Toyota Repair: 2000 Camry 4 Cylinder, timing belt, idler pulley

Question
My 2000 Camry has 141,000 miles on it and has not really given me any problems until recently,when I'm driving I get a winding noise,but not constant ,I had the timing belt looked at and it was fine,my mechanic tells me it's a bearing and when it goes just about idleing it seems to occur.It seems to be happening more often now.Thanks

Answer
It sounds to me like an idler pulley. This is a pulley that your serpentine drive belt goes around and drives your alternator and water pump. You can drive it with no problem, but I would budget some money within the next couple of months to replace it.