I recently took my 95 850 in for a 120k service. in addition to all of the usual stuff, i also had them check out the noise coming from my drive belt. this highly certified volvo mechanic said that it was a tensioner bearing causing the noise. he replaced it at a reasonable rate, and when i picked up the car, it sounded beautiful. a few days later, the noise returned.. somewhat softly. the next day it got louder.. but then it just disappeared again. it comes and goes... doesn't seem to have anything to do with the speed or distance of my drives. most of my drives are short and consistent throughout the week, so i would imagine that the sound should occur all the time. it may sound strange, but it seems to act up more in the humid weather. it's sort of a low-pitched revolving squeal... kind of a friction sound.. tough to describe but definitely a belt noise.

i found an old post on the board from someone with a similar issue but there were no useful replies. my car is at the shop right now.. i have a feeling they will call and say they can't find a problem. the good news is that they guarantee their work for 1 year... the bad news is that every time i take it over there, the noise is either gone or very subtle. anybody have a suggestion? has anyone been through this problem with an 850 or any car??

thanks in advance..