noisy a/c compressor?

what year are we talking about?

 

I assume he has a new-ish PiP if he is posting on here.

Yes, it does make some noise. While I necessarily wouldn't call it noisy...I can only hear mine if I'm stopped and it is pretty quiet around me.

 

I was thinking it was a newer one, however his avatar and "your vehicle" is a GenII

 

I have a new 2014 PiP only a month old now. I never noticed the a/c compressor even when I took short all ev trips. I normally have the radio on, but today turned it off and made sure the a/c was on then listened. Inside I heard a quiet fluttering sound, outside I heard less. Initially the fan went to high and that noise covered the a/c noise on the inside. I drove about 10 miles all ev with the radio off and did not really notice the compressor sound over the road noise. I normally listen to the radio all the time, but with the radio off today the a/c compressor did not sound abnormally loud to me.

 

mine has a slight buzz to it, no biggie. maybe it's more efficient? hardly seems to use any battery.

 

I noticed this for the first time recently as well. From outside the car, it sounded exactly as described above - like a bicycle with a card in the spokes. Anyone else noticing this?

The Tesla forums have complaints about the same issue, so I wonder how much of this is just the fact that nobody has really worried about a/c compressor noise when packaged next to an ICE and it's just more obvious in an EV?

 

I just noticed today, after 46k on my 2012, that the loud hum from the AC compressor has turned into slight gurgling while humming. It's always been the same loudness but the sound changed...I wonder what is wrong.

 

hopefully nothing. but you may want to listen to it at the dealer and compare the sound to a new one.

 

I want to take it in, but don't want to waste my time for them to tell me it's nothing. It's out of warranty anyway, and it still works the same as it did before. But the noise has definitely changed from...earlier in the week I guess. I was using remote AC a lot today so I was outside the car to hear the noise. It was parked and plugged in.

 

it definitely sounds different outside the car than in.

 

Yes it does. It's muffled and quieter inside. Half the time I have to stop and go back in the house for something I forgot. I leave the car on. So I think I'm familiar with both. It's like the AC is gargling while humming instead of just humming.

 

not the inverter pump or something?

 

Nope, it shuts off when you hit the AC button to turn the AC off. Also, it keeps going with the AC on when the radiator fans shut off. It's coming from the passenger side of the engine, front, bottom.

 

If I may... here are some videos I took, of MY noise. Hopefully someone has had something similar. I will also check with the dealer tomorrow.

 

The A/C system might have some air in it!!
Take your new 2014 Prius back to the dealer, and have tech hear it.
Somebody might not have pulled a vacuum on it, before they charged it up with freon gas.
Air in the A/C system can be very LOUD!!

 

Idk about the OP but mine hasn't been recovered and recharged ever.

 

Mine is almost silent, but I have observed that compressors sometimes get much noisier as they begin to wear out.

 

I went to the dealer and 10' away the tech said yup, your compressor is going bad getting an estimate tomorrow.