also sometimes i hear a whiny noise at idle (700) to about 1500 rpm.

 

better get it changed quick before you get stranded somewhere(if its real bad the car won't start up once you turn it off!)!! almost got stranded on I95 at night going to college last year, when mine went, but I turned right back around and went home!!!! its real scary when all your lights start flickering on and off at 9:00pm while going 60-70mph on the highway!!!!!

 

hehe ok cool, how much do they cost?

 

it could be the alternator or the battery.. I would just go to a parts store and have them test your car.. it will be able to tell if it's a alternator or battery problem.
i would put my money on the battery because of the dimming lights, but the whining noise points to the alternator..

just ahve them check it and go from there.. When I had my alternator replaced a couple years ago, it cost me $89 for a remanufactured alternator with lifetime warranty..

 

Yea, I am also experiencing some whining noise when I'm pressing lightly on the accellerator. What gives? Alternator? Also, maybe unrelated, when my car is at idle and I turn the head lights on it drops a few RPMs. ????

Thanks-

 

yea same thing! i turn em off and on and i can here and see a slight differcne in rpm

 

The whinning is the alternator. Increase rpm's, increase current, thus the whinning gets more annoying. My car drops rpm's too when I even put the brakes on. New battery, no whine or alt. problems, it's always been this way. I just associated it with the crappy charging systems on the Max's.

 

So just to clarify...

whining + dropping rpms = new battery?

 

whinning +decrease rpm's =Diagnostic check up at Auto Zone.