The alternator is a mini generator. It produces electricity to supply the power needs of your car. It also keeps your car’s battery fully charged. Alternators typically last for about eight years before they need to be replaced. When you need an alternator repair or replacement, as your Lexus dealer, we can help you. Read on to discover some of the signs that your alternator’s not working correctly.
Bad Smells
The smell of hot metal or burning rubber can be signs that you have an alternator problem. As your alternator gets older, it becomes less able to produce electricity. Your car’s demand for electricity remains the same, and this creates an energy deficit. Your alternator will keep trying and failing to produce more electricity. As your alternator overworks, it will produce a hot metal smell.
A burning rubber smell from your engine means there’s likely a problem with the alternator belt. The alternator belt connects a variety of pulleys to the crankshaft. It’s an essential part of your charging system, as the movement of the belt causes the pulleys it’s attached to to spin. If one of the pulleys is out of alignment or partially jammed, this will generate additional friction as the belt moves. We can realign the pulley and replace any damaged components.
Starting Problems
Your battery provides the charge to the state solenoid to crank the engine. This charge is the most powerful use of electricity in your car, and it uses a significant part of your battery’s power. Under normal circumstances, this drain isn’t important. As soon as your car is moving, your alternator will start generating power and recharging the battery.
If your alternator is weakening, however, it won’t be able to produce enough power to recharge your battery. Each time you start your car, more electricity will be used than can be replaced. Inevitably this situation will cause your battery to die. It’s important to remember that a battery can just die of its own accord due to age. Our technicians will find the cause of your starting problem.
Random Electrical Problems
A random problem, like a CD player that jams, can be caused by numerous things. Often a strange event is a once-off, but if you keep experiencing electrical problems, this could be a sign of a problem with the charging system. Your alternator produces electricity for your car, and the voltage regulator is responsible for routing power to the systems that need it.
As your alternator gets older, it produces less power. The power it does have has to be carefully distributed to the components that need it most. This can lead to a component suddenly failing as power is taken away from it and supplied to another system instead. The weaker your alternator becomes, the more frequent these problems will become.
A weak alternator can very quickly leave you stranded with a dead battery. Call us today at 301-234-8583 if you have questions or schedule your next service at DARCARS Lexus of Silver Spring.
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