I have about a million problems with my car, but two are particularly puzzling. Just some background:

The battery is old and will be replaced soon
The oxygen sensors are going bad, and I just got the replacements in the mail
The front driver-side wheel bearing is going out
I found the above three problems when I took it in to get serviced when the check engine light came on (and the transmission had been shifting late/slipping, so I thought the two were related). The shop said that the O2 sensor is causing the light, and that the other two problems are just there.
I have an LS

- Now that that's clear, I'm hearing a noise when I'm at Interstate speeds, and it's varying with my RPMs, not my speed. It's a whirring noise that sounds like an electric motor, not so much like grinding. As long as I stay below about 65 I don't hear it, but once I get on the interstate at about 75 - 80, I hear the noise at about 1,500 RPMs, and it gets louder and higher-pitched as the RPMs go up to the 3k - 4k range. I should also add that once I reach those speeds, it comes in slowly; so, once I reach 80, I can put it at 3k and I barely hear anything, but if I rev the engine a few times, I'll hear it loud and clear, and it will be there until I stop next. My transmission problems mentioned above make me think that these two issues might be related.

- One other problem I'm having is that the cruise control is shutting off by itself. If I'm coasting down a hill and my speed gets to about 4 or 5mph above what the cruise is set at, then it just turns off.

Any thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

Have your alt checked out.


It may be the cause for the other electrical problems your having including your trans.



My wifes truck pulled this on me a while back and I could not for the life of me figure out what the heck was going on until the alt finally took it's last breath.

 

Update: I just changed the battery. The old one checked out just fine, so I don't think that there was anything wrong with it. That being said, it was a 6-year-old battery, so I'm sure it didn't hurt to replace it.

 

How would it be causing the noise?

 

the bearings in the alt could be going uot or maybe the brushes causing a voltage drop that will make our cars go haywire

 

i drove an old truck that had the same trans problem... turns out it was low on trans fluid. have you checked yours? dosent hurt.