Loud A/C FAN Noise

Hi everyone. Coming to you from Michigan, mine make the same exact sound when I turn on the air conditioner and put the fan up to three and above it makes that sound when I turn the air conditioner back down to Fan level 2 The Sound goes away, I would also like to know is this normal?

 

It's normal. It's a combination of the inverter providing current to the electric compressor and the electric ac compressor itself. My g2 is quite loud under the hood when the ac is on max cool also. The inverter screams.
It's just one of the many odd noises a Prius makes.
Relax and move along.

 

Thanks Everyone....

 

Remember, in the Prius the A/C compressor is variable speed (unlike most old technology cars that drive it with the engine). So on "high" it may make more noise than when on "low".

If you are worried, DO clean or at least check or have the dealer check the "cabin filter". If it is plugged the fan will have to work harder and might be noisier. The dealer will want to replace the filter most likely. It's a lowish cost item and letting them replace it won't break the bank. You can replace the filter yourself. You have to:
1. empty the lower glove box.
2. Press in on the sides of the glove box when it's open and start to swing it down.
3. On the "outside" (toward the side window) of the glove box you will see a "shock absorber" thingy. Unhook it from the pin it's on.
4. The glove box will now swing all the way down and can be pulled off the hinges and placed out of the way.
5. On the "firewall" behind where the glove box was you will see a door. Open/remove that and you will see the filter.
6. When you replace the glove box, don't forget to hook the "shock absorber" back on the pin. If you don't the glove box will open onto the passengers lap.

 

The cabin filter doesn't really affect the ac quality other than the blower. If you want to maintain the ac system go to Lowes and buy couple cans of Coil Cleaner take the plastic cover off the rad and hose down the condenser with that cleaner , if never done before it's probably pretty nasty. The condenser cools the refrigerant that's circulated through the compressor, poor cooling hotter compressor short compressor life.
And buy a couple of cans of Koolit on amazon and it's used to inject that microbial cleaner back up through the ac ecoil box drip hose and fills the Ebox with cleaner. That's what your breathing, the nasty funk that builds up in the ebox.
Dealer charges $150 for that service. Can of Koolit costs $10.

I routinely clean the condenser this way and 10 years later still have freezing ac.
Do the Koolit once a year. Ac vents smell clean. Basic ac maintenance should be done on all cars.

 

Thank you! That was my issue. Acorns in the squirrel cage. Kind of appropriate! Thanks again, took me five minutes to fix.

 

You can put a rodent proof mesh over the cabin air intake, at the firewall. You likely will have to remove the wipers and cowl for access.

 

I also have a 2013 with an AC/ engine cooling fan noise as you discribe and also is more noisy under a load. Fan feels good. It spins and isn't loose when I wiggle it. When under load it does seem out of balance or spinning faster then normal causing unbalance(?) somehow or is the the compressor going bad or is it my water pump and car is getting too hot. Did you solve your problem? I have more comments to read so I might still find out.

 

The condenser is the radiator correct? Which is the ebox? I have new air filters in engine and cabin. Still having noise like it's working too hard under a load and didn't have this issue before. I'd love to clean the condenser with some koolit. I've had car over 2 years and it hasn't been done since I've had it... thank you. I hope this fixes or makes this better.