# AC making whistle high pitch sound when on setting 4 and 5?



## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Still in the back woods, Cruze only goes to a 4, did they increase this to a six? Maybe should buy a new one. But in 4, still operates at full voltage and very powerful. Hardly ever use it, wife likes to close her vents on her side that also generates a whistling sound. Solution? Cut it back to 3.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

NickD said:


> Still in the back woods, Cruze only goes to a 4, did they increase this to a six? Maybe should buy a new one.


All 2013+ cruze get a 6 speed fan.


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

Mo Cruze said:


> I just noticed yesterday that when my AC is on 4 or 5 there is a really high pitch whistle. On 6 you cant really hear it b/c the air is blowing out so loud like a jet engine lol. On 1 2 and 3 it doesnt make the sound at all. ANyone else had this issue or know what this is? One thing after another


Same sound if a window is slightly open?
If not, you are hearing pressurized air whistleing out of a door seal or something....odds of finding that one are, at best, remote.
But, if the sound is the same, window cracked open or not, then maybe it is air whistleing past one of the blend doors in the hvac box.....again, a tough one to resolve....the shop would end up exchanging the entire air distribution system.

Last guess, if the sound is new, as opposed to been there since new, take a look at the cabin filter.
It may be incorrectly centered or have enouph debris on it to make it whistle at the higher fan speeds.
Try removing it and then operate the system to see if the sound is gone.

Thats about all the WAG's I can come up with.

Rob


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

spacedout said:


> All 2013+ cruze get a 6 speed fan.


Can I get a six speed fan switch for my 2012? Ha, bet not, would also have to change the BCM, but if they do this, my fog lamps won't work. Can't win.

Usually only use high speed during the winter in defrost mode, could try hitting this button to learn if that sound changes.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

NickD said:


> Can I get a six speed fan switch for my 2012? Ha, bet not, would also have to change the BCM, but if they do this, my fog lamps won't work. Can't win.
> 
> Usually only use high speed during the winter in defrost mode, could try hitting this button to learn if that sound changes.


One member attempted it but we aren't 100% if they got it working. It did need a dealership visit but the confusion was if they needed to use a vin from a 13+14 6 speed fan Cruze.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Are all the dash vents open...?

Do you have lots of papers and stuff in your glovebox? I sucked in a couple gas receipts into the fan once.


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

jblackburn said:


> Are all the dash vents open...?
> 
> Do you have lots of papers and stuff in your glovebox? I sucked in a couple gas receipts into the fan once.



Ah ha ha ha.......good grief!

That glove box had to be some kind of full!

Ah, hah ha ha,

Rob


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Robby said:


> Ah ha ha ha.......good grief!
> 
> That glove box had to be some kind of full!
> 
> ...


Not really...I've just kept loose papers and stuff out of it since. I guess there's some kinda room between the cabin filter and back of the glovebox where it might be uncovered and creates a vacuum in the glovebox itself or something.


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## 14cruze1.4 (Oct 7, 2013)

mine does the same. but ill have to check my vents casue I keep my passenger vents closed.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

14cruze1.4 said:


> mine does the same. but ill have to check my vents casue I keep my passenger vents closed.


If I close the center & RHS vent, mine whistles on higher speeds.


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## Mo Cruze (Aug 29, 2014)

Thanks guys! Im gonna check out if it sucked anything up (i do have loose papers in there too) or if the cabin air filter is dirty i havent even checked it. The car has 12,000 miles bought it with 11,000. I may have the air vent toward passenger door closed as well. Maybe could be that. lol i check all this out next time i get in the car and let you guys know.


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## Mo Cruze (Aug 29, 2014)

Passenger side closet to door vent was closed. As soon as i opened the whistle went away.


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

I've been having a high pitch whistle when using the HVAC controls myself. It's been there since new. I have yet to use the A/C this spring but I do tend to set it to 62 degrees (one setting above "low") and put the fan speed between 3-4 on the ride home. This high pitch whine/noise seems to be mostly noticeable on fan speed 3, but is present on the other fan settings too.The high pitch sound seems to match the level of the fan speed. At fan speed 1 & 2 I can still hear it but it's not as loud as when on speed 3 and when the fan speed is over 3, the high pitch noise gets somewhat drowned out by the faster and louder air noise. I think I have all my vents open and no trash has been sucked in from the glove compartment. 

Any ideas what could be causing this high pitch noise in the HVAC system outside of debris or closed vent doors?


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## BrandoFisher117 (Mar 14, 2016)

Starks8 said:


> I've been having a high pitch whistle when using the HVAC controls myself. It's been there since new. I have yet to use the A/C this spring but I do tend to set it to 62 degrees (one setting above "low") and put the fan speed between 3-4 on the ride home. This high pitch whine/noise seems to be mostly noticeable on fan speed 3, but is present on the other fan settings too.The high pitch sound seems to match the level of the fan speed. At fan speed 1 & 2 I can still hear it but it's not as loud as when on speed 3 and when the fan speed is over 3, the high pitch noise gets somewhat drowned out by the faster and louder air noise. I think I have all my vents open and no trash has been sucked in from the glove compartment.
> 
> Any ideas what could be causing this high pitch noise in the HVAC system outside of debris or closed vent doors?


I am getting a noise as well with my HVAC system (2012 LTZ). But the noise I'm hearing is a ticking and it increases in tempo as I increase the fan speed. As soon as I turn off the climate control, the ticking disappears. I haven't had a chance to look around and see if anyone is/has had this issue in the past, but I will! Just adding my 2 cents.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

BrandoFisher117 said:


> I am getting a noise as well with my HVAC system (2012 LTZ). But the noise I'm hearing is a ticking and it increases in tempo as I increase the fan speed. As soon as I turn off the climate control, the ticking disappears. I haven't had a chance to look around and see if anyone is/has had this issue in the past, but I will! Just adding my 2 cents.


Had this problem too, top of the blower wheel was hitting the shroud above it, both made of plastic. By removing the cabin filter, can actually see the top of the blower wheel. Only cure I could come up with was to drop the blower motor and put in a 1 mm thick plastic washer between the blower motor and where it seats in the blower motor housing. Glued those washers in so they wouldn't drop out. This gave more clearance between the blower wheel and the shroud. 

Started off as tick, then whatever kind of sound is made when a piece of plastic is rubbing against another piece of plastic, at high speeds.


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