For sure a accessory bearing failing.......wag= idler pulley or water pump.
Gonna have to have a shop check it out though....sources are anything the belt is turning. The Cruze is not notorius for any specific bearing failure....an idler here or there, a few A/C compressors.....that reminds me....is the sound the same with the A/C turned on?
AC doesn't affect the sound. Looked under the hood to see where the sound was coming from and saw this bearing leaking. I've been having a burning oil smell previous to this issue that my mechanic couldn't find. I went to my local dealership to have a uv dye added to the system and will be returning on Monday to find any other prominent leaks.
The assembly in your photo is the water pump and, yes, bearings within it have failed along with many seal (coolant leak) failures.
The pump has failed enough to have had its warranty extended to 10 years, 150k miles.
Had the AC fixed at the shop I frequent for 650. The oil filter housing, trans cooler lines, and the oil pan are projects I plan to do myself. Anyone have a link to some videos or currently open threads for these d.i.y? Oil filter housing is the major leak of the three which is causing the smell I'd bet.
My friends father has a garage on his property I can use with a lift and most of what I'll need. He just didn't have the vacuum or pump for the refrigerant on the AC repair.