So it's gotten cold here in Ohio the last few weeks... just so happens I've noticed a whinning noise coming from my engine... It sounds like a power steering pump with no fluid.... I checked it and was full.... It doesn't seem to matter if i'm driving or not because it will still make the same whinning noise when in park... when the engine is reved the noise increases... anyone have a similar problem? if so what can I do? The last tune up was in March of 2008 about 35,xxx miles ago

 

First I would take the belt off and check all the pulleys for play and make sure they all spin freely.

 

my new napa altenator makes that noise when cold also. best way to figure out which pulley its coming from is = when the engine is running and making the noise, take a large screw driver and stick it close to each pulley without hitting the fan, and put your ear on the top of the screwdriver, the noise will be very loud and you will know which pulley it is

 

a piece of pipe about 2 or 3 feet long works good as a stethoscope too. if you have to buy something, 1/2" conduit is the cheapest.

 

Even a broom stick will work to locate a noise.

 

maybe I could use my wifes real stethoscope! hahaha she's in med school getting her md/phd... I think she'd get a little pissed though! hahah

quick question.. does the fan behind the radiator ever turn off? I drove around for a while this afternoon trying test some things and came home and my fan would not shut off... seems like the sound is either coming from the idler, a/c, or alternator... will take a closer look over the holiday

 

Yeah, women get pissed about little things like that. Just no sense of humor.
You could take the belt off and turn the pullys by hand and see if they turn smoothly and have no play.

 

If it is stock, the fan is belt-driven. Doesn't stop turning until the motor is off...

 

The fan is driven by the serpentine belt, but has a thermostatic clutch that should disengage when the temperature is cool. If you open the hood without the engine running you should be able to spin the fan blade easily with just fingertip pressure. Anything more and it means the fan clutch is shot. You might be able to clean it up if it is dirty from playing in mud or something like that. The fan sound is more like a whoosh ing than a squeaking though.

 

Thanks for the info.. I did play in the mud last weekend... I wonder if I screwed something up! anyways.. I'll be digging in to it this weekend... hoping it's nothing major!