help with squealing noise
OK so today I am out driving (2006 dodge ram 2500 hemi)
and I start to get a louder noise like as if a fan motor is blowing on high, behind my glove box like area, then I hear a loud POP sound and then I start to get a very loud squealing noise coming from under my hood, like a slipping fan belt, then my gauges go crazy up and down on all of them, I then get a idiot light message to check gauges, lighting up in bright red, on the lower left of my RPM gauge on the display/dash
My volt meter is going from normal, to almost max high, then max low
the noise now comes and goes , and stays on for about 2-3 minutes then goes away
I pulled over as soon as I could safely do so
and opened the hood, noise seems like its MAYBE from the alternator, but not quit sure, as it seems like its coming off a pulley or in that general area, there is no added heat to any part, as if friction was building
I have never had a alternator fail like this, every one I ever had go went from working to just dead in the water and the truck would just die as soon as it went
SO any one have any suggestions on what went today??
truck has 120,000 miles on it, and I have owned it since new, and taken pretty good care or so I think, so??
open to any help I can get
too cold outside now to play with it and dark, so will wait till morning, but looking for idea's till then, Thanks a lot appreciate the help

 

Remove the belt. Then spin all pulleys through by hand. That should help pin point the noise maker. It could also just be time for a new belt.

 

thanks, I just put a new belt on about 8 months ago, so the belt should be OK
unless I have a pulley that is sticking and making the belt slip when it freezes up?
but will for sure try that and see is any are sticky or have any play in them
thanks for the idea

 

ok found a missing idler pully today,. now that I have good day light to work with and no dam rain
so guess the popping sound I heard was either this MIA one exploding and or the bolt walking out and then it being shot into the belt and thus the noise
getting 2 new one's now and going to replace both, and see if this solves it all or not
Thanks all

 

Well, you determined you are missing an idler, to say you will see if this solves it or not is a ridiculous statement.

 

well I said what I said, due to I might still have an alternator problem
so sounds to me like you speak without knowing all the info at hand?
and that again is why I say MIGHT solve the probelm
your rather quick to be a know it all

 

OK just put 2 new idler pulleys on, the one that was gone? and the other, pulley on the tensioner, looks good, but once warer weather, just plan to replace whole tensioner, as its up there in age and miles, and to be honest, that pulley alone costs as much as a whole new tensioner so??

got all up and running, am now at 14.95 volts at the battery while running, so Alternator sems to be just fine, but that too is getting old, so come warmer weather will replace that as well, as they have shelf life's if you ask me about where I am at now
just too cold to be doing more than needed
Thanks all for the help and suggestions, much appreciated it