Hi, i have just noticed that when i rev the engine up on my car when in neutral and you lift off there seems to be a whining noice coming from around were the alternator is, it kind of sounds like a bearing has failed or about to?? I have also noticed that it doesnt seem to go as well as it used to, it really used to whip through the gears rather rappidly once on boost but now once on boost it just seems quite lazy and doesnt seem to pull as hard. My brother who previously owned the car had a go in it again and also agreed that it doesnt seem anywere near as fast as what it used to, it is however difficult for him to say now as he has been driving a more powerful car since he owned it. The only thing i have recently changed is i have put some 17" wheels on from the octavia vrs, could this make it seem that much slower??

Its a vrs se which has now covered 50k miles! i mostly do motorway miles!!

There is a clutch in the alternator pully and if this has seized you can get it changed without replacing the whole alternator. This assumes it has not gone badly enough to have damaged the shaft it connects to, but it sounds like you caught it early enough if it is this.

As for the lack of speed, has the car had a new MAF ever?

The 17" wheels will have quite an effect on acceleration as it's unsprung mass.

Right thanks for that, think im going to take it down to my local skoda garage tomorrow and see what they say about the noise, does sound like sumthing seized or about to to me. No the car has never had the MAF changed. do you think it could be on its way out? is there any way of checking if it is the MAF?