Your car needs the alternator to keep generating power as the engine runs. If it is starting to fail then, that means that the car’s electrical system isn’t getting the power that it needs. West Omaha Auto Service has this advice for you about spotting alternator trouble.
You Might Smell Some Electrical Smells
The alternator generates power and it’s part of your car’s electrical system. That means that when it starts to have issues, it might overheat in some areas. That can create some hot electrical smells that you’re able to smell from the inside of the car.
You Could Also Hear Some Odd Noises
Your car’s alternator has belts, bearings, pulleys and other moving parts that it needs in order to generate power. If any of those parts are having issues, then you’re probably going to hear some odd noises. You might hear whining or squealing noises, particularly if belts or bearings are going bad.
Accessories Might Not Work
Any accessories that you plug into your car’s electrical system rely on the alternator to get the juice that they need. When the alternator is failing, it can’t give power to everything that’s demanding it. That might mean that the car itself appears to be functioning perfectly, but the accessories are acting odd.
The Battery Is Acting Up
Your car’s battery is responsible for starting up the car. That’s where everything gets the power initially to run, and then the alternator gets spinning and returns a charge to the battery. If the alternator is having issues, though, there’s little or no charge going back to the battery. The battery can handle a little of that, but not much. Eventually, it starts having trouble, too.
You’ve Got a Dashboard Warning Light
Before everything goes completely dead, you might get a dashboard warning light. Typically the light you’ll see is the one for the battery, which may make you get the battery tested. Don’t stop there, though. Make sure to get the alternator tested, too, so that you know for sure exactly where the problem is.
Suspect you’ve got issues with your car’s alternator? Don’t keep guessing about it. Give us a call at West Omaha Auto Service in Omaha, NE today. We can test your entire electrical system, the alternator, and your battery to give you a thorough report about what’s happening. Then we can recommend the best course of action for repairing the problems.