S90 T8 Rattle behind n/s dash

[Past Master]

Greetings everyone - my first post on here. I've just acquired a 2022 S90 Recharge and it has an intermittent high pitched rattle from behind the glove box. Seems to start when I accelerate above 50, and sounds like a damaged fan. Can anyone tell me what the unit is in that area of the engine compartment? Car will be going back to the dealer, but I'd like to have some idea of what the problem could be - I'm quite technically minded but without any info on what is where under the bonnet I'm a bit stuck. Nothing I do (heater controls, aircon) seems to affect it.

[Quaffwine]

Lots of other threads on this but first off check that your intellisafe box is properly secured around the windshield. A light press on both sides should do the trick. Otherwise these Volvo are generally remarkably rate free.


I do believe there might be an issue regarding something rattling around there. There is a great thread where the op went hunting, took out the glove box and solved the issue in an hour or so. They added photos too.


Every time I think there’s a new one I inevitable find a plastic water bottle under the seat and such.

Happy hunting 😂

[Cull06]

Definitely the intellisafe box is the first place to try. Both my current car and my previous 69 reg V60.

Push it in place. Mine used to click.

Then that started to fail…

So then it needed a thump to stop vibrating for a while at a time…

In the end i brought it in. They removed it and reassembled with some spongey stuff inside it and it stopped from then on.

[Past Master]

Thanks for your thoughts so far. I've done a search now (tbh didn't know what to search for before) and I don't think it's any of the things others have found. It's got worse since I posted and now definitely sounds like a problem with a fan, so I suspect the heater. However playing with the heater controls doesn't seem to affect it, so I'm wondering if it's a loose heater flap. It only happens when I accelerate up to 50+, and then it's intermittent, which is why I want to know as much as possible in case the dealer can't find it. I'll see what result they come up with and post here. If they can't fix it I suppose I could reject the car, but that would be a pity, as it's rather nice (I traded in an Evoque, and I think I prefer this one).

[Cull06]

Originally Posted by Past Master

Thanks for your thoughts so far. I've done a search now (tbh didn't know what to search for before) and I don't think it's any of the things others have found. It's got worse since I posted and now definitely sounds like a problem with a fan, so I suspect the heater. However playing with the heater controls doesn't seem to affect it, so I'm wondering if it's a loose heater flap. It only happens when I accelerate up to 50+, and then it's intermittent, which is why I want to know as much as possible in case the dealer can't find it. I'll see what result they come up with and post here. If they can't fix it I suppose I could reject the car, but that would be a pity, as it's rather nice (I traded in an Evoque, and I think I prefer this one).

The 69 plate v60 I pretty much rejected because whenever the engine was warm and I would accelerate - a tapping noise would come from the front of the car. Fast tapping, almost like a rattle. Used to do my swede in like.

Volvo initially thought it was the engine pinking. It was indeed that sort of sound. Took about 6-12 months of them trying to diagnose it until my head finally went.

Is it that sort of symptom and sound..?

After the car went back to volvo - I spoke to the dealer and in the end they said it was simply a a/c pipe that had come loose and was rattling inside there. Whether that was true or not I’ll never know.

[Past Master]

Could be, although this is more like something hitting a fan. It's also intermittent. Waiting for a call-back from the dealer.

[Quaffwine]

From what you have described I would leave it to the dealership or trusted independent as it does sound mechanical rather than trim related. Good luck!

[Past Master]

So here's the (very bizarre) solution. Yesterday the angry blackbird got really upset and started screaming. Surely this couldn't be heater-related, even though my wife was sure the noise was coming from the LH vent, so I opened the passenger window to see if the noise could be heard outside.
The noise disappeared and hasn't come back. I cannot rationalise this, but I am now a happy new Volvo owner!

[Backinavolvo]

The pressure change from opening the window has perhaps dislodged a leaf in the vent or something..

[Past Master]

I think you must be right. Hopefully it will stay dislodged. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying a rather nice car!