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

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.
Hey, I hate to say this, but you were partly right—it’s not a good idea to make ANY SUGGESTIONS WHATSOEVER to the service advisor who is booking in your service. The fellow I dealt with during the visit when the noise was confirmed was super nice and has spent a lot of time explaining things to me but when I brought my vehicle in for the actual service, the guy I got seemed to have a real chip on his shoulder and he handed me a whole lot of bull—— about how “there can’t be just a little leak—it’s a gas so if there is any breach it’s gone (all at once). There is more to this story, and I will say more in a little while, but I’ve learned my lesson (sort of) —except like I said, there was another fellow who didn’t let his ego get in the way and just explained various things when I threatened to just take my car back without anything being solved (because there would have been angry letters).
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Hey, I hate to say this, but you were partly right—it’s not a good idea to make ANY SUGGESTIONS WHATSOEVER to the service advisor who is booking in your service. The fellow I dealt with during the visit when the noise was confirmed was super nice and has spent a lot of time explaining things to me but when I brought my vehicle in for the actual service, the guy I got seemed to have a real chip on his shoulder and he handed me a whole lot of bull—— about how “there can’t be just a little leak—it’s a gas so if there is any breach it’s gone (all at once). There is more to this story, and I will say more in a little while, but I’ve learned my lesson (sort of) —except like I said, there was another fellow who didn’t let his ego get in the way and just explained various things when I threatened to just take my car back without anything being solved (because there would have been angry letters).
#1 Find out who the Good "Service Advisor" was, and the BAD ONE, and NEVER talk or deal with the Bad one again

#2 There is really no point in discussing anything in any Technical Detail with most Service Advisors, most are NOT technical.(as you have clearly found out today !!)

Its more important just to tell them what the problem is, as simply as possible, and then concentrate on making sure they write down all the things that you do NOT want them to do. (get in in writing on your service ticket, not just a verbal discussion)

ie DO NOT Wash the car
DO NOT Let anyone in the Detail Dept touch it.
etc

IF you want to have a Technical discussion, go straight to the Service Manager, and talk with them BEFORE you sign you car in to the "Technical (BS) Advisor"

Then, if you are not happy with the service (ir attitude & BS) form the "service Advisor" go back and discuss this with the Service Manager, express you concerns, and have them assure you that they will make sure things are done to your satisfaction.

It's only fair to the Service Manager that you let them know ahead of time, that you have concerns about their "Service Advisor's" ADVICE, so they can do something about it before the situation escalates.
 
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Felix2017

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Anyone heard of the saying “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”? —it’s true (in a way) but when you don’t know much about the internal workings of a car you really are at the mercy of the people who are in charge of fixing it. So I’ve told myself that I must learn more about what is actually going on under the hood — but you can really get slapped down/punished for making any attempt at doing that. So, in the end, they refilled the refrigerant and then the tech(s) who did that said they couldn’t hear the noise. Really? Well, OF COURSE they couldn’t hear it—because adding the refrigerant was what was needed. Except, how did the refrigerant get so low? (The service advisor (not the tech) claimed that it had not been low—a piece of ‘misinformation’ to say it nicely))—the other (nice) service advisor told me that he thought from looking at the reading that it had been low. The first service advisor (not a tech) didn’t tell me that they had put any dye in. However, the second service advisor (who seems to like me or is at least sympathetic towards me) said that he spoke directly to the tech and that dye had been added to the system. :rolleyes: I sure hope so, because after I pick my vehicle up tomorrow I’m going to be driving it for two weeks (until the other tech gets back) and then they will use a “blue light” to see if there are any leaks. So what do y’all think? Is this the best outcome possible?
 

Felix2017

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#1 Find out who the Good "Service Advisor" was, and the BAD ONE, and NEVER talk or deal with the Bad one again

#2 There is really no point in discussing anything in any Technical Detail with most Service Advisors, most are NOT technical.(as you have clearly found out today !!)

Its more important just to tell them what the problem is, as simply as possible, and then concentrate on making sure they write down all the things that you do NOT want them to do. (get in in writing on your service ticket, not just a verbal discussion)

ie DO NOT Wash the car
DO NOT Let anyone in the Detail Dept touch it.
etc

IF you want to have a Technical discussion, go straight to the Service Manager, and talk with them BEFORE you sign you car in to the "Technical (BS) Advisor"
I was told last time that the Service Manager was away (because of a gravely ill family member). But when I know he is back, I’m definitely going to get in touch with him. I did tell them to NOT wash my car. You have my word that I will refuse to ever deal with that particular service advisor again (and he will get a SCATHING review from me).
 

SCOPESYS

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Anyone heard of the saying “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”? —it’s true (in a way) but when you don’t know much about the internal workings of a car you really are at the mercy of the people who are in charge of fixing it. So I’ve told myself that I must learn more about what is actually going on under the hood — but you can really get slapped down/punished for making any attempt at doing that. So, in the end, they refilled the refrigerant and then the tech(s) who did that said they couldn’t hear the noise. Really? Well, OF COURSE they couldn’t hear it—because adding the refrigerant was what was needed. Except, how did the refrigerant get so low? (The service advisor (not the tech) claimed that it had not been low—a piece of ‘misinformation’ to say it nicely))—the other (nice) service advisor told me that he thought from looking at the reading that it had been low. The first service advisor (not a tech) didn’t tell me that they had put any dye in. However, the second service advisor (who seems to like me or is at least sympathetic towards me) said that he spoke directly to the tech and that dye had been added to the system. :rolleyes: I sure hope so, because after I pick my vehicle up tomorrow I’m going to be driving it for two weeks (until the other tech gets back) and then they will use a “blue light” to see if there are any leaks. So what do y’all think? Is this the best outcome possible?
Sounds good... with time you will learn who the GOOD Techs are and the GOOD ":Service Advisors", and only deal with them.

and '' A little knowledge is better than no knowledge at all" -- but the more you learn, the better you BS detector will be !!
 


Felix2017

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I’m going to talk to someone tomorrow about whether the Service Manager is back and if so, I will make an appointment to talk to him about this whole thing.
 

SCOPESYS

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I’m going to talk to someone tomorrow about whether the Service Manager is back and if so, I will make an appointment to talk to him about this whole thing.
Tech & Service Advisor come & go. A service manager, by the time they have worked up to that position, will hopefully be around for some time, so it is good to form a good relationship with the Service Manager.
 

Felix2017

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I think that, by and large, most people employed at these dealerships really WANT to help you—because it gives you one hell of a lot more satisfaction in helping someone than in screwing them around (that’s a proven psychological fact!). So I’m going to try to stay positive and (initially) not say anything negative about anyone because I don’t want to incur the wrath of that service department. But, if need be, I will go all out in exposing the weak links in their service department because even if you are an “ignorant woman (or man)”, they should still treat you with respect and attempt to allay any fears you might have about the quality of service they will be performing—that is the test of a really good service advisor!!!
 

Felix2017

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They only replaced condenser at most recent visit because that’s where they found a leak. They refilled refrigerant to proper levels, did a pressure check and that was it. This fix did not make the ongoing unpleasant erratic abnormal noises disappear. Still suffering

The “fan”noise is moving air, normal sound, I know the difference, on any setting it’s moving air, it’s a consistent noise. Nothing to do with the erratic abnormal noise. Entirely separate from one another.

Most unpleasant loudest noise comes from compressor. Running on low refrigerant for life of the car OR it is defective, either or, the compressor has been and still is the main noise concern, it is in need of replacement, and dealing with the worst service staff I have ever encountered has not made any of this easy.

Great idea to keep this topic alive too :)

Has anyone else with this same/similar AC issues took their car back to dealer where the service staff did not, or felt it was unnecessary to check refrigerant levels upon first encounter?
If you’re still hearing the n
Yes I know about this, and I believe this internal fail safe technology is failed or has failed in my car. I am convinced it is failed because they rely on it 100%, that’s why they did not check the levels months ago because the “system” did not tell them too. I’m dealing with brick heads that get their advice from a “honda hotline” and are incapable of thinking on their own.

If the compressor was not defective like I presume, then it was in excellent shape, as was the entire sealed ac system. A leak in the system was just recently discovered, but the unpleasant noises have been ongoing for months, so if levels were checked at beginning then I would have a timeline, but I don’t so I can only assume It has now operated unknowingly on very low refrigerant for 40,000kms with a failed “fail safe”. The entire system has been compromised by this circumstance, and unfortunately they at honda do not recognize this problem because they rely completely on the technology to do all the thinking for them.
Hey Jules,
Any news on what’s happening with your A/C system? I’m curious because I’ve been getting mixed responses from my dealership and I know it’s not all “in my head”. I’d really appreciate your input.
 

Starion

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How about someone who has this Noisy A/C problem, posting a decent audio recording of the sound, recorded from where ever the noise is the loudest - in the car or under the hood.

I am assuming this noise does not change if the car is moving or stationary, but may only be affected by the Engine Revs ?? (Or does the car need to be moving to hear this sound ??)

It seems totally ridiculous that so many seem to be experiencing this problem in Honda Civics (for years),, but yet there appear to be no publicly available information on what is actually causing it !!

Luckily, I do not have this problem (yet),, but if/when I do, I want there to be a Known Solution !!!
Thanks for being an advocate, even though it's not affecting you! Believe me, it's louder in person than my video captured, but its unmistakable and annoying as all hell.

I've described in detail of another thread on this & posted a vid on page 3....https://www.civicx.com/threads/whistle-sound.20757/page-3

Makes no diff. if car is moving or not, just a bit harder to hear if road noise. Note that it takes a minute from startup for noise to start - as AC primes up pressure. Worse between 1900-2300rpms, and worse yet between 2500-3100rpms.

Seems to be more than just 17-18' Civics even! Although I've had dealer reps agree to it on my car and others in the local fleet on test drives.

Please comment on YT also:
 
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SCOPESYS

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Thanks for being an advocate, even though it's not affecting you! Believe me, it's louder in person than my video captured, but its unmistakable and annoying as all hell.

I've described in detail of another thread on this & posted a vid on page 3....https://www.civicx.com/threads/whistle-sound.20757/page-3

Makes no diff. if car is moving or not, just a bit harder to hear if road noise. Note that it takes a minute from startup for noise to start - as AC primes up pressure. Worse between 1900-2300rpms, and worse yet between 2500-3100rpms.

Seems to be more than just 17-18' Civics even! Although I've had dealer reps agree to it on my car and others in the local fleet on test drives.

Please comment on YT also:

Sounds just like the SB describes it .. a high frequency "Vibration", that would appear to be coming from the AC Suction Line.
The SB identifies it as a design fault in the suction tube, and there seems to be a new version of that tube that does not vibrate.

What is confusing, is that some who have had this issue, have got it fixed by recharging their A/C, implying that a low refrigerant level causes the noise.

NOT HERE IS THE IRONY !!

If the sound starts when the Refrigerant is LOW, then why would you want to replace that suction pipe, if it is acting as an ALARM to tell you that the refrigerant is low !!!

Once again, nobody seems to be able to get a straight answer from their Dealer's Technician, as to if their Refrigerant level WAS low when thy brought their vehicle in with the problem, and if JUST refilling to the correct pressure levels, stopped the noise.

I maintain that most Dealer Techs do not have much of a clue about how to correctly diagnose or service A/C issues, and just go with some "random guess" part change, and then a recharge. One major danger of this, is that the correct oil level in the A/C system probably gets changed and not corrected for, which later leads to even more problems !!!
 

Felix2017

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They tested the pressures before and after putting in the new refrigerant and there were definitely differences - low side 38 PSI and high side 70 PSI BEFORE recovering gas - and after recharging with gas, low side was 33 PSI and high side 110 PSI. The latter pressures were maintained between April 15 and April 30. They used Robinair leak detection dye and no leak was found. The refrigerant was likely low when the car came from the factory. They also checked the grill temperature at idle (1.8 C before and -1.2 C after).
 
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Thank all of you for freely posting about your issues. In January my AC went out on my 2016 sedan. Armed with this information I reported it as a suspected compressor issue. They reported it as low freon and recharged, including dye. I brought it in again in March before the warranty expired and they said no issues and no leaks. This week it fully went out. They reported the seal and the compressor failed and wanted to charge me because it's out of warranty. But because of y'all I was lined out and they're going to fix it under "good will". The compressor is apparently still hard to get, but they're going to.

It's sad that it takes this sort of forethought, but it is what it is and I wanted to thank all of you.
 

Starion

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Sounds just like the SB describes it .. a high frequency "Vibration", that would appear to be coming from the AC Suction Line.
The SB identifies it as a design fault in the suction tube, and there seems to be a new version of that tube that does not vibrate.

What is confusing, is that some who have had this issue, have got it fixed by recharging their A/C, implying that a low refrigerant level causes the noise.

NOT HERE IS THE IRONY !!

If the sound starts when the Refrigerant is LOW, then why would you want to replace that suction pipe, if it is acting as an ALARM to tell you that the refrigerant is low !!!

Once again, nobody seems to be able to get a straight answer from their Dealer's Technician, as to if their Refrigerant level WAS low when thy brought their vehicle in with the problem, and if JUST refilling to the correct pressure levels, stopped the noise.

I maintain that most Dealer Techs do not have much of a clue about how to correctly diagnose or service A/C issues, and just go with some "random guess" part change, and then a recharge. One major danger of this, is that the correct oil level in the A/C system probably gets changed and not corrected for, which later leads to even more problems !!!
It's my understanding that the whine has nothing to do with the refrigerant being LOW or not. It may get worse when low, I've not experienced (& hope not to).

I've personally heard this same whine/whistle sound in 3 vehicles all with 12 - 320 miles on them new on the lot. 3 for 3. They can't all be low & leaking. Mine now has ~4k on it and still cools wonderfully. Just that DAMN whiney noise that they don't know how to fix properly.
 

Starion

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Update:
I showed them the UK Service Bulletin and the Service Manager will send it up the chain to seek approval to put in a 2019 compressor since the system only allows a like 2018 replacement on a 2018 vehicle. This Bulletin outlines that a "suction hose" is the cause of the noise and needs replacing.
I've prepared an email for him and my (now 3rd) Service Adviser to share this info & experience.

BIG THANKS to Scopesys for posting the Bulletin in the other thread: https://www.civicx.com/threads/ac-whistle-noise-2000-2700-rpm-the-answer.35052/
In addition to the Bulletin or other AC issues, be sure to specify replacing the 2018 part # # 80312-TBC-A03
with 2019 part # 80312-TBC-A04.

--------------
Now this other additional AC warranty (below) I assume applies to a SEPARATE compressor design issue that can (& has for some of you apparently) lead to leaking and failure among other noises & symptoms until it craps out.

I'm asking for both the hose & the compressor to be replaced since they'll have to drain & refill the system anyway, and that it should be under warranty.


This experience has NOT been encouraging, but the current adviser seems helpful and not jerking me around at least. Note they will NOT admit to the crunchy shifter but that's another issue and thread. Hopefully covered by the extended power train warranty due to yet OTHER manufacturing issues (engine related)...yes another issue & thread yet. Uggh.

Other than all this
, I really do like the car!! Seriously! But damn!
As the joke goes, "Other than that Mr Lincoln, how was the play? "




Fingers crossed; knock on wood; pray to deities; do AC dances; & eat several bowls of Lucky Charms Honda does what's right for their customers.

Honda Civic 10th gen A/C system noise/whistling - lets sum all the information pals Honda AC American Warantee Extension
Sponsored

 
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