If you're starting for “how to know if the alternator is broken,” watch for these 12 common symptoms:
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- Dimming headlights
- Dashboard warning lights
- Dead battery
- Strange noises
- Electrical failures
- Flickering lights
- Stalling or misfiring
- Burning smell
- Additional warning messages
- Difficulty starting
- Voltage drop
- Battery corrosion
The alternator, or what's known as the generator, is responsible for generating the electrical charge to supply all the electric components in your car. All the electric systems, including the battery, will be impacted when this generator fails.
Identifying whether you are dealing with a bad alternator is a critical skill set you must keep up with. Otherwise, you can get stranded in locations without help, which can be very frustrating.
This article highlights the 12 most common symptoms you should watch for if you suspect you're dealing with a bad alternator. It helps you answer the question, “How do you know if the alternator is broken?”
How do we know if the alternator is broken?
If you suspect that your alternator is broken, you'll most likely deal with one of the following twelve symptoms:
1- Dimming headlights
Whenever your alternator is failing or is about to fail, the first thing you'll experience is issues with the headlights. Typically, the lights will not be as strong as before simply because the generator is not sending the right electric charge.
It is important to note that if you're dealing with dimming headlights when the vehicle is turned off, your problem is most likely related to the battery. However, if the headlights are not improving when you turn on the vehicle, then the alternator might be the issue, or it could be the issue with the headlight itself.
2- Dashboard warning lights
Depending on which vehicle you're driving, sometimes your car might show a warning light on the dashboard indicating that your alternator is failing. Typically, this warning light is more like a battery, which means the generator is not sending the right electrical charge.
Whether it's a battery warning light or a check engine light, you must never ignore these warning lights because it is a way for your card to communicate with you and bring your attention to internal problems. The more you wait on the problem, the more complicated it gets and the harder it is to fix it.
3- Dead battery
The alternator is responsible for charging any electrical component in your car. Even the car battery, the alternator is also responsible for charging it after you start your vehicle.
There is a very common misconception about the battery and alternator jobs among many inexperienced car owners. Most people think the battery is responsible for charging these electrical components when it's not the case.
The batteries are only needed to start your vehicle and provide this initial charge to crank the engine. If the battery doesn't have enough charge and the alternator does not recharge it as the engine is running, the next time you try to start your car, it will not work.
4- Strange noises
People often indicated that when their alternator fails, they notice some weird noises coming from the alternator side. These noises are more like grinding and sometimes issues indicating a problem with the alternator belt.
Whenever you notice any of these noises, whether related to the alternator or something else, you must never ignore them because they worsen. In other words, you might start with a very quiet noise that gets louder and louder the more you wait.
5- Electrical failures
If you're driving a modern car with sensitive illustrative components, dealing with complete electrical failures is not rare. This can be very significant, especially if fixing those components is expensive.
That's why it's important to keep up with your alternator and make sure that it's working properly all the time. Whenever you notice any of the mentioned symptoms, you don't want to wait till this point where these lexical components get damaged.
6- Flickering lights
We indicated that your headlights or tail lights might get dimmer over time of use, and as the alternator goes worse, sometimes your headlights might flicker up. In other words, your alternator might be able to generate the required energy for some time, but it cannot keep up with that.
You also need to differentiate between problems with the battery and alternator by simply checking on the light's performance when the battery is only used and when the alternator is only used. In other words, you need to turn off the vehicle and see if the lights are still flickering as you rely only on the battery, and then try cranking the engine and see if things change.
7- Stalling or misfiring
A broken alternator can easily lead to engine stalling in more severe scenarios. Stalling can be a big problem, especially when driving in traffic or on the highways. Therefore, you should be careful about a simple issue like the alternator to avoid dealing with safety problems that might impact you, people driving with you, and people driving around you.
8- Burning smell
When the alternator is broken, it's not necessarily the entire part that is damaged. In other words, it could be simply one component within the alternator. For example, many people indicated that the alternator failed because of a broken alternator belt, which can result in burning smells when this belt is overused.
Remember that any burning smell can also be associated with other problems. Therefore, your mechanic needs to dig deeper until he can narrow down the list of potential culprits and determine whether it's the alternator or something else.
9- Additional warning messages
Some additional messages might pop up on the dashboard if your alternator is left unfixed for a long time. For example, if you started with minor problems with the alternator, you can notice the symptoms we indicated before, like flickering headlights or some issues with the battery.
However, suppose you get to a point where the alternator passes this stage and gets to impact more significant problems. In that case, you'll see some additional warning lights, including a check engine light illuminating that might highlight an engine issue.
10- Difficulty starting
As we mentioned earlier, the alternator is responsible for charging the battery and getting it started for the next car start. If the battery is not fully charged, you can deal with difficulty starting the next time.
To avoid dealing with a situation where you get stranded outside without help, try addressing the alternator problem. If you notice that the battery is continuously having an issue, you might also want to check on the battery.
11- Voltage drop
Depending on your level of mechanical skill sets, you might want to do further inspections to confirm whether your alternator is bad. For example, you can use a multimeter to test whether the alternator has the right voltage.
Refer to your vehicle owner manual to determine where the alternator is located and how much of A voltage you should expect. If the voltage is lower, your alternator is about to fill or fail.
12- Battery corrosion
Finally, a bad alternator can impact the lifetime of the battery. It might even build up corrosion on the terminals and the connections. This can impact the battery performance even after you fix the alternator. In that case, you should address the alternator, clean all these corrections, and address any problems that could have impacted the battery.
Whenever you notice any of these symptoms, you must address the problem immediately. Unfortunately, fixing a broken alternator is very rare; in other words, your mechanic will most likely need to replace the alternator in most instances. However, there might be a high chance that you can get the problem addressed without needing to install major components if you detect the problem as soon as possible.
How do we know if the alternator is broken? Final thoughts
The alternator is responsible for charging your car's electrical components, and if it fails, it impacts the entire electrical system. You must understand the main symptoms indicating a broken alternator to avoid dealing with further damage.
This article highlighted the 12 most common symptoms indicating a broken alternator to help you ask, “How do you know if the alternator is broken?” It is critical that your mechanic replaces the alternator if needed or repairs it if it's possible.
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