Noisy aircon whine

Am I being niaive or is there an issue with my aircon? :? Owned the car 3 weeks - 2002 996 - very happy but when using the aircon under cooling load the noise from the engine bay is joined by a whining noise which increases with revs - especially noticable at low speed/ pulling away. Turn aircon button off noise stops. Not a slipping/ screeching noise so belt is not slipping Any ideas - shot bearings on compressor - tensioner issue - any way of checking and if so is it accessible/ is this a lubrication issue/ bearing rebuild Any experience? Thanks

Noisy Aircon I have the same problem, it is the compressor itself. As long as it's cooling okay I wouldn't worry about it. If it's not cooling then worth getting repaired as it gets quite hot in the summer. If it's not cooling you'll need to get the gas recharged first as it might just be a leak. You could just turn the radio up ?

Aircon works - Camtune OPC had it for a major overhaul inc regas of the aircon a few days before I bought the car. Camtune gave me a report on the work undertaken and all work they had reccommended was carried out - cost £3k all in on clutch, brakes, service, tyres, rms, tracking, regas, etc...pity they didnt pick up on the noisy aircon but as it doesent show up unless its a hot day and under load I cant hold them to anything and the previous owner dug deep so I cant complain..... Cant hear it above 4k so maybe thats the answer...until it fails and needs changing Thanks

Hello The whine you refer to is there becaus ethe system is low on gas not the compressor failing in my experience. Seen this loads of times where either there is a leak from somewhere or the system has not been cherged to the correct amount. It will either be a acondensor unit behind the front bumper or underneath the vehicle where the pipework is it may of got a small hole in the pipe or even one of the sealing o-rings have failed. Mike

When the aircon was re gassed was some oil also added to the system?

The process of re-gassing includes removing the old crap and then refilling with the correct amount of refrigerant and lubricating oil. Both OPC and third parties have the volumes ncessary to deliver the necessary cooling and lubrication of the compressor bearings etc. If your condensors are leaking then it could take 2 weeks for the refrigerant to leak following a regas - this is exactly what happened to me. Once I had changed the Condensors myself everything was fine. I replaced both units and got Kwikfit to re-gas - the whole job was less than £500 (non turbo models are even cheaper) Ray :thumb:

Thanks for thoughts...sure when I picked the car up that there was no whine - system had been regassed within 48hours when at OPC....a leak would make sense. Am I damaging the compressor by running it? :?: Aircon still seems to work...not sure it is at full strength...not hot enough ambient temp to really establish whether it is blowing at low temp If its a leak it may have to wait...spent out on car! :frustrated:

Lack of coolant causes that noise. The most probable point of leakage is the aircon radiators and that won't be cheap. Check the coolant radiators now, as if the aircon rads go then the coolant rads could have corroded too. Leaking coolant is a lot worse than having no aircon. The rads are behind the front splitter & just in front of the wheels. Use a torch to look for signs of calcification on the radiators. Its about £1300 if all of them go - sorry!

I had exactly the same problem when one of my front condensors started to leak. The aircon made all kinds of noises as the pressure in the system reduced. Eventually, it went silent when the low pressure sensor turned the compressor off. So in answer to your question - I cant do any harm if you run it until in turns itself off. IF you are able to to use spanners and screwdrivers it is a simple job to remove the front bumper etc and replace the pair of condensors (£90 each from Design 911 + £80 for a regas from any reputable air-con shop) It is also a useful opportunity to clear all of the muck from the water cooling rads at the same time. IF you are not able to use spanners - prepare to pay lots & lots more!

Fantastic advice chaps - I will probably take a flyer and change the rads and go with a regas in the hope that the rads are the source of the leak as price is not too bad for replacements. Got a lotus so basic spanner wrangling comes naturally! Your input is really appreciated. :thumb: Thanks

Make sure that you get the right units for your car. I would suggest getting the part numbers from OPC and then googling. The original units are available via the internet and are made by Behr. There are also cheaper patterns available from third parties. This link will help you to remove the front PU http://www.911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=37139 and http://www.fast911.co.uk/Bumper removal on 996 TT with Aerokit.doc Ray :thumb:

Hi everyone. I have just picked up a 986S facelift today and have heard exactly the same noises described. I guess that this is a shared 986/996 problem. I know the car has only done 2k in the last 6 months so I will get the system re-gassed and let you all know if this cures the noise and for how long. I was worried that as the noise increases with revs that the a/c is belt driven and if the compressor seizes it could do damage elsewhere - but lets hope not! I'm in S London so if anyone know a reputable re-gasser please let me know, thanks, Chris

Kwikfit for re-gassing Ray 8)

I have the symptoms described by various posters on here: - aircon no longer cold 2mths ago - got Kwikfit to regas (they said it was completely empty, but their system also said it wasnt leaking) - was cold for a few weeks then no longer cold - get a whining sound coming from the vents when I turn AC on Before I jump in and replace the 2 condensers myself, I thought I might get some dye put through the system to check its definitely them and not a pipe or o-ring as suggested by sportsandclassic. Anyone know a garage in SW London that has the capability and knowledge to do this dye thing correctly?