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Hi all,

I've had an intermittent noise on my 2010 Civic from low down in the engine bay area, which stops when I engage the Air Con.

Please see this video:
I'm not a mechanic by any means but from some research I thought it could be the AC compressor clutch assembly (which could be loose), or the AC idler pulley assembly bearing, or the plate fitting.

This has been into a Honda dealership twice, and both times due to it being intermittent they've not been able to replicate the issue and diagnose it. They have removed the plate from the compressor and checked the pulley for play or wear, and couldn't find any issues. They're hesitant to replace the whole AC compressor unit without finding the exact problem, though did suggest this most likely would be the fix, so for now the car is back on the driveway, where it does this occasionally.

Obviously this noise is a concern when happening. Anyone have any definitive thoughts from the video above?

Thanks!

 
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It does sound like a bearing going out somewhere. Only happening when the A/C is on would make me think it's the compressor but I could also see it being the tensioner. You could try removing the belt then spinning the tensioner pulley by hand. If it feels smooth, I would think it's the compressor.

 
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Hi, thanks for your reply. I'm pretty sure the technician at the Honda garage said they'd done that - taken off the pulley and the plate and checked for noise and play. He did mention that if the bearing had a flat side it might only make the noise when in certain positions which could explain the intermittent nature, and I have seen videos of people just replacing the plate and bearing to solve a similar sounding issue. Yet it seems to be cheaper to replace the compressor unit and the rest as a complete set (all 3rd party), rather than buying and trying separate parts which would probably need to be genuine Honda to ensure a perfect fit.

Any further advice is appreciated.