Do you know what an alternator does for your vehicle? Do you know where the alternator is located on your vehicle? I would like to cover one of the five overlooked parts of the car. Most people don't know there is an alternator on their car. When they hear the name for the first time, it's when their vehicle won't start. This is known as the charging system. The charging system consist of the alternator, battery, wiring, and drive belt. Your alternator can come with an internal or external voltage regulator. This will depend on your year, make, and model of your vehicle.The alternators responsibility is to generate electricity to recharge the battery, run the fuel pump, injectors, ignition system, power the vehicle's lights, and other electrical powered accessories. The alternator is under a substantial load that creates a lot of internal heat. This heat can burn a diode out. The diode helps to convert alternating current to direct current. Also, the heat can damage the rotor and stator windings, brush connections, and wiring leads. These are the inner working or parts of the alternator. Most alternators fail electronically before they wear out the inner parts. Alternators can fail when they are subjected to road splash that contains salt water or debris. It's important to keep your splash guards in place, on your vehicles.If the charging system fails for any reason or does not produce enough power to meet all of the vehicle's electrical demands, the battery will run down. Once the battery voltage drops below a certain threshold, certain system in your vehicle may stop working. Charging system problems can be caused by electrical faults in the alternator or voltage regulator, poor wiring connections at the battery or alternator, or a slipping drive belt.To help your alternator, check the battey for corrosion. If corrosion is present, pour a can of coke on the battey terminals. During your oil change service, have the alternator, battery, and belt checked. Remember, keep your under-car splash guard in place. There isn't a specific failure rate on an alternator. It can go out at anytime. Watch your add-on accessories. The more the alternator has to work, the more strain on the battery and alternator.Until next time, happy motoring
Read more…
