How You Know if Your Alternator Is Bad

With and then many electronics built-into vehicles these days, an issue in your electric system can quickly become much more than than an inconvenience. Since the entire system relies on the alternator, it'due south a common culprit of electric failures. When my alternator started making a loud whining noise, I knew a solution was needed speedily, before it snowballed into a much larger problem for me to bargain with.

Before you tin figure out how to fix alternator racket, yous're going to need to properly diagnose the result. Allow'due south first discuss how you can pinpoint the problem past identifying what noises a failing alternator makes, likewise as other signs that yours may be at the stop of its lifespan.

In one case you've diagnosed the alternator as the source of your noise, I'm going to provide several simple ways for y'all to fix it. If that doesn't work, then nosotros'll briefly hash out how you can replace your alternator and save hundreds of dollars over going to a mechanic.

For more than helpful information on diagnosing and fixing automotive noises coming from under the hood, delight see our articles:

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What is an Alternator?

You've probably heard of an alternator, but not everyone knows what office it performs. Your vehicle is wired with sensors and electronics everywhere, from the gauges in your dash to sensors in your tires, and more sensors throughout your engine, the motel, etc. With so many electronics requiring power, how does a single bombardment go on everything running?

It doesn't. That's the job of the alternator.

While your engine is running, a belt spins the caster on the alternator, allowing it to generate electricity. This electricity is used to power everything in your vehicle while it simultaneously charges the bombardment. The battery itself is primarily for starting the vehicle but the alternator takes over once information technology's on.

Since the entire electrical system revolves effectually the alternator and the vehicle relies on the electrical system to run, it's prophylactic to say that the alternator is crucial for the proper function of any automobile. When yours starts to fail, it could get out yous in an unfortunate predicament. Only how will you know when information technology starts to go bad?

What Does a Bad Alternator Audio Like?

Certain noises coming from the engine compartment can be a sign that your alternator is failing. But what sound does a bad alternator make? Depending on what function of the alternator is going bad get-go, yous may experience whatsoever of the following noises.

Alternator Whining Noise

A mutual sound made by failing alternators is a very loftier pitched whining dissonance that y'all'll hear when the engine is running. When the RMPs increment, such as when you accelerate, yous'll hear the racket get college in pitch every bit the pulley spins faster.

Grinding Noise

If y'all're hearing a loud grinding sort of dissonance coming from your engine compartment, it's likely acquired by the alternator. Yous'll hear the grinding get louder as y'all rev the engine.

Squeaking

Though not as constant as the whining dissonance, a repetitive chirping or squeaking tin can be another sign of an alternator going bad. This will be very high pitched and the frequency of the squeak should increase as the engine reaches higher RPMs.

Squeaking When You Turn Alternator Pulley and the Automobile Is Off

We already mentioned squeaking while the vehicle runs. Still, another sign is whether the alternator pulley squeaks when you turn it by hand with the engine off.

Brand sure the engine is absurd before you lot do this exam. Turn the alternator caster by hand and listen for any squeaks as it spins. If you hear squeaking from it, then you lot'll likely need to supervene upon the noisy alternator bearing or alternator.

Knocking Racket

A knocking racket can be caused by 1 of several things relating to the alternator. A broken belt could flap around the engine compartment and make a knocking noise as information technology comes in contact with other parts. Also, a cleaved bearing may create a knocking sound as it'southward jostled around inside the housing. A final selection is that a loose bolt on the alternator could be allowing it to motion around while the engine runs.

Common Causes of Alternator Dissonance

We've discussed the sounds that may warn you that an alternator is on its last leg. Merely what is causing the dissonance you lot hear? Let'south cover a few common causes of a noisy alternator.

Worn Alternator Bearings

To generate electricity, the serpentine belt on your engine spins the alternator pulley at thousands of rotations per minute. Bearings keep everything smoothen and permit the pulley to spin at such speeds.

Of form, after thousands of hours of spinning at high speeds and traveling thousands of miles, those bearings volition first to accrue some habiliment and tear. When they become too worn out, they can become bad and start to create loud grinding noises that indicate a need for replacement. If one breaks, you lot may hear it knocking around as the alternator spins.

Loose or Worn Alternator Belt

The alternator belt (also known every bit the serpentine chugalug) passes through several pulleys on the engine. When the creepo turns, the chugalug pulls the other pulleys and causes them to spin, including the alternator pulley.

Naturally, the friction acquired by spinning through so many pulleys at high speeds volition eventually wear the belt out. Every bit it starts to attain the end of its lifespan, you lot'll hear it start to brand some sounds of complaint similar squealing, squeaking, and whining.

Loose Alternator Commodities

Vehicles experience a lot of vibration and jarring, so it's non uncommon for things to loosen upwards over time.

If one of the bolts holding your alternator in identify begins to get loose, then yous may hear the alternator moving around every bit the engine operates.

Signs of a Failing Alternator

Warning Calorie-free

Since they're loaded upwardly with electronics, newer vehicles tend to take sensors on most of the working parts, including the alternator. Every bit such, you lot'll likely see a warning calorie-free illuminate on your dash when somethings amiss with your alternator.

Yous may just run into the battery sign light up that signifies an issue somewhere in the electrical system. Your vehicle may instead have an indicator light that'southward specifically for the alternator, in which case it may say ALT for alternator or GEN for generator.

Dim Headlights

While your vehicle is running, the alternator is responsible for powering the electrical devices, including your headlights. If your headlights seem to be losing power or you notice that they're just not as bright equally usual, there'southward a good chance that it'southward due to an alternator that's going bad.

Flickering Headlights

Your alternator should have no problem powering several different functions at in one case, such as headlights and brake lights. Normally this isn't an issue, just if your alternator is dying, then it won't accept enough power for everything.

With your car in park and the headlights on press the brakes. If your alternator is functioning properly, you shouldn't notice a difference. If your alternator is dying, you'll run into the headlights flicker when you printing the brakes.

Expressionless Bombardment

One of the master jobs that the alternator performs is recharging your car'south battery while you lot drive. If information technology'southward not recharging properly, then your battery may get too depression in charge to start your vehicle.

However, a dead bombardment isn't always a sign of a failing alternator since each battery has a limited lifespan and volition somewhen die anyway, even if your alternator is working properly.

Alternator Making Noise

1 of the easiest to spot signs of an alternator going bad is that information technology starts making noise. As we've already discussed, squealing, squeaking, grinding, whining, and knocking noises can all be fabricated past a dying alternator.

Car Won't Offset Properly

If your vehicle is having trouble starting or it's cranking and turning over quite a few times before actually starting, so your alternator may be to blame. This could also be caused past a dead battery though, and then you'll need to perform a exam to meet which is the culprit.

Stalling While Running

When your vehicle starts properly simply then quickly dies or information technology only stalls out on you while information technology's running, then a dying alternator is likely the crusade. Your vehicle may start just fine considering the battery has sufficient charge.

In one case the engine is running though, the alternator takes over the electrical duties. If it's no expert, then the engine will dice when the alternator takes over for the battery.

Electrical Malfunctions

Since the entire electrical system hinges around the alternator, y'all may experience a multitude of small electrical malfunctions when the alternator starts to go bad. Y'all may notice issues with the power locks or power seats. Power windows may operate slower than usual and the lights in your nuance and console may become dim or may even flicker.

Burning Aroma

It's not uncommon for failing alternators to emit a smell like burnt condom. If the belt is going bad, is misaligned, or is experiencing too much friction, information technology may be the cause of the burning smell. Alternatively, an overheated alternator can besides be burning the wires fastened to it, which tin crusade the same sort of odor.

How to Serenity a Noisy Alternator

Now that nosotros can identify the signs of a failing alternator and we know what sounds to mind for, it'south time to discuss some solutions. The alternator tends to be situated on summit of your engine near the forepart, so you lot should exist able to admission information technology without any difficulty. Since it's an easy part to become to, y'all may be capable of performing most or all of these repairs by yourself.

1. Test Alternator First

Before y'all get making any sort of repairs, you demand to exist certain that the alternator is your problem. If you have a simple voltmeter available, you can easily test to see if the alternator is working or not.

Connect your meter leads to their corresponding battery terminals and set your meter to read DC voltage. If your bombardment is properly charged and working every bit it should, you'll run across a reading of 12.6.

With the engine running but the accessories and lights all turned off, you should see a reading of xiv.two to 14.7 volts if your alternator is functioning properly. If yours reads college than this, it could overcharge the bombardment causing impairment to it. When the reading is lower than this, information technology indicates that your alternator can't meet the demands of your vehicle.

2. Check the Condition of the Belt

Years ago, serpentine belts were made out of neoprene and they developed visible cracks with age that indicated it was fourth dimension for a replacement. As technology improved, manufacturers switched to a new fabric called EPDM, which no longer cracks the manner belts used to. So how can you tell at present that a belt is worn out?

These mod belts last about twice as long equally the old neoprene ones. They likewise wear differently. The grooves on the belt will continue to get larger and larger until the chugalug runs out of material on the other side.

Showtime, you can expect for visible signs of wear on the backside of the belt. Merely to properly check a chugalug now, y'all'll need a small plastic gauge that measures the size of its grooves. If the teeth on the gauge have room to movement while inserted in the grooves of the belt, then the belt is ready to be replaced.

three. Tighten Bolts

Sometimes the bolts that agree your alternator in place go loose with time thanks to all the vibration of the motor and from driving. This is pretty easy to remedy with a basic socket ready.

You'll need to locate your alternator bolts kickoff, at that place should be iii or four. Then you'll need to notice the proper sized socket. Simply hand tighten each commodities until they're snug.

4. Supervene upon the Serpentine Belt

If your vehicle's serpentine belt is worn, replacing it is a relatively like shooting fish in a barrel process that you tin perform at dwelling with a socket ready. You'll need to make sure you lot get the correct belt for your car, it's vehicle specific. Ane I propose is the Bando OEM Quality Serpentine Belt.

I besides recommend taking a picture of your belt setup before removing it so that you have a reference to go by when you put the new ane on. There are quite a few pulleys to go around and it can get confusing!

First by locating the tensioner caster. It will take a nut in the center that yous tin turn with a socket wrench. When you do, information technology will move the whole pulley and loosen the tension on the chugalug, allowing you to slip the belt off.

You'll then install the new chugalug in the same style. Get it wrapped around all the pulleys in the proper direction except for the tensioner pulley. Pull the pulley out of the way using your socket wrench and slip the belt over information technology.

5. Replace the Alternator Bearing

Replacing the alternator bearing is a bit more labor-intensive than some of the other methods we've discussed, but doing information technology yourself can save y'all quite a bit of money. You'll need to remove the whole alternator for this one.

Make certain yous disconnect the bombardment first. Then remove the serpentine chugalug past loosening the tensioner pulley with a socket wrench.

Disconnect the wire harness that's fastened to the alternator. Then remove all the bolts that hold the alternator in place. You can at present remove it and transport it to a bench.

Insert a socket attached to an impact wrench into the pulley of the alternator and remove the large nut.

On the behind of the alternator, remove the bolts and screws that concord the outer plate on. And so remove the housing bolts and any screws around the outside. The bearing is pressed into the housing, so y'all may have a tough time removing the housing.

You can hit the shaft from the front to remove the bearing associates and gain access to the begetting. So you can remove the large bearings with a hammer. One time yous supplant the bearings, but reassemble the alternator.

6. Replace the Alternator

If you accept your vehicle to a shop for an alternator replacement, you may pay many hundreds, nearing a 1000 dollars. By doing information technology yourself, y'all can become cheaper parts and pay nothing for the labor. For instance, this i from ACDelco is a fraction of the price that a mechanic'south chop will charge you for a new one.

Start past disconnecting the battery. Adjacent, remove the serpentine belt. Use a socket wrench to move the tensioner pulley and loosen the belt for removal.

Disconnect the wire harness from the behind of the alternator. Then remove the bolts belongings information technology in identify so you can remove it.

Put the new alternator in identify and insert the bolts. Tighten them down until they're all fully snug. Then reattach the wire harness into the back.

Replace your tensioner belt and re-connect the battery.

How Long Tin can You Drive With a Bad Alternator Begetting

Since it can be a costly repair at a mechanic or information technology could take a few hours of your time to perform yourself, you may wonder how long you can put off repairing your alternator with a bad bearing.

The truth is, there's no way to know how long it volition last. It might last several months just making a dissonance and doing nothing worse. Or, it may end upwardly declining the next time you start your car. However, driving with a dying alternator tin can crusade other bug, such as dissentious the bombardment. It's best to have care of this problem equally quickly as possible so it doesn't grow into something larger.

Alternator Bearing Replacement Toll

At a mechanic'southward store, they're going to desire to supplant the whole alternator. If the alternator bearing noise are the only problem, and so you tin can salve a boatload past replacing bearings yourself, equally I described in an earlier section.

Yous can observe an alternator rebuild kit for well-nigh $25-$35, which will include the bearings you need. Considering the average toll for a professional to supersede your alternator is between $579 and $759, this is a pretty substantial saving.

If you don't want to mess with pulling your alternator autonomously but you still want to save some money, replacing your alternator will toll a fleck more than than just replacing the bearings, but information technology will save y'all some time as well. You tin detect an alternator such as this ACDelco for a fraction of the cost of getting it replaced at a shop. Then follow the directions every bit laid out previously and you lot'll have saved a small-scale fortune.

Conclusion

A lot of sensors and electronics across your vehicle are relying on your alternator to continue them powered. If yours starts to fail, you're going to see several articulate indications like alternator bearing noise or loud squealing sound.

Now that you lot know exactly what they are, you should be able to recognize them for what they are when you run into them. Moreover, you know exactly how to pinpoint and gear up the trouble, even if information technology means replacing the alternator.

If you lot found this article helpful, please feel free to share information technology and then that others can find information technology likewise. If you accept any questions or comments, I'll endeavour to respond to any left in the comments box beneath as quickly as possible.

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