Weird AIr Con/Heater Engine Noise?

[puzzlepiecelife]

Hi Guys,

I’m new, and as you’ll tell very inexperienced, so be kind!

I’ve a 58 plate VVT Yaris with 30000 miles on the clock, 10,000 of which have been clocked since last September when I brought it. It had been serviced at the main dealer every Jan without fail- having got in it September, and my dad periodically topping things up for me, I’d forgot to get it serviced in Jan- it’s booked in tomorrow (not sure if servicing might be the issue, thus the explanation).

Anyway, there’s two ‘issues’ so to speak. The first is a whirling and then clunk sound heard when inside the car when the air con or heater is on. It’s only really noticeable when idle or in traffic. When I’ve turned the heater/fans off, it’s clunked and stopped.

I’ve videoed the noise under the bonnet with the air con on here-  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVNfO6Cdo4Y. The noise from here is a lot louder than when the fan is off. Any idea what it is/wheres it’s coming from? I’d like to be armed with knowledge when it’s serviced if they mention it.  Excuse my ignorance, but is this noise much louder than it should be? Is it normal and I’m being a worry pot?

The second issue, which I presume is unrelated is that the washer fluid emptying every two months. I do use the washer, but no more excessively that my old c3, which I’d never topped up once in the 6 months of ownership. No water leaks into the car anywhere, and no visible leaks when I fill it up either. Is a leaky bottle/washer motor common and or costly? 

Thanks,

Jay  x

[mickburkesnr]

I don't think it's a problem. If you look under the bonnet, between you and the engine there are (or should be if there's air con) two radiators and two fans. One is for the engine and one is for the air con unit. So when you've got it turned on the car has to cool the gas/liquid used for the air con to keep your air cool in the car. So every so often the fan will come on for a bit and switch off. You'll notice your rev counter dip ever so slightly when this happens. This is normal in every car I've driven with air con.

As for the second point, if there's no leak then it's a case of either you using lots of water to clean your screen or the washer fluid bottle is smaller than what you're used to and the jets are a bit more powerful. These aren't a standard size across cars, some are bigger than others.

Nothing to worry about :)

[fordulike]

Just to add to the reply above for your peace of mind that nothing is wrong. When you have the air con on, the compressor kicks in every now and again, which makes a fairly loud clunk sound. Some cars make some noise more than others when this occurs. It's pretty noticeable at idle in my Aygo, but was hardly noticeable in my previous Almera. Coupled with the cooling fan kicking in at the same time, this can be quite disturbing at first, but you soon get used to it.

The cheaper cars, i.e. Aygo, Yaris etc.. will always be more prone to outside noises being heard, due to the lack of sound proofing materials used in the design.

As for the washer bottle issue, If the bottle is the same size as my Aygo, then it's pretty small. Same scenario as my Almera. That had a much larger washer bottle compared to the Aygo, and I certainly noticed the difference at first. I can imagine the Yaris is probably the same as an Aygo's.

[puzzlepiecelife]

Thanks guys! I guess I am just a worry pot!  Nothing like the brakes going on your last car to make you a worrier! 

An air con check and service showed no problems! Even my tyres I'd previously been told were an issue by the same place 6 months ago are now magically perfect!