Alternators are a main component in your vehicle. They are responsible for recycling power to the battery as you drive. This keeps your battery powered and your vehicle on the road. If the alternator stops working properly, you aren't going to be going anywhere anytime soon. By knowing what to be on the lookout for, you can minimize the amount of hassles and headaches you are going to encounter along the way.
The battery is dead.
While a battery isn't meant to last indefinitely, that doesn't mean your battery itself is always to blame. Oftentimes, a bad alternator could end up making you think the battery is shot when in fact the battery is fine. To find out whether the alternator or the battery is to blame, you can always try to jump your vehicle with simple jumper cables. If your vehicle struggles to start when the battery is fully charged, the problem is more than likely the alternator and not the battery.
The lights went dim.
Your alternator is what helps to power all of the electrical components of your vehicle. If the alternator starts to go out, you might notice the lights inside of the vehicle and on the dashboard growing dim. Speedometers can stop working and other electrical components will go out as well. Your heated mirrors, power windows and power seats will start going extremely slow when in use.
Your vehicle sounds or smells funny.
When the alternator starts to go bad, all of the parts that they provide the power to are going to be impacted. Any belts connected to the alternator aren't going to move like they once did. All of the added friction will end up causing your belts to heat up. The hotter the belts get, the more they are going to smell like burnt rubber. You might also start to notice a lot of other strange noises coming from the vehicle. When other components aren't able to turn as well, they can produce a grinding or whining noise.
If any of these sound like something you have been dealing with, you need to have your vehicle looked at by a licensed mechanic (like those at Pete's Service Center). You don't want to wait until the alternator goes out completely and causes a bunch of other components to go bad with it. You can save yourself a lot of hassles and headaches by simply having the alternator repaired before it gets too bad.
Share29 December 2015
Hello. My name’s Samuel Jacobs. I retired from my job as an auto mechanic last year. During my years as a mechanic, I had the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life. Some have remained friends to this day. When I was working, there is one thing that I came across at least weekly. That is how uneducated people are when it comes to their vehicle’s tires. Properly cared for tires are crucial to the safety of your vehicle. Without them, your car isn’t going anywhere. If they give out on you while you are driving, there is the potential for serious injury. I’m going to share some tire safety information here. Things like the importance of correct inflation, how to check the tread, when to replace tires, tire rotation, and what to do in case of a blow-out. I hope you find this information to be helpful.