very high pitch sound - the dogs are coming!

[Liberalguy]

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

[jrlnc]

I have associated it with the high pitched sound that electronic devices make. (TV's, some computers and other things.)

I don't hear it very often now, or notice it. But once or twice I thought the sound was coming from the NAVI unit. Until -- I had the engine idling, in PARK with the headlights on. I got out an opened the hood. I could tell it is some component under the hood doing it.

I still figure it is an electronic component, but the sound is one of the usual noises that those things make. Like I said, I've gotten so used to it that I ignore it now. There is the possibility that you could add Dynamat or some other acoustic insulation under the basic rubber insulation under the hood and that would cure the sound you're hearing.

I read your other post about wanting to trade in your new Insight.

Listen to me -- you WILL lose a lot of money if you trade for another car. I know, I had just bought a 2009 Fit in Dec 2008 and only drove it for 5 months before I got the insight. It wasn't that I hated the Fit, but the Insight was much more of the car that I wanted.

After I got the Insight, I too did not like the light-colored cloth seats. They were already starting to show dirt and stains. There is a very easy solution to that -- get the Clazzio (light grey) seat covers! They are comfortable, beautiful and easy to clean.

It sounds like you are a very picky person (like me). I do know now that no matter what car I get, I will find something I don't like about it. The VW's look great on paper, but don't be fooled. They have nowhere near the long-term quality and reliability that Hondas do. One of my friends at work just traded in his wife's 3 yr old VW for a BMW. He said it was a can of worms that spent so much time in the shop they couldn't take it anymore. Apparently it never went more than 2 months without some new problem developing in it.

Just my advice -- the Insight is a good car, with a few little mods that will make you happy. It can last you for many years.

[Dick_Larimore]

As people age their ability to hear high frequencies goes away. If the service people that rode in your car were older than 40, it's likely that they could not hear the sound.

I would suggest that you get some young friends to ride in the car and confirm the existence of the sound. I doubt that the navigation system has anything to do with the problem (as suggested by the dealer).

Obvious sources of a high frequency sound will be the IMA motor, the CVT transmission, and the inverter mounted on the battery pack. These assemblies could produce 1st order or higher harmonics that could be audible to the driver.

If finding the source of this noise is important to you, it will be essential to determine a set of circumstances that will always cause the noise to appear. That will make it possible to demonstrate the problem at the dealership and it might give clues as to what is producing the noise.

[Liberalguy]

Thanks for the responses.

I am a picky, I admit I too have heard VWs are plagued with problems. I do like a lot of things about the Insight - the dashboard and hvac controls look very nice and work well. I just wish the lower part was dark like the upper part. I like getting upper 30s-40s in fuel economy. And I with econ off and not trying to keep speedometer in green and driving normally, it actually does have normal power. I actually think the exterior looks goo too. So maybe *black* leather clazio covers would make me happy...

But that high pitch noise may be the deal breaker for me. I do think it's an issue of age, that the mechanics were just too old to hear the sound. I work with teenagers, and my clients hear it. You're right, the key is to identify where it's coming from and how to replicate it. So maybe I'll make a project of it with some young friends to see what we can do.

The fact that the other Insight we test drove did NOT have the sound makes me think that cetainly something needs tweaking or tightening in my car.

Are there any cheap audio devices that could detect the sound for me?

[Cobb]

Problem solved....

[zurk]

i confirm. i heard it too. it sound like it comes from the battery discharge circuit. if you move your head slightly so youre staring at the road in front it goes away. turn you head 30-60 degrees towards teh passenger side and you can hear it. this is an LX with no nav unit, with the engine in auto stop and the climate control set to fan heat. i suspect that the battery discharging to power the speakers is what causes it.

[GoMetricToday]

I have heard the noise as well. It sounded to me like a bit of a humming noise coming from area where the battery pack is. I just figure it is typical electronic noise.

[Keen4Green]

Yep. I hear it too, particularly when I put my foot on the brake at very low speed and then coast to a stop. Noise remains until I take my foot off the brake. Heard it once while I was driving at a higher speed. Asked about it at the service dept when they were doing my window tint and was told it is normal.

[slacksci]

I hear it in mine too, but also my 08 Prius from time to time. I'm used to the very high frequency noises in these cars and have assumed it's the power bridge/motor controller

[InsightRider101]

I have pretty good ears I'm not that old This isn't a bothersome sound but I do HEAR this high pitch sound coming from what's being said here the engine compartment. I'm assuming it's the electronics in this thing so figured it's normal. It actually doesn't happen all the time. BUT I would like to know if this could be a possible recall thing since it seems to be happening to these cars.