[CurrentEvent]

Here in Salt Lake the temps have been near 100 and over. I've noticed that when I turn on the car after work, the air conditioner runs full blast and it is extremely loud. At least as loud as the ICE itself. Day before yesterday it was over 100 and both the A/C and ICE came on and it was really a racket. Is it normal for A/C to be so loud?

 

[Dutch]

When the exterior fan on mine ramps up it's pretty loud.

 

[freshcut]

I'm curious too. My '13 is definitely loud when the compressor gets up to full load, and with the current heat wave, it's very noticeably. Especially when it starts drawing 6Kw on my DIC sitting at an "idle".

 

[Stockholm Volt]

Yeah, when the temps hit 105 I can hear my '17's A/C run from inside the house.

Good to know my Volt is taking good care of itself in the heat.

 

[freshcut]

I usually don't hear the car when parked and plugged in. I park right in front of my door (apartment). Just typically when the A/C is in high demand for the passenger compartment. Quite loud, definitely louder than the ICE.

 

[llninja]

It's not the AC that's loud, it's the drivetrain that is too quiet causing you to only hear the AC. Just drive an ICER Chrysler 200 loaner car someday an you'll see what I mean. When vibration, noise, and harshness are through the roof, you won't notice the AC compressor.

 

[freshcut]

I wish I could agree with that, but this occurs when parked or lower speeds. reasonably loud hum/whine from the compressor. Of course I do agree that the sound dissipates at speed due to tire/drivetrain noise. Even when parked with the hood up and ICE on, it's very obvious over the sound of the ICE. No performance issues though and since I have never heard another Volt operating I can't say if this is normal or not, just that it's normal for mine.

 

[llninja]

Yeah, when the temps hit 105 I can hear my '07's A/C run from inside the house.

Good to know my Volt is taking good care of itself in the heat.

They didn't make volts in 2007, so you must mean 2017. But when charging my car in the garage, it can make the garage mighty toasty. I sometimes park it outside plugged into 110v until later at night when the temps go down, then move it into the garage.

 

[CurrentEvent]

Something I should have mentioned: I'm talking about from the outside with the windows down. Sorry, the whole discussion went off in the wrong direction. I first noticed it when I started the car remotely. You could hear it from way across the parking lot. I couldn't believe that was my quiet, high-tech Volt. It isn't terribly noisy from inside with windows up. The air blowing from the vents drowns it out. I think from what people have written that they're all pretty noisy. With a "normal" car you don't hear it much because the engine is so loud.

 

[freshcut]

Something I should have mentioned: I'm talking about from the outside with the windows down. Sorry, the whole discussion went off in the wrong direction. I first noticed it when I started the car remotely. You could hear it from way across the parking lot. I couldn't believe that was my quiet, high-tech Volt. It isn't terribly noisy from inside with windows up. The air blowing from the vents drowns it out. I think from what people have written that they're all pretty noisy. With a "normal" car you don't hear it much because the engine is so loud.

That would be consistent with my experience. Definitely no need for any sort of pedestrian warning with the A/C running hard as you can hear it about a block away.

 

[2VoltFamily]

My 2013 is loud in the garage. It seemed it was louder than normal the other day almost like the fan was touching something. But it definitely is louder in the hot temps.

 

[timoshev]

Before you shut down, turn Eco or Max off unless you're pre-cooling.

 

[canehdian]

The AC is quite loud on max. Most of the time you don't experience that, it's a variable mode unit that often runs on lower speed.
But when it kicks up to max and the RAD fan is on as well, it will be roaring away.

 

[deeks]

Usually while charging,I open car doors and partially open garage door to keep temperatures relatively cool.2017 LT Volt

 

[css28]

It should be explained that the AC is probably running that hard to cool down the battery pack.