Belt making worrying noise

[V40addict]

I recently noticed an occasional worrying noise coming from one of the engine belts. I read attention must be paid to anything making noise there. Upon summary examination, it sounds like it comes from under the timing belt plastic protector. The noise can be described as a rattle, tactactac noise, that lasts about 4-5 seconds, then it stops 1 second, then it starts again 5 seconds and so on. Given the fact it stops like 1 second it sounds like something misaligned or parts rubbing on each other.

I would say it doesn't happen very frequently, but when it does it is fairly noticeable from outside/inside the car. The first time I noticed it was after a highway trip and engine was idling as I parked the car. I usually notice it when the engine is idling, car stopped, and coincidentally the wheel is turned one way or the other (no relation probably). The noise doesn't change if I depress the gas pedal. I never hear the noise when driving above 20 miles an hour.
Recently as I was thinking about it I believe I heard the noise, before, months ago, at traffic lights but rarely and never for long and did not worry about it, now I either notice it more or it's happening more often.

Car is 2002 V40 , 1.6, petrol, has 118 K miles, timing belt was changed at 85 k miles in 2012. I have had the car for a year. I had the oil and coolant changed at 110 K miles, changed air filter and battery myself but not much else . As the book schedule calls for a new visit to the dealer and the maintenance warning light turned on(not sure exactly what it means) I am going to do an oil change and cabin filter change soon, check brake pads , fix the coolant hose issue (sticky) and ask a dealer to look at the belt. But I am worried they ll have it changed just to make money if I point the above described problem. Plus I also read after 5 years you usually change a timing belt as per the manufacturer recommendation (for some manufacturers at least). But 5 years isn't that overdoing it a bit ?

[clarkey1984]

This sounds remarkably like it may be the VVT pulley, see this guide for testing procedure, the photo's dont work anymore but you get the idea

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=206987

[V40addict]

Thanks clarkey, it is indeed the VVT intermittent noise, as recorded on several videos posted online, however my car does not make this noise all the time, maybe 10-20% of the time and when I notice it, it stops at some point say if I do several stop and go. So what gives ?

I will mention two things though, I have wondered if the sound doesn't occur more frequently when the engine gets hot (for sure once it did happen on a cold engine), and I find the car really lacks power down low, it has always been the case but yesterday at one point I felt like it was stalling , and thought WTF something is really wrong. This 1.6 liter engine can be dangerous when entering traffic from a full stop, the power only comes at mid rpm, then it's good. As far as consumption goes I have not measured but I don't think it has changed vs one year ago, it never looked high to me, I can drive 120 highway miles with not even a half tank and have some left before I hit reserve.

btw I did find your tutorial as it has been reposted on another website, much better with the pictures , but I have a question, you say the solenoid is often deemed the culprit although it rarely fails, and you say if the noise doesn't stop after unplugging the wire it's not the VVT pulley but "something else" on the car, so when do you tell it's the solenoid which is faulty ?

There is a thread on this forum asking whether it's worth changing a failled VVT pulley, and someone mentions a noise can come from a power steering pulley, anyway knowing the power steering is in that area as well I pointed out that I heard the sound several times when the wheels were turned.


But from the sound of it, it's probably the VVT pulley. Bottomline, what do I do given that it makes noise only some of the time which doesn't bother me a bit so far, I just got concerned about a coming timing belt failure.
Not sure when I should change the timig belt but it seems to me I could wait until that comes due to fix this VVT pulley issue .