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The alternator produces the electrical power that your car’s components require. It does this by converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. Some of the power that’s produced is also used to keep your battery fully charged. Alternators last for many years, but eventually, they will begin to wear out and you’ll need an alternator repair. As your Ford dealer in Price, UT, we’d like you to know some of the signs that you need a replacement alternator.
Burning Metal Smell
The smell of hot metal from your engine can be a sign of several different problems. All the smell immediately tells you is that some metal component is overheating. If you’ve experienced electrical problems with your car, a failing alternator is the most likely culprit. When an alternator gets older, parts start to fail and it becomes more difficult for the alternator to supply power. Your car’s demands for electricity, however, remain the same.
To try and produce more electricity, the pulley attached to the alternator will start to spin faster. This causes the stator in the alternator to spin faster too. The stator is a collection of magnets bound together with copper wiring. As the stator spins, it generates power. The worn alternator won’t be able to produce enough power to satisfy the demand, and it will start to heat up. This produces a burning smell.
Electrical Faults
As we’ve seen, an alternator that’s failing can.t produce enough electricity to satisfy your car’s demands. Your car’s computer has the responsibility of allocating power to the various components. Certain systems, like the spark plugs, are a priority and must always have power. The remaining power available is supplied to the other components as needed. When this starts to happen, you’ll experience electrical problems.
A radio that goes dead, headlights that go dim and then bright, and a sunroof that suddenly won’t open are all examples of these electrical problems. The failures are caused by electricity being supplied to these components and then withdrawn to supply higher priority components. As your alternator gets weaker, these electrical problems will become more frequent.
Starting Problems
Your car’s battery is responsible for supplying the power to initiate the engine crank. Under normal circumstances, you should hear the hum of your Ford engine almost immediately. If you hear the sound of a crank that just does start the engine, you have a battery or alternator problem. If the battery is old, it may have worn out. We can test this for you. You may, however, have an alternator problem instead.
The alternator recharges your car’s battery. For the first five minutes, once the engine starts, your alternator will charge the battery at full power. It will then reduce charging to a more sedate 10% of battery capacity. A weak alternator won’t meet these targets, and your battery power will start to run down.
If your alternator starts to fail, call our service department at Price Ford.
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