XC90: Axle Ping, CV join, or Transmission?

[SwissXC90]

I have a noise on my MY2009 XC90 D5 (107,000 km = 66,000 miles) which I have become attuned to recently.

I purchased the car 3 months ago with 104000km, it now has 107000 km
The car had a dealer service, new brakes all round, and went through the tough Swiss MOT check in October 2015 with 99,200 km, and passed OK.

When shifting from N to D, or from N to R, a clink or clank is heard from the front of the car when the motor takes up load. Sometimes it is heard when shifting from D or R to N
The noise is clearly associated with load on the motor.
When driving, it drives smooth and I hear no noise when turning left or right at speed
Sometimes I hear the noise when turning at low speed (parking, especially reversing and turning left)

I observed the engine whilst a friend shifted from D to N to R, back and forth. The sound clearly comes from the wheels / axle. It does not appear to come from the motor mounts.
It is louder on the left than on the right.

The engine mounts themselves appear to make no noise

I've recorded a video in my dark garage, here it is:
https://youtu.be/pLg3pBkr2Vk

[Clan]

Originally Posted by SwissXC90

I have a noise on my MY2009 XC90 D5 (107,000 km = 66,000 miles) which I have become attuned to recently.

I purchased the car 3 months ago with 104000km, it now has 107000 km
The car had a dealer service, new brakes all round, and went through the tough Swiss MOT check in October 2015 with 99,200 km, and passed OK.

When shifting from N to D, or from N to R, a clink or clank is heard from the front of the car when the motor takes up load. Sometimes it is heard when shifting from D or R to N
The noise is clearly associated with load on the motor.
When driving, it drives smooth and I hear no noise when turning left or right at speed
Sometimes I hear the noise when turning at low speed (parking, especially reversing and turning left)

I observed the engine whilst a friend shifted from D to N to R, back and forth. The sound clearly comes from the wheels / axle. It does not appear to come from the motor mounts.
It is louder on the left than on the right.

The engine mounts themselves appear to make no noise

I've recorded a video in my dark garage, here it is:
https://youtu.be/pLg3pBkr2Vk

This has been a well known thing for over 10 years , it is slight slack in the splines where the driveshafts go through the front hubs , first action is replace the bolts behind the wheel centre caps 13mm AF heads . they must be correctly tightened though and angle tightened afterwards , Your volvo garage should know all about it . It isnt a serious problem , if a problem at all :-).

[SwissXC90]

Originally Posted by Clan

This has been a well known thing for over 10 years , it is slight slack in the splines where the driveshafts go through the front hubs , first action is replace the bolts behind the wheel centre caps 13mm AF heads . they must be correctly tightened though and angle tightened afterwards , Your volvo garage should know all about it . It isnt a serious problem , if a problem at all :-).

I hate the noise! Sounds like somethings going to break.
My bolts behind the wheel caps are beautifully copper paste coated. No signs of corrosion whatsoever. I'll try tightening them first.

Time to buy a 13mm 1/2" socket and remove a bolt. Off to the hardware store I go...

What's the re-torquing procedure? Just try and tighten them a bit using a socket set? I don't have a manual torque wrench, I do have an electric wheel nut driver (with adjustable torque).

Can someone confirm this is the correct replacement Volvo bolt?
Part number 30714142
http://www.vivaperformance.com/genui...ubber-stopper/

[Clan]

Originally Posted by SwissXC90

I hate the noise! Sounds like somethings going to break.
My bolts behind the wheel caps are beautifully copper paste coated. No signs of corrosion whatsoever. I'll try tightening them first.

Time to buy a 13mm 1/2" socket and remove a bolt. Off to the hardware store I go...

What's the re-torquing procedure? Just try and tighten them a bit using a socket set? I don't have a manual torque wrench, I do have an electric wheel nut driver (with adjustable torque).

Can someone confirm this is the correct replacement Volvo bolt?
Part number 30714142
http://www.vivaperformance.com/genui...ubber-stopper/

These are "use once only" bolts , they stretch you will never get it to the correct torque again .. Those in the link may be the right ones but a volvo dealer will know from your chassis number , there are 2 or three different types , some long some short some with rubber some without .. i don't think you can get the rubber ones anymore , i see that web site is out of stock , just get the correct bolts from the dealer , post up your VIN and someone will give you the correct tightening method . Keep your power driver a mile away from the car !!

[SwissXC90]

Thanks Clan. I'll reserve the power driver for what it's designed for: wheel nuts.
Did you watch and listen to the video? Are you certain it's axle ping? Is it worth whilte trying to tighten the bolts a bit by hand, eg a 1/4 turn (without removing them)? Or will overtightening damage something?

[Clan]

Originally Posted by SwissXC90

Thanks Clan. I'll reserve the power driver for what it's designed for: wheel nuts.
Did you watch and listen to the video? Are you certain it's axle ping? Is it worth whilte trying to tighten the bolts a bit by hand, eg a 1/4 turn (without removing them)? Or will overtightening damage something?

I have never got on with recorded car sounds , they never sound like the noise when heard " live " yes at it's worst the noise is a loud clank back and forth , you might get it at low speed going on and off the throttle .

You might try tightening 1/4 to 1/2 a turn , any improvement will not last long but if they break off in the driveshaft you have a big problem . best just to leave it until you have the correct new bolts .

[SwissXC90]

Originally Posted by Clan

I have never got on with recorded car sounds , they never sound like the noise when heard " live " yes at it's worst the noise is a loud clank back and forth , you might get it at low speed going on and off the throttle .

You might try tightening 1/4 to 1/2 a turn , any improvement will not last long but if they break off in the driveshaft you have a big problem . best just to leave it until you have the correct new bolts .

OK.
Question: given that the bolts were originally installed by Volvo at the correct torque in 2008 when the vehicle was manufactured.
What makes the bolts go 'bad'?
Do they stretch with time?
Do the splines wear?
I'm an engineer and always looking for the reason behand every fault....

[Clan]

Originally Posted by SwissXC90

OK.
Question: given that the bolts were originally installed by Volvo at the correct torque in 2008 when the vehicle was manufactured.
What makes the bolts go 'bad'?
Do they stretch with time?
Do the splines wear?
I'm an engineer and always looking for the reason behand every fault....

It wont be the bolts as the whole point of stretch bolts is to keep the joint under a certain tension even if say you undid the bolt by half a flat due to the "spring" in the bolt metal .
The splines will be fine
the actual noise comes from the inner face of the driveshaft where it buts up against the inner race of the hub bearing .. Volvo tried a plastic washer in between on the smaller cars but the washer broke up after a while so they scrapped that idea ! you can try withdrawing the driveshaft inwards out of the splines and smearing some loctite between driveshaft face and bearing face and a bit on the first 10mm of the splines .. that will fix it , but do not overdo the spline loctite otherwise you will need a hydraulic puller ( which dealers have ) to pull the shaft out next time .

[sdenner]

Just listened to the video. That is definitely axle ping. Change the driveshaft bolts and enjoy the silence!

[bruceLA]

Swiss XC90, did the axle bolts work? I have this same problem. (thanks for the video)