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 apprehension. So when you listen to an alternator noise on Mercedes Classe A 3, 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 find the sources of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first discover the role and functions of the alternator in your Mercedes Classe A 3 and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Mercedes Classe A 3 may be.
Role and alternator operation Mercedes Classe A 3
Alternator role
Your alternator is an important component of your Mercedes Classe A 3. In fact, its mission is to generate power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the goal of recharging the battery once the vehicle is in motion, to provide power to the vehicle in motion and to let you to always have a sufficient energy reserve to be able to restart the next time.
Alternator functioning
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The alternator operates on an electrical principle that has been used for decades, the principle of copper coil wound around a magnet . This coil while spinning produces electricity. It is the engine motor itself that will furnish the energy requested by the alternator to produce the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Mercedes Classe A 3 engine stops, the battery takes over to furnish the vehicle with energy.
What are the distinctive alternator noises or sounds on my Mercedes Classe A 3 and what are the causes?
I find out a knocking noise caused by the alternator of my Mercedes Classe A 3
One of the characteristic noises of a tired alternator on Mercedes Classe A 3 is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Mercedes Classe A 3 will most of the time appear when your engine is idling, it can be associated with voltage drops that could disrupt the normal operation of electrical parts such as headlights for example. Often, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is malfunctioning, to verify it, use a multimeter on the terminals of your vehicle with the engine running and you must obtain 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 Mercedes Classe A 3 is tired and you should think about replacing the bearing if it is the only cause otherwise the whole part.
I listen to a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Mercedes Classe A 3
If you are in the case where the alternator of your Mercedes Classe A 3 produces grinding sounds, in this case you will have to check it more seriously. This indicator can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, however , generally, we often realise by looking more closely that it is the accessory belt that is loosened or worn and is therefore the cause of it. In this case, we suggest that you look for advice this article to find all the necessary details to solve an accessory belt noise on Mercedes Classe A 3.
I listen to a loud noise from the alternator of my Mercedes Classe A 3
Hearing a loud noise from the alternator of your Mercedes Classe A 3 is quite normal, in fact, it emits an audible sound when producing the electrical pulses it generates. It is up to you to verify that the battery indicator light on your dashboard does not show up, 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 suggest that you take a look at this article to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Mercedes Classe A 3.
