940 turbo 94'

[Abezak]

turbo 940 1994. 230k. after a routine drive to the nearby gas station on the ride back i noticed a subtle whine but overall drivability was as normal as ever if not smoother. i didnt drive the car the rest of the night and into the following evening. when i started it the whine was loud at idle. i reversed from the driveway and when i shifted to drive the car had almost no response with acceleration if any it is very weak, almost like a misfire. spent the whole night doing research. decided the next morning ill check the transmission fluid. i thought it may be hard to get a hot reading if i could not take the car for a drive anywhere. sure enough i started the car the next morning the whine was still there but drivabilty is back to the norm. accelerated fine, shifted fine and any Rpm over 1000 the whine is gone. when slowing to a stop and at idle it comes back but not as loud. so i checked the fluid level and it was below the min on the hot side. would the low transmission fluid cause this issue? the fluid will be rectified first but one thread caught my eye. others said issues with the timing belt tensioner i believe. Could this be the problem causing the "misfire" feeling and a whine? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.