A/C compressor on = funny noise

[Tenacious G]

when i have my A/C on (which is a lot now in Houston), i get a weird noise when i get on the gas. it immediately goes away if i turn the A/C off. so, it's obviously compressor-related. anyhoo, the car seems to be running fine, it just makes a lower-pitched noise when i give it gas. sorry i can't describe it any better than that, but i have nothing to compare it to. anyone else experiencing this?

[glizard]

sounds like it may just be the ac compessor or compressor bearings/how many miles? i have seen several rsx engines have belt tensioner or pulley problems that are noisey but they were noisey all the time
it also may be the pressurization of the system/it will make a noise sometimes

[David K.]

My A/C compressor is real noisy, makes a dat-dat-dat-dat-dat-dat noise when it cycles on. Also I can feel a bit of vibration through my steering wheel when it's on. Gonna put my car in the shop tomorrow for the tranny, A/C, and some other crap that warranty should cover.

[sonic imperial]

My compressor makes a loud clunk sound when it turns on and off, and takes away alot of power from the car. You have to give it more gas during shifting or the car will buck some because it seems to rob power and reduce rpms.

[Tenacious G]

Originally posted by sonic imperial
My compressor makes a loud clunk sound when it turns on and off, and takes away alot of power from the car. You have to give it more gas during shifting or the car will buck some because it seems to rob power and reduce rpms.


i don't have the loud clunk when my compressor turns on, but you can really feel the power loss. summertime is going to suck cause you need the A/C constantly here.

[Tenacious G]

Originally posted by glizard
sounds like it may just be the ac compessor or compressor bearings/how many miles? i have seen several rsx engines have belt tensioner or pulley problems that are noisey but they were noisey all the time
it also may be the pressurization of the system/it will make a noise sometimes

you may be right, it may be belt/pulley related. i only have 3,700 miles on my car and it seems to run fine. i may mention it to my dealer when i take it in for the oil change.

[bioevolve]

It might be the compressor's clucth going bad also.

[djsolution]

I noticed the same noise, and it's been driving me nuts! I took it in to the dealer to have it looked at, but they had no clue what it could be. I think part of the problem was that I couldn't explain it well enough. I'm heading back there to take one of the techs for a spin so I can point it out directly. The only difference with mine is that I notice it w/o the AC on as well (like a lower pitch to the engine when accelerating). I'll let you know if the dealership can offer any help.