Aspirator noise
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Aspirator noise
My car went to the dealership for the A/C aspirator noise. They confirmed this, changed the aspirator, and the car still makes the same noise. Is this characteristic for the aspirator and something I am going to have to live with or did they replace one bad one with another bad one? I know there are numerous complaints about this noise on our XKs.
Last edited by bocatrip; Feb 11, 2014 at 12:11 PM.
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Pull the trim piece off that straddles the top of the steering wheel - it should come off with a simple tug. That will expose the bolts that hold the aspirator on.
The aspirator has a foam type gasket and I found when changing mine that I could adjust the sound it makes by loosening or tightening the bolts so they may have done the bolts up too tightly.
The aspirator has a foam type gasket and I found when changing mine that I could adjust the sound it makes by loosening or tightening the bolts so they may have done the bolts up too tightly.
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As WhiteXKR said, it's the 'other' name for the "Cabin humidity and temperature sensor" (you can see why the techs shorten it to aspirator).
It's noise from the fan motor that drives some people crazy - and like any small fan (think laptop cooling), some are louder than others, particularly once they've collected a bit of gunk on the blades. I would not be surprised if smokers suffer more from this than non-smokers, since the intake is pretty close to the driver. Just a guess, based on a few gummed-up laptops I've seen...
The cabin humidity and temperature sensor is installed behind a grill on the drivers side of the instrument panel. The temperature inside the cabin is measured by a NTC (negative temperature coefficient) thermistor. A motor within the sensor assembly draws cabin air in through the grill and over the thermistor. The motor is provided a battery voltage feed by a relay located within the CJB (central junction box) .
Humidity inside the cabin is measured by a sensor element made up of film capacitors on different substrates. The dielectric is a polymer which absorbs or releases water proportional to the relative humidity of the air being drawn through the sensor and thus changes the capacitance of the capacitor. For protection, the sensor element is contained in a nylon mesh cover.
Humidity within the cabin is controlled by raising and lowering the evaporator temperature. An increase in evaporator temperature increases the moisture content in the air entering the cabin. Lowering the evaporator temperature reduces the moisture content in the air entering the cabin.
Humidity inside the cabin is measured by a sensor element made up of film capacitors on different substrates. The dielectric is a polymer which absorbs or releases water proportional to the relative humidity of the air being drawn through the sensor and thus changes the capacitance of the capacitor. For protection, the sensor element is contained in a nylon mesh cover.
Humidity within the cabin is controlled by raising and lowering the evaporator temperature. An increase in evaporator temperature increases the moisture content in the air entering the cabin. Lowering the evaporator temperature reduces the moisture content in the air entering the cabin.
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My Coupe's cabin is fairly quiet. I don't listen to music at times and the whirring sound can be annoying. It does sound like the fan on the older computer desktops. If the noise can be eliminated or minimized and I do have a warranty, I'd like to try.
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.... or fitting a Bluetooth system that seems to be incompatible with just about every cellphone in this quantum universe.
Last edited by agentorange; Feb 11, 2014 at 08:00 PM.
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My 2010's aspirator was making noise, took it to the dealer, and problem solved. They replaced the aspirator and I no longer hear it at any time including with the car off. I don't quite understand why some folks feel that this is something to be tolerated. It is merely a faulty part that needs to be replaced. There is no mystery to this. It's a common problem, recognized by Jaguar, and they replace them all the time.
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Is that what the humming noise is after I shut off the car or is there anything else that could cause that? I just got the car so I don't have expectations of what is normal. When I first heard it I thought, "well, that's going to drain the battery".
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hendercc, you should lock your car when you leave it, even if it is in your garage. I learned this from reading posts here. The car will "go to sleep" much faster if the doors are locked and there won't be as much of a drain on the battery. I think it is something like 5 minutes as opposed to 30 minutes for everything to shut down if the doors are not locked.
I have a loud aspirator as well. I'm waiting for a few more weeks to see if there is anything else that needs attention before I take it in for service. Other issues I'm trying to sort out:
1. right door speaker has annoying chirping sound at times - sounds like a cricket
2. left door speaker cuts out when door is opened fully. Haven't checked the right door, this might be normal.
3. bottom seat cushion doesn't heat much while back cushion gets very warm with seat heater on - seems to happen on both driver and passenger side so this might be normal?
I have a loud aspirator as well. I'm waiting for a few more weeks to see if there is anything else that needs attention before I take it in for service. Other issues I'm trying to sort out:
1. right door speaker has annoying chirping sound at times - sounds like a cricket
2. left door speaker cuts out when door is opened fully. Haven't checked the right door, this might be normal.
3. bottom seat cushion doesn't heat much while back cushion gets very warm with seat heater on - seems to happen on both driver and passenger side so this might be normal?
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Apparently this is a very urgent repair due to faulty parts. God forbid the car makes a whispering sound while you're not anywhere near the car!
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That was helpful. Actually, for some it is more than a whisper. More like a constant hissing that can be heard over the audio system at casual listening levels while driving. I guess we are just idiots for wanting to get something that trivial corrected.
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I woulnd't classify this as an "urgent" repair, but it is due to faulty parts. It's not a normal artifact of operation of the car as some have warned in previous threads. Mine was quite audible with the engine on, at say a stop-light. I'm just saying, if you can hear it, it's not working properely, and you might want to get it replaced. No idea what the cost is as mine was warrantied.
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Paul, it's just that amcd hasn't realised that the aspirator sound level isn't the same in all cars. When it's working normally, it's very quiet - when faulty or gummed up, it can be quite noisy. So, his car is fine, the aspirator is barely whispering, and he can't understand what the fuss is about.
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I admit this is probably the case. Maybe my aspirator is normal--it is about the same volume as the HVAC system on the lowest fan setting. It gets louder than that? 
I guess I just assumed the noise was trivial based on the OP's first post, given that the aspirator was replaced and it was still making noise. That, or the dealer lied.
Out of curiosity, do most cars with climate control have an aspirator fan? I have had three other cars with automatic climate control and have never noticed a fan sound. However, the Jag does seem to have pretty accurate climate control and does a good job keeping me comfortable without constant adjustment compared to the other vehicles. I wonder if this is due to the aspirator in question!
I guess I just assumed the noise was trivial based on the OP's first post, given that the aspirator was replaced and it was still making noise. That, or the dealer lied.
Out of curiosity, do most cars with climate control have an aspirator fan? I have had three other cars with automatic climate control and have never noticed a fan sound. However, the Jag does seem to have pretty accurate climate control and does a good job keeping me comfortable without constant adjustment compared to the other vehicles. I wonder if this is due to the aspirator in question!
Last edited by amcdonal86; Feb 12, 2014 at 08:25 AM.
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I am not sure if other cars now use a similar aspirator but this has definitely been part of the Jaguar system since the early 2000's. The aspirator goes into action the instant the door handle is moved and remains in operation for about a half hour after the car is shut off. The aspirator preps the climate control system and aids in a quick heating or cooling of the interior. As some have stated, some of the fans make more noise than others. I did have one aspirator replaced on my X-Type; the new one is quieter, but not absolutely silent; in general, ambient noise will cancel out the sound of the aspirator so if you can hear it with the engine on, it is probably too noisy. Removing the panel and cleaning the fan sometimes reduces the noise level.