i have a 97 acura cl 3.0 runs great it has about 146k on it, started making a sound almost like a tensioner or pulley coming from around the engine.. thinking maybe a timing belt, no check engine light.. any ideas????

 

If I had to guess I'd say you have a bad pulley bearing or possibly bad power steering pump or alternator. check all your pulleys for bad bearings.

 

Did you ever solve your issue?

I had a very similar problem just a few months ago. I wish I knew then what I know now. I assumed the noise was the water pump or its bearing because the car kept needing coolant every couple days. I just kinda lived with it. A few weeks ago, my drive belt snapped. Turns out the noise was coming from the drive belt tensioner pulley which finally jammed up, which then rubbed and snapped the drive belt.

For anyone trying to locate the source of a pulley noise:

Try taking your drive belt off and start the car. If the noise is gone, you've narrowed it down. With the car off, try spinning by hand the drive belt tensioner pulley, the alternator pulley, and the AC pulley. Check for wobble. You may luck out and easily feel/hear which one is the problem.

If the noise is still present, try also releasing your power steering belt, moving it out of the way of the crank pulley, and do the same test. If the noise is still present, then you can worry about timing belt job (if it's near the scheduled time, that would mean replacing your timing belt, water pump, auto tensioner, tensioner pulley, and idler pulley.)