Who hasn’t found himself in the situation where his car doesn’t start one morning on the way to work? If it never happened to you , at least you’ve already had that apprehension. So when you listen to an alternator noise on Opel Vivaro, you can already see 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 learn the role and operation of the alternator in your Opel Vivaro and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Opel Vivaro may be.
Role and alternator operation Opel Vivaro
Alternator role
Your alternator is an important part of your Opel Vivaro. Indeed, its objective is to give power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the mission 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 enough energy reserve to be able to restart the next time.
Alternator functioning
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The alternator functions on an electrical principle that has been used for decades, the concept of copper coil wound around a magnet . This coil while spinning produces electricity. It is the engine itself that will provide the energy requested by the alternator to generate the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Opel Vivaro engine stops, the battery takes over to provide the vehicle with energy.
What are the several alternator noises or sounds on my Opel Vivaro and what are the causes?
I discover a knocking noise caused by the alternator of my Opel Vivaro
One of the typical noises of a tired alternator on Opel Vivaro is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Opel Vivaro will generally happen when your engine is idling, it can be linked to voltage drops that could disturb the normal operation of electrical components such as headlights for example. In most cases, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is defective, to examine it, use a multimeter on the terminals of your vehicle with the engine running and you must look for 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 Opel Vivaro is tired and you should consider changing the bearing if it is the only cause otherwise the whole part.
I listen to a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Opel Vivaro
If you are in the case where the alternator of your Opel Vivaro causes grinding sounds, in this circumstance you will have to look into it more seriously. This sign can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, however , in most cases, we often see by looking more meticulously that it is the accessory belt that is loosened or worn and is therefore the cause of it. In this circumstance, we suggest that you read this content to find all the necessary details to solve an accessory belt noise on Opel Vivaro.
I listen to a loud noise from the alternator of my Opel Vivaro
Listening a loud noise from the alternator of your Opel Vivaro is quite normal, in fact, it emits an audible sound when producing the electrical pulses it generates. It is up to you to examine 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 suggest that you read this content to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Opel Vivaro.
