Have you checked your shift light fluid? I know when that get's low the bulb will make a grinding noise when it tries to light up. The best way to tell if it's the shift light is if when you shift, if there's no light that comes on when you're supposed to shift then the fluid is low. The fluid container is in the trunk near the spare tire. I'd check that first.
Yes it has a battery in it that it cranks off of and then the alternator takes over and recharges the battery and runs the accessories as you drive down the road. That makes the 5.0 a hybrid.
I'm telling Chuck Norris that you called him gay and he's going to karate chop your pet animals in the neck and use their skins for toilet paper.