The Top 4 Signs Your Chevy Needs an Alternator Repair

The alternator is essential to produce power for your car. It charges the battery and provides energy for all your car’s electrical components.  A damaged alternator can leave you stuck on the side of the road with a dead battery. To prevent this awful situation, as your Chevy dealer in Little Rock, AR we would like you to know the signs that you may need an alternator repair.

Top 4 Signs You Need an Alternator Repair With Your Chevy Dealer in Little Rock, AR

Whining or Growling Sounds

Strange noises from the engine are never good to hear, but they are a warning that something is wrong. The alternator is connected to the crankshaft by a long belt called the serpentine belt.

The pulley may not be correctly aligned to the belt anymore, or the bearings of the bushing may have worn. These horrible sounds are a clue that there is something wrong with your alternator. Our technicians will check and can repair or replace any of the troublesome parts.

Random Electrical Failures

The alternator provides all the power to your electrical system. If your alternator is failing, it cannot produce enough power to meet all the electrical demands and strange glitches can start to happen. Windshield wipers, for example, may work intermittently or suddenly stop working altogether. These glitches will occur randomly, but as the alternator weakens further they will appear more and more frequently.

A random electrical issue can occur for any number of reasons and is not necessarily a cause for concern. Continual electrical problems, however, are a sign that there is an electrical system problem.

Battery Problems

A car’s battery provides the power to start your ignition, and after that, the alternator takes over and supplies your car’s power. The alternator also recharges the battery as the car move.

A damaged alternator will not be able to provide enough power to charge the battery, and the battery will die. It is possible for the battery to just wear out, as their normal lifespan is 3-5 years but if it fails before this the problem could be with the alternator.

Damaged Cables

The electrical system transmits power to all the electrical components via cables. Cables can suffer wear, and they can be damaged and this can cause electrical components, like heated seats, to malfunction. Your alternator may be working perfectly, but its power is not be transmitted to where it’s needed.

As the alternator tries to force more power through a damaged cable, the cable can start to burn. Burning wiring is a nasty and easily-identifiable smell. Call our service department, and we will find and replace the damaged wiring.

A faulty alternator is not good, but the signs above are warnings that it is failing and needs to be replaced as soon as possible. Contact our service department right away at Crain Chevrolet, and our technicians will replace your alternator with a new OEM one. We will have you back on the road in no time.

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