Hello, my name is Roy. For many years, I drove a 1976 Ford estate car around Sydney. The car had belonged to my grandpa. It was passed down to me when I had just passed my driving test at the age of 18. That was in 1986 and the car was already in a pretty bad condition then. Fast forward to 2006 and I was now aged 38 and still driving the same car around. Sometimes the car wouldn't start, white smoke came out of the exhaust and the gearbox made a terrible sound. I did my best to patch it up, but eventually, I had to scrap the car and buy a new one. I decided to start a blog to encourage others to service their cars.
One of the vital components of your vehicle is the alternator. This is because it is tasked with converting energy from the vehicle's crankshaft into energy that will be used to power the various electrical components in your vehicle. In addition to this, the alternator is also tasked with ensuring your vehicle's battery is able to recharge. When the alternator starts to malfunction, it will result in a domino effect that affects different components of your vehicle and could even lead to your vehicle not working at all. This is why it is important to know how to spot systems of alternator problems and have them addressed before they become aggravated. Other than being alerted by your check engine light, below are some of the signs that your alternator is worse for wear.
Your vehicle is making weird noises
One of the vaguest symptoms that your vehicle may develop is making weird noises that were previously non-existent. Nevertheless, any strange noises coming from your vehicle should be a warning that there is something not working as it should be. In some cases, the weird noises may stem from malfunctioned bearings in your engine. These bearings could become compromised due to a defunct alternator. Ignoring the noise could lead to further damage, which would affect the performance of your engine. Thus, it is prudent to have any weird noises checked out by a mechanic.
Your vehicle's headlights are flickering
If your vehicle's headlights appear to be dimmer than usual or if they begin to flicker when you turn them on, chances are there may be an underlying problem with your alternator. Since the alternator is responsible for ensuring that your headlights are receiving sufficient power, any decreased performance would be indicative that the alternator is not functioning at optimum. It would be essential to have this looked at by a mechanic to prevent you from being in a situation where you have to drive in the dark with no lights.
Your vehicle's electricals are acting up
Another symptom of a compromised alternator is when your vehicle's electricals begin to go awry. Some of the common symptoms of this would include malfunctioning power windows, lack of air conditioning, power locks that are not opening or closing and more. It should be noted that some forms of car trouble could lead to the failure of your electricals. Nevertheless, it is best to have a mechanic service your vehicle to determine the root cause of the problem and perform car repairs.
Share24 February 2017
