I have what sounds like a whirring-squealing kind of noise coming from right around the alternator pulley on my '86 744. It subsides once the car is well warmed up but I do a lot of short hops and stop and go driving so the car is driven not completely warmed up a lot. Any ideas? I suspect belts, which I could replace, or the bushings that support the alternator. The noise is not terribly loud but is very obvious when you open the hood, and it seems to be loudest right by the alternator.

Thanks.
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Darius in Albany NY '86 744 GLE (172K); '91 745T (161K)

You can spray a little WD40 on your belts one at a time (keep you hand outa the fan) with the engine running. This will quiet them for about 30 seconds and, if they're squealing, let you figure out which one it is.

bl

Sounds like a belt.
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1988 760Tic - electric fan,cone filter w/custom heat shield, 2.5" cat-back exhaust, HD radiator, boost gauge, a/f gauge, remote start, BP7ES plugs, brown top injectors,tuned AMM, MBC@14psi - 158,800 1966 M-B 230 sedan - 98,000 1982 Rx-7 - 201,000

Hi Darius,

That sounds like the classic belt slipping problem. The alternator is called upon more heavily for the first few minutes after starting the engine, to recharge the battery. If the belts are worn or loose, they will slip and you will hear the squeal. As the battery is recharged, the alternator will not have as much load put on it and the belt may stop slipping and squealing.

If the belts are not too worn, you can tighten them and stop the slipping, or replace them.

Good Luck!

TomD