[flipsknacker]

Hello people.

My UK '13-plate V40 D2 is intermittently making a noise that I can only describe as a "groan".

It's happened on and off since April '13 and it used to be only ever when the auto-braking system kicked in if I'd stopped in traffic on a hill (travelling up the hill)... once I'd stopped, sometimes as I start to move forward again it there's a "groan" type noise. The noise is audible both in and outside of the vehicle.

It also makes the noise if travelling slowly up a hill and using the bite-point (e.g. in crawling traffic) and if I stop whilst using the bite point to maintain position the groan is continuous (on the occasions that it does it), until I stop the vehicle and switch to foot/hand brake, but then when I start moving again, just like the paragraph above, it'll groan as I begin to move.

I initially thought it was something to do with the brakes, but at its first service I raised the issue with the service guys and later on they said that everything appeared to be in order. At its second service I raised the issue again and once again they told me everything seemed to be in order. At the second service (circa 24,000 miles) the front brake pads needed to be replaced but in addition the rear brake pads were 75% worn and I was encouraged to replace them too (which I did).

However I'm beginning to wonder if it's actually to do with the clutch... there's a particularly difficult junction en-route to my home that sees me coming up a hill to a T-Junction and turning right on the crest of the hill. It's not really feasible to do anything other than use the bite-point to maintain position in order to both maintain visibility over the road I'm joining and achieve a quick/smooth exit when the opportunity presents itself, however on two separate occasions now (both times prior to the recent second service), with the vehicle "groaning" I've set off to turn right from that junction and when I've come to change to 2nd gear, found the clutch pedal to be stuck down, requiring me to put my foot underneath it and with a little lift, it pops back up. I mentioned this to the service guys too and it was all but shrugged off.

I'm no mechanic... I'm a computer geek.... I'm tired of raising it with the dealer, only to be told that everything is in order... surely something isn't right?

Has anyone else experienced it?

 

[AKD47]

The fact that the clutch gets stuck down rings major alarm bells for me. Definitely push harder on that for them to look into it. I think I read somewhere that that had happened but you'll have to see if anyone else remembers better.

Also a computer geek here, I'm more about software engineering than mechanical engineering, so I feel your pain. Good luck diagnosing it. Some pretty good people on this board but if you don't get anything, you could try http://mechanics.stackexchange.com/.

 

[Stoat]

Hi, did you ever get to the bottom of this issue?

 

[flipsknacker]

Hi, did you ever get to the bottom of this issue?

Unfortunately not. I mentioned it numerous times to the local Volvo dealer but they just kept telling me that despite checking, they couldn't find anything wrong with it and, frustratingly, couldn't replicate the issue themselves. Though, a little over two months after posting this, I was involved in a car crash and the car was written off so the problem kind of went away anyway.:crying:
Are you experiencing the same?

 

[buzby]

The sticking clutch pedal and the groaning are related. There is a known fault with some MY13/14 D2 V40s with thr B6 gearbox realing to a faulty batch of clutch slave cylinder/release bearings (it also affected the Mk3 Focus of the same time frame - it happened to the one I had immediately before the V40). The slave cylinder leaks fluid into the bellhousing, contaminating the clutch friction plate and leading to slip and cause the groaning noise. The loss of hydrauilic pressure also causes the pedal to stick down. There have been a few threads about it over the past couple of years.

Dealers know about it, but replacing the slave cylinder involves dropping the gearbox and also means replaing the clutch and potentially the flywheel too. All of this is a lot of work that they will want to avoid if it;s under warranty (as Volvo pays them less than they can charge a customer for labour), so they went though a process of replacing the master cylinder and return spring on the pedal box to try and stop the symptom of the pedal sticking rather than going after the root cause of replacing the slave cylinder and clutch.

 

[flipsknacker]

The sticking clutch pedal and the groaning are related. There is a known fault with some MY13/14 D2 V40s with thr B6 gearbox realing to a faulty batch of clutch slave cylinder/release bearings (it also affected the Mk3 Focus of the same time frame - it happened to the one I had immediately before the V40). The slave cylinder leaks fluid into the bellhousing, contaminating the clutch friction plate and leading to slip and cause the groaning noise. The loss of hydrauilic pressure also causes the pedal to stick down. There have been a few threads about it over the past couple of years.

Dealers know about it, but replacing the slave cylinder involves dropping the gearbox and also means replaing the clutch and potentially the flywheel too. All of this is a lot of work that they will want to avoid if it;s under warranty (as Volvo pays them less than they can charge a customer for labour), so they went though a process of replacing the master cylinder and return spring on the pedal box to try and stop the symptom of the pedal sticking rather than going after the root cause of replacing the slave cylinder and clutch.

That's really interesting. Thanks for the insight.

 

[Stoat]

Interesting, thank you all.

Yes, ours does the groan occasionally pulling away. I mentioned it when I went to the dealer recently, I thought it was the brakes so was surprised when he said it was the clutch and an issue known to Volvo. He said it was caused by dust on the clutch plate and often fixes itself over time, but if it doesn't suggested it could be fixed under warranty before it runs out (ours is a '15 plate). We've not experienced the pedal being stuck down and I hope we don't, I can foresee reproducing the problem on demand being a problem as it only happens occasionally at the moment. But I was curious to hear if other owners have had it and whether it will just get worse over time.

As mentioned below, I very much doubt Volvo will be rushing to replace a clutch for nothing.

Thanks

 

[peanut]

Occassionally during a drive, when releasing the clutch pedal it comes back up but has a click feeling? Sorry, not too good an explanation ... normally the pedal is operated and released smoothly, sometimes on the way back up it's almost 2 stages. The clutch doesn't slip or make any noise and the pedal returns by itself, is this the infamous duff release bearing / slave cylinder issue? The car is MY14 with 10,000 miles. It is being serviced Tuesday and has about 2 months Volvo Selekt warranty remaining.

 

[buzby]

Occassionally during a drive, when releasing the clutch pedal it comes back up but has a click feeling? Sorry, not too good an explanation ... normally the pedal is operated and released smoothly, sometimes on the way back up it's almost 2 stages. The clutch doesn't slip or make any noise and the pedal returns by itself, is this the infamous duff release bearing / slave cylinder issue? The car is MY14 with 10,000 miles. It is being serviced Tuesday and has about 2 months Volvo Selekt warranty remaining.

It could be the start of it, or it could also actually be a faulty master cylinder too. I'd get it back to the dealer before the warranty expires (though be prepared to be fobbed off...)

 

[Billford]

Thanks for the insight..

 

[peanut]

My clutch pedal issue seems to occur when being released slowly after being operated for a while, eg when stuck in slow moving traffic. When the pedal has almost returned to the normal position, a 'click', slight notchy feeling can be felt through the pedal. It has only happened twice in the past 2 weeks and not at all whilst at the dealers for investigation apparently! They said it could be the cruise control switch that I can feel????????
Whilst the car was at the dealers, I had a T2 67 plate R-Design as a loan car. The engine was lovely, the exhaut note good and the headlamps brilliant! To be honest, a lot more fun to drive than my D2.

 

[Stoat]

Hopefully not tempting fate but this is just an update in case someone else has this issue in the future.

It's been over a month now since since the dealer replaced the clutch flywheel under warranty and the groaning noise hasn't occurred since. So am happy with how the dealer dealt with it all and the outcome.

Thanks

 

[Wubster]

I’m taking mine back to the dealer for a second time on Thurs with the same issue - hopefully they’ll replace parts this time under warranty instead of fobbing me off. Problem is it’s very intermittent and no doubt when they try to recreate the noise it won’t do it. I will suggest the clutch flywheel though!

 

[Stoat]

As ours was quite intermittent I expected them to say they couldn't reproduce it, so I provided them with a short compilation of what it sounded like:-

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AlYOnRIkdv32hnmkbky3fWH8mayD

I think that might have proved it wasn't imagined.

Well fingers crossed for you!

 

[Wubster]

We good news hopefully - after the dealer refused to replace any parts as they could not get the noise to happen, the car went in for its service and low and behold the groan noise happened twice!. Volvo dealer now going to replace Clutch and Slave Cylinder, under warranty, so hopefully this resolves the issue once and for all

 

[Stoat]

Well done! glad to hear you got it fixed.

 

[Liz P]

Hello people.

My UK '13-plate V40 D2 is intermittently making a noise that I can only describe as a "groan".

It's happened on and off since April '13 and it used to be only ever when the auto-braking system kicked in if I'd stopped in traffic on a hill (travelling up the hill)... once I'd stopped, sometimes as I start to move forward again it there's a "groan" type noise. The noise is audible both in and outside of the vehicle.

It also makes the noise if travelling slowly up a hill and using the bite-point (e.g. in crawling traffic) and if I stop whilst using the bite point to maintain position the groan is continuous (on the occasions that it does it), until I stop the vehicle and switch to foot/hand brake, but then when I start moving again, just like the paragraph above, it'll groan as I begin to move.

I initially thought it was something to do with the brakes, but at its first service I raised the issue with the service guys and later on they said that everything appeared to be in order. At its second service I raised the issue again and once again they told me everything seemed to be in order. At the second service (circa 24,000 miles) the front brake pads needed to be replaced but in addition the rear brake pads were 75% worn and I was encouraged to replace them too (which I did).

However I'm beginning to wonder if it's actually to do with the clutch... there's a particularly difficult junction en-route to my home that sees me coming up a hill to a T-Junction and turning right on the crest of the hill. It's not really feasible to do anything other than use the bite-point to maintain position in order to both maintain visibility over the road I'm joining and achieve a quick/smooth exit when the opportunity presents itself, however on two separate occasions now (both times prior to the recent second service), with the vehicle "groaning" I've set off to turn right from that junction and when I've come to change to 2nd gear, found the clutch pedal to be stuck down, requiring me to put my foot underneath it and with a little lift, it pops back up. I mentioned this to the service guys too and it was all but shrugged off.

I'm no mechanic... I'm a computer geek.... I'm tired of raising it with the dealer, only to be told that everything is in order... surely something isn't right?

Has anyone else experienced it?

My clutch groans/whines when it comes up to biting point and its quite loud. The pedal also creaks. It went in under warranty and they said that it was a problem a few people had experienced and that they had replaced a few clutches. They told me they replaced the whole unit but it started to happen almost immediately I got it back. I waited to see what happened and now its almost two weeks and back to as bad as it was before. I am calling up again tomorrow. My concern is that this seems to be a recurring problem and I don't want to be feeding my car which is almost out of warranty new clutches. The cost of the tyres is bad enough. I checked a few forums including this and there does seem to be a problem with clicking/creaking and sticking clutches. Yours is the only mention I have found so far of a noise similar to mine.

I am going to speak with more than one dealership I think

 

[Wubster]

So the groan is back! So replacement clutch and slave cyclinder did not fix the issue. Back onto the dealer in the morning alas.

 

[Wubster]

So after the dealer said there was nothing more they could do and the noise was not mechanical but more resonance, I had a good moan at Volvo UK and they have instructed the dealer to replace the clutch, slave cylinder and DMF (all at no cost), saying this will defo fix the groan. They did admit there was a technical journal out for this issue and deemed it ‘cosmetic’ but I was not going to accept this as it was highly embarrassing at junctions pulling away with people staring at you when the car makes the groan. Hopefully this is the final chapter and just proves if you’re not happy and say the right things then things get done

 

[Juniordala]

Great information..