Apologies if this has been discussed already. Did a search and didn't find anything.

I hear pretty consistently a hushed, whooshing type sound during normal driving. Not alarmed, but just wondering what the sound is. It's something like either gas escaping, hissing, something like that. Doesn't seem to correspond to any particular driving pattern and doesn't seem to affect anything in particular. However, it's not a sound I have ever heard in any other car (maybe I haven't been paying any attention).

Any ideas? Should I be concerned? Otherwise, my TL-S is performing flawlessly.

 

Behind the passenger-side dash? Yep, it's the A/C compressor. Perfectly normal, though I wish they had put it someplace else. It sounds as if the car is breathing.

 

i also hear a hiss when i'm in park and rev it up to like 2k rpms and let go of the gas (with the hood up).

 

The A/C compressor is under the hood run by the serpentine belt.

 

If I could guess direction of the sound I would say passenger side dash. So A/C compressor makes sense.

Thanks for the reply.

 

That serpent under the hood is probably what's making the hissing noise.

 

But I'm re-thinking this now because of what lonny noted.

The sound definitely stops if you turn off the A/C but if the compressor isn't there, then what is?

I remember somone on this board noted that he had water dripping on passengers' feet and that the dealer discovered a loose hose or blocked drain hole from the A/C.

I also remember that someone else mentioned that behind the glove box is the A/C micron filter, but it was too long ago so I'm not sure.

Time for bed! :o

 

Your car is depressed. Give it Prozac .

 

It's the A/C system cycling.

The A/C compressor shuts off when a set temp is reached. When the A/C clutch is disengaged the pressure in the high/low pressure circuits must be equalized. While this pressure is being equalized, (bled off internally) it creates a hissing/whooshing sound.

It's normal. All A/C systems do that to some extent. If it did not do that, compressor & A/C system life would be diminished dramatically.

I may be off on the details but that is the gist of it.