A/C Compressor noise in new TSX?!

[gremmy]

Hey guys,

I just purchased a brand new 08 TSX. I love the car, but I'm wondering if I should be concerned about the sound the car makes when the A/C is running.

Basically, when the A/C is turned on, there is a high pitched (but very faint) whining noise coming from the engine compartment. The sound tends to cycle on and off. Whenever the sound starts up, it steadily escalates in pitch for a couple of seconds and then cuts off again. It sort of sounds like a whining/whistling sound. But again it's very faint.

It doesn't sound like a normal car sound to me, as none of my previous cars have made this sound.

Should I take it into the dealer and have them look at it? Do you know if it's normal to be able to hear the AC Compressor in the TSX?

I bought the TSX partly because of its class leading reliability (and because the old car it replaces was in the shop all the time), so I can't tell you how frustrated I'm going to be if my brand new Acura ends up back in the shop before I've owned it for a whole week.

[gremmy]

So I assume this lack of response indicates my fellow TSX owners do not hear their TSX's AC compressor whistling faintly... ?

[RPhilMan1]

Sorry I did not see this earlier.

The AC compressor is audible in the TSX. I do hear it at times.

But if you are concerned about the noise sounding too much like a whine, then I suggest you bring it up the next time you are at the dealer.

On a side note, do you have any electronics plugged in the DC jack or hard-wired? (Nav, PDA, radar, etc.) If so, some electronics may not be properly grounded, and as a result, you can hear a faint whine while accelerating.

Good luck and welcome to Acuraworld!

[gremmy]

Originally Posted by RPhilMan1

Sorry I did not see this earlier.

The AC compressor is audible in the TSX. I do hear it at times.

But if you are concerned about the noise sounding too much like a whine, then I suggest you bring it up the next time you are at the dealer.

On a side note, do you have any electronics plugged in the DC jack or hard-wired? (Nav, PDA, radar, etc.) If so, some electronics may not be properly grounded, and as a result, you can hear a faint whine while accelerating.

Good luck and welcome to Acuraworld!

Thanks RPhilMan! I'm glad somebody took the time to respond to this!

I know it's very difficult to describe a sound using only words on an Internet forum. But I will try.

Okay, humor me for a second. With your teeth almost (but not quite) touching, very gently blow air between your teeth while running your tongue back and forth across the roof of your mouth. Do you hear a slight whistling noise? Well, that's pretty close to the way my AC compressor sounds.

It's almost like a whispering whistle that cycles on and off. (Note: I am not talking about the actual sound of air-flow through the vents, as everyone -- including me -- understands that sound.)

It doesn't sound particularly scary, but I was just concerned about it because none of my other cars have made this sound.

What does your AC compressor sound like when you hear it?

[redlight_005]

Have you brought it to the dealer yet to see what they say?

[OEM Bob]

Forgive me if I ask a stupid question. Have you open the hood and observed where the noise is coming from? Of course you've switched it on and off and heard the difference? Are you sure its not the fan clutch engaging?

At any I would take it in and have the dealer look at it. I have very few problems with all of my Acuras over the years, and all of them were quickly addressed by the dealer.

Good Luck and welcome to Acura!
OEM Bob