1994 Ford Escort Car makes grinding noise when idle or chan

could be the bearings in the alternator breaking down ... or the tensioner .. the symptoms your describing point to alternator ... apart from the changing gear part .. if it's alternator you would expect the noise constantly ? perhaps it's just more noticeable at those times ... go underhood with engine running to see if you can pinpoint where noise is coming from ?? and get back to us with your opinion ?

checked the engine in the morning and found the oil was very low and looked like it was getting worn out (very dark), added some slick 50 and filled it back up and the noise stopped, the wippers started working back not sure what happened to that, still watching the alternator in case it is having intermittent problems but everything seems to be working fine again. Found out my blower wires had gotten coroded and looks like there had been a short sometime in the past, so I used bicarb soda to clean the contacts and the wires and taped up the bare parts so it shouldnt short out again and the blower seems to be working fine now. :P hopefully will not have any more episodes, was rather trippy to drive at night in a rain storm without wipers and with the lights dimming everytime I changed gears.