I got my license!

"Amoore100" (amoore100) 02/25/2016 at 21:51 • Filed to: Driver's License, Honda, Volvo, V50, PCV

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Did my test in the big Ody, had a funny Asian lady as my adjudicator (which was comforting since I have many of those in my life.) Got 7 points taken off for things like not looking all around at intersections (although frankly I’m pretty sure I did) and making lane changes too slowly (I was being careful and no one else was around so again, not really a big deal...) Anyways, my actual card should come in three weeks from now, and even now I can drive alone with my interim license!

A faithful friend for over ten years

Also, tonight we went to get the V50 which was over at the local Volvo shop for a quick inspection as well as diagnosis of a no-start difficulty (suspected to be alarm system fault). However, on the drive back (my first drive alone), the car started squealing under acceleration. It went away after I got off the gas, and accelerating from every stoplight afterwards was a bit nerve wracking (especially as a new driver). Got home, googled it, seems that it might be !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! since part of the maintenance done concerned the PCV system. May have to bring it back for a quick diagnosis, but in the meantime, I was wondering if Oppo could provide some insight?

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Amoore100 02/25/2016 at 21:54

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Congrats!

Try and flag down El_Uly for that one. He should be able to help you diagnose a little

MLGCarGuy > Amoore100 02/25/2016 at 21:56

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Great job! I guarantee I would never be able to learn to drive in something as large as the Odyssey. Props to you.

I don’t know much about Volvos, but I would recommend you do some more reading on forums like Swedespeed. It’ll help you narrow down your problem significantly, and if you need to take your car to the shop, you’ll know what to ask for.

dogisbadob > Amoore100 02/25/2016 at 22:07

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Yay congrats!

Amoore100 > MLGCarGuy 02/25/2016 at 22:08

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Thanks! Actually props goes to Honda for making a van that drives as good as it does. Compared back to back with the V50 the steering is just as entertaining and direct and while there is more body roll in corners it never really feels big, especially when VTEC kicks in, yo! (Above 3.5K rpm there is definitely a bump in acceleration, and the J35 just sings!)

Anyways, the PCV system seems the most likely candidate since they just finished work on the vacuum system and so perhaps they simply forgot to flush the system or something. (It’s a small shop and they have over ten vehicles at a time so I don’t blame them for overlooking something. They also stand by their work strongly, so any additional diagnostic and repair will probably be complimentary considering the car has been in for 3 weeks already...)

Amoore100 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 02/25/2016 at 22:10

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Thanks! Sounds like a plan, EL_ULY is the resident Volvo expert. Anyways, what’s up with your P1? Has it magically morphed into the beigest car on the planet? Did my Drivers’ Ed in a Camry one generation newer with 270K+ miles, these things have surprising torque from a standstill!

Amoore100 > dogisbadob 02/25/2016 at 22:10

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Awesome, thanks!

jvirgs drives a Subaru > MLGCarGuy 02/25/2016 at 22:13

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I learned on an 2004 Odyssey and my Dad’s 94 F150. Occasionally, my Aunt would let me drive her Crown Vic. Never actually drove a small car until about 3 months after I got my license. It was probably the best thing that could have happened, because I have no problems driving any size vehicle.

Under_Score > Amoore100 02/25/2016 at 22:18

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Good job! I’d only be able to pass in an Odyssey if it had a backup camera. But I’m the same person who feels like a Nissan Rogue without a backup camera is huge.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > MLGCarGuy 02/25/2016 at 22:23

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I’ve never driven a small car so I feel the Odyssey would be easy for me.

Amoore100 > Under_Score 02/25/2016 at 22:31

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Hah! The backing up portion got much easier, I was expecting either parallel parking or a three point turn but it was just maybe 40 feet along a curb. Follow your mirror and look behind you and you’re all good. And yes, the Nissan Rogue is actually pretty big, and most modern CUVs suck at visibility which is one of the Ody’s fortes.

SaabStutz > Amoore100 02/25/2016 at 22:42

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Nice! We’ve got an Ody (of the same gen, different color) and I love that thing. It’s some of the smoothest and best power delivery of any engine I’ve felt (although admittedly there aren’t many). Enjoy the Volvo too!

Amoore100 > SaabStutz 02/25/2016 at 23:06

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Awesome! I personally appreciate its smooth steering because the engine honestly has some very obvious power bands, kicking in massively above 3.5K rpm. I understand where you’re coming from though, as on the driving test it just felt as if it moved forwards effortlessly, no jerking or lumpiness. Still, the V50 was a revelation when I got back into it. I didn’t get on the throttle too hard because I couldn’t quite pinpoint the noise, but the steering is just delightful and the brakes are amazing after driving the much heavier Honda.

Birddog > Amoore100 02/25/2016 at 23:40

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Congrats! You have the addiction in a good way.

Amoore100 > Birddog 02/25/2016 at 23:53

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Addiction? To cars? But of course! What makes it a good one rather than a bad one? Because while it is definitely a distraction from school work, I wouldn’t give it up for the world.

Birddog > Amoore100 02/26/2016 at 00:01

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A bad one is when you cross over into hoarding.

(I got a warning from the village once because I had 6 Omni GLH turbos in my backyard. I crossed a line..)

Amoore100 > Birddog 02/26/2016 at 00:02

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Well I plan to have a collection someday. Just not that sort of collection. I’m thinking 850R, Citroen CX, Peugeot 406 Pininfarina, just to get started...

Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief > Amoore100 02/26/2016 at 02:42

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Proud of you; good for you. What the fuck do you mean “the car started squealing?” Tires? Engine? Explain your problem a bit more before you assume it’s crankcase PCV oil trap noise. I’ve no idea what your problem is, but it isn’t that.

Amoore100 > Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief 02/26/2016 at 03:37

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Thanks! Well it sounded like belt noise but after consulting the forums and considering that they did work on the PCV system and whatnot, I figured it was a logical guess as its not uncommon on the Volvo Modular Engine. It basically was fine in park (well still made a bit of noise) but was very loud under acceleration. It conforms with what I’ve read but could just be a belt (would seem odd since nothing was done with those, but perhaps it got knocked loose). The car drives fine, better even after having a service but the noise is unsettling. You’re right though, since belts are more likely to make a noise under load. Anyways, when I first posted I was definitely a bit rattled and glad that I made it back, so now in retrospect its likely something small.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Amoore100 02/26/2016 at 06:34

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Camry was for my Grandpa actually. He’s been looking for a car and my dealer took it on trade so they let me take it home for the day.

Sadly though the Volvo will probably be gone by the end of the month. It’s getting expensive and impractical. I love it but... I think the time is coming to an end soon.

Amoore100 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 02/26/2016 at 10:30

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Ah. Camrys are great grandparents cars. My dad’s parents have a gold (read: beige) V6 XV30 Camry that is just perfect for them: comfy, and reliable. Since they are getting up in their years they wanted to get away from all the Oldsmobiles and Jaguars and similarly unreliable brands that my grandpa apparently used to spend hours tinkering on.

That’s too bad to hear. What’s wrong with it? In our household costly repairs on aging Volvos are the norm and my dad is surprisingly complacent about it; we do take the cars to a local Volvo shop though and they are one of the best: very courteous, know what they’re doing, and stand by their work. He’s been taking our old 740s there for years and now our newer FWD Volvos.

Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief > Amoore100 02/26/2016 at 13:33

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If you pop the hood while the car is running can you tell where the noise is coming from? Might be handy if you have a helper who can rev the gas a bit although you should be able to do that yourself by gently pulling at the throttle directly on the engine — it should look similar to a brake cable on a bicycle somewhere near the top of the engine (I don’t know Volvo engines well or else I’d be more specific). Also, a PCV valve problem will likely make your car idle like crap and should turn on the CEL (check engine light). It’ll do more than make a noise. Or should anyway. Again, I don’t know Volvo engines that well and this could be so specific to the manufacturer that general knowledge isn’t a substitute.

Re-reading your link, I see the original post reads, “I hear this light whining or dull squealing sound during idle. I would think if I reved the engine the sound would increase and maybe go away if it was a belt. When I rev the engine the sound does not increase so I don’t think it’s a belt issue.”

You say is gets a lot louder when you accelerate. $5 says belt.

They squeal when wet too. If you just washed the car or if it’s raining sometimes that’ll set it off.

Amoore100 > Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief 02/26/2016 at 19:04

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Perhaps. It didn’t do it this morning but before it went in there was a CEL. Yeah, I actually missed that part on the forum post but when I re read it I saw it as well. Hopefully it just stays gone but its definitely not moisture related since they didn’t wash the car and it hasn’t rained for at least a week or more.

Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief > Amoore100 02/26/2016 at 23:55

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I have another suggestion in addition to poking around under the hood since you’ve seen a CEL. You want to get a OBDII (on board diagnostics, v2) code reader. Your computer basically saves a log file of events and with a OBDII scan tool you can read the log file and see what your car is complaining about. It stores “codes” and some readers might be able to translate the code into things like “misfire cylinder #4" or “exhaust gas valve malfunction” and for any codes that aren’t translated (actually, even some that are translated aren’t real clear) just punch it into google and you’ll get a massive head start in troubleshooting your problem. If you’ve got a CEL you’ve got a problem, no way around it, and you should be able to read the code and if you get a fancier scan tool you can clear the codes as well. Important, if you’re doing work yourself. Most CELs and codes will clear over time, but not all. And some codes you won’t be able to clear without a $5,000 tool that the dealer owns (airbag stuff, mainly).

Good luck!

Amoore100 > Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief 02/28/2016 at 11:53

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Well actually the CEL was on before it was towed in but its since been cleared. The CELs on Volvos generally aren’t too major since the O2 sensors are usually what triggers it, as on my dad’s V70 T5. Still, I would like to get an OBDII reader just for convenience’s sake and definitely a bit more peace of mind. Anyways, its been confirmed that it is an A/C belt since my dad drove the car all of yesterday and said it only made the sound when A/C was on. A bit odd, considering I shut off the A/C as soon as I started driving the first time, but it makes a lot more sense now.

Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief > Amoore100 02/28/2016 at 17:01

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I had a mental bet with myself that it was the water pump leaking on to the belt that turns it. Didn’t want to say it out loud as it could have been anything, but it wouldn’t be the first time a belt squealed from being wet from a leaking pump.

The AC does more than just cool air. It pulls moisture out of it as well. Keep that in mind as you might find that moisture making it’s way to a belt somehow, and also your AC might not have to be on for your car to want dry air to blow on windows and whatnot. Again, I know nothing about Volvos, but this might be handy info to have in your back pocket.

Happy travels and congrats again on the license!