weird whistling sound
Created June 7, 2008, at 12:59 am by rkr
I just remembered something weird my car does occasionally. I'll have to ask the dealer when I go in for my next oil change. I thought this is the perfect place to ask about it.
Sometimes, usually driving uphill (or maybe flat as well), there will be a whistling/schreechy noise from I think the rear passenger side of the car. Definitely in the rear -- which side I'm not totally sure of.
Kind of like a tea kettle sound, but it doesn't get louder and louder, instead it stays whistling steadily for a few seconds, then winds down.
On another note, we were driving through forest recently and all of a sudden there was a tiny chipmunk seemingly coming out of my car hood! I think it had dropped onto the car perhaps. Or else the car is powered by chipmunks and now it has one less chipmunk-power.
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3 years ago
I've heard of a similar report a while ago and oddly enough, it was traced to a segment of house paper/wrap (from a residential construction area?) that had lodged itself in between the body of the car and the rear bumper. It simply got stuck in the IMA vent/port which exists at the rear right corner of the vehicle.
By the way, the thermal management of the IPU does consist of a FAN that periodically may vent warm air through that port.
I would lie down and try to look under the car in that general area. Who knows...
LOL... Chipmunks... :)
Cheers;
MSantos
3 years ago
I'll have to take a look under the car, maybe it's that's it. I'll report back...
3 years ago
Never figured this out, and tonight it made this whining sound for over 8 miles on the highway. It only stopped when my husband turned the car off (while driving). We think the fan is getting stuck on or something. The sound is from the rear right of the car.
So far my best theory about when this happens is after doing some stop-and-go city driving followed by a long grade at 50 mph+ and it gets triggered. However, the sound kept going as we charged up down a very long hill, and it just kept on going even on the relatively flat stretch of road. For at least 7-8 minutes or so. I recorded some of the sound on our cell phone. I think around 13 seconds in you start getting a feel for the whine. Basically the sounds are whining & the background noise of a car on the highway.
a minute of the whine :
http://s3.amazonaws.com/cwa_tmp/Voicemsg-0003.wav
3 years ago
Another (remote) possiblity, and I don't see much pointing in that direction: the gas cap venting extra pressure?
This is usually noticeable when the cark is *parked*, subsequent to a good drive in hot weather, and the cap is on the *left* side.
3 years ago
Hi rkr;
Was the climate control on (blower fan), if so what was the setting?
BTW, that is a good recording. There are a few things I would focus on:
- Checking the ground points under the dash and trunk. It almost sounds like the audio system could be picking up on extra harmonics and electrical noise from adjacent systems.
- Check the blower resistors and assembly. A bad blower motor will also make such noises in an intermittent fashion.
- Make sure nothing is lodged in the rear exhaust IPU duct as well as the intake resonator/chamber.
- Check the brake clearances (very remote possibility but still worth checking). Wheel bearings also worth checking when looking at the wheels.
I would show the recording to the dealership's service manager and with a few checks, they could eyeball a few other potential spots.
Cheers;
MSantos
3 years ago
Thanks for all your suggestsions. I think I'm going to print out this thread for the dealer.
The car made a really horrible version of the sound this morning. I was just turning it around so the front windshield would defrost in the sun. So a tight turn with a cold car. And as I turned it started, but it sounded BAD, just a lot louder but more disturbing as well.
The other times it's more like a quirk that makes my car speciale (but of course I want it fixed). This time I wanted to shut off the car as quickly as possible to get it stop.
I'm just going to take it in ASAP now. It definitely seems like it's getting worse.
3 years ago
Also -- both times the climate control was on. Heat was about 70-72, fan was on pretty low (2-3 bars), and heat coming out the floor vents.
I think the other night we probably had the iPod playing using the FM transmitter.
Weather has been cold -- I think 30s low 40s tops the other night. This morning it may well have been high 20s, 30s at most.
3 years ago
Ahhh... that is yet another helpful clue.
There have been a few HCH-II's that developed problems in their Electric Power Steering and had to have the rack replaced under warranty. Usually faults of this kind manifest themselves with pretty similar sounds and also lower fuel economy performance as one of the symptoms.
Cheers;
MSantos
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