Alternator or Idler Pulley Whine

Pull the belt off. Check each pulley by hand for grinding while spinning and for any play. If you can't isolate it that way, use a stethoscope from you local parts store and compare the noises, the failed one will be obvious.
 
just in case...
use the stethoscope while still spinning the gears by hand. you'll be able to hear which pulley is bad
 
Sooner_Jeeper said:
Checked and filled, still makes the noise
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Worth taking the time to do what WJ & Jeeeep suggested. I commented because my pump started making the same noise around 20,000 miles & got worse.
I knew it was the pump in my case & went to boosted system. Didn't see details in your profile but bigger tires = bigger problems. Yours looks like you're running
37's maybe?
 
Mine was my tensioner pulley. Sounded just like a power steering whine. Took the belt off and spun the tensioner pulley. It was nasty. $10 and maybe 10 mins. Hope yours is as easy
 
It's got to be the idler pulley. I just had the same issue last month and took it to the dealer. They replaced the idler pulley and the noise stopped.
 
I picked up the stethoscope and tested the idler pulley and belt tensioner and both sounded fine, I'll try again later to make sure.


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I seriously picked up the tensioner pulley (pulley not whole tensioner) from Autozone for $10. Id assume the same for the idler. Real simple swap to eliminate. Imjust sharing because if I was in your shoes Id prob just replace and go from there. $20ish dollars and 1/2 hour wouldnt kill me to eliminate those two sources. PS pump and Alt alot more spendy. My $.02. Good luck

Edit: added the hour :)
 
Sooner_Jeeper said:
I picked up the stethoscope and tested the idler pulley and belt tensioner and both sounded fine, I'll try again later to make sure.


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Does the pitch of the whine change as you turn wheel? If so that's more likely to be the pump. It really shouldn't make a difference if its the pulley or tensioner.
 
I figured it wasn't the PS Pump, sound doesn't change, just when I rev the engine, I'm gonna run some codes so if anything pops up. I might replace those two pulleys like the guy said just to eliminate those options.


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Sooner_Jeeper said:
I figured it wasn't the PS Pump, sound doesn't change, just when I rev the engine, I'm gonna run some codes so if anything pops up. I might replace those two pulleys like the guy said just to eliminate those options.


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Yeah, that's good. Pulleys are a much cheaper fix.
 
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