daisy77

ok, new alternator it is... I will look into doing the zx conversion. I still don't get why it sounds like there's a load on the engine with the lights off, and sounds like there is no load with the lights on... oh well... Thanks for the welcome & the advise!

I have a 77' 280, with the car running and the headlights off there is a whiny noise coming from the alternator, I can hear a slight grinding noise in the background. What's confusing me is that when I turn the headlights on the alternator goes quiet, the whiny grind noise goes away. Now, logic is telling me that it should be the exact opposite, like when I turn the headlights on the noise should be there because the headlights being on would put a load on the engine, and when I turn the lights off the noise should then go away. That's not the case... Either way, its a bad noise. Alternator is relatively new. Anybody have any ideas? RECAP: Lights on- no noise Lights off- weird noise