Need Advice On Metallic Type Noise On S40 Lse

[turbomoose]

Hey Gang... My mother has a 2004 S40 LSE with 46K on the clock. She bought the car new and has always had the service as outlined in her maintenance booklet performed at our local volvo dealer. She uses Chevron fuel, middle grade. And once every two months my dad pours in a bottle of Chevron techron fuel additive. (I dont know which formula) She commutes about 25 miles round trip a day. I'd say it's all highway driving.

The problem is this: There is a loud rattle of metallic nature coming from under the hood. It's always reproduced in the morning when the car has sat overnight. It starts around 3-4K RPM and gets louder as the RPMs increase. There are no performace issues. I believe its more than likely (I hope) coming from a heat shield or a exhaust component. Maybe the turbo impeller blades contacting the turbo housing.

The dealers stance on the issue: The car has been to the dealer 3 times this month for this issue. And is at the dealer at the present moment. (Dropped it off Wed 5/24) Twice before this visit, the dealer claims they were unable to replicate the noise. This morning I drove to the dealer and demonstrated the noise the car makes after the car had been sitting at the dealer overnight. The service advisor that drove along with me plainly stated, that is a pinging noise caused by carbon deposits from poor quality fuel. He did not want to have a tech examine the car further and said there was nothing he could do about the noise. I poked a little and said what if it is not carbon and a failing turbocharger or cat. converter? He said the part in question would have to completely fail before they could even diagnose the car further.

I have called Volvo cust service care and have started a technical something or other. The car remains at the dealer, and I have their S60 as a service loaner. I myself do NOT want to pick my car up from the dealer and return their loaner until the S40 has been further examined for this noise, whatever it may be.

What would you do??

Thanks for your input!!

Forgot to mention, the service advisor explained that the noise that I hear is called pinging, and it is from the carbon deposits. But what I dont understand is pinging in my mind would cause some sort of performance issue, and may turn the CEL on. The CEL has never come on, and it doesnt have performance issues.

[theForgottenone]

For once, using middle grade gas would not cause that mettalic noise under normal acceleration. I'm 99% sure the service advisor is B.S you. I have 04 LSE same as your mom and had use same grade fuel before my ecu tune but never had any pinging problem or that metallic noise. HOwever, i'm using premium grade fuel now

Just keep driving the loaner car until they find the cause for it. Or you can ran 3 tank of premium grade of gas and see if it goes way, if it does then he is right