Loud tapping noise in my new T5 !!!!

**chrjen** · Monday 8th March 2010, 19:38

Just bought my wife a 1998 c70 2,3t5.

We have had 5 850 T5R and 850R´s so my knowledge about these cars and their "problems" are known to me - -including Hydraulic tappets making noise.
This is what has happened:
I got the car home by truck - and test drove it, driving very careful because of the slippery weather.
After 5 min drive, the tapping noise started, and continued...
The noise is following the rpm. and tapping like the hyd. tappets - just MUCH MUCH louder!!!! It is in the to of the engine and it scares me.

See and listen to this video:
http://s443.photobucket.com/albums/q...ent=c70lyd.flv

The car is an absolute minter in untouched original state with a FSH by volvo.

Any ideas are much appriciated.

Kindest Chris

**Vikingxl** · Monday 8th March 2010, 19:40

Cant offer any advice but it doesnt sound too hot

**chrjen** · Monday 8th March 2010, 19:43

????

**Tomcat** · Monday 8th March 2010, 19:44

Silly question but have you checked the oil?, is the oil pressure light coming on?.

You don't say what you where doing when this started to happen, it does sound like it's top end(maybe a stuck lifter)..

**chrjen** · Monday 8th March 2010, 19:47

I changed the oil and filter, and drove for 30 min to make it hot and flowing. No changes what so ever.

No lights what so ever.

**bigg1115** · Monday 8th March 2010, 19:51

im new to volvo's my self, but i had a corsa gsi with a 2.0 redtop conversion fitted and it turned out to be the oil pressure relief valve which i took out and replaced with a nylon one
this is just a guess though but it sounds the same as what mine used to do
but as i said its just a guess

also i had a saab 9-5 turbo which done the same started tapping turned out to be the wrong grade of oil as it only done it when hot, when it was cold it was mint
changed the oil and it was mint

hope this helps

good look

george

**Tomcat** · Monday 8th March 2010, 19:57

Originally Posted by chrjen

I changed the oil and filter, and drove for 30 min to make it hot and flowing. No changes what so ever.

No lights what so ever.

Mmmm what grade of oil and what sort of filter did you use?.

**chrjen** · Monday 8th March 2010, 19:58

Genuine volvo filter and 5/40 oil. We have -5 Celcius at the moment here in Denmark.

**Tomcat** · Monday 8th March 2010, 20:15

Strange, unless the car hasn't been service for a while and the 5/40's cleaned out some of the crap in the engine and some has gotten stuck in one of the lifters.

**SKIDMARKS** · Monday 8th March 2010, 20:29

Def sounds like a lifter damaged. stuck.

**LeeT5** · Friday 19th March 2010, 01:08

I am 100% certain that your problem (after listening to vid) is a solid hydraulic lifter. Early T5's and 5 pot engines suffered with this problem.

Before you do anything i would run some engine flush through your engine and maybe it will unclog the offending lifters. If that doesn't work then...
Best advice i can give you would be to whip the head off and replace ALL the lifters. Do it before you damage one of the cam shafts.

Good luck.

**volvoturboman** · Friday 19th March 2010, 02:02

Hows it driving? Is it missing as well or just the noise. The reason I ask is because I had what would normally be a usual problem and simple problem turned out very hard to pin point. Mines was missing like it was running out of fuel and sounded exactly like that. A Volvo tec and 4 hours later it turned out to be a dodgy ignition lead believe it or not. Changed lead all leads and its been running like a clock since. It wasn't even considered because of the knocking. We thought it was the big end, so what should have been simple and straight forward turned out a nightmare all because of a noise exactly like that.

Good luck anyway. The other guys could also be right cause I did hear lifters being mentioned when mines started to tap.

**LeeT5** · Friday 19th March 2010, 02:15

Originally Posted by volvoturboman

Hows it driving? Is it missing as well or just the noise. The reason I ask is because I had what would normally be a usual problem and simple problem turned out very hard to pin point. Mines was missing like it was running out of fuel and sounded exactly like that. A Volvo tec and 4 hours later it turned out to be a dodgy ignition lead believe it or not. Changed lead all leads and its been running like a clock since. It wasn't even considered because of the knocking. We thought it was the big end, so what should have been simple and straight forward turned out a nightmare all because of a noise exactly like that.

Good luck anyway. The other guys could also be right cause I did hear lifters being mentioned when mines started to tap.

Nice idea but that is most definitely a metallic sound of valve gear.

**volvoturboman** · Friday 19th March 2010, 02:18

Originally Posted by LeeT5

Nice idea but that is most definitely a metallic sound of valve gear.

I'd say your more than likely right, I'm probably throwing out some false hope. But I was really really luckywhen that happened me and I'm not usually lucky so I'm sure there are some lucky people out there. I'd say the chances are on the lifters though after listening again.

**chrjen** · Friday 19th March 2010, 18:41

The car drives perfect - if i turn up the volume there is nothing telling me that there is anything wrong.

**HADI** · Friday 19th March 2010, 19:23

bit off topic but i owned a 2.0 16v ford probe a few years back and it made a similar noise but only after driving for a few miles, stayed till the engine was cold again, when it did appear reving would not get rid or anything, turned out to be a common fault in the mazda oil pump used to draw in air and air lock causing the noise, mazda dealer diagnosed in a couple of minutes and pump was replaced and noise gone, just shows the vast array of faults that can cause these things, strangley enough when i showed a ford mechanic the problem with the engine all his years experience and hard toil at college came up with this lengthy diagnosis " TAPPETS MEGA BUCKS"

**LeeT5** · Friday 19th March 2010, 23:06

Originally Posted by chrjen

The car drives perfect - if i turn up the volume there is nothing telling me that there is anything wrong.

There won't be. The 'Hydraulic lifter' NOT 'Tappet', is still moving but it has just gone hard and probably doesn't rotate anymore either. The tapping noise is the cam lobe smashing into the top of the lifter and there being no 'give' cos it is solid.

For the record, you won't really need to diagnose which one...just replace them all. They are about £18 each and there are 20 of them. You do the maths!

**volvoturboman** · Friday 19th March 2010, 23:18

Damn thats expensive

**chrjen** · Thursday 30th December 2010, 12:25

Merry Christmas everyone...

Here is an update on my cars loud tapping noise.

The head was removed and had the lifters, valves and valvegear renewed - so the head is basically new. The oilpan was taken of to inspect main bearings etc. and everything there looked like new.

No changes what so ever.......still £££££££g loud!

So two hours ago, we put on a oil preassure gauge, and the pressure as such was fine - warm at 33 psi at idle and 74 psi at 4000 rpm....but at idle the pressure was unstable - +/- 5-7 psi.

My question is, is that enough to indicate, that the oilpump is drawing air in together with the oil - ie. Oil pump O-ring faulty ?????????

I think it does, but I would like to have some second opinions, before it split the pan again

**Liddo** · Thursday 30th December 2010, 13:11

Take a listen to this, it does sound like yours a little

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doA9jPdH5qc

This was my S70 engine, after i bent a rod due to overboost, due to a broken elbow joint on the turbo control something or other. Mine used to stutter every now and then when i got it remapped, i didnt realise it was the ECU trying to let me know there was a problem, and i kept my foot HARD down and bent a rod

£950 later, it was all fixed