, shame on you :) But in all seriousness, you should be running synthetic engine oil. I won't even run the lower end synthetics in my 855T, let alone dino oil. This won't take away all the ticking, but it will be greatly reduced.

The reason it happens is because the hydraulic lifters on the I5 Volvo engines do not get enough oil pressure at start up. It takes a couple minutes for the engine oil to reach operating temperatures and to reach the valves. However, if you just start the car and leave it, this doesn't build adequte oil pressure either. Volvo recommends 2000rpm for optimum warming up conditions.

The fact that you notice it most at operating temperatures and at idle/in stop and go traffic is a little disturbing. When was the last time you checked your engine oil level? Are you sure you have enough? Lack of engine oil can also cause this problem. The fact that Volvo I5 engines are known amongst long time owners to consume oil, especially the turbo engines, can lead to unknowingly low engine oil levels. This is why some Volvo dealerships are reported to pump excess amounts of engine oil into the engine during oil changes.

But once again, valve noise is normal to a certain extent. Just check the engine oil level, and switch to synthetic. It may cost more, but it saves you TONNES when it comes to maintenance in the long run.