Thread: Alternator going bad?

My 2000 GT with 138,200 miles...is starting to make a louder sound when driving at any speed, and ideling. I remember when my Alternator on my 02 chevy 6.6l was making a metal grinding noice hear and there, then it eventually stopped all together and snapped my belt. Coult this be the same problem im starting to experience with my Grand Prix? It has gotten notticably worse the past few days. Sorry, i dont have any videos available to listen to.

Note: my power steering is working as normal with easy turning. Fluid level is full. So, I dont think it could be the power steering pump.

Get one of them mechanic stethoscope thingys or a long screw driver and determine which pulley or thing in the engine bay is making noise.

Originally Posted by Fivefingerdeathpunch

Get one of them mechanic stethoscope thingys or a long screw driver and determine which pulley or thing in the engine bay is making noise.

And what would I do with the screw driver? Sorry, if I seem ignorant right now. Im a better hands-on visible learner.

Originally Posted by Buggsy

Sounds odd, but put the handle right up to and touching your ear, and put the point on some other part of the car. It works like a stethoscope and helps you isolate noise. Try putting it on top of an injector and you can hear that one injector working.

Gotcha.

Update...some minor shiity news. One of my pulleys ceased up on my way to work today causing my serpentine belt to snap. I never got a chance to look at it yet before to self diagnose. Now Im forced to get it fixed asap. Luckily, I have a good friend fixing it for me tomorrow at his shop. I wont know what caused the serpentine break until tomorrow. Damn, this sucks! I hate being without my baby.

the locked up pulley caused the belt to break. seen it happen before, most of the time they will screech and then smoke and smell like burning rubber then snap the belt.

or if it locks at idle the engine can stall out.

I am still able to drive it with the belt off. There is melted rubber on most of the pulleys. I couldnt tell which one stopped working. I was traveling at 60 mph when this happened.

not really, you need the water pump to spin or you will over heat.

spin all the pulleys the one that wont spin is the culprit. then clean off the other pulleys best you can, install new pulley and belt.

Overheating for sure! I had to pull over on the freeway onto an exit ramp, because she was about to over heat. Popped the hood and let her cool down. Then drove off the exit ramp into a gas station.

ouch. thats not so good for her.

The temp gauge was about 3 tick marks from hitting the redline when I noticed. So she was trying to telling me she felt very sick, lol. Also, there wasnt any smoke that I saw with the high temp reading nor did I smell anything.

stop doing that, or you'll be sorry for sure.

Update... After getting it into the shop, it was the Tensioner Stabilizer that ceased on me. And so now, she is in surgery all day today, but good news is that Im having the LIM gaskets replaced too. May as well while Im getting the tensioner fixed.

Update...Got my baby back last night from the shop. New Serpentine belt, new tensioner, new lower intake gaskets and whole engine de-greased and clean like it just came from the factory. I also got some updated odds and ends, because my buddy was bored waiting for parts to arrive so he fixed a bunch of connectors and replaced a lot of my wire plastic protectors that were just wore out and starting to fall apart. Very excited!

good to hear.