S70 fan spinning up and a whine?

I have a 1998 S70 T5, and often after I start the car, or when I'm idling
at a light, I can hear some sort of motor or fan start up. It spins for
less than a minute and then stops. It's almost like the sound when a
vacuum cleaner starts and stops.

My Check Engine light has been on for a while, and the code says that my
SAS valve needs replacing.

Are any of these related, and if not can someone tell me what's that
spinning whine I hear?

Thanks
Mike

 

That's your air pump. It works to pump air through the SAS (Secondary
Air System) valve into the exhaust when the engine is cold (to reduce
emissions) and occasionally at idle after the car is warmed up (to check
the system, and turn on the check engine light if not working). Follow
the hose coming off the front of the air filter box lid down below the
battery to find the pump.

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

 

I think you are hearing the electric blower of the secondary air
injection system.

Replace that SAS valve right now if it has failed. If you are lucky,
the SAS blower has not been destroyed yet.

John

 

Hmm, the weather has definitely gotten much colder down here in Texas, and
if I think about it, the sound is a recent one. It's not an obtrusive
sound, but I don't remember hearing that sound last fall/winter.

I'll have it checked out soon with my 90K maintenance. From your short
description, does this sound like a normal thing, other than the fact that
my Check Engine light is reporting a problem with my SAS valve? The rubber
L on the vacuum line entering the SAS valve was cracked, and I had it
replaced, but the car still reports the same code.

Another reply mentions the "electric blower of the secondary air injection
system." In case that has been "destroyed", can you point me to the part
on the FCP Groton web site
(http://www.fcpgroton.com/CSV70/volvocsv70fuelsystem.htm)?

My indie Volvo mechanic, who has been reliable thus far, didn't stress the
need to replace the SAS valve right away since I was coming back after a
couple thousand miles to have my 90K work done.

Well, I guess I'll find out what the problem is soon since I just passed 90K.

Thanks,
Mike

 

The reason it sounds like a vacuum cleaner is because it's made by
Electrolux.

Bob

 

The noise means a bearing is starting to go, that's why you're hearing
it now.

This is a short description of what happens:
The SAS valve stops exhaust from flowing into the air pump when it's
off. The valve eventually stops closing tightly, and exhaust flows into
the air pump. Because of the pump's location low and far forward, the
moisture in the exhaust condenses in the pump, eventually flowing into
the motor and bearings with predictable results. You can drill a small
hole in the bottom of the pump to let the water out, which should stop
this from happening.

In any case, your pump is probably just about dead. Make sure you
change both pump and valve when it becomes necessary.

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)