Who hasn’t found himself in the situation where his car doesn’t start one morning on the way to work? If that didn’t happen to you, certainly you’ve already had that fear. So when you discover an alternator noise on Volkswagen Polo, you can already imagine yourself breaking down, stuck awaiting the tow truck. That’s why our team has decided to produce this content to support you locate the sources of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first discover the role and functions of the alternator in your Volkswagen Polo and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Volkswagen Polo may be.
Role and alternator operation Volkswagen Polo
Alternator role
Your alternator is an important part of your Volkswagen Polo. In fact, its objective is to generate power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the mission of recharging the battery once the car is in motion, to provide power to the car in motion and to allow you to always have a sufficient energy reserve to be able to restart the next time.
Alternator functioning
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The alternator works on an electrical principle that has been used for decades, the principle of copper coil wound around a magnet . This coil while spinning creates electricity. It is the engine motor itself that will provide the energy requested by the alternator to generate the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Volkswagen Polo engine stops, the battery takes over to provide the car with energy.
What are the several alternator noises or sounds on my Volkswagen Polo and what are the causes?
I perceive a knocking noise from the alternator of my Volkswagen Polo
One of the typical noises of a tired alternator on Volkswagen Polo is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Volkswagen Polo will most of the time happen when your engine is idling, it can be associated with voltage drops that could disturb the normal operation of electrical parts such as headlights for example. In most cases, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is defective, to check it, use a multimeter on the terminals of your car with the engine running and you must get a value between 12 and 14.7 volts, which means that your alternator is recharging your battery well. If the value is lower, the alternator of your Volkswagen Polo is tired and you should think about swapping the bearing if it is the only reason otherwise the whole part.
I discover a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Volkswagen Polo
If you are in the case where the alternator of your Volkswagen Polo causes grinding sounds, in this circumstance you will have to check it more seriously. This sign can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, however , in most cases, we generally realize by looking more carefully that it is the accessory belt that is loosened or worn and is therefore the reason of it. In this circumstance, we encourage that you read this content to find all the necessary details to solve an accessory belt noise on Volkswagen Polo.
I discover a loud noise from the alternator of my Volkswagen Polo
Experiencing a loud noise from the alternator of your Volkswagen Polo is quite normal, in fact, it produces an audible sound when creating the electrical pulses it generates. It is up to you to check that the battery indicator light on your dashboard does not appear, and that you do not have a voltage drop when your engine is running (headlight or dashboard light that jumps for example. If this noise is too loud, we encourage that you take a look at this content to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Volkswagen Polo.
