car started making whining noising then engulfed in smoke? help!

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Jun 17, 2013 | 11:19 PM
  #1  
I started my car at my friends house who lives literally a mile from me. I heard a faint whining noise, that kind of sounded like getting a piece of rug stuck in a vacuum cleaner. then I pulled into my driveway and my car was engulfed in smoke! I waited a bit for the smoke to clear and popped the hood and I smelt like a burning electric smell. I started it back up and heard whining coming from the alternator section and smoke coming from there as well. (it was hard to see it was dark out and I was using an almost dead flashlight) I immediately shut the car off when I saw the smoke return.

Based on searches I think it's my alternator, any other possible thing though?

its a 99, I don't know if that matters for the alternator.
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Jun 18, 2013 | 01:18 AM
  #2  
If I'm not mistaken there was a recall on alternators for that exact reason. Not sure if 99 was part of that though.
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Jun 18, 2013 | 05:22 AM
  #3  
If it wines like a failing alty, smokes like a failing alty, and smells like a failing alty, then it's a good chance it's a failing alty. 99's were not part of the recall.
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Jun 18, 2013 | 12:01 PM
  #4  
^ thanks for confirming.
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Jun 19, 2013 | 06:41 AM
  #5  
Remove the belt and see if you can spin it freely by hand. It may be the tensioner.
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Jun 19, 2013 | 08:58 PM
  #6  
it was the alt, it fried it's self I guess haha. thanks everyone for their input!
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