recently purchased a 2004 xj8 with 60k miles...love the car...BUT i do have a whining/grinding sound (similar to power steering whine noise) ONLY when air conditioning or fan system is on. if i turn off fan system the noise goes away within 2 seconds. the noise does not appear to negatively impact performance but it is annoying....any ideas? THANKS!

 

From what you say, the noise is potentially coming from two places, the air con compressor or the fan that will come on at the same time. You need to determine which. On my previous c car, a Rover 75, I started to get a whining noise, and this disappeared when I turned off the air con. On this car, there was only a single fan which ran to cool the car as well as the air con condenser. So I found that the compressor was making the noise and was lucky enough to find a brand-new on on the Internet at a very reasonable price so I replaced it and the whine disappeared.

Worth checking the refrigerant level, as this also contains lubricant for the compressor, so if its low, there may not be enough lube.

 

At about 60,000 miles the A/C system broke on my 04 XJ. The dealer said that time (age) is as much of a factor to these systems as usage. The bearings seized up because the seals went bad and the lubricant seeped out. There was minimal noise before it broke; but when it broke it made the car stall out and I had to have it towed. The job cost about $2,400 (fortunately I had an aftermarket warranty that picked up the tab). There was zero impact to performance before it broke; I'd get it looked at right away.

 

It sounds like the OP is talking about the air conditioning blower motor and not the actually compressor.

My '06 A/C fan also has a somewhat "whiney" quality to it, but it doesn't really bother me. Beat that "tapping" sound most other cars I've had have had.

 

To see if its the fan or compressor turn the air on with the A/C selected. If it is whining keep the air on but turn off the "A/C". If it stops whining there is a problem with the compressor if it doesnt it is most likely the fan.

The fan is on the passenger side under the glove box.

 

My 04 has got a similar problem. The whine starts after about 5 minutes of driving and is quite noticeable when driving around town. It rises and falls with the engine revs. At first I thought it was the engine or gearbox but then noticed that pressing the A/C switch to disable the compressor makes the noise go away.

I will probably get the refrigerant level checked next time the car is in for a service.

 

Thanks...if it turn the AC off the noise remains...it goes completely off when i turn off the climate control system...to me that sounds like the fan...do you all agree?

 

If you manually increase the fan speed does the noise change as well?

 

Mine has the whine, it's normal, just unusual, I've never had another car do this. It's most noticeable when accelerating in the summer with the AC on. I can't explain why this particluar car does this but it might have something to do with the design of the serpentine belt system. Everything else is standard stuff.

 

Hi, I noticed your posting describes the problem I'm having with my 2004 XJR to a tee. It has about 105000 km on the clock and developed the problem a few months ago. At first I blamed the gearbox too but it is obviously A/C (pump?) related. I'm very curious what it turned out to be in your case presuming you have it sorted by now.

Kind regards,

Eric

 

My '05 XJR makes a distinctly different noise when the A/C is running than when the A/C is off. The noise only happens under acceleration, and to me it sounds like a spooling sound, and it always sounded a bit unusual, but somehow "normal". I assumed it was the way the compressor the pulley/clutch assembly is supposed to sound under load.

 

Note the age of the original post. However, a slight whine from the AC compressor can start after some miles, (I had it on my car recently), but may be cured by a regas, which will replenish the compressor lubrication at the same time, as lube is normally part of the recharge.

My whine disappeared when I had an AC service recently. If it persists, then a new compressor is probably needed to eliminate it entirely, but I think these things can whine away for quite some time before its 'replace' time.

 

Thanks Fraser. I will plan to have the system charged before next summer.

 

I have the compressor whine as well, had the AC charged and nothing has changed. What makes it interesting is that the whine goes away 2-3 seconds after you turn AC off on the touchscreen, so it is either the clutch needs that much time to react, or it is pressure related. If it is the first case, I would suspect some bearing or similar part, which is equivalent to replacing whole compressor. If second, then even the compressor replacement might not do the job. My approach due to lack of knowledge - ignore and see what happens

 

I think with these whining noises, it is how long you can stand the noise before doing something. IN my case, a regas cured it, (for now, anyway !!). Some people may find only a compressor swap will do the trick as with my Rover 75.

 

I finally had my system emptied and refilled and the noise has gone completely.
The sound it made before was totally dependent on engine revs so it had to be the compressor. These Denso compressors don't have a clutch like older systems but according to my A/C specialist they are always connected to the crankshaft. Even so the noise always stopped after a few seconds after I switched off the A/C probably because it reduces the flow rate.
My system only held 150 grams instead of the 600 grams that should have been in there.
If a compressor is still noisy after a regas you probably need a new one.

 

Mine just developed the same issue within the last few days. This thread has been a great help. Thanks to all the posters. Going for a recharge of the AC system today. Wish me luck. Thanks again.

 

Lucky you needing to recharge your A/C system due to the temperature.. Its still freezing here in Texas... Let alone the rest of the US !!