Board logo

Please help diagnose my problem
ChrisLeary - 1/10/13 at 09:19 AM

Morning all,

I need a bit of advice if I can please, I'm not sure what to do...

I have a Volvo V50 2.0l D, it's an 08 plate with about 80,000 miles on the clock.

I started the car in the morning a couple of weeks ago, and there was a terrible vibrating/rumbling noise from the front end. I pressed the clutch and it quietened down slightly, but didn't quite go, so I drove forward slowly and the noise stopped.

I didn't hear it for about 100 miles until approaching an island and it started again. The same noise, but I couldn't get it to stop at all. So I pulled over by a field, a farmer was about 150m away and could hear it and came walking over, that's how loud it is!

I turned the engine off, and started it again and the noise started again, turned the steering to full lock and back the other way, pressed and released the clutch, bounced the car but nothing stopped it. Turned the car off and started it again and the noise was gone!

So I carried on and finished the journey (about 40 miles) and didn't hear again at all.

Then two days ago, my wife was in the car and it started again, she said over the phone that she'd pulled over, she pressed the clutch, there was a popping feeling through the pedal and the noise stopped. And again was fine afterwards.

I cannot get the noise to start on demand so I'm reluctant to take it to a garage and get billed for them "to have a look" and then not end up getting it fixed because they can't find anything.

So does anyone have an experience or ideas as to what the problem might be?

Thanks in advance,

Chris


liam.mccaffrey - 1/10/13 at 09:28 AM

I've got an S40, and I had a similar thing a few times. Though not for about 15000 miles. With me I felt it was the clutch relase bearing playing up as the pedal would stick and we had the horrible noise. Touch wood its not happened for about 18 months.

Mine is a 57 plate S40 2.0D with 72k on the clock.


Slimy38 - 1/10/13 at 09:38 AM

Purely a guess, but could it be a sticking starter motor just catching on the flywheel?


ChrisLeary - 1/10/13 at 09:45 AM

quote:
Originally posted by liam.mccaffrey
I've got an S40, and I had a similar thing a few times. Though not for about 15000 miles. With me I felt it was the clutch relase bearing playing up as the pedal would stick and we had the horrible noise. Touch wood its not happened for about 18 months.

Mine is a 57 plate S40 2.0D with 72k on the clock.


Thanks for the reply, the release bearing was my suspicion, but like I said, I'm really not sure...

Chris


liam.mccaffrey - 1/10/13 at 10:01 AM

Heck!!! I'd completely forgotten that we had our starter motor replaced shortly after this , and it hasn't happened since.
I'm saying it'll be you starter motor.


quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
Purely a guess, but could it be a sticking starter motor just catching on the flywheel?


britishtrident - 1/10/13 at 10:38 AM

Much more likely to be DMF failure symptoms fit exactly ----- not exactly unknown on D50 Diesels


britishtrident - 1/10/13 at 10:54 AM

quote:
Originally posted by liam.mccaffrey
Heck!!! I'd completely forgotten that we had our starter motor replaced shortly after this , and it hasn't happened since.
I'm saying it'll be you starter motor.


quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
Purely a guess, but could it be a sticking starter motor just catching on the flywheel?




Usually the first warning of impending DMF failure is the starter packing in because of damage from debris from the DMF internals.
The pattern at least on Mondeos is the starter would fail followed by complete failure of the DMF about 6 to 18 months later.


adithorp - 1/10/13 at 11:15 AM

Have to agree, most likely the first signs of DMF failure... but could be lots of things so virtually imposible to diagnose without seeing/hearing it's just guesswork.


RichardK - 1/10/13 at 11:23 AM

Part ex it soon to a stealer... DMF's can be quite expensive

Cheers

Rich


snapper - 1/10/13 at 11:45 AM

I stripped and cleaned starter on my Mondeo 3 times before the DMF proper gave up
Take starter off and check for fine dark grey powder, if you find that the DMF is disintegrating
It has probably already lost a spring and that is getting jammed and making the noise


tims31 - 1/10/13 at 12:04 PM

quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
Usually the first warning of impending DMF failure is the starter packing in because of damage from debris from the DMF internals.
The pattern at least on Mondeos is the starter would fail followed by complete failure of the DMF about 6 to 18 months later.


^^^Yep what he said, happened on my mundaneo, starter wouldn't work from the swarf build up at the bottom clogging up the starter, cleane dthe starter and then the DMF goes eventually Ford main dealer quote £1600 for this to be replaced

DMF failure normally starts with a rattling noise from the engine/clutch and does get slightly better when dipping the clutch.

DMF cost around £200-280 on their own before the labour charges and then add a clutch on top of that.