EnclaveForum.net: Buick Enclave Online Community banner

A/C "Noisy"

17K views 25 replies 13 participants last post by  Smokin SRX 
#1 ·
I noticed, at first when idling, that the engine makes a "grinding" noise and now realized that it only makes the noise only when the A/C compressor is running. I can hear it while driving too. It's not very loud but it's definitely noticeable. The vehicle is extremely quiet, but the A/C seems noisy to me. Has anyone else noticed this? I wonder if there's something wrong with my A/C?

If you haven't noticed it, do me a favor...the next time you're in the car, turn the A/C on and off and tell me if you can hear it. It sounds like it's coming from the driver's foot well.

The A/C compressor cycles on and off, with the frequency depending on the temperature setting so if I set it at a higher temp, I can hear it going on and off. I've never been able to hear it in any other car. I can "feel" it but not hear it.

Thanks for your help.
 
#3 ·
I have noticed that the car idles very loudly with the A/C on. Have not compared it when the A/C is off. I also notice quite a bit of condensation on the ground under the car after a drive and after idling for a while.
 
#4 ·
I just spent the last 10 minutes driving back and forth in my driveway. What the neighbors must think... :eek:hno:

I've also noticed the loud "jet engine" sound when idling or in reverse. It never occurred to me to turn off the A/C (It is August) but don't you know the noise goes away when the AC is off. So, is this normal or should I bring it in to the dealer?
 
G
#5 ·
qenclave said:
I have noticed that the car idles very loudly with the A/C on. Have not compared it when the A/C is off. I also notice quite a bit of condensation on the ground under the car after a drive and after idling for a while.
i remember from my acadia that the noise you are talking about was the fan that kept the engine cool while idling, for me it did it with and with out the ac running.

and the noise would cycle on and off. mostly on though.
 
#6 ·
Top Dog said:
I have a "whining Noise" when my air is on. It only makes the noise when it is in the 90's. I took it to my dealer in June and we tried two other Enclaves and they did the same.
They will let me know if they receive a service bulletin.
I'm not sure if the Enclave have 2 Fans under the Hood or 1. A lot of vehicles have 2. One work independent of the other. One work with the A/C when it's on. It's purpose is to pull Air across the Condenser. The other fan help cool the Radiator. If the A/C is on you will definitely hear the A/c Fan running or cycling on, then off, depending how hot or the Temp setting.
The Condensation is normal when the A/C is running.
In a few more Months, maybe I can tell youse how many Fans the Enclave has. Ha !! 8)
 
#7 ·
gavine said:
I noticed, at first when idling, that the engine makes a "grinding" noise and now realized that it only makes the noise only when the A/C compressor is running. I can hear it while driving too. It's not very loud but it's definitely noticeable. The vehicle is extremely quiet, but the A/C seems noisy to me. Has anyone else noticed this? I wonder if there's something wrong with my A/C?

If you haven't noticed it, do me a favor...the next time you're in the car, turn the A/C on and off and tell me if you can hear it. It sounds like it's coming from the driver's foot well.

The A/C compressor cycles on and off, with the frequency depending on the temperature setting so if I set it at a higher temp, I can hear it going on and off. I've never been able to hear it in any other car. I can "feel" it but not hear it.

Thanks for your help.
The Enclave has 2 fans. One for normal, no A/C (or defroster) driving, and one for A/C "on" mode. When the weather is warm, both the engine AND A/C fans may run at same time for brief periods. The compressor should not (doesn't in mine!) cycle "on /off", but fans do.

As for a "grinding" A/C noise, no way. A slight "whine" however is considered normal. (very slight) At start-up, w/ A/C on and driving slowly, if both fans are "whirring", they do sound slightly "loud" in mine in mine too.

Be advised that you may have a freon (and A/C oil) leak which would cause compressor pressure switch to cycle or shut off, as a safety measure. No doubt a low A/C oil (not engine oil!) condition would make extra compressor noise.
Have checked to be sure.
 
#8 ·
I've noticed this too. It's not a loud noise, but I think it just seems loud because the Enclave is so quiet overall. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one that has noticed this - I was debating about whether to drop by the dealer, but felt silly doing that after only a few days of owning it, and for a noise that is certainly not "loud."

I've also noticed that in general, when I'm idling at an incline, I get a little extra noise and even some vibration (my driveway is a fairly steep slope). Is that normal?

This is the first completely new car I've owned - I would never think twice about these noises on any other vehicle, but they just seem out of place on the Enclave!
 
#9 ·
grd398s said:
I've noticed this too. It's not a loud noise, but I think it just seems loud because the Enclave is so quiet overall. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one that has noticed this - I was debating about whether to drop by the dealer, but felt silly doing that after only a few days of owning it, and for a noise that is certainly not "loud."

I've also noticed that in general, when I'm idling at an incline, I get a little extra noise and even some vibration (my driveway is a fairly steep slope). Is that normal?

This is the first completely new car I've owned - I would never think twice about these noises on any other vehicle, but they just seem out of place on the Enclave!
Never noticed any vibes! Is foot on gas when this happens? Does orientation (uphill/downhill) matter?
 
#10 ·
No effect with hills or gas pedal. From my experience, it makes the noise when the compressor runs and no noise when the compressor is off.

I know it's the compressor (not the fans) because I can feel that there's more power when the noise stops which tells me the compressor is not putting a drag on the engine when it's off. I can feel the drag when it kicks-on and then I hear the noise.
 
#11 ·
The auxillary fan comes on when the A/C is running because the AC takes significant HP from the engine to run the compressor causing the engine to heat up faster, it doesn't come on just because the AC is running, at least it doesn't on my other GM vehicles. The whining is probably freon gas on the discharge of the compressor, rapidly dropping in pressure causing it to chill and condense back into a liquid. Don't know what pressure it's at on the discharge side but it's a significant pressure drop.
 
#12 ·
coldtex said:
The auxillary fan comes on when the A/C is running because the AC takes significant HP from the engine to run the compressor causing the engine to heat up faster, it doesn't come on just because the AC is running, at least it doesn't on my other GM vehicles. The whining is probably freon gas on the discharge of the compressor, rapidly dropping in pressure causing it to chill and condense back into a liquid. Don't know what pressure it's at on the discharge side but it's a significant pressure drop.
You're right but the Fan does come on because the Compressor is running. You have to have extra Air Flow across the Condenser.
I have never heard any of these noises except the Fan. If you have two Fans, turn on the Air, one Fan should come on. Turn off the A/C, the Fan should shut off. If the engine is hot, the other Fan should operate independently of the A/C Fan. If there are other noises on a new vehicle, then it should go back to the shop.
 
#13 ·
OK. Just took a trip out East of me w/ plenty of hills.
1. Concentrating , I heard a fan noise w/AC on, during launch and idle, on a hill....but very slight!

2. Also felt carefully and YES, a slight vibration, in idle/drive, on a hill, w/AC on! Went away as soon as I put in Neutral or took off driving. Also slight noise/click sound from fromt end on switching from "R" to "D" and rolling a bit. I am sure this is front/rear wheel diffs engaging for driving, as I have AWD. Never hear it when just normal stop/go, w/o reversing.

Very minor disturbance to me, but I feel a slight increase in idle RPM would probably "cure" the A/C vibes! However I won't touch, as this is a machine working and 100% transparency isn't that important to me.......as long as we're talking only 2% of the time overall ;D And it is.
 
#14 ·
Smokin SRX said:
OK. Just took a trip out East of me w/ plenty of hills.
1. Concentrating , I heard a fan noise w/AC on, during launch and idle, on a hill....but very slight!

2. Also felt carefully and YES, a slight vibration, in idle/drive, on a hill, w/AC on! Went away as soon as I put in Neutral or took off driving. Also slight noise/click sound from fromt end on switching from "R" to "D" and rolling a bit. I am sure this is front/rear wheel diffs engaging for driving, as I have AWD. Never hear it when just normal stop/go, w/o reversing.

Very minor disturbance to me, but I feel a slight increase in idle RPM would probably "cure" the A/C vibes! However I won't touch, as this is a machine working and 100% transparency isn't that important to me.......as long as we're talking only 2% of the time overall ;D And it is.
It seems to me that it's working like it's suppose to. Enjoy that ride. 8)
 
#15 ·
As long as it cools like GM's A/C systems are known for, be happy and be thankful you don't have a "crappy" Honda A/C that takes 30 mins or 30 miles to cool down the vehicle!
 
#16 ·
ccaats said:
I think we see why people in general are so biased towards imports. So-called "consumer research" companies who mis-represent "problem issues" with domestic vehicles while "glossing over" issues with imports.
ccaats,
Bias cuts both ways. Prior to the Enclave, our past three vehicles were Honda/Acura. The "crappy" AC you note is not accurate. There are real problems like the transmission you have stated, but a poor AC system is not one of them in our experience and in any boards I frequent related to the Odyssey, Pilot, and MDX.

On the Enclave AC issue, the AC in the lambda's has been discussed on multiple forums and maybe more problematic than average. I have noticed there is something not-quite-right with the AC, but I have not been able to figure it out well enough to give a service department a solid lead. The clues here have been very helpful - thanks to all.

I will add a potential clue I noticed today. When driving, the temperture of the air coming from the vents varies greatly from very cold to warm even though the blower is on high trying to cool the Enclave. The Enclave would consitently blow warmer air when braking and colder air when accelerating. That's not much of a surprise, the temperture difference is dramatic. Anyone else notice something similar?
 
#17 ·
dfc101a, I notice you are from the metro DC area....try driving a Honda down here in the SE. I have OWNED a Honda Accord that had terrible A/C, and the air would feel "humid" the entire time you were in the car, even with everything on high and recirc. Dealer would say "everything is as per spec". My father in-law and brother-in-law who live in Atlanta have owned (4) Hondas between them over the last 10 years and they will both tell you that their Honda A/C is NO MATCH for the A/C in GM cars, and my father-in-law buys nothing but Hondas. I have proven this with temperature readings from the vents in our Accord vs. the Pontiac we owned at the same time and the average leaving air temps were about 10 degrees colder in the Pontiac.
 
#18 ·
The blower motor is particularly strong but that's a given on US cars, I think they tend to emphasize creature comforts over driving experience in general. I have no quibbles about the Enclave climate control, yes it does blow strong and somewhat noisy at first to cool the car down, but it does back off when the temp stabilizes. I prefer that on my 8/7 born Enclave than running the A/C on high in my Mazda MPV for 20 minutes at a high noise level and STILL not cooling down the whole interior!
 
#19 ·
dfc101a said:
ccaats,
Bias cuts both ways. Prior to the Enclave, our past three vehicles were Honda/Acura. The "crappy" AC you note is not accurate. There are real problems like the transmission you have stated, but a poor AC system is not one of them in our experience and in any boards I frequent related to the Odyssey, Pilot, and MDX.

On the Enclave AC issue, the AC in the lambda's has been discussed on multiple forums and maybe more problematic than average. I have noticed there is something not-quite-right with the AC, but I have not been able to figure it out well enough to give a service department a solid lead. The clues here have been very helpful - thanks to all.

I will add a potential clue I noticed today. When driving, the temperature of the air coming from the vents varies greatly from very cold to warm even though the blower is on high trying to cool the Enclave. The Enclave would consistently blow warmer air when braking and colder air when accelerating. That's not much of a surprise, the temperature difference is dramatic. Anyone else notice something similar?
OK. Firstly A/C is very subjective! Only a temp probe in the vent, taking actual readings, will rule out "sun in the face" syndrome. Yes, GM is known for GREAT A/C units. Don't know about imports, but excess humidity and 30 minute cool downs is not normal, unless you're in Arizona, with a Vermont, no tinted glass ,auto ;) My dash vents ,at a moderate 35 MPH drive, reads 48 degrees F, (after 5 minutes running!) fan speed at 2nd notch, using a small, cheap, souvenir thermometer stuck into the dash vent. My other GM ('03 Yukon) reads 49 degrees!

Secondly, I also noticed that being stuck in traffic (low idle for long periods) definitely causes me to re-set the otherwise cold ,68 degree setting, down to 60 degrees within 2-5 minutes, in order to stay cool. Especially on sunny and hot days. Yes, the air gets noticeably warmer (about 12 degrees) at this occasion, if I don't react. I should try the "AUTO" mode which should rectify the problem, but don't care for the cold air coming out of the many different vents (floor,defrost,roof) as it tries to achieve the temp I selected. All my "auto mode" GM vehicles worked by this method. But I do not notice the compressor cycle on/off that you others are mentioning. Either I have the radio too loud or you're LOW on freon! ???

So we just raise it back to 68 degrees after we get moving again, to avoid freezing from the 60 degree setting, and she blows real cold, once more. I think it's the nature of the beast and nothing wrong........ as long as the 60 degree setting chills you good, even at idle, you're OK. ;D

PS...........I observe dash temp guage barely moves up at all, so it's a factor of the compressors RPM, not eng cooling system, I'd imagine.
 
#20 ·
Ok, I think I know what others are talking about on here and the acadia forum. I rented an Outlook today on a business trip and noticed that the a/c compressor has a low pitched whine or grinding noise that gets louder under acceleration. At first I thought it was the transmission, but noticed it went away if I had the A/C off. This outlook was built in April so I wonder if there is a TSB out on it? Definitely sounds like something is wrong with the compressor.
 
#21 ·
ccaats said:
Ok, I think I know what others are talking about on here and the acadia forum. I rented an Outlook today on a business trip and noticed that the a/c compressor has a low pitched whine or grinding noise that gets louder under acceleration. At first I thought it was the transmission, but noticed it went away if I had the A/C off. This outlook was built in April so I wonder if there is a TSB out on it? Definitely sounds like something is wrong with the compressor.
I don't hear anything except a very slight "whine" when first rolling away, in first or second gears. (first few seconds only) I thought it might be AWD as it seems there, even w/ AC off. definitely not "grinding". Mine is almost like an alternator "whine", if it's under a heavy load. Not really objiectional.....just barely noticeable.
Was your Outlook rental a AWD or FWD vehicle? Just curious.
 
#22 ·
Smokin SRX said:
I don't hear anything except a very slight "whine" when first rolling away, in first or second gears. (first few seconds only) I thought it might be AWD as it seems there, even w/ AC off. definitely not "grinding". Mine is almost like an alternator "whine", if it's under a heavy load. Not really objiectional.....just barely noticeable.
Was your Outlook rental a AWD or FWD vehicle? Just curious.
I also hear the "very slight whine" when first rolling away. I didn't really think too much of it, other than a sound of a "high tech" transmission.
My Enclave is FWD.
 
#23 ·
Mr Buick, thanks, I was wondering if FWD vehicles sounded same. I think you're right in our case anyway, that the slight whine is a tranny (whether FWD or AWD) or alternator(?) "whine". As we know, this cruiser is at least 90% FWD for everyone, until a slight wheel slip is detected. Then, if optioned, main AWD feature kicks in, it seems. And it works well as I can barely get a 1/2 second wheel spin on a wet road when I try! So makes some sense tranny sounds same for all.
Seems some units have A/C noise however as a few members did the old "shut it off and listen" test and most noise gone w/ AC off. I'd see a dealer ASAP if I was them.
 
#24 ·
The rental Outlook was FWD and had 14,000 miles on it. The noise was definitely coming from the compressor as it was gone when the A/C was off. It is pretty noticeable and sounds like a bearing issue. I won't worry about it unless my 'clave has the same noise.
 
#25 ·
There is something wrong with the compressor. I finally found some good data. The loud compressor noise is not normal. Please see the following Tech Bulletion.

Thx



Ok here is some info from the Tech Notice for those of you who think you might have this condition. I assure you a loud noise in that ultra quiet cabin is NOT normal.

Subject: [/color] Growl Noise Only When AC is on While Driven at Slow Speeds (Parking Lot Maneuvers) - Keywords AC Compressor Expansion HVAC Thermal TXV valve whine #PIT4880 - (08-27-2007)

Condition/Concern:

Customers may comments on a growl and/or whine noise when the AC Compressor is engaged while running at lower engine RPM, usually around 1000 to 2000 RPM and usually noticed during parking lot maneuvers. The noise will stop immediately when the compressor is disengaged.

Recommendation/Instructions:

Engineering is investigating this condition. Do not replace the AC compressor, hoses or TXV for this noise since it will not correct this condition.

This sucks...
 
#26 ·
ccaats said:
The rental Outlook was FWD and had 14,000 miles on it. The noise was definitely coming from the compressor as it was gone when the A/C was off. It is pretty noticeable and sounds like a bearing issue. I won't worry about it unless my 'clave has the same noise.
THKS! Good info. My noise is NOT A/C related however, since I turn off the A/C and front defroster (yes, defroster runs the A/C also!!) but "whine" remains. It's exactly like a power steering pump that's low on fluid! But I checked!
By the way, the power steering reserve is gotten to by unscrewing the oil dip stick retainer collar (about size of a silver dollar, I did by hand! ) then pulling the plastic, top engine cover off it's push-on grommets. Easy, lightweight and quick to do with a COOl engine...........turned OFF! ;)
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top