Hi, I’m getting this weird whine that I think might be the alternator. It keeps going when the clutch is in or if it is in neutral. I can’t hear the whine when cruising in fourth or fifth gear but that might be because of the road noise. I’ll be getting the alternator tested soon but I want to get an idea of some common causes.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GK0n6xwr5kU
(I got a video of it)

 

The whine frequency varies with engine RPM, so it could be anything driven directly by the engine: Oil pump, Water pump, Alternator, A/C pump, Serpentine belt tensioner, Idler pulley bearing, Timing belt/pulleys/tensioner, or Balance shaft belt/pulleys/tensioner pulley.

Get a stethoscope, (a screwdriver handle to your ear), and a friend to rev the motor, then track down the source of the whine by probing and listening at different locations all over the engine. Once you have located the source, pull it apart and find what is making the noise.