Does Your Ford Need an Alternator Repair?

Your alternator produces all of the electrical power for your car. It does this by converting mechanical energy from the turning of the crankshaft into electricity. While the alternator is a robust component, it has a finite life and will eventually fail. As your Ford dealer, we can help you when you need an alternator repair.

Flickering Lights

If your headlights go dim and then turn much brighter than they should be, this is a sign there’s an alternator problem. When an alternator starts to wear out, it can’t produce sufficient electricity for all of your car’s components. When this happens, your cars’ computer will try and balance the demands of the various components with the available electricity.

When you switch on your headlights, they’ll appear dim as your computer is allocating just enough power to allow the lights to work. As the demand for power drops, for example, you switch off the radio, more electricity will be available. This extra electricity will be assigned to the lights to compensate, and they will blaze brighter than they were. A side effect of this problem is your headlights will burn out faster than they should.

Burning Smells

Hot metal or burning rubber smells from your engine can be signs that your alternator is failing. As your alternator gets weaker, it produces less power. Your alternator then will work harder to try and produce more power. As it works harder, it will spin faster and faster, and this causes it to heat up. The damaged alternator will fail, but it will heat up and this gives off a hot metal smell.

Burning rubber smells come from the coverings of the wires, and the alternator belt. Wires carry electricity throughout your car to all of the electrical components. The wires are covered in plastic and rubber coatings to protect them against the heat of the engine. As the alternator forces more power through the wires, they will get hotter, and the coverings can start to burn. The alternator belt can also heat up if it runs across a jammed pulley.

Battery Light Comes On

The battery-shaped light on your dash represents the entire electrical system. Your car has sensors attached to all of its important components to monitor them. If a problem is detected, a signal will be sent to your cars’ computer, and the battery light will come on. The alternator can cause the light to come on when its power output drops. Your alternator produces between 13.5 and 14.5 volts when it’s in good condition.

As an alternator wears out, its electrical output will drop. When your alternator is running at full capacity, it should never drop below 12 volts. If it does, it’s a sign that your alternator is failing.

Fortunately, you will always see signs that your alternator is having a problem. This gives you time to arrange for a replacement. Call us at Fritts Ford and we can fix your alternator problem.

Tags: Alternator Repair, Riverside Autoshop
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