2018 Si Sedan Chirping at Idle

BoxsterSteve

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It sounds like there is a bird chirping in the engine bay while at idle.
Something that can be investigated...
A spark plug not torqued to spec can cause this.
 

charleswrivers

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For what it’s worth... I took the Civic back for a round of issues to correct before it’s B2B warranty is done. A suspension noise, a mixing motor for the passenger side HVAC click and the aforementioned whistling/flutter from the AC intermittently when the compressor is running.

They’re still working on diagnosing the first two but said my compressor seals were shot and it was leaking oil and the compressor was being replaced under warranty. My confidence is low that it’ll actually solve the problem... but y’all
might want to take a look at your compressors. I guess if the oil has leaked to where the compressor was making a pile of noise that went through the metal lines... it might crop up a bit in the cabin. I had used a mechanics stethoscope on the compressor before and I I heard was general noise but nothing similar to what was in the cabin... the the lines in the engine bay had the sound similar to what I hear in the cabin... though it’s inaudible w/o the stethoscope from the idling engine drowning the rest out.
 

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For what it’s worth... I took the Civic back for a round of issues to correct before it’s B2B warranty is done. A suspension noise, a mixing motor for the passenger side HVAC click and the aforementioned whistling/flutter from the AC intermittently when the compressor is running.

They’re still working on diagnosing the first two but said my compressor seals were shot and it was leaking oil and the compressor was being replaced under warranty. My confidence is low that it’ll actually solve the problem... but y’all
might want to take a look at your compressors. I guess if the oil has leaked to where the compressor was making a pile of noise that went through the metal lines... it might crop up a bit in the cabin. I had used a mechanics stethoscope on the compressor before and I I heard was general noise but nothing similar to what was in the cabin... the the lines in the engine bay had the sound similar to what I hear in the cabin... though it’s inaudible w/o the stethoscope from the idling engine drowning the rest out.
Would it affect if I have An aftermarket intercooler? Would they blame on it?
 

charleswrivers

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Would it affect if I have An aftermarket intercooler? Would they blame on it?
I don’t see how. One has nothing to do with the other. The intercooler is also worked on by removing the front bumper and swapping... so one shouldn’t risk collateral damage to the other when installing.
 


Israel

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I don’t see how. One has nothing to do with the other. The intercooler is also worked on by removing the front bumper and swapping... so one shouldn’t risk collateral damage to the other when installing.
Charles when i got my car it only had 12 miles and i notice the wistle blowing when i would on the A/C but now at 29k it just started doing the chirping sound like the one on your audio. Sound like a chirping belt you think the dealer would do anything ? I can barely hear , i hear the most when iddle it just started. Doing it yesterday. Any advice ?
 

charleswrivers

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Charles when i got my car it only had 12 miles and i notice the wistle blowing when i would on the A/C but now at 29k it just started doing the chirping sound like the one on your audio. Sound like a chirping belt you think the dealer would do anything ? I can barely hear , i hear the most when iddle it just started. Doing it yesterday. Any advice ?
Mine was not the belt. It was the Freon running through the lines. Take a mechanics stethoscope or even just a long screwdriver and touch it to the Freon lines near the firewall and listen. If you’re like me, you’ll hear the same sound you’re hearing in the cabin. Mine was at its worst in cooler days. It was never my belt though. I was hearing the Freon after it went for whatever passes for a orifice/thermal expansion valve and it came into the cabin to the evaporator/heat exchanger that cools the cabin air.

Most 3rd party car places will do a A/C system check and check your Freon charge for free... sometimes you’ve got to find a coupon on their website. I had my system recharged about a year in and the sound got much quieter for a few months but inevitably got loud again.
 

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Chirping sounds like either spark plug or coil may be loose, or maybe the cams/lifters. Loose bolt or belt may do it.
 

Israel

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Mine was not the belt. It was the Freon running through the lines. Take a mechanics stethoscope or even just a long screwdriver and touch it to the Freon lines near the firewall and listen. If you’re like me, you’ll hear the same sound you’re hearing in the cabin. Mine was at its worst in cooler days. It was never my belt though. I was hearing the Freon after it went for whatever passes for a orifice/thermal expansion valve and it came into the cabin to the evaporator/heat exchanger that cools the cabin air.

Most 3rd party car places will do a A/C system check and check your Freon charge for free... sometimes you’ve got to find a coupon on their website. I had my system recharged about a year in and the sound got much quieter for a few months but inevitably got loud again.
The Freon would be the liquid thats is used to make air Cold?
I agree Im sure its not my belt , but like a sound of a squeaking sound coming out of the vents when A/c is on. Also I notice one more thing it started to sound Now that climate has change dramatically colder here in California 40°F by where I live
 

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The Freon would be the liquid thats is used to make air Cold?
Yes. It’s a mix of Freon itself and oil. A recharge made my noise stop for some months. To me, it always sounded like flow noise... and I think it was because of a small leak from the compressor’s shaft. I held a stethoscope on the compressor itself but I never really heard anything that I thought was the source of the noise in the cabin. But the flow noise I heard through the lines of as the same. Since the compressor was replaced and the Freon evac’ed and replaced yet again, my noise is gone. We’ll see if it lasts. Now that it’s out of warranty.... if it comes back, I’ll just get some R-1234YF and recharge myself.

When I got my ‘15 Si, it was undercharged from the factory and the compressor surged and made some huffing noise on startup with some flow noise. It still used R-134A and I added 1/2 a can and cured it for the 3 years I had that car. I did that w/in a couple months of buying it. This is the only this I have with the newer Freon.
 


Israel

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Yes. It’s a mix of Freon itself and oil. A recharge made my noise stop for some months. To me, it always sounded like flow noise... and I think it was because of a small leak from the compressor’s shaft. I held a stethoscope on the compressor itself but I never really heard anything that I thought was the source of the noise in the cabin. But the flow noise I heard through the lines of as the same. Since the compressor was replaced and the Freon evac’ed and replaced yet again, my noise is gone. We’ll see if it lasts. Now that it’s out of warranty.... if it comes back, I’ll just get some R-1234YF and recharge myself.

When I got my ‘15 Si, it was undercharged from the factory and the compressor surged and made some huffing noise on startup with some flow noise. It still used R-134A and I added 1/2 a can and cured it for the 3 years I had that car. I did that w/in a couple months of buying it. This is the only this I have with the newer Freon.
How can you know when your compressor is not working properly or is leaking?
 

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How can you know when your compressor is not working properly or is leaking?
Use a Freon sniffer that detects a Freon leak, see oil leaking from the shaft or the thing simply doesn’t cool properly.
Sponsored

 


 


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