Replacing balance shaft module D4 XC60
 

I am convinced that the whistle from my engine is due to gear wear in the balance module. Comparison to the audio files on youtube is identical.

Unfortunately the Volvo dealer can only confirm by replacing the unit.This at a cost of £828 incl VAT. This is for the module and 3 hours labour.

The labour time of 3 hours suggests that it is just a case of dropping the sump, removing old module and replacing with the new one.

My question is , are there no alignment or backlash checks on the mating gears?

As the car is out of warranty, purchased from a non franchised dealer and serviced by an independant, there is no chance of Volvo contributing anything, and to be fair, I was expecting a far longer labour time and higher price.

I've seen this previously mentioned by others in relation to the VEA engine, so I'm assuming your engine is also a VEA?

How bad is the whistle? Is it something you really can't bear, or is it more something you're worried might fail catastrophically if left?

I agree that price is lower than expected. My Volvo dealership wants £800 for 'merely' fixing a slight oil leak on mine!

How many miles had it done before you noticed the whine?

It is indeed a VEA.
The whistle cannot be heard with the windows closed, but it is very noticable with them open. It varies with engine revs and is quite a common fault apparently. It is annoying and I do worry that it will fail ,leading to other issues.
There is no loss of performance or any other issue.
First aware of it at about 25k, now on 28k

The price is not an issue, just surprised that it is such a quick job with apparently no alignment checks/measurements.

The VEA engines use a modular balancer, mounted to the underside of the block within the sump, so it is quite easy to get access to replace the module. The backlash is set during assembly by having slotted dowel holes in the balancer module housing, allowing the first gears to be moved closer or away from the crankshaft gear that drives it. The bolts are then tightened up with the unit in the correct position.

Many thanks, that explains why it only takes 3 hours.

you need a volvo special tool to get the gear alignment correct ..

Hi, I think I have exactly the same noise and frustrations! Did you ever get this resolved? Thanks

Did you ever get this fixed ??

Did you ever get the balancer problem fixed? I think i have the same issue