The alternator plays an important part in making your car’s electronics function. This also includes starting your vehicle. When the car is running it produces electricity. This electricity is used in other parts of the car so that those electronics can work. Those things that need electricity include power windows and seats, the radio, lighting and other accessories. One of the most important aspects of the alternator is to keep the battery charged. This is necessary to start the car. Because of this, it’s important that you look after the alternator. Here are some signs that indicate that your car’s alternator is failing.
Dead Battery
Well, I already talked about this a little above. Your car’s alternator charges the battery. So when the alternator fails the battery doesn’t get recharged. Other electronic accessories then drain your car’s battery and then the battery dies. While this does cause dead batteries, this is not the only reason batteries die though. There are plenty of other reasons like leaving the AC on or the Radio on in the car.
Sometimes the car battery just dies because it is too old. Dead batteries are a big problem; you cannot drive without them. Whenever this happens, just do a quick internet search writing “auto parts store near me” and you will get to see all the local auto parts stores. This way you can easily have the auto part either delivered or you can pick it up from the local store.
Dashboard Indicator
Dashboard indicators are usually the first symptoms of your car’s alternator failing. The lights will normally read GEN or ALT.
Dimming Headlights
The alternators provide power to your car’s headlights. So whenever the alternator is failing you will see that headlights start dimming or flickering. This means that the headlights aren’t getting as much power as it needs. Whenever you see this happening you should rush to a mechanic. You can find any auto parts online so you wouldn’t have trouble ordering a replacement.
Electronic Failure
Loss of power to a host of different components in your car is pretty normal when the alternator fails. The parts that will be affected are power windows and seats, automatic door locks, air conditioning, etc. While these failures can be caused by different issues but it is safe to be extra careful. The alternator is a pretty important auto part which can bring down a host of other parts which can drive up your repair costs.
Starting Trouble
The spark plugs of your car get its power from the alternator. The spark plugs basically are responsible for igniting the gasoline in the car. So when the alternator fails the spark plugs don’t function. This stalls the engine and you have problems starting the car.
Repair and Replacement
These are some major signs of alternator failure. I cannot stress enough how important the alternator is to your car. So whenever you see any of these problems it is important that you take your car to your local repair shop. You can easily find quality auto parts at a discount online. Just find the site that suits your need and start the repair.
