2002 CRV 2WD Auto AC compressor intermittent growling. Sounds like the plastic fender skirt is rubbing on the wheels but turn off the AC and it goes away. Intermittent and only for a very short time as in less than a second in duration.

I ended up changing the compressor anyway and it did not look as though it had failed internally. Now, the cheap import replacement has failed internally and I swapped with a more expensive Murray from O'Reilly. Yes, you are correct, it is intermittently growling at me.

I thought I might check with the experts as I do not remember if I ever solved the issue...?
Thanks.

 

So noise is only when a/c is on?

 

Affirmative. Intermittent and completely random growling. Starts and goes away pretty fast as in it took a while for me to be able to make it to the AC switch to turn it off and confirm it is the compressor. It sounds like the plastic wheel well skirt had fallen down and was rubbing on the tire but it is the compressor. I ended up changing the last compressor that did this and I have a replacement for this new compressor but sure would like to know what causes it...

 

What else was changed with the last comp

 

Condenser and dryer, lines flushed out.

 

Expansion valve?

 

Probably not. Only what comes pre installed in the condenser. Same as the first compressor that growled. After replacing that growling compressor the new compressor worked fine and did not growl.