Sounds like you have a slipping belt, which they tend to squeel! Do a good belt inspection and see if there are cracks or splitting on the underside of the belts. I'm betting they need replacing...have fun with that! The power steering belt specifically will have you cursing. I'm going to bet you'll end up paying someone to do this work!

For the time being, you could try a couple things if it's just the a/c belt whining. You could tighten it a few turns. Whether you do or not, I would also recommend picking up some Belt Conditioner from AutoZone or Advance.

 

The power steering belt looks good. The main accessory belt does have a few cracks in it but this doesn't sound like a belt squeal at all. It almost sounds like high pitched metal on metal. Does this sound like something internal giving out? There are no visible metal shavings and the front main seal is not leaking.

 

Check your idler pulley..

 

Just put a new one on less than 10k miles ago with a new alternator. I will keep looking though.

 

I just had to replace my crank pulley. Apparently they break somewhat frequently. I would check that out if you are reasonably certain it's not the tensioner.

 

If you also changed the idler, did you remember to tighten it down? the only other thing would be a bad bearing. But, you also said you changed the alt. I'm at a loss.

 

Take off belt that runs alt/ac start car listen for noise if its gone you have narrowed it down to 3 things idler,ac/alt if no sound go get this belt 360K6 it will bypass the ac compressor if sound comes back its the alt if it does not its the ac compressor.

 

Besides what cjandura suggested I would also do a visual inspection of the main pulley. This is a picture of mine when it broke, you can see the rubber ring inside rotted away and the carrier rings then began to spin out of alignment which broke my belts.

Audio clip of the noise mine was making.

 

How much was the fix? Mine started doing this tonight. That exact sound.

 

Cost of it is the cost of the pulley. I paid $230 but got a lightweight, reduced size one. OEM is about $100 or so on rockauto.

 

Looked my car over. It's the pulley closest to the bumper. Frozen. He thinks its the ac compressor? Started smoking and sparked a little. Can the car run with out it? Would that cause the stalling, surging and hesitation Ive been feeling? It just threw a code p1320 distributor signal interrupt

 

Well the alternator sits above the compressor so they are about equidistant from the bumper. If it is the compressor (on the bottom) then yes you could buy the shorter bypass belt and go without A/C

If it's the alternator you would only be able to drive as far as the battery has a charge. You would want to remove the belt first though as that could start a fire.

As for the stalling, surging, etc. I would see what someone else says, I've never had a pulley freeze so no idea if it would create enough drag on the engine to do that. Definitely don't know if that would cause it to throw a code either.

 

If this will be your first time replacing the A/C compressor on your own, make sure that you oil/lubricate the compressor before you install it and run the A/C system. If you do not lubricate the compressor you will damage it and may have a difficult time returning it and having it replaced for free (even if there is a warranty/guarantee).

 

When I first got my I35 a few weeks ago, it was making a whining (not metal-to-metal) sound all the time, regardless of temperature or drive time.When I went to change the alternator, I broke the tensioner and was forced to put the belt on looser than needed. The whine/drone that went with the RPMs disappeared. I guess it could have been my alternator, but after researching a little I found that the A/C compressor bearings are prone to going bad and making the same noise. Mostly I think that loosening up the belt took load off of the A/C compressor (which I think was the cause), and causing the sound to go away. I got a new tensioner from Nissan and will probably be putting it on today at proper tension.

I would agree with the others, check the belt first and ensure the tension is correct, then start narrowing down. You can also remove the belt and check all pulleys by hand, spin them and listen for any grinding or knocking, feel if they spin smoothly, and rock them back and forth as if you're checking for a bad tie rod.

Is your sound similar to this one?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVSiGYFp24I

With the car running, turn the A/C on and off and see if that has any effect.

Just for reference, a few clips of the sound I had:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrI5zK1QRlI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24rv7uI_BA8

 

Sorry for the delay guys. I have been busy for the past few weeks. Yes, the idler is tight because I remember messing with the reverse thread bolt. (why I had to replace it in the first place....snapped it)

From the video/sound clips you all have posted the sound closley resembles this one with the exception of it up revving with the engine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrI5zK1QRlI
Mark, this would suggest an idler pulley, correct?

Good idea to take belts off to narrow down other possibilities too.

Also, through inspection I did notict the crank pulley being wobbly. It is not making any sounds or chewing up belts but I can see that it is moving side to side just a little at idle.

 

lol.. that's how I broke my tensioner as well. Reverse thread damnit.

Anyway I changed my tensioner and the noise still hasn't come back. I guess mine was the alternator after all and not the AC compressor.

The crank pulley is made up of two parts, the inner ring that you bolt to the crank and the outer ring that the belt is on. They're held together with rubber in between to dampen vibrations and stuff. When that rubber gets old, it can dry out or crack and get misshapen.

 

I am going to try an narrow this sound down by dropping belts/pullies until the sound is located. Hopefully it's a cheap fix...