Ok, 93 Z28 A4. When I start it up, I hear a sort of grinding sound that increases with RPM's. I can tell that it is coming from the alternator area, or below around the A/C pulley. I haven't run the A/C for about a year, and I just used it and now this happened. Could anything be wrong with the pulley itself? Maybe it is sticking or grinding against something?

I am lost! Help!

 

how does your transmision shift? ok, no probs? i had a '93 A4 Z and one time i started my car and all the sudden it sounded like a power saw just cutting away at something! i was like.. so, it quit and about a month later i was replacing my transmission due to melted clutches. it sounded just like it was coming from under the hood, but it was the tranny all along. just somthing to think about.

 

Actually I'd been having problems with the tranny, not shifting at a high enough RPM and not downshifting correctly.

 

I just had that noise.. and it was the tensioner [not just the pulley bearing, but the actual tensioner.. the 'spring' is somehow worn thru the housing...]
Really was squeeking/squealing loud...
Might be worth a look...

 

Thanks, I'll look at that. My serpentine belt is pretty worn and kinda cracked too, I will probably replace that. But mine isn't really squeaking or squealing, it's more of a scraping sound along with what sounds like an old style roots blower under the hood. I'm getting the metal scraping sound and a loud whine. It doesn't sound like the alternator going bad either, but I won't rule that out

 

Get a piece of pipe and put it up against the alt and put you ear on the other end and listen to it. Do the same to the A/C compressor. It is a good way to tell where a noise is coming from.

 

Ok I put a piece of pipe against the alt and put my ear up to the other end. the sound got alot louder so I am thinking its my alternator.

anyone have a part # for a 93 LT1 alt? Or a suggestion for a new one?

 

I have always had good luck with NAPA alternators. I can NOT say the same for autozone alternators however.