Alternator??? Desperate Help!

I have a 2001 Cavalier. Just in last 2 months started making a winding noise like once a week, Had friend look at it he thought it sounded like the bearings in the alternator. Withing the last few days its been around 0 degrees out and now on top of the winding noise its like a loud rattle and grinding noise. I think it's from the same area by the alternator. And It's died 2 times on me now at stop lights. It will rev up and down than die. It starts right back up and drives fine but it seemed like when I would slow down with the brakes it idled badly. Its loud and annoying and I have 138,000 miles and it's still the original alternator. Does that sound like a problem with the alternator and would that cause the idle to do that upon slowing down? Please let me know I need this fixed it's my only transportation I can replace myself. Please HELP!!!

Most likly,but tensioner assembly is known to go also.
Losen belt and spin all pullys by hand that should point ya in the right direction.

Thank you for the response. Is it known that an alternator can make it 138,000 miles? I think Ive been pretty lucky so far. Thanks.

Your welcome.
Let us know the outcome.

I will let you know. It just worried me cause I cant really change it yet with the weather so cold but I just wanna make it a couple more days. It's been bothering me all day and well as long as I can get from point A to B a few more days I'll be ok I guess. I still think maybe I got lucky to have the original alternator make it 138,000 miles. I baught the car with all 0000 miles. Thanks again.

Would not recomend driving vechicle unless you want to be stranded and ruin your belt or something else.You could fry your wiring too.

that is ALOT of miles for a cavalier alternator, however if an alternator were to make the noise your describing, i would almost think that it wouldnt charge very good and it should have left you stranded by now,
option 2 is your air conditioner pulley, its a very common problem on these cars, and when mine was on its way out, it made the EXACT noise you're describing, i bet that is your problem, does the noise stop when your turn your A/C on?? it always stopped for me, give that a try, if the noise stops its DEFINETELY your a/c, if that doesnt affect the noise, then try looking at all the pulleys from above while the engine is running, check and see if any of them are loose, if not, take the belt off and try spinning each one by hand

I'm not sure I put a smole pole on the alternator to see and of course when I did that the sound went away so I couldnt tell. It seemed so much worse in the deep freeze but it still comes back even when its warmer now. The sound seems to be from the top of the engine compartment and when I listened with the pole touching the bracket of the alternator I could hear it clearly before the sound went away. I havent tried the AC yet but will today but it sounds like the alternator I think. I definiltly can hear a ticking sound from the alternator when its not making the other sounds and I can definitly tell the ticking coms from there. Plus when I do come to stop sometimes after it warms up it will idle up and down than die. Starts back up easily and drives fine except when I stop sometimes. Thanks again.

So it was making a chirping loud winding noise and the car was dying a few times but started right back up and ran fine. So I changed the Alternator 2 weeks ago and so far so good. The car is quieter and runs good again. But I tried to change the belt to but couldnt get the new one on so unforunatly I had to put the old one back on for now. Fingers crossed the car runs fine. Thanks again for the help everyone.

So I can't find my original post lol so heres the deal. So my 2001 Cavalier was making a chirping loud winding noise and the car was dying a few times but started right back up and ran fine. So I changed the Alternator 2 weeks ago and so far so good. The car is quieter and runs good again. But I tried to change the belt to but couldnt get the new one on so unforunatly I had to put the old one back on for now. Fingers crossed the car runs fine.

Next problem. For 2 years now my Rear Defrost has not worked. The fuse is fine, Its plugged in at the rear window, The light comes on but it doesb't work. I can't find a relay or anything. Any ideas why the defrost don't work?

Finally. at low speeds my car pulls to the left and the car wobbles left to right a little. At high speeds the car pulls left a little and shakes and vibrates pretty badly. When it pulls to the left it doesn't shake as bad but when I curve right it shakes again. I put air in the tires and it just seems to pull more to the left. It feels like the shaking comes more from the right side at the high speeds. Does that sound like maybe a wheel alignment problem to anyone? Would that make the car act like it does like the wobbling and shaking? Please let me know what you think. Thanks again.

My car does that some times. Some days I can go fast on teh highway and no shake, somedays the whole dash jumps at high speeds. And I get a HUGE amount of wind noise from my driver door because it wont seal properly, I dont know how to fix it. As for your defrost, my friends Sunfire does this and we can't figure it out either, so a problem for both of us. And for your problem, sounds like you need to go in for a 4 tire alignment, if it pulls when you drive straight and let go of the wheel, then yea, it's about $80, go in and get one of those and see how it turns out.

door noise possible fix roll window down put a wood handlr or 2x4 in at door and frame near hinges and push the top of door in at top where window would be ...genty pushing trying to tighten up the window seal area trying a little hard to push in if it does not work the first time

Could you say that again Kirkwood, dont fully understand what you are saying.