Odd noise from motor

[hallj22]

My 97 decided to start making a high pitched squealing noise. I thought it was a belt. Those have been checked and tightened. The noise happens 85% of the time. As soon as I start the car, while im driving down the road giving it gas, ect. I can put the car in neutral and rev up the engine and it happens as well. My un-educated guess is the water pump. I have sprayed some WD-40 on the tensioner pulley hoping it is my problem. However, the noise is still there. I have added a link to a Youtube video of the sound. I took it a couple of days ago and the noise is actually louder now. I am looking for any suggestions. Thanks in advance.

https://youtu.be/AniTiBGsYbs

 

[gomoboo]

Not sure how the belt set up is on your vehicle. Hard to tell the noise from the video. If it is a whine, it would point to the alternator. You could maybe use a stethoscope, or rubber hose to pinpoint the noise while running, or just remove all the belts, and check all rotating components. Alternator would probably be hard to isolate without it running though. Just some options. I forgot if you said you sprayed the belts down or not. Is it worse when you turn the wheel? I better quit now.

 

[hallj22]

Its not really a whine. its more of a chirp or squeal. My wife is bring home a stethoscope today. It seems to be coming from the passengers side of the engine bay and not the drivers side. I have an aftermarket alternator that is fairly new. Turning the wheel has no effect on the noise. I sprayed WD-40 on the tensioner pulley but haven't sprayed the belts down. Honestly I wasn't sure if I should spray them down and if so what to spray them with.

 

[gomoboo]

Its not really a whine. its more of a chirp or squeal. My wife is bring home a stethoscope today. It seems to be coming from the passengers side of the engine bay and not the drivers side. I have an aftermarket alternator that is fairly new. Turning the wheel has no effect on the noise. I sprayed WD-40 on the tensioner pulley but haven't sprayed the belts down. Honestly I wasn't sure if I should spray them down and if so what to spray them with.

Chirp is usually a bearing, squeal is usually belt, but something may be causing the belt to squeal. You could just spray down with water, or WD.

 

[hallj22]

Well its seems that the alternator idler arm (if that's what you call it) was in the middle of breaking. It was causing the alternator to twist ever so slightly. This was causing the chirping/whining. Once I found a bracket from a local junk yard we are back in business.