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, at least you’ve already had that fear. So when you listen to an alternator noise on Mazda 3, you can already see yourself breaking down, stuck waiting for the tow truck. That’s why our team has decided to write this post to support you locate the origins of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first see the role and operation of the alternator in your Mazda 3 and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Mazda 3 may be.
Role and alternator operation Mazda 3
Alternator role
Your alternator is an vital component of your Mazda 3. In fact, its task is to generate power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the task of recharging the battery once the vehicle is in motion, to provide power to the vehicle in motion and to allow you to always have a enough 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 generates electricity. It is the engine motor itself that will furnish the energy needed by the alternator to create the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Mazda 3 engine stops, the battery takes over to furnish the vehicle with energy.
What are the distinctive alternator noises or sounds on my Mazda 3 and what are the causes?
I discover a knocking noise coming from the alternator of my Mazda 3
One of the characteristic noises of a tired alternator on Mazda 3 is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Mazda 3 will most of the time happen when your engine is idling, it can be linked to voltage drops that could affect the normal operation of electrical components such as headlights for example. In many cases, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is malfunctioning, 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 Mazda 3 is tired and you should think about replacing the bearing if it is the only reason otherwise the complete part.
I listen to a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Mazda 3
If you are in the situation where the alternator of your Mazda 3 generates grinding sounds, in this case you will have to look into it more seriously. This symptom can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, but generally, 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 case, we recommend that you consult this document to find all the necessary details to solve an accessory belt noise on Mazda 3.
I listen to a loud noise from the alternator of my Mazda 3
Listening a loud noise from the alternator of your Mazda 3 is quite regular, in fact, it emits an audible sound when creating 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 recommend that you have a look this document to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Mazda 3.
