Abnormal air conditioner noise (dealer refuses to repair)

[Lev]

Hello guys,

Cupra Formentor 1.5 TSI 2022.​

A year ago I noticed noise from the air conditioner, an unpleasant squeak that could be heard even from the inside of the car even when driving.
The car is under warranty. The dealer replaced the air conditioner, but it did not help. Further the dealer does not want to find out the problem and fix it. Quoting the dealer answer:

We haven’t figured it out yet – it might be normal noise. Last time we made sure that noise is coming from A/C compressor, we have replaced it already. Currently we don’t have similar car for sale and haven’t had chance to test it.

And that's it, two months have passed, nothing new. I tried to write a complaint to "cupraofficial", but received a response from them that they forwarded my letter to the dealer and that's it, they are ignoring me from now on. I am going to file a complaint with the consumer protection department, but before I want to make sure that this is not normal operation of the air conditioner. Has anyone encountered a similar issue with the air conditioner in hot weather? I recorded a video of the air conditioner. You can see when I turn off the A/C the squeak disappears. https://youtube.com/shorts/VRUBuauU4r4

 

[Karbonfaiba]

Is it the whistling sound just before you moved the camera? Around a 870hz fundamental frequency.

 

[Lev]

Is it the whistling sound just before you moved the camera? Around a 870hz fundamental frequency.

Yes, this sound is heard from the very beginning of the video, it can become louder or quieter. Before moving the camera, I turned off (0:06) turned on (0:08) the AC, you could hear a click. At 0:21 another additional whistle appeared, slightly different, but still related to the operation of the air conditioner.

 

[Karbonfaiba]

Well I can say I certainly don't have a whistling sound from the AC. I mostly hear the cabin fan bearing clicking on speed 1 which occasionally annoys me.

For all AC related issues you really need a mechanic with an AC machine for proper diagnostics.

They say the A/C compressor was isolated as the cause of the noise and replaced?

I presume every other test possible to determine any other reason was tried beforehand... e.g. the refrigerant level was measured, the low side and high side pressures were monitored normal. Anything outside of spec could cause noise anomalies for the pump. It's less likely the problem was the compressor if the symptoms remain with a replacement, but then again, it's also possible a replacement compressor might exhibit the same noise. Very difficult to discern!

 

[Lev]

They say the A/C compressor was isolated as the cause of the noise and replaced?

They thought that if the noise comes from when the A/C is on, it means the A/C is making noise. But in fact, they did not conduct any diagnostics and did not find out the cause, this is the problem, they either do not know how or do not want to do this, all they can do is replace the part. And the dealer, not the factory, is responsible for warranty service, according to cupraofficial response.

Thank you @Karbonfaiba! At least now I know that this is not normal noise from the air conditioner.

 

[Karbonfaiba]

To be honest from what you've told me, I would be surprised if they even replaced the A/C compressor.

Dealerships have very lengthy procedures for replacing any parts. Does the compressor look shiny and new? Any witness marks on the bolts? I often joke with dealerships for wanting to "parts cannon" a fix without knowing the exact cause, but it seems like they actually did... guess? Maybe they were confident the noise was isolated to the compressor, but that doesn't necessary mean it was a cause of the sound, and it sounds like a pressure issue related noise to me. They would have to recharge and check the AC system again anyway, for that operation.

Yeah I would say, being a noise complaint that isn't inherent to it's design, is valid.

As a tech, I would check the refrigerant level, if it was in spec, I would intentionally undercharge the AC system to see if the noise remained or not. Introduce a variable to isolate the true cause.

 

[Lev]

@Karbonfaiba, sorry for the late reply.

Does the compressor look shiny and new? Any witness marks on the bolts?

They replaced A/C in the winter (although I contacted them in the summer 2023, it took me 4 months to get them to replace it), and due to the cold temperature in the winter, the air conditioner was off, and it was impossible to understand whether the issue was fixed or not.

Also, because the air conditioner is located almost under the engine, it is almost impossible to see it from the bonnet. It needs to lift the car and remove the protection that is under the engine. I don't have this opportunity.

The dealer says they are waiting for permission from Cupra to change the air conditioner again. This sounds very suspicious... I'll let you know later how it all ends.