One day last week my battery died, I think it was because of the heat, so i replaced the battery and now I have this whining noise coming from the engine. At first I thought I needed power steering fluid but that wasn't the case, now I believe it may be the water pump. Which leads me to this question, when should we change our water pumps, I know that you usually change it when you change the timing belt but since our cars have timing chains what is the recommended mileage for it to be changed??? My father in law suggested it might be the alternator overcharging, he said that would also make a noise like that. Anyone have this problem or know what the problem may be??? Thanx in advance!!!

 

It is important to identify the source of the noise. A four-foot length
of small diameter rubber vacuum hose will help you do this. You can buy
the hose in any auto parts store. They typically sell it in bulk for about
US$0.80 per foot. Start the engine and let it idle. Put one end of the
hose in your ear and the other end near any suspected source of noise.
The engine compartment presents a cacophony of sound. The benefit
of the hose is that it isolates the sound from one specific area. Work safely!
Avoid contact with any moving parts!

You may find it interesting to explore the sounds of your engine with this
inexpensive tool. Each moving part has its own characteristic sound. For
example, listen to the muted clicking of the fuel injectors. They should
all sound alike. If you find one with a different sound (or no sound at
all) you have found a problem.

The dealer's service department is equipped with high-tech diagnostic
instruments. These are wonderful devices but they are expensive and the
dealer has to recover his cost by charging you for diagnostic time.
Sometimes the home mechanic can do legitimate diagnostic work with
nothing more than a rubber tube.

Be sure to listen to the alternator as you make this investigation.
That has a tie-in with the recent battery replacement, and the water pump doesn't.