Every single component of your vehicle is an crucial piece of one big complex puzzle. The alternator is no exception. The alternator is a generator that is key to the operation of your vehicle.
Without the alternator working, the electrical system inside your vehicle will not be operating properly.
An electrical system problem inside the car can cause widespread damage and cause you a lot of money in repairs and replacements.
If your alternator is bad, the charging system of this car will not be working – here are some tips on how to find out if your alternator is damaged or broken.
What Is An Alternator?
The alternator generates electrical power in your vehicle. It is a main part of your vehicle’s electrical and charging system. All cars with an internal combustion engine (other than a few select hybrids) have an alternator.
When your car’s engine is running, the alternator supplies the battery with power. The alternator is normally self-contained maintenance-free electrical power generator.
Care is very important to the longevity of the alternator, and if you do not look after the car it may be necessary to rebuild or replace an alternator sooner than expected, although it typically may be used for 10-15 years in most vehicles.
The alternator is also what provides the electrical power it needs to function and also supplies electrical power for the car’s exterior electrical systems in order to charge all in-car items. An alternator is bolted and secured to the engine and driven by the serpentine belt.
What Is The Serpentine/Drive Belt?
The serpentine belt or drive belt drives the accessories on your engine.
The drive belt will drive the alternator, water pump, and a/c compressor. If the serpentine belt breaks down or becomes damaged, then your car cannot drive.
If you attempt to drive the vehicle without the drive belt, the engine would overheat as there is no longer any water pump action. Therefore, if you break the drive belt, it can also damage the radiator and coolant hoses.
Signs that there may be a broken drive belt are loud noises, squealing noises, and in some cases, other sounds originating from beneath the hood.
Additionally, the charging system warning light may come on because the alternator is no longer charging the battery. A bad drive belt and a bad alternator usually go hand in hand.
Symptoms Of A Bad Alternator
There are a few key signs of a bad alternator. The most common symptom is when the vehicle’s charging system show an issue as the battery-shaped warning light shows up on your dashboard.
If this light does not come on, the “CHARGE” icon can also come on while you are driving. This Diagnostic Light mostly comes on with you turn your ignition, however, it should turn off when your engine is started completely.
If the light remains on, it is a clear indication you have an issue with your charging system. The warning light does not specifically point out a broken alternator, however, this is the most common reason for the light.
At this point, you should take your vehicle to an automotive mechanic to do some testing on the alternator and any electrical reasons why this light is on while your engine is running.
The second symptom of a weak charging system is if the dash lights and headlights dim while your vehicle is idling, however, brighten when the engine is turned to an on position. The problem with this could be a weak alternator, however, it could also be due to a dying battery that can cause the same symptoms.
Aside from the fact the battery could be and issue as well, poor connections with your battery terminals and or loose drive belt can also contribute to causes of a weak charging system.
You will also be able to find out if your alternator has issues if you hear whining and buzzing noises that come from your alternator, which can be caused to a noisy alternator bearing.
The final symptom is a failure that has to do with faulty plates within your vehicle. Your car has three rotating plates that cover the vast area of copper wires, which create the area for the alternator to process power. There can also be failed plates one at a time.
The failing plates contribute to the alternator weakening, but not stopping completely. If the plates fail, the power will consistently drop the output levels. This can cause wear and tear on your electrical system and cause the battery to fail, as well as your ignition system.
If you wish to prevent damage and destruction to your battery, and wished to see how to check if your alternator is bad, then you need to follow certain methods.
How To Test an Alternator?
If you are not sure if your alternator is functioning correctly, you will need to run a series of tests on your alternator to see if it is damaged, how badly damaged it is, and how badly it is damaged.
The easiest way to test the alternator is to use a voltmeter, but there are other options to find out exactly what is wrong with your alternator and if it is bad.
Testing Method 1 – Using A Voltmeter
Step 1 – Purchase A Voltmeter
The first thing you need to do if you decide to use a voltmeter is to buy a voltmeter, go figure. You can find a voltmeter at any auto store or even some department stores for usually less than $20.
Don’t buy one of the more expensive brands just because you think it will work better, the cheap ones do the same job for a lot less money.
If you already own a multimeter, you can use that instead. A multimeter can read the voltage and also other electrical power in your vehicle, like the current and resistance.
A voltmeter is a measuring device that reads the electrical difference between 2 points in an electrical circuit. A voltmeter can be a very useful tool to determine if your car alternator is bad.
Step 2 – Check Your Battery
The second step is to first check your battery. In order to run the alternator high enough speed to keep the battery charged and running, your battery is required to start and run your vehicle.
If the battery is too low or damaged, you won’t be able to start your vehicle. If you can’t start your vehicle, then you can’t test the alternator, it’s a viscous circle.
Without starting your vehicle, you can’t use the voltmeter or multi-meter to test electrical power in your vehicle.
You may just have too much cold weather, or have a considerable amount of wear that has taken place over time on your battery. It could be the battery that’s the real issue, and not your alternator. Here’s how you can confirm that your alternator is not bad, but your battery is.
First, you’ll need to turn off the vehicle. Make sure the engine is off before you attach the voltmeter to prevent any accident possibilities. Second, open the hood up properly, so you have complete access to your battery and parts within your car.
Next, you can then connect the voltmeter to the battery. Set the red lead of the voltmeter to the positive battery terminal, and then set the black lead on the negative portion.
Finally, you will read the voltmeter. If the battery shows you a reading of over 12.2 volts within your battery, then your battery has adequate power to start the alternator. If the battery voltage reading is lower than 12.2 volts, then you will need to charge the battery and retest, or attempt another way.
Step 3 – Start Your Vehicle
Once you check the battery and confirm you have enough power to start the alternator for the test, you can start your vehicle.
Rev your engine to our 2,000 RPM mark or above to confirm the battery is giving power, as by doing this, you will increase the power and force the voltage regulator to switch the alternator into a higher gear. If the alternator isn’t capable of going into high gear, the alternator has gone bad.
Step 4 – Retest the Battery with Your Voltmeter
Now that you have your engine running, you can test your battery connections with the voltmeter or multi-meter you have. This time when you read the voltmeter, the voltmeter should read at least as high as 13 volts.
If changing the RPMs from 2,000 RPM up leads to a fluctuation in the voltage reading of between 13 to 14.5 volts, then your alternator is in working condition.
If your voltage changes remain the same, while the RPMs change, then you alternator is not working properly, and it wouldn’t be in good condition.
Continue repeat this process with other electrical components on, like the lights, radio etc. If the voltage alternator is charging and the battery stays above 13 volts great! The alternator is working well.
Method 2 – Checking Your Alternator
Step 1 – Observe the Alternator Gauge
The first step to checking your alternator is, to observe the alternator gauge.
If you have a voltage gauge, it will show you the alternator output and it will be very easy to see and read. Take your engine to at least 2000 RPM’s for testing.
On the electrical loads and stresses the alternator, turn on your AC blower fan, headlamps, and any other electrical accessories you have running.
Watch the alternator gauge for signs of decrease in voltage or amperage. If the voltmeter showed higher when the engine was running, then you have verified that the alternator is working well, and it is not bad.
Step 2 – Listen to the Alternator
While the engine is running, listen to the alternator. If there is a problem with the bearings, you could actually hear a squealing sound coming from the front of the car.
The squeal will get louder the more load you have on the alternator, for example, with the radio playing and the air conditioning fan blowing od at high power.
Step 3 – Turn the Radio On
Once you have turned to radio on, rev up the engine to a higher power. Tune your radio to a lower number on the AM frequency band that produces no music.
If the radio continues to whine or goes fuzzy when there is power applied to the accelerator pedal, then the alternator could be the problem, meaning that your alternator is bad.
Step 4 – Find an Auto Store
To see if your alternator is really the issue, you should try to find an auto parts store that will test your alternator for free (with no strings attached).
Since the stores are all about selling an alternator from their specific store, they are more likely to want to test out your original part, as they want it to be faulty and damaged to sell you a brand new one for yourself and for Honda. Simply dismount your alternator and bring it to the auto store for testing.
How To Extend the Life Of Your Alternator?
Sometimes, an alternator will fail prematurely, which often happens when the engine under shield is either damaged or absent. If water gets into the alternator, it causes the alternator to wear out far faster than it would of otherwise.
If your engine under shield is damaged, the solution is to replace it for the sake of keeping the engine bay dry.
Also, you want to make sure that nothing is leaking, like coolant or oil, so you’re not damaging any auto electrical components. You want to keep the alternator and engine bay dry, this significantly prolongs the life of any electronic component.
Alternator Replacement Cost
Replacing an alternator can be expensive, with costs typically between $420-$850.
If you go to the dealer and buy an original part, it will almost surely be more expensive. A means of saving cost is to have that unit rebuilt but that will require your mechanic to remove the alternator and send it away to a rebuilder.
Your mechanic will charge you at least for the removal and installation ($70-$120), the charge from the rebuilder ($80-$150), and sometimes a labor charge for extra.