99 Sable whinning

My 99 Sable has 160K miles and has done very well for me so far. I'll try my best to explain my current problem but sounds are so hard to explain. My question is when I start the car in the morning it makes this sound that lasts for maybe 5 seconds then dies to a quiet winding sound. The initial sound is louder the colder it is outside and only when the car hasn't been driven in a few hours. Around town errands and it doesn't make that sound when I start it. The quieter winding sound does stay with me while driving and seems to change just a tad when the car shifts but other than the noise there are no shifting problems. All suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Three things quickly come to mind:

- The belt tensioner is shot
- The serpentine belt is worn and ready to break
- The alternator bearings are wasted

Hope that gets you looking in the right direction...good luck.

-hooD :biggrin: