We believe that knowledge is power, so let’s talk about your car’s alternator. The alternator is located in the front of your vehicle’s engine and it is attached to the serpentine belt. The alternator is the part in the electrical system that generates electricity. Let’s talk more in detail about this below.
What It Does
The alternator generates an electrical current and then converts it into the type of current that your automobile’s electrical system can use. Generally, the amount of power that the alternator will produce ranges between 13 volts and 14.5 volts. The alternator operates while your engine is running. The alternator stops working when you turn off the engine.
How It Works
The reason why the alternator stops working when you turn off the engine is that it relies on a moving serpentine belt to generate electricity. When you cut the engine, the serpentine belt stops moving. While it is moving, however, it spins the alternator’s pulley to rotate both some magnets and a rotor shaft around a coil. This is what generates the electrical current.
As we mentioned above, the current also needs to be converted. In its original form, the current is an alternating current or AC. The electrical system needs the current to be converted to a direct current or DC. The alternator does this by moving the current through a rectifier. Once the current is converted to DC, the battery and electrical system use the electricity.
How Long It Lasts
In most cases, you can expect to get 10 or more years of service out of the original alternator in your automobile. If you switch vehicles frequently, you may never need to replace the alternator. If you keep your vehicles, you will need to replace the alternator at around 100,000 miles. In some cases, the alternator can last longer than this.
How It Malfunctions
When the alternator gets too old, it will start to malfunction. Unfortunately, this means that it will not produce enough electricity or it will produce too much electricity. This can affect
- Your vehicle’s lights
- The vehicle’s battery
- The vehicle’s accessories
- The spark plugs
In addition to the above malfunctioning, you may also hear growling noises coming from the engine and smell burning wires in the engine. The battery light may also turn on.
We can help, so call us today to set up a service visit for your automobile. We will check the alternator to see if it is having problems. If it is, we will replace it.