Loud whirring from AC compressor fans

[Arctiic]

I've seen a wide range of posts related to this topic, which makes it really difficult to narrow down relevant information that is applicable to my case. I'm hoping to get a more definitive answer by posting here, because the noise is getting out of hand. Here are the details:

What type of noise?
A loud, consistent whirring (presumably from the two condenser cooling fans).

When does it occur?
Basically anytime the A/C is turned on and active (does not occur when air flow is on and A/C is off, etc.); also, not sure whether it's related or not, but I believe when the gas engine kicks on (i.e., lithium ion battery is depleted) the noise level has also gotten notably louder.

How loud is it?
Loud enough that I can't park at the curb in a residential at night and have the A/C running unless I want to receive complaints about keeping people up.

What has been done about it?
At first I took it to the dealership to get it diagnosed. Long story short, they took my car to the back and had me wait all day in a crammed packed waiting area for an entire day, then charged me a $75 "diagnostics fee" despite "not being able to determine any cause", only for me to drive back home that evening to discover they never even popped the hood.

I've tentatively tried a few things on my own, such as applying some nano-tape/kinetically insulating materials in places I felt could vibrate — or amplify/exacerbate them — such as the areas where (not sure what the correct vernacular terms are here) the condenser assembly is seated/bolted onto the chassis. I've also gone through and made sure all bolts were tightened. I tried cleaning the fans themselves, but very little was actually accessible to me as I didn't want to disassemble or damage anything without being certain I knew what I was doing. I've also conditioned the rubber gaskets with petroleum jelly or silicone lubricant on a regular basis, and added a rubber "lip" to the hood which keeps it pretty well sealed when closed.

I'm unsure which of the above had the most effect, but the steps did appear to abate the noise level for a while. Unfortunately, over time the noise has increasingly gotten to a point where it's no longer tolerable once again.

What I'd like to find out?
If possible, I'd like to know the root cause for this and — hopefully — do something to address it. If at all possible, I'd like to not be told that the only thing to do is to replace it altogether, especially not by someone who cannot even state with any specificity what is wrong with the assembly to begin with that's causing the noise.

 

[Landshark]

If possible, I'd like to know the root cause for this and — hopefully — do something to address it. If at all possible, I'd like to not be told that the only thing to do is to replace it altogether, especially not by someone who cannot even state with any specificity what is wrong with the assembly to begin with that's causing the noise.

The first part is possible, it will likely require a mechanic/technician to diagnose the problem. They will then be able to advise on a course of action for you to follow to remedy the situation. You could get half a dozen recommendations from forum members and then you’ll be putting tape and grease on everything.

The second part is possible as well. You may be told that a component can be repaired rather than replaced. It may need a $10 bearing. A dealer probably isn’t going to replace a bearing and it may be difficult to find a bearing that is sold separately. I’m just using a bearing as an example, not a diagnosis.

Alternatively, if you’re told what you don’t want to hear, you can take the car to different shops until you’re told what you do want to hear. Like anything, this can be as easy or difficult as you choose to make it.

 

[Arctiic]

The first part is possible, it will likely require a mechanic/technician to diagnose the problem. They will then be able to advise on a course of action for you to follow to remedy the situation. You could get half a dozen recommendations from forum members and then you’ll be putting tape and grease on everything.

The second part is possible as well. You may be told that a component can be repaired rather than replaced. It may need a $10 bearing. A dealer probably isn’t going to replace a bearing and it may be difficult to find a bearing that is sold separately. I’m just using a bearing as an example, not a diagnosis.

Alternatively, if you’re told what you don’t want to hear, you can take the car to different shops until you’re told what you do want to hear. Like anything, this can be as easy or difficult as you choose to make it.

When I initially wrote the OP, there were more than a few considerations I was ignorant of. Fortunately, I had also posted up on the mechanics SE, and a very kind community member took the time to explain to me why my expectations wouldn't be considered as reasonable in the real world. They were magnanimous enough that after providing their critiques, they still went on to provide some additional diagnostics instructions for me to attempt. I'll keep this thread updated if any new developments arise.

 

[Landshark]

When I initially wrote the OP, there were more than a few considerations I was ignorant of. Fortunately, I had also posted up on the mechanics SE, and a very kind community member took the time to explain to me why my expectations wouldn't be considered as reasonable in the real world. They were magnanimous enough that after providing their critiques, they still went on to provide some additional diagnostics instructions for me to attempt. I'll keep this thread updated if any new developments arise.

Yes, your expectations were unreasonable, and perhaps a bit arrogant. I simply explained how what you hoped would be possible, might be possible.

Open forums aren’t always safe spaces.

 

[mr.ms]

I've seen a wide range of posts related to this topic, which makes it really difficult to narrow down relevant information that is applicable to my case. I'm hoping to get a more definitive answer by posting here, because the noise is getting out of hand. Here are the details:

What type of noise?
A loud, consistent whirring (presumably from the two condenser cooling fans).

When does it occur?
Basically anytime the A/C is turned on and active (does not occur when air flow is on and A/C is off, etc.); also, not sure whether it's related or not, but I believe when the gas engine kicks on (i.e., lithium ion battery is depleted) the noise level has also gotten notably louder.

How loud is it?
Loud enough that I can't park at the curb in a residential at night and have the A/C running unless I want to receive complaints about keeping people up.

What has been done about it?
At first I took it to the dealership to get it diagnosed. Long story short, they took my car to the back and had me wait all day in a crammed packed waiting area for an entire day, then charged me a $75 "diagnostics fee" despite "not being able to determine any cause", only for me to drive back home that evening to discover they never even popped the hood.

I've tentatively tried a few things on my own, such as applying some nano-tape/kinetically insulating materials in places I felt could vibrate — or amplify/exacerbate them — such as the areas where (not sure what the correct vernacular terms are here) the condenser assembly is seated/bolted onto the chassis. I've also gone through and made sure all bolts were tightened. I tried cleaning the fans themselves, but very little was actually accessible to me as I didn't want to disassemble or damage anything without being certain I knew what I was doing. I've also conditioned the rubber gaskets with petroleum jelly or silicone lubricant on a regular basis, and added a rubber "lip" to the hood which keeps it pretty well sealed when closed.

I'm unsure which of the above had the most effect, but the steps did appear to abate the noise level for a while. Unfortunately, over time the noise has increasingly gotten to a point where it's no longer tolerable once again.

What I'd like to find out?
If possible, I'd like to know the root cause for this and — hopefully — do something to address it. If at all possible, I'd like to not be told that the only thing to do is to replace it altogether, especially not by someone who cannot even state with any specificity what is wrong with the assembly to begin with that's causing the noise.

I recently went to dealership to fix the AC( condenser). The AC is cold now but I have this loud noise that you are describing whenever the ac is turned on. The fan is on highest speed and very loud. When i turn the ac off the fan turns off. Went back to dealer and they are telling me this is normal! Did anyone find a solution?


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs

 

[Arctiic]

I recently went to dealership to fix the AC( condenser). The AC is cold now but I have this loud noise that you are describing whenever the ac is turned on. The fan is on highest speed and very loud. When i turn the ac off the fan turns off. Went back to dealer and they are telling me this is normal! Did anyone find a solution?

That sounds about the same as my experience. No, the StackExchange thread has the most current progress I made to that regard.

 

[MrFixit]

@Arctiic , @mr.ms

It looks to me like there are two identical fan assemblies. Each assembly consists of the motor, the fan blade, and the shroud.
The motor is 1J030-5WP-A01 (~$500 new), the blade is 38611-5WP-A01 (~$40 new), and the shroud is 1J030-5WP-A01 (~$60 new),
Like most Clarity parts, these seem to be unduly expensive, but that is the reality.

So, if the dealer is wanting to replace the entire 9 yards (both fan assemblies) then the parts alone are approximately $1200.
It would be ridiculous to blindly replace both assemblies because undoubtedly only one is bad.

Here is how I would approach this...

You can get an entire used assembly on eBay for $150 to $250. It may be listed as either part number (motor or shroud) but they sell the entire assembly (motor + blade + shroud). Search for either 1J030-5WP-A01 or 38615-5Wj-A01 . I would purchase one of these. I would try to determine which is bad (use the old garden hose trick to listen to each and see if you can tell). Replace the one you think is bad with the eBay one... If you guessed wrong, then you will have to take it out and replace the other one instead.

In the end, you should be able to solve this for around $250, but you need to have the skills to do this replacement. It does not look too hard to me, but I am pretty experienced. If you don't want to do it, then buy the part and take it to an independent mechanic. He would probably charge you for an hour or two of labor.