Why is my car making a strange whining, squealing, growling or grinding noise whenever I start my car initially, and during acceleration the noise gets louder?

Question

At first, the yellow check engine light appeared on my card dashboard. I was worried and wanted to take my car for a check up at my mechanic place. But then, after a  few days, the yellow check engine light disappeared mysteriously. So I thought "Great! I don't have to go to my mechanic and spend money on repairs. I can save some money now".

Within a few days later, to my surprise I could hear a loud growl noise which changes to anything sounding like a squealing, whining, or grinding noise. The same noise gets louder whenever I accelerate and the sound decreases at the time of slowing down my speed. Although there were no dashboard problem symbol showing, I felt that something was wrong and I needed to have my mechanic take a look.

My mechanic changed the car muffler and charged me quite expensive price for it but I wanted to do anything to reduce those annoying noise. After all, I had plans to take my family out for a long drive during the long weekend. Even after, the car muffler  was replaced, the growling sound got reduced but the whining, squealing still persisted.

The next day, i went back to the same mechanic I took my car to earlier, and he said that I may need to change the belt pulley. So I allowed to do the pulley belt  replacement for my car. This time again, the noise was still there and not going away. When I pointed out the noise to the mechanic, he is like those noise are normal noise and wouldn't go away. In fact it might go away in a few days, drive it for a few days and see what happens, and then come back if the noise still lingers.

By this time, I had spend almost $300 for changing muffler and pulley belt and still my car isn't any much better than when I first went there. So I got frustrated and left the mechanic garage vowing never to go back there. I didn't say or show my displeasure to the mechanic but I know he lost my business from now onwards. I mean I was willing to pay to get rid of the noise completely but it seemed like I was kinda taken for a bad ride and my money keeps spilling out during the rough ride. I wasn't going to be a fool throwing money at places where I know my car can't be fixed properly.

Answer 1

I had the same strange whining, grinding, squealing noise coming from under the right side of my car too for about a few weeks now. My mechanic also suggested that it might be the problem with the belt that had become loose over the course of time. He pulled out the belt and showed me how much it had extended when compared to new belt. So I gave permission for him to change that for me. After changing the belt, the car was still making the same noise as if nothing was done to it. So I pointed out the problem to him and he also said to run the car for a few days and the noise will go away.

I ran my car for a few days and still the noise lingered around. So I went to another car mechanic guy and this guy seemed more careful and thorough in diagnosing the problem. He took some instrument that looked like a doctor hearing instrument and used to to touch various parts underneath the car. He touched one particular parts underneath the car and told me that was what was causing the noise. It was the alternator as it was called according to him. He even gave me the instrument to listen to the whining, grinding, squealing, growling noise. Try enough, it was that alternator which was causing the problem.

I mentioned to him that I hope he was right this time, because I had just had another previous car mechanic who did work on my car and did a lousy job of getting rid of the noise. He assured me this time he is 100% sure of the culprit making the noise in my car. So I allowed him to change the alternator and voila, the car became absolutely quiet and silent. I even took my car for a very far away long drive without any trouble at all and till today, my car is still quiet and not making those previously mentioned noises. Everyone's car problem is not the same and you should take your car to different car mechanic to have 2nd or 3rd opinion. After all, your current mechanic could be an  inefficient guy and don't waste your money on someone who doesn't know what he is doing.

Answer 2

Watch video on "Learn what a noisy whining alternator sounds like in your car, so you can ask your car mechanic to change the car alternator for you, if the problem is not with your car's pulleys and belts":