Your alternator is a central component on any engine. The alternator is responsible for powering anything electronic on your vehicle, including the coils that fire your spark plugs (unless it’s a diesel). At A-Ford-Able Auto Repair & Tire Service in St Augustine, FL, we know a bad alternator when we see one - here’s how you can spot one too.
What the alternator does
The alternator takes over for powering the vehicle as soon as the vehicle starts. When the engine isn’t running, the battery is responsible for delivering electricity - once the engine starts, the alternator takes its place. A battery would run dead fairly quickly if it were solely responsible for powering everything, starting the vehicle, and running the engine. The alternator spins as the engine runs, generating power as long as the engine is going, and charging the battery in the process.
What happens when it fails
Most of the time, an alternator will either work or it won’t. Sometimes it can fail intermittently, but any time it fails to charge the battery you’ll start noticing an issue. If the alternator isn’t producing enough voltage to keep up with the demands of the vehicle, the engine and electronics will start drawing power from the battery instead. Eventually, since the battery isn’t being charged, it’ll run out of juice. Problems will manifest in a few different ways. You may notice that once the engine is shut down, there’s not enough power to start it again - if the battery is in good shape, the alternator is a likely culprit. If you notice the headlights are dim, especially when at idle or running multiple electronic components, that’s another symptom of a failing alternator. You might notice the radio or other electronics begin acting erratically, or the engine itself runs poorly, especially when you turn on high current components like the headlights or heater fan. Try turning all the electronics off and see if the vehicle performs better, especially if you need to make it off the road before the battery dies completely.
What to do about it
Diagnosing a bad alternator can be tricky without the right equipment and knowledge. Sometimes problems appear intermittently, or if it’s barely beginning to fail, it may take a long time between moments where the vehicle is running long enough to kill the battery. The best way to diagnose a bad alternator is with a multimeter - if you test across the battery leads or to the back of the alternator with the engine running, and it’s not reading well over 12v, the alternator isn’t doing its job.
Specialized equipment for testing and diagnosing an alternator makes the job even more simple and concise - a professional technician with the right tools can often tell you what’s wrong in just a minute or two. At A-Ford-Able Auto Repair & Tire Service, we can diagnose and replace a bad alternator in no time, and get you reliably back on the road. Our crew wants to ensure your safety on the road, so we make sure our repairs and service guarantee reliability and quality.
No matter your repair or maintenance needs, we’ve got you covered. For the repair and service shop in St Augustine, FL, call or stop by A-Ford-Able Auto Repair & Tire Service today.
FOR AFFORDABLE AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY!
TOP SERVICES OFFERED: BRAKE REPAIR, ENGINE REPAIR-COOLING SYSTEM REPAIR, ELECTRICAL REPAIR, EXHAUST SYSTEM, TRANSMISSION REPAIR, A/C REPAIR, AUTOMOTIVE DIAGNOSTICS, REPROGRAMMING-TOWING, DIESEL, DIESEL REPAIR, FORD DIESEL REPAIR, WATERPUMP, TUNE UP-ANTI THEFT, KEY PROGRAMMING, FORD REPAIR, FORD SPECIALIST, TRAILER REPAIR, WIRING REPAIR, TRAILER WIRING, COMPUTER DIAGNOSTICS, OIL CHANGE, FACTORY MAINTNANCE, ROTATE TIRES, DIESEL, ALIGNMENT, SUSPENTION REPAIR, BALLJOINTS, DIESEL PERFORMANCE, FORD, FORD CARS, AUTO REPAIR SHOP, REPAIR SHOP, POWER STROKE , POWER STROKE DIESEL, INJECTOR, FUEL SYSTEM, FUEL LEAK, FUEL SYSTEM REPAIR, CAR REPAIR, VEH REPAIR, LIFT KITS, LEVELING KITS, OIL CHANGE, LUBE, OIL FILTER, TIRE REPAIR, BATTERY, CAR BATTERY, TEST, ALTERNATOR, WATER PUMP, COOLING SYSTEM, COOLANT SERIVICE, COOLANT LEAK, HOSE REPAIR, RADIATOR, RADIATOR HOSE, POWER STEERING REPAIR, POWER STEERING LEAK, SHOCKS, STRUTS, ANTI THEFT, ALARM SYSTEM, WINDOW REPAIR, AXLE REPAIR, AXLE SHAFT, C/V AXLE, C/V SHAFT, AXLE BEARING, REAR AXLE REPAIR, BELTS&HOSES, ANTI FREEZE, FREEZE PLUGS, OIL LEAK, FUEL INJECTOR, FUEL INJECTION, WINDSHIELD WIPER-STEERING, HUB BEARING, DRIVE SHAFT, UNIVERSAL JOINT, TRANS LEAK, TRANSMISSION REPAIR, ENGINE REPAIR, ENGINE REPLACEMENT, SPARK PLUG, FUEL FILTER, AIR FILTER, CRUISE CONTROL, TRANSMISSION SERVICE, POWER STEERING SERVICE, COOLANT SERVICE, CHARGING SYSTEM.
