My Fit is a 2009 with about 35,000 miles on it.

Ove the last few months I've noticed what can best be described as a "sighing" sound. Duration is short, maybe 1.5 seconds. Starts louder than gets quieter.

In addition there is just a bit of a "grinding" sound -- usually under acceleration. Soft but present. Imagine a thin metal disc that is spinning, then touching another metal surface side to side.

These two sounds are quite possibly related. Most notable at lower RPM (say, 2000).

Any ideas? The noise is not completely consistent so it is hard to have a tech diagnose it. I did a looksie around the engine bay and nothing seems amiss.

 

I've noticed a short hissing sound when the AC condenser kicks on. I've never noticed it in any other car.

 

I did think it was AC related -- but it happens if the AC is off or on.

 

hrmmm... I'll start listening more when I have the AC off.

you surely know... but the AC automatically kicks on when the fan is on and the defrost vents are chosen.

 

check your front brake pads.

 

Yeah that hissing is bothersome. I had it checked out and they basically said 'whatever I'm hearing' must be normal, because it passed all tests. One of the very few gripes I have with the car.

 

That's disturbing. The dealer can't even admit there is a noise, since there is no error code.

On one hand I appreciate the dealer not simply making something up to try to explain it (condenser kicking on) when they don't really know. But on the other hand it is dissapointing that the technicians don't have a clue past what the maint manual and the idiot errors are indicating.

 

"passed all tests" I took to mean a pressure check on the A/C. I think they must have done more than check for codes even if it was just listening to it in operation.

 

With a car as small as a Fit the sounds from under the hood are easily heard due to the proximity of the mechanicals to the passenger compartment...

 

I must admit I hadn't really thought of that... I'm sure I read it in the manual when I bought the car, but that was a lot of miles ago.

I've an appointment on Friday with the dealer. I'll keep in mind the brake pads as well. Had something somewhat similar on my last car, it turned out to be the brake disc shield hitting the disc ever so slightly in some circumstances.

Hopefully it will make the sound for them. I *hate* diagnosing intermittent sounds.

 

i hear it when accelerating hard or fairly hard...it seems like a normal thing for me. doesn't bother me at all, car runs great and i really don't think its a problem at all.

 

Sounds like a Honda orgasm!

 

Seems normal to me, I get it too

 

My previous car, a Hyundai Elantra GT, made the same sound when the a/c kicked in. Don't know if it was the compressor, fan, or some valve or other in the a/c system.

Never seemed to cause any problems though....

 

Beyond the a/c you may also want to check the intake and pcv valve. If the intake or pcv system has a gap/loose section that could be the reason for the sighing/hissing you're hearing.

 

Well, I was able to (mostly) get the sound to happen for the dealer, but they didn't have any ideas. They did drive a new one and couldn't get the sound to happen. Said they'd "call engineering" which I take to mean they don't have a clue.

I'm not too worried about it, so for now I'm just going to keep an eye on it and drive. Did take the opportunity to get the MPG TSB done, so at least the day wasn't a waste.

Thanks again for all the suggestions.