Saturday, August 6, 2011

How to Diagnose a Faulty Alternator


It's a easy fact that if your alternator stops working, your car will stop too, that's why it's leading to keep your eye on this critical motor part so that you don't find yourself stranded. There is no doubt that a regular car aid might be able to pinpoint a pending problem but in between times it's handy to know a few things to look out for.

Alternators are used to handle the varying electrical loads that are placed on the motor while operation, and to restore the charge to the battery when you need to restart it. If the battery is overburdened and begins to lose charge it can place stress on the alternator and this is what at last causes alternator failure.

Car Alternator Repair

Finally, when the motor fails to turn over on ignition it is easy to blame the battery, but sometimes alternator failure can be the cause and you need to have it examined by a distinguished mechanic. If you try to diagnose the problem yourself by replacing the battery you may be able to get the car to start again but if the alternator has failed you are likely to have the same problem about 20 km down the road.
Whilst most alternators will last for about 120,000 km, there can be some tell-tale signs you should look out for.
If you have an alternator light in your dashboard, it should light up every time you start the engine. If it doesn't, you may have a problem.
An incorrectly adjusted drive belt can preclude the alternator from supplying sufficient charge to the battery causing the battery to fail. An early indicator of imminent failure will be a loss of power when you turn on the headlights or air-conditioning. Your mechanic will be able to test the belt for cracks or fraying to remedy this problem.
If you have a voltmeter you can check your battery voltage and concluding connections when the motor is running. You should get a reading of between 13.8 V and 15 V, anything lower than that could be an indication of imminent alternator malfunction.
Seasoned motorists or those with a keen interest in engines may be able to detect a grist noise arrival from the alternator, an additional one warning sign indicating a trip to your mechanic.
There can be many other variables in play when it comes to electrical problems in your car and it is not always a safe option to rely upon your old knowledge. motor technology is becoming more involved with every new model issue and motor electrics are being enduringly updated.
The best advice is to leave everything in the hands of car care professional. Sometimes, taking matters into your own hands can follow in more costly damage to your vehicle, especially when it comes to electrical systems. Sensitive computer circuitry play a large part in fault detection and it is a easy matter of hooking up a vehicle's motor to a diagnostic motor to get the most correct answer.
By all means be on the lookout for early signs of problems but leave it to your mechanic for the final assessment.
How to Diagnose a Faulty Alternator

CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.

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