![]() ![]() Do not wear ties or loose clothing when working on your vehicle.įREE Loan-A-Tool® program requires returnable deposit. Should electrolyte get on your body or clothing, neutralize it immediately with a solution of baking soda and water. Always wear gloves and safety glasses and other personal protection equipment, and work in a well-ventilated area. Sulfuric acid is caustic and can burn clothing and skin or cause blindness. Use caution when working with automotive batteries. Always disconnect the negative battery cable before servicing an electrical application on the vehicle to protect its electrical circuits in the event that a wire is accidentally pierced or grounded. Always chock your wheels prior to lifting a vehicle. Refer to the service manual for specific diagnostic, repair and tool information for your particular vehicle. Information is accurate and true to the best of AutoZone’s knowledge, however, there may be omissions, errors or mistakes.īe sure to consult your owner’s manual, a repair guide, an AutoZoner at a store near you, or a licensed, professional mechanic for vehicle-specific repair information. Either case, the alternator will need to be removed, tested, and the wiring and fuses related to the circuit checked as well.Īdvice, how-to guides, and car care information featured on and AutoZone Advice & How-To’s are presented as helpful resources for general maintenance and automotive repairs from a general perspective only and should be used at your own risk. Keep in mind, when you test your charging system while the car is running, or AutoZone does the same, the system voltage is being tested at the battery, and if it’s not getting a charge, the test cannot determine why.Įither the alternator itself is at fault, or the wiring between it and the battery are. Couple this sensing wire (known as a field wire) with several other wires, connections, and even fuses and fusible links, and you have a charging circuit that can fail in various spots even if the alternator is perfectly fine. The charging system is composed of wiring that not only supplies the battery and system with DC power, it also “senses” the voltage that’s out in the system in order to properly set the voltage leaving the alternator. Keep in mind, just because the Alternator tests fine, does not mean the system is fine. While an alternator can be an expensive piece to purchase, nothing could be more frustrating than buying one only to find out that the one you replaced was fine and another part was the problem. If everything appears fine, the alternator should be removed and bench tested, which can be done for free at AutoZone.Įlectricity is frustrating, or at least it can be. A worn, loose, or damaged connector can cause a massive voltage drop. ![]() The first course of action is to check the wiring carefully that runs between the alternator’s main power wire and the battery. Very low differences in voltage between the battery and alternator should also be suspect – say – 12.8 volts at the battery. Contrary to what may seem like a bad battery, an illuminated battery light does NOT mean the battery is bad, it means the battery is not being charged properly. ![]() In most cases and in most vehicles, you will have a battery light illuminated that indicates that the alternator is not charging. If the voltage is still only 12.4-12.6 once the engine is running, then the charging system is not functioning. What you are looking for is a number higher than the initial battery voltage. Your charging system should be supplying voltage between 14.0-14.5 in most cases, sometimes higher, but never over 16.5 volts. Some otherwise unexplained symptoms could be related to a bad alternator.Īgain, touch the same location you did when checking the battery. Keep in mind that low voltage conditions can cause abnormal electrical operation in today’s highly electronic vehicles. Should the alternator have an electrical issue inside, a burning electrical smell can develop, while a burning rubber smell can pop up if the belt is slipping on the pulley.Ĭheck out our resource What are the Signs of A Bad Alternator to learn all of the symptoms of a failing alternator. An alternator that’s underperforming will often exhibit dim lights while an overcharging condition could make lights brighter than they should be. This indicator isn’t for the battery itself but points toward a charging system defect. ![]() Symptoms of a bad alternator can be varied. Corrosion can form that interrupts electrical conductivity, diminishing the alternator’s output. Unfortunately, certain parts inside the alternator don’t last forever like the brushes made of soft carbon material and the bearings. Internal components are isolated well to prevent wear using high-quality bearings. An alternator is built to be durable in the toughest conditions including extreme heat under the hood. ![]()
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