Hi everyone, I posted updates about my mods in that section, and about my experiences with mileage at the end of someone's thread about mileage in the 30s.
But here, I wanted to post about the very high pitch sound my car makes. Others posted similar stuff back in October.
For those of you who don't remember, I keep hearing a very very high pitch ringing sound in my car that is inconsistent and I can't associate with any one thing/activity/time/cirucmstance. Sometimes it's louder than other times. Sometimes I can even hear it ever so faintly even amidst music playing on the stereo. Just to describe it for those who have no idea what I'm talking about - the high pitch sound is sort of like when you get a ringing in your ears, and then it goes away. Except, this sound isn't just in my head or ears, it's real, and it's emanating from somewhere in front of me when I'm driving my damn Insight.
I brought in to my Honda dealership a couple times, and one assistant guy got in and rode with me and verified he heard it. Made an appointment for me to come back for a mechanic.
When I came back, it turned into a full day affair. The first mechanic rode around with me and could not hear it. So his buddy another mechanic at the dealership got int too and he couldn't hear it either. We switched around so they could drive adn see if they could hear it there. I noticed it was much harder for me to hear it from the passenger seat. They still couldn't hear it driving.
So then a mechanic manager got in and we drove all over. I notice it much more when the auto climate hvac is shut off, but not sure if that means anything or if it just makes the car quieter and easier to hear it. The manager could not hear it.
I was really starting to get frustrated about no one else hearing it and their insinuating that I might be imagining it... I wanted to ask "do you have any mechanics aged a little younger?" I was wondering if maybe only younger people can hear such a high pitch sound or something.
Finally the staff arranged for us to drive a brand new Insight for comparison. The only difference from mine was that it didn't have Navigation. We drove that one and I DID NOT HEAR A HIGH PITCH SOUND LIKE MY CAR MAKES. This told me that either my Navigation is culprit, which just seems unlikely, or that there is something legitimately wrong with my Insight.
The only consistent thing I can do is when the high pitch is going, I can make it stop by putting the transmission in neutral. The sound goes when the car is idling or moving or in auto shutoff... all of which, sometimes, and sometimes not - none consistently.
If I had to take any wild guess, I would guess it has something to do with the climate control/hvac because the closest sound idea I can come up wiht is that it's like air seeping through a very very miniscule tiny itty bitty hole. Like when you were a kid, did you ever squeeze the opening to a baloon to let air out and make a loud sound? THis *might* be similar only a much smaller hole and therefor a much higher pitch sound... maybe?
Anyway, eventually the Director of the entire dealership came and road in my car, then drove my car, and never could hear the sound. So I left frustrated and defeated. I've been trying to play the stereo louder, and of course, highway driving deafens any sound. I also try to leave the auto climate on because it just seems like the sound is made more often when I shut it off altogether.
This one issue, above all else, has soured my opinion of Honda, and certainly ruined my new-car experience. Only 4 months in and 4,000 miles driven, and I'm already wishing that I had either bought a different car, or I would even like to buy a new one now. But that would mean over $10,000 down the drain probably
