question about noise

i have a 01 grand prix gt 3.8 n/s.. it makes humming noise almost like a power steering pump but i want to be sure/. someone told me that i can take the belts off and then start it up and if the noise goes away then its a belt issue. my question is will the car start if i dont have the belts on and will it mess anything up?

Does your humming noise change pitch along with your speed? If it does and sounds like a single engine Cessna then It could be an hub bearing going bad.

You can run for a minute or so with the belts off without causing any damage.

You can run for a minute or so with the belts off without causing any damage.


I've done it, but like Tim said, I wouldn't do it for long at all.

so i took the belt off today and started the car i let it run for about a mnute or so at the most. The noise went away so my next question is what does that mean. the alternator test fine does this mean i have a bad belt tensioner or a bad water pump/ thanks everyone

With the belt off, you could turn each accessory and pulley by hand to feel for roughness. From there you should be able to figure out what the problem is.