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

[oliviaiiii]

When you guys brought your car in for unusual AC sounds/noise, did the dealership charge you a diagnostic fee? I called to book an appointment and was told there will be an $120 diagnostic fee for the HVAC system. I was like...the car is new with 1500km on it...you're kidding right?

I'm worried that my dealership is gonna pull a fast one on me...

Yes they charge you first and reimburse you later( if the problem is covered under warranty). Dealers name their own price though

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[frontlinegeek]

Yes they charge you first and reimburse you later( if the problem is covered under warranty). Dealers name their own price though

This has not been my experience when warranty or potentially warranty related things have had to be checked, including my first visit for this issue. But I am also a 24 year multiple repeat new car buyer so that could be affecting how I am dealt with.

 

[Moopy62]

Call my local USA dealer. They insist that they cannot find any such service bulletin! Has anyone had better or similar results?

 

[jayee]

Call my local USA dealer. They insist that they cannot find any such service bulletin! Has anyone had better or similar results?

They wont find it because it doesn't exist, the TSB is from Honda UK and apparently Honda branches don't communicate internationally. Best bet is to show your dealer this thread and hope they'll acknowledge the issue and warranty it.

 

[Dimitron84]

Car in shop this morning and now it is not making the whistling SMH!

 

[Dimitron84]

Yes, noise would not duplicate, at least it's logged so if it happens after warranty is up Honda can fix it! Got TSB done with oil change and Trans Fluid changed.

 

[SCOPESYS]

They wont find it because it doesn't exist, the TSB is from Honda UK and apparently Honda branches don't communicate internationally. Best bet is to show your dealer this thread and hope they'll acknowledge the issue and warranty it.

TSB is actually for most of Europe. I got a scan of the top part of the page from someone in Sweden, but he was reluctant to send me a full copy.
I have tried numerous European members in multiple Civic Forums, to get a full copy, but after 3 months, nobody has come though.

Lotsof promised to do so, but when it actually comes to it, no results

However, it seems that some Dealers here in the USA will accept the partial TSB info, and replace the Suction tube as well as re-charge the system, and this seems to gave fixed the issue for everyone who has reported having this done.

While other have just had their system re-charged, and report this has also fixed the issue.

Based on the limited reports so far, there seems to be a pattern that re-charring the system fixes the noise, but if the system gets low again, the noise returns.

If the suction tube is replaced, then even when the system gets low, it does not make the noise.

So, it might be better NOT to actually replace the suction tube with the later version, as the old version has the benefit of making the noise to alert you that the refrigerant is low !!!!

Our 2018 Si, does not make any noise (yet) , and the A/C blows VERY COLD air .. no complaints (so far) - everything is working 100% as it was when we drove the car off the Dealer's Lot with 10 miles on it, -- maybe because it has never been back to the Dealer since to have Dealer Screw Up the maintenance Service work and resulting parts broken, or not replaced correctly;y (ie Lower Engine Splash Plate !!) or Oil changes without filter changes or overfill etc etc. (Oil changes , tire rotation etc I do myself, so I know it is done correctly.. and no Dealer Horror stories !!)

Maybe one reason all is working so well, Including no issues with clutch or gear shifting, or rise in oil level due to oil dilution, is because the car was driven very gently for it's 1st 3 months, because we had a Car Insurance Smartphone Monitoring system, monitor the way it was being driven, that ended up saving us 38% on all the Cars on the Insurance policy !!

Many say that Modern cars do not need to be "Broken in" any more, but being "Old School", and with the Car Insurance program incentive, I don't think it has hurt !!

 

[frontlinegeek]

Well, I am scheduled to drop off for a purge and recharge on Wednesday. Hopefully, I get the same result as others as the noise is indeed getting more consistent and persistent.

 

[SCOPESYS]

Well, I am scheduled to drop off for a purge and recharge on Wednesday. Hopefully, I get the same result as others as the noise is indeed getting more consistent and persistent.

You might want to ask them (BEFORE they start), to make sure they make a note of the High & Low pressures BEFORE they do anything, and again, when the job is finished.

This will help others who have the same symptoms, and help the community get an idea of how much these systems are leaking, before they start to whistle.

 

[frontlinegeek]

You might want to ask them (BEFORE they start), to make sure they make a note of the High & Low pressures BEFORE they do anything, and again, when the job is finished.

This will help others who have the same symptoms, and help the community get an idea of how much these systems are leaking, before they start to whistle.

I will for sure.

 

[frontlinegeek]

OK, so update. The service tech thinks it was because of an air filter being really clogged. I am extremely skeptical as it goes away when I turn off only the AC but leave the fans on.

I get the car in an hour or so so I will report more after that...

 

[frontlinegeek]

I get the car in an hour or so so I will report more after that...

So here is the deal. Replaced the cabin air filter and yes, the sound went completely away. I drove it with the AC deliberately turned on and no sound from it even a whisper of a whistle. I will say that they were surprised to see the filter as dirty at it was but I do have an excellent explanation for that. The first 2-3 months I owned the car, the road I take to go home for about 1-2 KM was being completely rebuilt and during that specific 2-3 months, it was the period when all the crushed rock and gravel and all of its associated chipping dust was all over the place.

Furthermore, apparently, there is additional air inflow engaged when the AC is actually active so this is why the sound stopped when I positively turned off the AC. Sounds plausible but I don't have a bore scope to go looking to see if they are full of it or not.

I am still skeptical to be sure, but only time will tell over the next several days. The sound was happening reliably every day, regardless of the outside temperature so I don't think it will take long for me to determine if this is fixed or not.

 

[Felix2017]

I’m not sure what to say because this is really an unexpected finding! But it just probably means we were each hearing a different noise, I guess, but time will tell. Thanks for that update. That’s something I’m going to have them check next time, as well, even though I wasn’t driving on any extremely dusty roads with this car.

 

[frontlinegeek]

I’m not sure what to say because this is really an unexpected finding!

Damn skippy it was! I was at lunch and they called and I was very perplexed at this. All my Hondas other than my 89 Accord have had cabin filters and none of them have ever done this. That being said, I had a couple errands to do on the way home so my drive time home was closer to about 40 minutes and it never made the sound. I set the auto temp to low, high, all in between. I went in and set the AC to on and off and back to auto. I overrided the recirc when it was doing it as part of being in auto. Nothing I changed made it make the sound.

What I DID notice is that there is indeed some movement of baffles/gates and a change in airflow when I forced the AC to on and then the reverse when I forced it to on. I checked again when I was back home in the garage and reconfirmed the same behaviour. So whatever it was they were trying to tell me is likely not far off the mark.

Next big test is tomorrow in the morning after sitting all night. If it doesn't do it on the school/work run then I would be quick to call it licked.

For those that may be wondering, no check of the pressures were done where they fixed it, as far as they were concerned, with changing the filter.

 

[SCOPESYS]

Damn skippy it was! I was at lunch and they called and I was very perplexed at this. All my Hondas other than my 89 Accord have had cabin filters and none of them have ever done this. That being said, I had a couple errands to do on the way home so my drive time home was closer to about 40 minutes and it never made the sound. I set the auto temp to low, high, all in between. I went in and set the AC to on and off and back to auto. I overrided the recirc when it was doing it as part of being in auto. Nothing I changed made it make the sound.

What I DID notice is that there is indeed some movement of baffles/gates and a change in airflow when I forced the AC to on and then the reverse when I forced it to on. I checked again when I was back home in the garage and reconfirmed the same behaviour. So whatever it was they were trying to tell me is likely not far off the mark.

Next big test is tomorrow in the morning after sitting all night. If it doesn't do it on the school/work run then I would be quick to call it licked.

For those that may be wondering, no check of the pressures were done where they fixed it, as far as they were concerned, with changing the filter.

Good to hear no more whistle .. but like many others, very surprised it was fixed with just a new Filter.
Looking on the bright side, No noise now, and a low bill (just air filter + LABOR !!)

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