Know the Symptoms that Arise due to a Bad Alternator in Your Car

An alternator is a very important part of the electrical power system that serves electrical energy needs of your car.

The alternator is actually an alternating current generator as it charges the battery when the car is moving.

The alternator is basically a dynamo, that converts the mechanical energy of the crankshaft into electrical energy, which is stored in the car battery.

All the vital systems of the car, like the ignition systems, are totally dependent on the power output from the car battery, which in turn is dependent on the alternator.

If the alternator fails, all the accessories like headlights, air conditioning and most importantly, the car ignition system will eventually fail.

So, it's very important that you know and learn to read symptoms indicating a bad alternator, as they will ensure that you are not stranded and left high and dry when your alternator stops working Dashboard light is on Drop in battery voltage Sounds Low performance

There is a dashboard indicator or service light, which indicates the condition of the alternator. And when the service warning light stops working means the alternator is not working. 1 2

The best way, in which you could know the condition of your alternator, is to test with a digital multimeter or DC voltmeter and check the voltage output of the battery. If it is consistently low (less than 13 V) and diminishing, then chances are, that either alternator is partially or fully failing or there is a problem with the car battery itself. 1 2

Many experienced car mechanics can know what is wrong just by identifying peculiar sounds made by malfunctioning parts. A clanging or rattling sound might be an indicator of something that has gone wrong with the alternator belt or its other parts. 1 2

One of the indirect symptoms is a diminished performance of various electrical accessories in the car due to a low charging level of the battery, which could be a result of a bad alternator. In this case, an immediate checkup from a mechanic is recommended or else, you will observe the gradual shutdown of all electrically operated accessories of the car. 1 2

Every component of a car is crucial in its overall working and the alternator being the core power generator system, is even more important.

Car repair is a costly endeavor and being alert and seeing early signs of car device malfunction is the only way of saving some money.

Thank You!