As noted in a previous post i've had some belt noise since I replaced my alternator in july. I put a new belt on the other day, ran it around town a snugged everything up. Yesterday I took a trip to princeton Nj (70 miles from home). Car ran like a champ. Once there I met up with a car buddy and fired it up for him and the alternator sounded like it was struggling and the volt meter was pinned on 12. Later in the evening when I fired it up to leave, same issue? Shut her down and checked belt tension, arc etc. It was pitch black and my buddy swears everytime I started it he saw a spark behind the pulley. I needed to get home so I took off towards home. I'm on the road for about..5 minutes and I hear this metal to metal torque sound (the best way I can describe it is the sound you hear when you finally break an old rusty bolt loose, that squeak/grind noise of a rusty old header bolt). That noise happened and RIGHT away the volt meter jumped back to normal and the car took the 70 mile trip back no problem. Stop and go, full throttle, idle, start and restart..like it never happened. Any thoughts? Is it possible my belt alignment is askew and I'm spinning the pulley at an unnatural angle? The belt noise i've been hearing forever usually doesn't start until the car is at operating temp.

Thanks

 

Sounds like the alternator had some debris in it and shorted for a while at full charge. I would take it back and exchange it for piece of mind.

 

check the cleanliness and tightness between the alternator and alternator bracket mounting points. also check the alternator bracket to engine mounting points. over time, aluminum likes to corrode, especially if it's in contact with a dissimilar metal.


bill