Yes sounds about right. People in Australia with this same problem on their Accord Euro have had to pay around AU$ 1000 for the repair. Not cheap but it is the permanent fix, until the valve gives way again.

 

So I think I heard the dreaded "whoop" sound last night on my way home from the gym. I was minding my own business sitting at a light when I heard it. It startled me, as I wasn't expecting to hear another "voice" in my car other than the radio.

After I got home and turned the car off, the A/C system sounded like it was making gurgling type noises. Something was going on in there. But, I haven't heard the whoop since last night. I guess I'll wait to see if it keeps doing it, then get it fixed.

At least it didn't do it while I was driving my boss and a sales guy to lunch yesterday. That would have been embarrassing.

 

Yeah the first time I got it I was out on a date. Somewhat embarrassing. The worst part was the lights on the center console went out (the PCB recall/tsb) while our with the same girl. We're no longer seeing each other. I blame Acura.

 

^ Yes, it's all their fault.

 

FWIW, I have noticed that turning the A/C off for a few seconds before I turn the car off does seem to help. I definitely don't hear the sound as often, though I do still hear it. Also, every so often, I drive with the recirculate off (usu. keep it on, since I drive in a rather polluted city) and the fans kicked up to high, to sort of "clean it out." Maybe I'm merely deluding myself and haven't noticed the problem worsening because I drive a scant 5-7k miles per year.

 

hahaha glad to know Im not the only one who has this problem! My sister thought it was our dead brother being funny...lol...i guess im going to have to burst her bubble that its not him trying to talk to us...

 

yes i think you are exactly right. i always turn off the A/C system before turning off my car. i feel that this absolutely lightens the load on the engine during the ignition sequence. i feel that it lightens the load on everything, the belt, the compressor clutch, and the engine. in fact i sometimes wait until the RPM's are up higher before turning on the A/C. like i'll wait until i'm cruising down the road at 30mph with the RPM's at 3K before engaging the A/C system. it has something to do with that RPM dip you experience when your compressor cycles on, and i can just feel the extra load being placed on the enging and belt. especially as my car gets older, this becomes much more pronounced.

i dont know if this really matters. but its something i do to help myself feel better.

 

This noise happens for me when the RPMs are low or car is idling.

 

I just got my '07 TSX a week an a half ago and it has happened 3 times. Once when I was alone in the car it made me just out of mt seat. I told my husband that i had a ghost in the car..
I love this forum to learn about my new love..this car.

 

'08 is shop now for service - hopefully the tech can 'duplicate' the noise so they can diagnose. Having the PS hose recall done along with minor B1 service.

 

I posted another thread, but on reading all of your posts, I think we are talking about the same noise.

I recorded it and posted it here... take a listen

http://sites.google.com/site/tsxphx/

Clip1
Clip2
Clip3
Clip4


My 05 Acura is now out of warranty and I'm wondering if this is the same thing you are all talking about. Hopefully I can fix it on my own then. Thank you so much!

 

^ Yup, same noise, or "whoop" as we like to call it.

Luckily, I still only heard it that one time.

 

It is the same whooooooooooop indeed.
Anyway, my dealership (Acura of Tempe) wants to charge me:
$89.17 for the expansion valve +
$350.00 for labor, for evac/recharge.
Total of about $450!!!

I have not decided if I'm going to get this fixed.

 

Just had the repair done on my '08 under warranty. So far I have not heard the noise after two days. It usually appears after 30-40 minutes of Hwy driving and coming to a stop or slowing down. They first replaced my rack/pinion (there was a problem there) but I know that was not causisng the whoop so I called and spoke with the service mgr, explained the number of times I brought it in for this noise and he basically approved the repair then anthere. Always previously 'Could not duplicate'.

 

I've got an 04 TSX w/67k miles. Have been getting the "whooping" now for about 6-8k miles. Friend said it was probably "air in the brake line". From this thread, looks like he was maybe incorrect. Now I know what to tell the repair shop to look for.

 

2 weeks since repair - no whoop noise.

 

if its in side. its the expantion valve.

 

o. thats what they did. sorry i don't read i just know answers

 

That's alright. It's nice to have someone around who does know the answers.

 

my '04 tsx w/117K miles started doing the same thing this summer. It was driving me crazy...had no idea where it was coming from!
Glad to know where it's coming from now...besides the slightly annoying sound it makes, is it a real issue that should get repaired?
Don't really want to fork over $450 but if it means that my A/C will be going out soon then I'll want to get it looked at.

 

This ring the bell when I see this thread......crap..... I have had mine since 2005 and never had this problem until this year... so far I have had head about this noise for 3 times.... it just pop up out of the blue... thanks for the tips guys!

 

Almost 4 weeks since repair and no more whoop sound.

 

I've been getting the whoop since last summer. It went away over the winter when I wasn't using the AC much and came back once the weather warmed up. So I had to go in and get A1 service (08 TSX) and I told them about the noise and they said they would do evac & recharge. They also did the PS hose recall fix.

Well, the whoop went away for a few weeks but it is back. It only happens when I'm slowing for a stop sign or a red light. It is annoying as hell though!

On my next service visit, I guess I need to ask for the compressor to be replaced. Miner, that is what you had done and the sound has not returned?

 

It was the expansion valve that was replaced.

 

OK. Thank you!

 

FWIW, My '04 has been doing this for two years now, and I've learned that it will start low and faint and really slight: "ooop!" and then a second one will be coming soon, at full volume (or close to it). If I turn off the recirculate button for a second or turn the system off, then back on right away, it'll stave off the full-fledged disco boy sound "vvvrrrooooooppp!"

So I'm wondering if most of those who experience this problem use recirculated air. I do because I drive in the city and don't like smelling exhaust inside my car. What I've also started doing is trying to, when I'm away from the exhaust, is turn the recirc. off for a bit.

Though it's been hella hot here (99º + the high dew point = heat indices of 112º+), I gotta say that the TSX's possessed A/C has been making that noise considerably less than it did last year. So if you can't/don't want to get the expansion valve replaced (looks pricey), I recommend not using or often turning off the air recirculation feature. It really seems to help.

It almost seems like the A/C has a sort of "mitrovalve prolapse" with the evap. —it can't close all the way, so some air leaks out and makes that noise. Just a theory...

 

I tend to keep fresh air flowing in. I rarely use the air recirculate unless I'm behind a bus or diesel engine. I haven't found a way to keep the sound from coming back besides not using the AC but turning the AC off before I shut off the car does seem to help a little. The whoops are not as loud or often. I'd love to know why it only happens at a stop or very slow driving. I think I better get the expansion valve replaced soon.

Does anyone know...is this considered normal new car warranty (4 yrs/50K mi) or is this "parts warranty" (1 yr/12K mi)?

 

what really the expansion valve does???

 

I have the same issue in my 05 with 50K... Since Im out of warranty I need to get this fixed on my own... I am going to go to a local shop and get the system evacuated and recharged and see if it fixes the problem...

Someone should create a DIY on replacing the Expansion Valve...

 

On mine, and according to Civic2TSX, this isn't true for everyone, it seems that if I do keep the recirculate button off, then it doesn't make the sound. A few days ago, I heard the low-volume "vvvrooop," so I turned off the A/C system then turned it back on. I heard the sound again within five seconds or so. So I turned off recirculation, and I never heard it again. (I was behind a bus, too. )

At any rate, I re-enabled the recirc. after a few minutes, and I no longer heard the sound (I was only about five minutes away from home by then, though.)

I have a question, though: Have any of the "Whhhoooop"/"Vvvrrooooop" sound victims experienced total A/C failure? I can live with the stupid disco boy sound, but if it's a precursor for compressor failure, I might be selling my baby blue. :-(

 

I just got the evac/recharge done on my 05... more on the outcome...

 

also when i picked up the car the tech showed me the readings for the freon... He said my low pressure was reading a little high which means 1 of 2 things.. expansion valve not opening or the compressor is working to hard... he said that the first correct step is the evac/recharge... more to come...

 

4+ weeks after expansion valve replaced under warranty - not a peep (nor fart).

 

Day 2: After the evac/recharge i have let the ac run on full blast driving for about 30 minutes then sitting in park listening for the compressor to kick on and make the whoooop noise... so far i havent heard a thing... keeping my fingers crossed!!!!

 

The recharge and evac worked for me for several weeks but the whoop did come back. I've been turning the AC off before I turn the car off and that seems to help lessen the amount of times it occurs but the sound still happens. And I'm probably hearing it less bc I listen to music almost all the time. I'm 40% away from my next service visit. I've already told my technician that the sound has come back so they should be doing the expansion valve replacement on that next visit.

 

^Thanks for the insight Civic2TSX... that is what i figured also... i had a feeling it might come back... like i said I am only 2 days into it... I am already making plans on replacing the expansion vavle... just later down the road...

 

I've got mine in for service right now, supposed to pick it up in the morning. When I told them about it last year they had no idea what I was talking about. Now that the weather's warmed up it seemed to be doing it again so when I scheduled this appointment I told them about it again. They knew what I was talking about and how to fix it. Between the ps hose, oil change, and ac service they had it in almost all day. The service advisor called me at 5:00 to tell me they were almost done. I dropped it off at 7:45am.

 

My 2004 TSX with 69k miles had the same issue. I told the dealer what I'd been reading on-line about the problem, & he knew exactly what I was talking about. They evacuated/recharged the A/C (for $198) & the problem disappeared. It's been about 3 weeks now, with no recurrence of the whoop.

 

I have a 2004 TSX w/ a 111k miles on it. It's been making this noise all summer and I've been promising to take it in but scared of the possible cost. So far, the AC still works great - the noise is just super annoying and worried something might eventually actually break. I learned with my old car that I cannot LIVE without AC so don't want that to happen!

All of these posts have been SUPER helpful and I have an appt Saturday to take it in but want to tell them exactly what to do so they don't try 50 different things that cost me a fortune and don't work. Looks like everyone's saying it's pretty much the expansion valve but an evacuate/recharge might do the trick...anyone have any idea what either of those things "should" cost? I don't wanna get ripped off...

 

I had the same problem and it turned out to be the expansion valve in the A/C!!!

Cost me $400 to replace.