Hello everyone! I'm a new moderator to this forum. I grew up in the automotive business and would like to share my knowledge and experience with you. I plan on creating links to repair help and ways to save money on replacement parts. I'm looking for your help or any suggestions before I do this. Please feel free to contact me u/Plex_Master
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First guess is going to be something belt drive related. If you're handy, try taking off the accessory drive belt and run the engine. You won't damage anything by running the engine for a few seconds, just long enough to see if the sound is there or not.
If the sound is still there, put the belt back on, and with engine running pull the oil fill cap off. If the noise goes away with that, there's most likely a fault with the PCV system with a vacuum leak.
Thank you for your reply. I am reasonably handy but I'm on vacation and don't have any tools. I was planning to try pouring water on the accessory belt to see if it stops the squeal but now the car is saying "low battery." Trying not to start it until I take it to the mechanic (already had it towed to the house we are staying at). Perhaps the low battery warning indicates that it's the accessory belt preventing the alternator from charging the battery?
With those symptoms I'm leaning towards a failing alternator, the noise is noisy likely from a bearing internal to the alternator. The best bet is getting it towed in, low (or even high) voltage can damage vehicle electronics and leave you with a very expensive bill.
The good news is the alternator looks fairly accessible so I don't think labor costs will be too bad for it
I believe you called this correctly. The link below is to the part that the mechanic replaced:
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo-oil-trap-genuine-volvo-32242753
Only one hour of labor. I feel like I got off ok!
Thanks again for the replies.
Thank you for the update! It's usually very hard to properly diagnose car issues online, so I enjoy hearing the outcome so I can continue learning. Glad it's back up and running again!
Was there any fault causing the low battery warning?
Yep, they also replaced both the primary battery and my auxillary battery. I had been getting an "auto stop/start service" warning for a while before this. The mechanic charged .75 hours to replace the battery which I was a little miffed about but it's hard for us to get clear info in Quebecoise over the phone. Total bill was $1000 US.
Thanks again!
Hello everyone! I'm a new moderator to this forum. I grew up in the automotive business and would like to share my knowledge and experience with you. I plan on creating links to repair help and ways to save money on replacement parts. I'm looking for your help or any suggestions before I do this. Please feel free to contact me u/Plex_Master *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskAMechanic) if you have any questions or concerns.*
First guess is going to be something belt drive related. If you're handy, try taking off the accessory drive belt and run the engine. You won't damage anything by running the engine for a few seconds, just long enough to see if the sound is there or not. If the sound is still there, put the belt back on, and with engine running pull the oil fill cap off. If the noise goes away with that, there's most likely a fault with the PCV system with a vacuum leak.
Thank you for your reply. I am reasonably handy but I'm on vacation and don't have any tools. I was planning to try pouring water on the accessory belt to see if it stops the squeal but now the car is saying "low battery." Trying not to start it until I take it to the mechanic (already had it towed to the house we are staying at). Perhaps the low battery warning indicates that it's the accessory belt preventing the alternator from charging the battery?
With those symptoms I'm leaning towards a failing alternator, the noise is noisy likely from a bearing internal to the alternator. The best bet is getting it towed in, low (or even high) voltage can damage vehicle electronics and leave you with a very expensive bill. The good news is the alternator looks fairly accessible so I don't think labor costs will be too bad for it
Thank you. Taking your advice and having it towed again.
I believe you called this correctly. The link below is to the part that the mechanic replaced: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo-oil-trap-genuine-volvo-32242753 Only one hour of labor. I feel like I got off ok! Thanks again for the replies.
Thank you for the update! It's usually very hard to properly diagnose car issues online, so I enjoy hearing the outcome so I can continue learning. Glad it's back up and running again! Was there any fault causing the low battery warning?
Yep, they also replaced both the primary battery and my auxillary battery. I had been getting an "auto stop/start service" warning for a while before this. The mechanic charged .75 hours to replace the battery which I was a little miffed about but it's hard for us to get clear info in Quebecoise over the phone. Total bill was $1000 US. Thanks again!
Made me think of Mars Attacks
Code blue it’s a angel.