AC Whistle Noise - 2000-2700 rpm - The Answer ?

[SCOPESYS]

Mine exists all the time once the car is running and the A/C has a good differential temp. It does seem like it gets worse in the ~2000 RPM range... but just kind of is this odd lingering noise. The same noise is at the engine bays A/C lines though. If you listen to them, it's exactly the same.

I thought it was weird I couldn't readily hear something in the engine bay that is distractingly loud inside the car. That suction hose pulsating resonance though... that may be the ticket.

Whatever it is, it has to get fixed. I have an ear for things that aren't right... and it's a 'not right' sound. The fact it exists annoys me to no end.

There is only one Major problem I can foresee for you Charles

If you are the 1st one taking your car into your Dealership for this particular issue and correction, your car is going to be the guinea pig that they learn to do this Service Bulletin on !!!

Removing that Suction Hose looks like a major exercise, just to get to it !!

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[Felix2017]

I will be bringing this to the attention of the techs at my dealership. They are pretty smart guys though, so hopefully they will already have heard about it or read it, but thank you just the same for posting it!!

Symptom: Customer complaint of a Whistle noise from HVAC system with AC ON, between 2,000 - 2,700

 

[charleswrivers]

There is only one Major problem I can foresee for you Charles

If you are the 1st one taking your car into your Dealership for this particular issue and correction, your car is going to be the guinea pig that they learn to do this Service Bulletin on !!!

Removing that Suction Hose looks like a major exercise, just to get to it !!

Yeah... well... here's hoping I'm more of a...

 

[charleswrivers]

Well, I called a service advisor who was sort of quick to get off the phone with me. He did ask I bring it in as early as possible... as whatever they do is going to take a while. Oh well... I took the week off and it'll be a drop off as long as I can demo the noise to them and they'll give it back to me tomorrow to get to Fontana, NC... so be it.

I have a sinning feeling this is going to be a 'yeah there's something there' but they'll need it longer than I can leave it with them.

Well... let me flash my car back to factory in the event there's some oil dilution or any other random update they want to do and get it down there.

 

[SCOPESYS]

Well, I called a service advisor who was sort of quick to get off the phone with me. He did ask I bring it in as early as possible... as whatever they do is going to take a while. Oh well... I took the week off and it'll be a drop off as long as I can demo the noise to them and they'll give it back to me tomorrow to get to Fontana, NC... so be it.

I have a sinning feeling this is going to be a 'yeah there's something there' but they'll need it longer than I can leave it with them.

Well... let me flash my car back to factory in the event there's some oil dilution or any other random update they want to do and get it down there.

GOOD Luck (not that LUCK should come into it !!)

 

[charleswrivers]

GOOD Luck (not that LUCK should come into it !!)

Luck is always involved with dealer interactions... and I have the bad kind in spades.

I'm actually out doing the factory flash and looking at forum posts. Is it really necessary to unlock or just do the factory flash? I despise dealers so much, this will be the first time in the year and a half I've had the car I'll have gone back to the dealer. First time I've reverted back to factory flash as well.

(Edit) Nevermind. They say unlock to wipe the factory map so if Honda updates the ECU, it'll pair and pit this as your new factory map when you relock it.

 

[SCOPESYS]

Luck is always involved with dealer interactions... and I have the bad kind in spades.

I'm actually out doing the factory flash and looking at forum posts. Is it really necessary to unlock or just do the factory flash? I despise dealers so much, this will be the first time in the year and a half I've had the car I'll have gone back to the dealer. First time I've reverted back to factory flash as well.

(Edit) Nevermind. They say unlock to wipe the factory map so if Honda updates the ECU, it'll pair and pit this as your new factory map when you relock it.

To just do the A/C Noise Service modification, they should not need to mess with the ECU at all ... just do what they are meant to do, no less, no more.

Including "NOT" Washing or Detailing (scratching up) the car !!!

 

[charleswrivers]

To just do the A/C Noise Service modification, they should not need to mess with the ECU at all ... just do what they are meant to do, no less, no more.

Including "NOT" Washing or Detailing (scratching up) the car !!!

Yeah. First time back and all that. I figure I might as well play it safe in case they decide to do randomness when I'm away. I bet I'm leaving it with them overnight.

 

[charleswrivers]

Ok! So here's what happened:

Tech drove the car and couldn't reproduce it.

So (to my surprise in this day and age) I got with the mechanic and tech (an older fella) and the mechanic let me go back into the garage. I was able to reproduce it... we listened all over the compressor and the A/C lines, which he heard it.

They looked up the TSB in their Honda-system and it does not exist... or at least it isn't released so they can see it. They even did a random Google search and it never came up.

They got authorization to make a warranty claim to completely evacuate the A/C system to ensure the freon in there was good, remove possible moisture... pull a good vacuum and recharge the system.

I left it with them overnight and will pick it up tomorrow.

It may not be the greatest outcome for a definitive fix... and shows that whatever the source of this TSB, it either 1) isn't a thing at all 2) isn't released to any/all of the Honda service departments 3) my service department cannot use their TSB look-up system properly, though I watched him do it.

Regardless, this issue, for me, didn't exist for the first year of ownership... so something did change. We'll see how a freon evac/recharge works.

 

[SCOPESYS]

Ok! So here's what happened:

Tech drove the car and couldn't reproduce it.

So (to my surprise in this day and age) I got with the mechanic and tech (an older fella) and the mechanic let me go back into the garage. I was able to reproduce it... we listened all over the compressor and the A/C lines, which he heard it.

They looked up the TSB in their Honda-system and it does not exist... or at least it isn't released so they can see it. They even did a random Google search and it never came up.

It's not on Google, (Public Internet) or if it is now, it is only there recently, in the Honda CivicX forum.

They got authorization to make a warranty claim to completely evacuate the A/C system to ensure the freon in there was good, remove possible moisture... pull a good vacuum and recharge the system.

I left it with them overnight and will pick it up tomorrow.

It may not be the greatest outcome for a definitive fix... and shows that whatever the source of this TSB, it either 1) isn't a thing at all 2) isn't released to any/all of the Honda service departments 3) my service department cannot use their TSB look-up system properly, though I watched him do it.

Regardless, this issue, for me, didn't exist for the first year of ownership... so something did change. We'll see how a freon evac/recharge works.

OMG !!!! I assumed your Dealer's Tech might be stupid, but I did not think he would be CRAZY !!

They are going to spend all the time (Money), to change the Refrigerant (and hopefully put the right amount of oil in), (and not change the dryer)... and then after all that, not replace, a $40 part that is the cause of the problem !!!

OH, maybe they found a can of "SILENT Refrigerant" hidden out the back ???

The noise is caused by bad design of the Suction Tubes used in 2018 and previous Civics, or a breakdown in those tubes, and NOT the the Refrigerant getting NOISY !!!

What is interesting, is that they claim they cannot find that Service Bulletin on their system, when it's been out for quite some time, and even at the end of March 2019 had an update.

Did they call the "Honda USA" Service Hotline ???

Well, I hope that whatever they do, fixes the noise problem, but I very much doubt it.

I also wonder if they checked the High & Low pressures before they decided to empty the system, and what those pressure were -- ie were they correct, or had you leaked Refrigerant.

 

[charleswrivers]

It's not on Google, (Public Internet) or if it is now, it is only there recently, in the Honda CivicX forum.



OMG !!!! I assumed your Dealer's Tech might be stupid, but I did not think he would be CRAZY !!

They are going to spend all the time (Money), to change the Refrigerant (and hopefully put the right amount of oil in), (and not change the dryer)... and then after all that, not replace, a $40 part that is the cause of the problem !!!

OH, maybe they found a can of "SILENT Refrigerant" hidden out the back ???

The noise is caused by bad design of the Suction Tubes used in 2018 and previous Civics, or a breakdown in those tubes, and NOT the the Refrigerant getting NOISY !!!

What is interesting, is that they claim they cannot find that Service Bulletin on their system, when it's been out for quite some time, and even at the end of March 2019 had an update.

Did they call the "Honda USA" Service Hotline ???

Well, I hope that whatever they do, fixes the noise problem, but I very much doubt it.

I also wonder if they checked the High & Low pressures before they decided to empty the system, and what those pressure were -- ie were they correct, or had you leaked Refrigerant.

Not sure. If they don't have it in their system and my only source is a picture of a computer screen from an internet forum, I have minimal power to sway. The dealer, once I got with them and was able to reproduce the sound was very willing to make a warranty claim to try and make it right and called to get authorization for a repair... even if the A/C was otherwise fine to eliminate a noise that bothered me. The TSB simply doesn't exist so far as they could tell between looking in their system and again when they called for warranty authorization.

I'm not a fan of band-aid fixes and this may or may not do anything. We shall see. All I can do is give it a shot and report my findings... as I have. And my findings this far have been the TSP could not be found by a local Honda dealer at this time but they're willing to throw time and (not my) money to fix the problem by evacuating and recharging the system.

I'll have it back tomorrow and let y'all know if there's any improvement or if it was all for not.

 

[Felix2017]

Yeah. First time back and all that. I figure I might as well play it safe in case they decide to do randomness when I'm away. I bet I'm leaving it with them overnight.

I’ll be very interested in what they find!! And we can compare notes when mine is done in another week or so.

 

[SCOPESYS]

I’ll be very interested in what they find!! And we can compare notes when mine is done in another week or so.

Will be interesting to see if the Dealers in Canada can find this Service Bulletin.

I read on a UK Civic Forum, that the British Honda Dealers are familiar with this particular Service Bulletin.

Does the UK / Europe have a different set of Service Bulletins and TSBs ??

The Whistling Suction Tube, is a know problem in Europe, and since this noise is happening over here in the USA as well, one must assume that the European & USA "defective" Suction Tubes are probably the same part.

I also read on the Subscription Service Honda Service Website, that the suction tube can FAIL in use, which might explain why some do not initially have the noise issue, and then it develops after some time (as the tube's internal construction fails)

 

[Felix2017]

Will be interesting to see if the Dealers in Canada can find this Service Bulletin.

I read on a UK Civic Forum, that the British Honda Dealers are familiar with this particular Service Bulletin.

Does the UK / Europe have a different set of Service Bulletins and TSBs ??

The Whistling Suction Tube, is a know problem in Europe, and since this noise is happening over here in the USA as well, one must assume that the European & USA "defective" Suction Tubes are probably the same part.

I also read on the Subscription Service Honda Service Website, that the suction tube can FAIL in use, which might explain why some do not initially have the noise issue, and then it develops after some time (as the tube's internal construction fails)

That sounds like a very good possibility (if it’s the suction tube!) I can only go by what I’m hearing, and the sound I’m hearing has more of a metallic rubbing sound, but who knows? I did see one post a little way back by POW something or other - he said that replacing the compressor did solve it. I’m going to ask if he’s still satisfied that the problem is solved.

 

[SCOPESYS]

It's like PULLING TEETH to try to get any information on this Service Bulletin.

However, assuming this problem has been about for some time, and existed on 2017 & 2018 cars, and got fixed for 2019 cars .. this theory is backed up by the fact that the only part to change in the A/C tubes between 2018 & 2019 is the SUCTION HOSE, and from the parts diagrams, it seems they modified a small part of it, which is what the Service Bulletin suggests.
FRUSTRATING that I cannot get a full copy of the SB, as it seems to give a lot of detail about how to swap out the part etc.

Anyway, here is a Pic of the 2018 & 2019 parts, side by side.

This is for the Si Coupe -- not sure about other models - have not searched for those, but defiantly on the Si Coupe, the part has been updated for 2019.

I have the 2018 Si Coupe, "Charleswrivers" has the Sedan (same parts ?) and is currently having the A/C Noise issue, and trying to get his Dealer to fix it, but I do not think they are changing the suction hose .

BTW: The 2019 part (80312-TBC-A04) seems to be available from Online Honda sellers, for about $52

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