'96 Accord: When I switch on the A/C I get a loud "whirring" noise...so loud it's very noticeable from quite a distance from the car. I can't quite pinpoint the source but air is plenty cold, so compressor seems to be working OK. Would this likely be a bearing in the compressor, an idler bearing that gets noisy under load, or a developing mechanical problem inside the compressor itself? Is any one of these more prone to failure on this model?

 

Have you popped the hood open to listen to where its coming from? Look at your crankshaft pulley and see if it wobbles a bit. In my Audi I had the same issue and thought it was the compressor pully but, it ended up being the crankshaft pulley.

 

Nope; checked the crank pulley and no wobble.

I'm quite sure it's a bearing and was wondering if others have had a particular bearing in the A/C drive prematurely fail, or if this is a noise the compressor often makes when it's on its way out.

 

when did you last replace the drive belts? If the belt (which ever is on the a/c compressor ) is loosing slack it could cause the noise. Is this the original compresser that came with the car?
Would a compressor pully last oer 10 yrs ?

 

high pitched is the most likely the bearing


whinning sound should be the compressor