Did you ever had this trouble trying to start your car in the morning and it doesn’t work ? If that didn’t happen to you, certainly you’ve already had that fear. So when you listen to an alternator noise on BMW X5, you can already see yourself breaking down, stuck awaiting the tow truck. That’s why our team has decided to produce this article to help you locate the sources of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first learn the role and operation of the alternator in your BMW X5 and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on BMW X5 may be.
Role and alternator operation BMW X5
Alternator role
Your alternator is an essential component of your BMW X5. In fact, its objective is to generate power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the task of charging the battery once the car is in motion, to provide power to the car in motion and to allow you to always have a enough energy source 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 rotating makes electricity. It is the engine itself that will furnish the energy required by the alternator to create the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your BMW X5 engine stops, the battery takes over to furnish the car with energy.
What are the several alternator noises or sounds on my BMW X5 and what are the causes?
I find out a knocking noise originating from the alternator of my BMW X5
One of the characteristic noises of a tired alternator on BMW X5 is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on BMW X5 will generally show up when your engine is idling, it can be connected to voltage drops that could disrupt the normal operation of electrical elements such as headlights for example. Most often, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is faulty, to check it, use a multimeter on the terminals of your car with the engine running and you must obtain a value between 12 and 14.7 volts, which means that your alternator is charging your battery well. If the value is lower, the alternator of your BMW X5 is tired and you should think about swapping the bearing if it is the only cause otherwise the complete part.
I listen to a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my BMW X5
If you are in the case where the alternator of your BMW X5 causes grinding sounds, in this case you will have to look at it more seriously. This sign can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, however , in most cases, we often realise by looking more strongly 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 read this document to find all the necessary details to solve an accessory belt noise on BMW X5.
I listen to a loud noise from the alternator of my BMW X5
Finding out a loud noise from the alternator of your BMW X5 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 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 go to this document to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on BMW X5.
