Last night I was leaving school... it got really cold really quick while I was in my 3 hour class. My car was frosted over. Not sure if that has anything to do with it... but anyway, I started my car with no problem, but it sounded like it was whining/groaning. The noise became more high pitched as the RPMS went up. On the highway I couldn't really hear the noise because of road/wind noise, but when I was driving slow roads, it was fairly obvious. Going about 65mph on the interstate I started to smell a burning smell... Got home, popped the hood (with the car running) and I could a faint burning smell coming from the alternator/idler pulley area.

This morning my car started and ran fine to work, but it's still making the "whine/groan" noise. I plan on taking it to Autozone to do a free test, but are these symptoms of an alternator on its way out? Thanks!

 

Check the tension on the belts. I had a simmilar problem in cold weather. Condensation builds up on the belt and then causes it to slip.

-James

 

yup your alternator is about to die. Mine did that same thing for a week before it died

 

My AC compressor did that just before it seized up and blew the belt apart,
I didn't even have the AC on. I wouldn't go on a long trip till you figure that out if I were you!

 

I had the same prob. Mine died last week. $400 for parts and labor (at a discounted rate too!). Try this. Rev the engine with ur headlights off. Then rev it with ur headlights on. If the whining sound is louder with the headlights on... REPLACE THAT ALT!

I was on rt 80 when my alternator overheated and shut off. stereo, clock, and Cig lighter (to power the radar detector) all went out. helpless feeling knowing that your driving on borrowed time (thank God for a strong battery). Luckily, I found a gas station.

 

mine died about 3 weeks ago. i didnt get any warning signs or anything. just got in the car, started driving and eventually the car just died cus i had been running off the battery. i bought an alternator from another .org member with 15k miles for $70, installation was $60 and took about a day.

 

Autozone tested it and said that the alternator is cranking 117 amps, which is fine, but the tester machine said that the alternator has a bad diode pattern. The autozone guy, who seemed pretty well informed, said that the alternator has four diodes... two for each current direction. He had that each pair of diodes handles about 60 amps each. (60 x 2 = 120amps or so). So he said that 1 of 4 of my amp diodes has probably failed because it's still cranking good but has a bad pattern. He said the other paired diode will fail anytime between now and about a week and half and then the alternator will be done for. He said it's on its last leg. (It's an alternator out of a 95 max anyway). Sooo, because I have a warranty, I actually have to wait until my car dies (ie, the part totally fails) before its covered, so I can't have it replaced until both diodes fail.

Make any sense?

 

sounds like a bad alternator, and you have a '97. You should be able to get a free alternator b/c there's an alternator recall for '97 and early '98 Max's

 

That sucks. I hope they pay for towing.

My new alternator started whining within a week of getting it, but 15,000 miles later, and it's still going.