2008 ac noise

the a/c is quite noisy, a buzzing like sound. but if you feel it is much louder than last year, there could be an issue.

 

that does sound a bit louder than normal. the buzz sounds right, but the whining doesn't. fan on low and nothing else running until the engine fires up near the end?

 

and when you shut off the a/c, no sound?

 

Have you made sure that your not low on freon?

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

not sure, but a bad feeling you're going to need a compressor.

 

I have a 2008 Prius too. I use the A/C a lot, both during winter for demister purposes and in summer for cooling the cabin.

In the 4 years I've owned my Prius, I've always been able to hear the compressor of my A/C. It makes a rather high pitched electric turbine sound when it's operating.

I've actually arrived home in summer parked outside my home, left the propulsion system (and A/C) online, and stepped out of the vehicle to listen to it running. Outside of the vehicle, you'll definitely know it's online, as it sometimes sounds so loud, that when the ICE is off and your progressing along in vehicle induced EV mode or standing still, it's easy for a third party to believe that's your vehicle's ICE running.
Yes, it can be that loud.

When I turn mine on, I can hear it spooling up like a mini jet engine from inside the vehicle (I have exceptional hearing most of the time), and upon A/C shutdown, I can also clearly hear it spooling down - again like a mini jet engine. Now, I'm not sure if the loud whine I hear is coming from the A/C condenser cooling fan only, as there's more noise in summer than there is in colder weather - when it's not as loud.

There is only one other weird thing my A/C does, while operational, and that's the relatively high pitched "dog bark" - sounds like a "Yiiip...!!!" sound, and it does that repeatedly - and has consistently done so for the 4 years I've owned the vehicle.

Often in winter, the only warning I'll get when the A/C compressor is operating (as in when using the windscreen defogger), is that repetitive "yiiip...!!" sound. According to other Prius Chat forum users, it's not uncommon for some 2nd Gen Prii's A/Cs to make that sound - it's just another Prius II quirk.

Ditto with my relatively noisy A/C compressor in summer - I just accepted it as being normal.

However, in the last video above, I could hear a strange electric motor sound increasing in steps. My A/C definitely doesn't do that. It spools up smoothly to speed, not in steps.

One more thing; there's an extra cooling fan in front of the vehicle that kicks in to cool The A/C condenser (looks like a radiator). I've heard that fan turning on and off independently as it's services are required.

I've had my A/C checked and serviced in the last 12 months by Toyota; nothing unusual was detected or reported. I believe they also checked the refrigerant levels and replenished them. It seemed to work even better after the service check, which I did purely as a precaution and asked for myself - it wasn't malfunctioning.

Hope this helps your diagnosis.


iPhone ?

 

I'd say unless you're a refrigeration engineer with detailed information on the precise specifications for topping up the refrigerant on a Prius, I'd strongly suggest you have this done by a Toyota dealer / Toyota maintenance specialist who is 100% conversant with the Prius.

I am aware that the Prius does not use standard refrigerant like other vehicles - particularly the oil, which is supposed to be specially formulated to operate in an electric compressor motor's high voltage environment....!! Other ordinary refrigerant oils will kill your compressor, I believe.


iPhone ?

 

if you don't know what to do, don't do it. the compressor uses high voltage, and a mistake can run 4 figures.

 

I can hear the A/C compressor while sitting in my house with the window open. Its quite normal actually esp if you have the fan on full blast and the temp dropped to Lo.

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