- Battery warning light
You need to know how the car will react when the alternator breaks down to fix it before breaking down on the road. Most vehicles have a red battery warning light on the dashboard. There are two possible reasons for this icon showing, either the battery or alternator is broke.
Checking the battery is dead or not by jumping start from another car battery. If the battery is good, your engine will resume when the alternator is charging. You will be able to start the car again after driving for 1 or 2 hours and turn off the engine.
It can happen if you forget to switch off the electrical pieces of equipment in your car until the battery has completely discharged.
But you won’t be able to start the car again if the battery is dead because it can’t hold a charge.
If the alternator fails to charge the battery and you do not have enough power to start the car, your engine will stall after removing the jumper wires. That’s because there is no power in the system at all.
- Symptoms of flashing car devices
Modern cars use a lot of electrical equipment. If they are not receiving power from batteries or alternators, they will stop working. Plus, what you can notice is that the headlights will flash as you try to start the vehicle.
- The device in the car malfunctions
In cars with electric steering or electric hydraulic pumps, the steering sensation becomes heavy when you turn. The electric tailgate may not work when you try to open or close it. The engine also stalls when you accelerate the engine. That is because the fuel pump, coil, spark plugs are not receiving electricity from the alternator.
- Abnormal sound at the alternator
You may hear a grinding sound at the alternator mounting position. Broken bearings will make a grinding sound. The broken rotor bearings cause the pulley to spin more slowly than usual due to friction. The current from the alternator is lower than it should be and will affect the electrical equipment.
Broken belts may also get stuck between the pulleys of the engine belt system. If you find that the alternator belt tear during the run, have the car repaired immediately, as the battery power will soon run out.