Please help with diagnosing an issue

Hey so Ive searched threads and couldnt find a reliable answer to this so trying to solve my problem for free since im really strapped for $ to give it to a shop for diagnosis.

Heres my problem..
When I put the car in Drive (automatic) and start to drive off, through the whole accelerating period theres a whinning noise until the last two gears, thats when the noise dissapears (or is just not noticeable anymore) Its not loud, but annoying when you pay attention to it. The sound is higher pitched than the engine, almost like a supercharger sound, but it sounds like something in the car is struggling. I changed my transmission oil 20,000 miles ago, the car has 190,000mi now.
What I got from searching is that it could be an alternator going bad? and AC idler pulley, but I dont think thats it, because there is no noise when the car is Idling or in Neutral gear.
Also i dont think its the power steering pump because the noise is not related to turning the wheels at all.
ALso I have a ABS light on, could these two issues be connected?

Thanks for all your help fellow taco owners.

 

How old are your belts? Could just be their too loose or too tight or just old

 

never changed them, but they look good from what i can see. not loose or too tight. and no signs of rips/bad wear.
havent done offroading/mudding. just been used on concrete roads and to haul stuff in the bed (rocks, wood). and I live on a hill. just for background info.

could it be a transmission problem?

 

More symptoms: I just noticed yesterday and today that now, even when im not accelerating, but put the car in Drive or Reverse, a noise automatically comes up. But in Neutral or Park, there is no noise even if I rev the engine.

 

Still sounds like belts as tsab916 suggested. What you describe is the difference between no load and a load on the engine? Park or Neutral, you have no load on the engine, and in gear you do.

Possibly the bar of soap trick, just to see if it quiets it a bit, at least point you in the right direction?

 

At what RPM moving do you hear the noise?

Will make the noise revving the engine to a set RPM, in neutral at a stand still, or at a stop in gear, power braking the engine?

 

Hmm yes it does make sense that with more load it starts whining, thus could be belt... i will inspect the belts more closely. Would spraying some wd40 on the inside of the belts while running quiet them down and that would tell me that i need to replace them?

the rpm's dont really matter. The noise is there from standstill all throughout the rpm spectrum as the car is accelerating. and this is only when the car is in Drive or Reverse.

 

I don't know the formula behind wd40, but, you aren't supposed to use an oil based product on the belts.

Most auto parts stores have a belt dressing just for that reason.

 

My belts whined all through this winter, it was only when the truck was accelerating and decelerating it seemed and after 60mph it was gone, and now that summer is here its stopped so far. Try belt dressing, I've also heard of people soaking their new belts in mild soapy water to prevent new belts from whining....I cannot confirm this helps though..

 

its most likely a pulley or a belt. most of the time you can get the belt conditioner to spray on them or just replace them and check all the pulleys to make sure they are no locking up etc. had the same problem a while back. also check your harmonic balancer , it sounds similar to this problem, the rubber was virtually gone on mine and was sliding back and forth at certain speeds slipping until it was hitting the motor it self at times. fun replacement as well.

 

A light dab of plain white toothpaste on the friction side of the belt will usually silence a squeal at least temporarily. The abrasives in the toothpaste remove glaze from the belt and pulley surfaces.

 

190,000 miles and never changed the belts . Water pump's never been changed on it? I think it would be worth your while just for the sake of preventive maintenance to have all that done.