Electric sounding noise help!

Howdy folks, I have 2011 Tacoma TRD Off Road and have always heard this noise ever since I bought it, but am curious as to what it may be. It's the electric-like sound (not a "hummm" but more of a "ehhhhhhhhh" sound) and I am curious as to what may be causing this and if it is normal or concerning. This is the VVT-I engine with an ECT-I transmission. Could it be the electrical from the tranny? It's sort of in the background but stands out above all else (nearly equivalent to the Yoda/taco tick).

It's been good for 100k miles but am curious what it could be due to my mechanical curiosity.

All fluids are good, all components are working properly, no codes being thrown/no warning lights on the dash, and everything is tight and in good condition.
https://youtube.com/shorts/W4FApxYIGfg?feature=share

 

Sounds like you may have a bearing on something on the belt drive going bad, may want to pop the belt off and spin all the pulleys.

 

That was what I thought was happening but its been happening forever and never broke on me so that's the reason why I haven't fixed it yet lol. I can live with what's on the drive belt...

 

I'd look at it sooner rather than later, if it throws/shreds the belt you could have bigger issues than just a bearing.

 

Does the sound change when you turn the wheel?

Have you unplugged the alternator & seen if the noise goes away?

 

The noise doesn’t change pitch, and is unaffected by turning the wheel

Unsure about the alternator

 

After starting the truck unplug the alternator to see if the noise stops

 

I’ll try that tomorrow and see if it changes things.Thanks!

 

https://youtube.com/shorts/4hO6XBq667s?si=3e-bGU53qG47ZK-o
a better example (up close)
I sort sounds like a leaf blower from a distance

 

Unplugged the alternator and still heard it. The sound does vary some when turning the steering wheel though

 

The sound changes slightly, yes

 

It might be your power steering going out & thats why the noise changes when turning. Maybe new power steering fluid will help the pump last longer before it goes. I'd look at the fluid level

 

power steering fluid is fine and at its proper level. No air, no leaks. I have the ect-I transmission and am thinking it could be the sound of it working properly. When driving, there’s no sound from turning the wheel and the sound seems to be directly correlated to rpm’s. When shifting to the next higher gear, rpm’s and go up, drop, and go back up as all cars do when going from one gear to the next. The sound in the recording is at idle, then when driving is correlated to the rpm’s. Everything sounds normal as far as I can tell and with all the shops I’ve been in the years past, nobody has ever thought the noise was of any concern (I have some very trustworthy shops )
Also, the noise should fluctuate slightly with the turning of the wheel with rpm’s compensating for movement in the steering column. The noise sounds just like any other rpm related noise I’ve heard

 

If you haven’t done so already, remove your drive belt and start the truck, see if the noise is gone. If it is, then the noise is definitely related to of the spinny bits on the front of the engine. Start spinning things by hand to see if you can determine which one it is. You can run the engine for a couple of minutes this way when cold, perhaps a minute or so when warm, with no adverse effects.