subject: How Well Do You Know Your Alternator [print this page] Modern automobiles have many conveniences for drivers and passengers. Onboard navigation, rear view cameras, and Bluetooth ports have found their ways into newer cars. Of course there are also the standards in every car; interior lights, child locks, and dashboard lights that inform drivers of how their car is doing on the inside. Alternators are a key component in powering these conveniences along with the car's battery and voltage regulator. Perhaps your car has slowly stopped working in a frustrating turn of events. It won't start, the lights won't come on, and you're stuck on the road with a dead car. Most folks think the battery is dead. While the battery may be dead, the alternator may have died. Without the alternator, your car's electronic utilities would not function. The alternator controls how much charge the battery gets.
Alternators rely on magnetism to work. There are two triangular "fingers" on either side of the alternator; the north and south poles - that alternate magnetic current to generate power. The alternating current of the poles is where the term "alternator" was coined. If you were to disassemble an alternator, you'd find three components inside; the rotor, the stator, and the diodes. The rotor is the part that enables the alternating current in the alternator, the stator stays put in the alternator, and the power travels through the diodes.
Alternators need to be kept in top shape to provide the best results for your car. If the alternator and the alternator belts are not in good quality, you will run through many batteries in a short amount of time. One quick, easy way to check if you have an alternator problem is to try staring your car - pretty obvious, right? If it turns on without a problem, you're more likely fine than not. If the car turns on with a fight, it may be time to get your alternator checked out.
When replacing an engine part like an alternator, it is usually best left to a certified professional mechanic. For some automobile repairs, like headlight restoration to restore yellow or cloudy plastic headlight lenses, you can easily take on the project yourself. Replacing an alternator by yourself is not an easy project and might result in voiding the warranty. Alternators are not the most or least expensive part in the engine. You'll probably have to spend $200 to get it fixed. That is much better than being stranded on the road with a car that won't turn on.
