Signs You Need an Alternator Repair

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The alternator is one of the most important components in your Ford. It spins at high speed to produce electricity for all your vehicle’s systems and also ensures the battery is fully charged. As time passes, the alternator will become worn or damaged, and you’ll need to visit your Ford dealer for an alternator repair. These are a few signs your alternator could be in trouble.

Electrical Problems

The alternator produces electricity by spinning at high speed. As the alternator ages, it slows down due to worn parts, and its electrical production declines. This decline is irreversible, and electrical production will continue to drop until the alternator fails.

When the alternator can’t produce enough power for all the systems, your computer has to allocate the available electricity. This can mean drawing power from one system to allow others to operate, and seemingly random electrical issues will appear. Your windows might slow down when opening or closing, or the stereo could suddenly fail. We’ll test your alternator and install a new one to fix this problem.

Strange Noises

Loud noises from the engine, combined with seemingly random electrical glitches, can mean your alternator is in trouble. As we’ve seen, the alternator gradually slows down as it ages, reducing its electricity production. The computer detects the reduced power supply and instructs the alternator to spin faster to produce more electricity.

As the worn alternator speeds up, you may hear whining or grinding noises as it struggles to produce more electricity. You might also smell burning metal as it overheats through spinning faster than it’s designed to. Our technicians will examine your alternator and install a new one if the original is failing.

Bad Battery

A worn battery can damage your alternator and even cause it to fail. The alternator recharges your battery once your engine is running. It supplies an initial charge at full power for ten minutes, then recharges at 10% capacity until the battery’s electricity is replenished. The switch to reduced charging is initiated by a confirmation signal from the battery that the charge was received.

A worn battery won’t send this signal, and the alternator will continue to recharge at full power. This will damage the battery even further and also increase the strain on the alternator. We’ll replace the damaged battery and check the alternator to ensure it’s still in good working condition.

If you have an alternator problem, contact our service department at Plantation Ford in Plantation, FL.

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