A/C system noise/whistling - lets sum all the information pals

charleswrivers

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Thanks Charles ... I did hear that recording, but it was far from clear what the noise was that is being referred to... which is why I specifically said a "Decent" Recording :p
Yeah... a phones speakers don't do a very good job of reproducing it. Played from my PC, it's pretty obvious. It's this odd squeaking that's going on. I have to turn the volume up on my phone's tinny little speaker to catch it a little. It's recorded from just above the dash, out of the path of the vents themselves.
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Yeah... a phones speakers don't do a very good job of reproducing it. Played from my PC, it's pretty obvious. It's this odd squeaking that's going on. I have to turn the volume up on my phone's tinny little speaker to catch it a little. It's recorded from just above the dash, out of the path of the vents themselves.
I'm playing it on my PC, and its not obvious what the issue is. :(

From a purely selfish point of view, I don't need to really care -- I do not have this this issue, but it does interest me, as to what it could be, and how so many can have this annoying noise develop in their car after a period of time, and Honda Dealers cannot identify the cause or fix it.

Their typical response seems to be 'It's Normal "
(we are the experts, we know better than you, go away and stop bothering us, we have more profitable things to do that mess with your A/C under warranty) -- is not acceptable (at least to me)
 

Felix2017

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I'm playing it on my PC, and its not obvious what the issue is. :(

From a purely selfish point of view, I don't need to really care -- I do not have this this issue, but it does interest me, as to what it could be, and how so many can have this annoying noise develop in their car after a period of time, and Honda Dealers cannot identify the cause or fix it.

Their typical response seems to be 'It's Normal "
(we are the experts, we know better than you, go away and stop bothering us, we have more profitable things to do that mess with your A/C under warranty) -- is not acceptable (at least to me)
I did this in the fall gone by and it is on record. The sound is still very much in play in my 2017 EX Sedan CVT. I will be going back in some time soon to speak with service and likely the service manager as I don't plan on making this some insane marathon of going in and out over and over again. I can at the least state that I will not be stopping until I am satisfied as I only have 18 more months till the bumper to bumper warranty is over and I am not going to get stuck with this issue in perpetuity.

And to all the doubters or skeptics or those that can't identify the issue. It is this simple. press the climate button and directly turn the AC on and off from there. You will indeed hear the dramatic difference. I don't care if it is the compressor or some other thing in the AC system. The simple fact is that it is in the AC system.
Hi - I’m very new to this forum but I’ve been reading all of your posts since last fall and I’ve been hearing the same noise at least since then. My Honda dealership initially thought it was the radiator fan that needed replacing although the tech who went for a test drive with me mentioned that it stopped when the blower/heater fan was switched off (something I discovered on my own). They replaced the radiator fan but that didn’t get rid of the noise. On my last visit (March 26), I took another tech (team lead) with me and he confirmed that he heard the noise—I asked them to check for it after they put my summer wheels/tires back on. So they think it is the A/C compressor that needs to be replaced. They want me to bring in my 2017 Civic in a week or so (April 8) because that was the soonest they could get me a loaner. And they are planning to keep it for 2 days (why?) - so I will definitely report back whether this solves the noise but I need everyone’s opinion on whether I should have to leave it there overnight - isn’t 8 hours enough time to get the work done?
 

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Hi - I’m very new to this forum but I’ve been reading all of your posts since last fall and I’ve been hearing the same noise at least since then. My Honda dealership initially thought it was the radiator fan that needed replacing although the tech who went for a test drive with me mentioned that it stopped when the blower/heater fan was switched off (something I discovered on my own). They replaced the radiator fan but that didn’t get rid of the noise. On my last visit (March 26), I took another tech (team lead) with me and he confirmed that he heard the noise—I asked them to check for it after they put my summer wheels/tires back on. So they think it is the A/C compressor that needs to be replaced. They want me to bring in my 2017 Civic in a week or so (April 8) because that was the soonest they could get me a loaner. And they are planning to keep it for 2 days (why?) - so I will definitely report back whether this solves the noise but I need everyone’s opinion on whether I should have to leave it there overnight - isn’t 8 hours enough time to get the work done?
Well, it probably could be RUSHED and done in a couple of hours, but to do it PROPERLY, it should take longer.
They have to suck (reclaim) the old R1234yf Refrigerant (well, they should !!)
Then they should change the filter, but probably will not.
Then they need to Suck a Vacuum and make sure that it does not leak.
Ideally, test over a few hours, even better overnight -- - so day 2
Then they need to recharge the system making sure they add the correct amount of THE CORRECT oil for the new R1234yf. :hmm:

If they mess up the oil, then the compressor';s life is SCREWED !@!! :doh:

Typically, they will fill to the factory charge, check the pressures, make sure it is blowing COLD.
If they are good, the will tweak the pressure for max Cold at the vents, (checking the pressures are acceptable) but I very much doubt if they will go that extra mile.

Then they do the Paperwork etc etc, and finally call you to pick it up.

Hopefully you EXPRESSLY request do not wash the car !!!(and make sure the "Service Consultant" ?? put it on the ticket before you leave after dropping off the car) or else it will go into Detailing for a Paint SCRATCH & WHIRL Job !!

Honda Civic 10th gen A/C system noise/whistling - lets sum all the information pals Do-Not-Wash-Vehicle-Mirror-Hanger-SIgn


So, yes , 2 days is not unreasonable. :)
2 Hours and I would be very concerned :(
 

Felix2017

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Well, it probably could be RUSHED and done in a couple of hours, but to do it PROPERLY, it should take longer.
They have to suck (reclaim) the old R1234yf Refrigerant (well, they should !!)
Then they should change the filter, but probably will not.
Then they need to Suck a Vacuum and make sure that it does not leak.
Ideally, test over a few hours, even better overnight -- - so day 2
Then they need to recharge the system making sure they add the correct amount of THE CORRECT oil for the new R1234yf. :hmm:

If they mess up the oil, then the compressor';s life is SCREWED !@!! :doh:

Typically, they will fill to the factory charge, check the pressures, make sure it is blowing COLD.
If they are good, the will tweak the pressure for max Cold at the vents, (checking the pressures are acceptable) but I very much doubt if they will go that extra mile.

Then they do the Paperwork etc etc, and finally call you to pick it up.

Hopefully you EXPRESSLY request do not wash the car !!!(and make sure the "Service Consultant" ?? put it on the ticket before you leave after dropping off the car) or else it will go into Detailing for a Paint SCRATCH & WHIRL Job !!

Do-Not-Wash-Vehicle-Mirror-Hanger-SIgn.jpg


So, yes , 2 days is not unreasonable. :)
2 Hours and I would be very concerned :(
Thank you for explaining that - maybe I’ll even ask to show the tech your post (or at least quote some of the details) just so that they are aware of absolutely everything that needs to be done (i.e. correct oil for refrigerant) —they can laugh at me or roll their eyes all they want—I’m sure they do already since I’m a blonde female. ‍♀ I’ve already had conversations about this vehicle with the service manager as well as the assistant service manager and I’m definitely not afraid to contact Honda Canada on this. Hopefully I won’t need to. Thanks again.
 


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Thank you for explaining that - maybe I’ll even ask to show the tech your post (or at least quote some of the details) just so that they are aware of absolutely everything that needs to be done (i.e. correct oil for refrigerant) —they can laugh at me or roll their eyes all they want—I’m sure they do already since I’m a blonde female. ‍♀ I’ve already had conversations about this vehicle with the service manager as well as the assistant service manager and I’m definitely not afraid to contact Honda Canada on this. Hopefully I won’t need to. Thanks again.

LOL .. why don't you do the opposite.

Ask them to explain in detail what they are going to do, and how, and then mentally compare it with what you believe should happen.
Then when they do not mention a new Dryer filter, or the process of putting the oil in, THEN start asking them why they did not talk about that !!!
If they realize you known what you are talking about, they may be far less liable to skimp on what should be done.

Have some fun !!! why not ... they won't be rolling their eyes for long once they realize that the Blonde Lady is not as Technically Challenged as they probably incorrectly assumed.

Try asking them if they are going to fill with "the good POA oil" or "just PAG oil" for the R1234yf Refrigerant --- and when they say, its oil for R1234yf, push then, -- well, is that POA or PAG ?
(hopefully they say PAG !!)

I wish I could be a fly on the wall, could be a riot !!
 

Felix2017

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LOL .. why don't you do the opposite.

Ask them to explain in detail what they are going to do, and how, and then mentally compare it with what you believe should happen.
Then when they do not mention a new Dryer filter, or the process of putting the oil in, THEN start asking them why they did not talk about that !!!
If they realize you known what you are talking about, they may be far less liable to skimp on what should be done.

Have some fun !!! why not ... they won't be rolling their eyes for long once they realize that the Blonde Lady is not as Technically Challenged as they probably incorrectly assumed.

Try asking them if they are going to fill with "the good POA oil" or "just PAG oil" for the R1234yf Refrigerant --- and when they say, its oil for R1234yf, push then, -- well, is that POA or PAG ?
(hopefully they say PAG !!)

I wish I could be a fly on the wall, could be a riot !!
I knew I needed to think through my approach a bit more :rolleyes:—so glad you are there to coach me on this—you rock!
I really hope other owners read these posts so that they will be just as informed/knowledgeable when they approach their own service department.
 
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Gruber

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If they realize you known what you are talking about, they may be far less liable to skimp on what should be done.

Have some fun !!!
I would advise against it.
Unless you have some actual knowledge, they will quickly realize you don't actually know what you are talking about, and they will get aggravated at the superficial knowledge from the internet. The better mechanics they are, the more annoyed they will be.

Soon the roles may reverse and they will have fun selling you some blinker fluid.
You may want to be vigilant, or try to make sure the guys who do the work are experts, but don't pretend you know what you don't.

Nothing can be fast that has to do with recovering refrigerant, pulling a good vacuum, looking for leaks, testing an AC system.
 

Felix2017

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I would advise against it.
Unless you have some actual knowledge, they will quickly realize you don't actually know what you are talking about, and they will get aggravated at the superficial knowledge from the internet. The better mechanics they are, the more annoyed they will be.

Soon the roles may reverse and they will have fun selling you some blinker fluid.
You may want to be vigilant, or try to make sure the guys who do the work are experts, but don't pretend you know what you don't.

Nothing can be fast that has to do with recovering refrigerant, pulling a good vacuum, looking for leaks, testing an AC system.
Point taken. The guys at this dealership pretty much know me by now and they know I don’t have any expertise when it comes to replacing an A/C compressor and all that that entails. Plus I don’t think I’m a good enough actor to pretend that I know what it’s all about. It is helpful, however, to have the whole process explained, and I am grateful that someone has taken the time to explain this to me. I do think the work order should give a detailed account of what was done, and I may ask them to supply some particulars about that, which would probably be prudent, wouldn’t you say? How would you suggest I deal with a beginning work order or a final account that is pretty skimpy on details? Any other helpful advice you or anyone else can offer is definitely appreciated!
 

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Felix2017

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Post-warranty service update with my A/C compressor:

Hey guys, so last Saturday I went into my local dealer to get my A/C compressor replaced. Dropped the car off at 8:30AM and didn't get my car back until 6:30PM cuz the place was packed with cars on arrival. I got worried I'd have to come back another day, but luckily a few employees remembered me from the other day and got me on the service queue.

When I picked up the car, I was able to speak to the master tech that ended up working on my car. He stated that after some digging through their own Honda tech forums he was able to confirm that some of the earlier 10th gen civics had defective compressors.

After driving with the new compressor for a few days I can definitely say that the whine is gone. There is still a very faint "whir" from the compressor at 2500 & 3500 RPM, but nothing close to what it sounded like previously. All in all, I'm happy with the way they handled this compressor replacement. Before I left, I asked the technician how much would it have been if my car was out of warranty...his answer was a hefty $2500, a price that includes 5 hours of labor at $129/hr. Hope all this info helps! Cheers
Just wondering if there is still no return of A/C noise—I’m getting my compressor replaced a few days from now for the same reason.
 

Felix2017

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I have been told NUMEROUS times by local Honda service staff that the extremely unpleasant noise made when AC system is engaged has been determined as NORMAL and I have no choice but to live with it. It is NOT NORMAL and is UNACCEPTABLE and anyone that believes it is normal and acceptable has rocks for brains. Long story short, a screaming type noise started for me when car was 5 months old (it is now 14 months old with 40,000 kms) and is an obvious erratic compressor noise to ANYONE that hears it, and a rattling/gurgling/vibrating type noise that resonates from behind dashboard where evaporator and expansion valve are located. Have been back into service soooo many times it is sickening. They claim they have done EVERYTHING to troubleshoot the problem. However they did not do one of the most simplest of tasks until my car put me off the road with iced/fogged up windows during this winter. Must of been the 'safety' aspect that got them to investigate further. Here is what was found at my most recent visit; Compressor was seized. Now, because they FOUND a problem they could now follow with the next baby steps to find out WHY. They checked the levels of the refrigerant (something that was NEVER done during any other visit) and they FOUND the levels to be EXTREMELY low. This prompted MYSELF to push them onto yet another baby step as to find out WHY the levels were extremely low. They had to have my car for a few days. They put a type of dye into the ac system to find a leak, and they used a "sniffer" device to find location of leak and voila leak was found at condenser. They replaced condenser and a few small associated parts, refilled refrigerant to proper level, did pressure check and that was it. This fix did NOT make the unpleasant noises go away. I trusted during all prior visits they had done EVERYTHING to troubleshoot but they did not, refrigerant levels were NEVER checked because of their poor decisions. I have been convinced from very beginning (10 months ago now) it is a faulty/defective compressor but this has fell on deaf ears. The ac system is now compromised, poisoned and is still in need of a further fix, even if it means replacing all the components in the entire system. Well, the nightmare continues for me, now having to deal with this new matter, that resulted from their own ignorance and poor decisions.
Anything new to report? Did they replace the compressor?
 

frontlinegeek

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I was in to the dealership today and spoke with the service manager and discussed the situation and he was perfectly fine with starting with an evacuation and recharge. He has not had anyone come in yet to complain other than me and nothing come down from Honda Canada on it. He did say that on other models and years of Honda vehicles that having too much or too little coolant can cause the sound as I described it.

I am not in a super rush to get the work done so I haven't booked it in yet but will either for the end of the month or mid May. I am also kind of hoping that Charles gets a few more weeks of just a recharge on his Si to see how that pans out.

One thing that I thought of and that the service manager agreed on was that changing that part is not conclusive as the procedure requires evacuation and recharge so you are doing two things at once and not legitimately knowing which it is that fixed it for real. Same could be said about the compressor. Gremlins suck...
 

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I was in to the dealership today and spoke with the service manager and discussed the situation and he was perfectly fine with starting with an evacuation and recharge. He has not had anyone come in yet to complain other than me and nothing come down from Honda Canada on it. He did say that on other models and years of Honda vehicles that having too much or too little coolant can cause the sound as I described it.

I am not in a super rush to get the work done so I haven't booked it in yet but will either for the end of the month or mid May. I am also kind of hoping that Charles gets a few more weeks of just a recharge on his Si to see how that pans out.

One thing that I thought of and that the service manager agreed on was that changing that part is not conclusive as the procedure requires evacuation and recharge so you are doing two things at once and not legitimately knowing which it is that fixed it for real. Same could be said about the compressor. Gremlins suck...

Same question to you, as I asked Charles.. (wuth no reply)

Did the Dealer check the A/C Refrigerant Level (Pressures) before doing the evacuation and recharge ? It's a pretty critical piece of information to solve the puzzle .
 

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Hey all! I posted this in another thread, but it seems relevant here too. I am getting the same exact noise you guys are when the AC is on, and my dealer found the charge low on the AC system and a leaking condenser.

Also apparently I need a fuel door actuator.

Dealer States:

Honda Civic 10th gen A/C system noise/whistling - lets sum all the information pals rgUtHHF


Honda Civic 10th gen A/C system noise/whistling - lets sum all the information pals r3K6eC8
 


 


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