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 , perhaps you’ve already had that fear. So when you listen to an alternator noise on BMW X1, you can already imagine yourself breaking down, stuck waiting for the tow truck. That’s why our team has decided to write this post to help you locate the sources of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first see the role and functions of the alternator in your BMW X1 and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on BMW X1 may be.
Role and alternator operation BMW X1
Alternator role
Your alternator is an fundamental part of your BMW X1. In fact, its task 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 automobile is in motion, to provide power to the automobile 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 produces electricity. It is the engine motor itself that will provide the energy needed by the alternator to produce the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your BMW X1 engine stops, the battery takes over to provide the automobile with energy.
What are the different alternator noises or sounds on my BMW X1 and what are the causes?
I perceive a knocking noise from the alternator of my BMW X1
One of the characteristic noises of a tired alternator on BMW X1 is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on BMW X1 will most of the time show up when your engine is idling, it can be linked to voltage drops that could disrupt the normal operation of electrical elements such as headlights for example. In many cases, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is malfunctioning, to check it, use a multimeter on the terminals of your automobile 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 BMW X1 is tired and you should consider changing the bearing if it is the only reason otherwise the entire part.
I listen to a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my BMW X1
If you are in the case where the alternator of your BMW X1 produces grinding sounds, in this case you will have to look at it more seriously. This indicator can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, however , in general, we often notice by looking more meticulously that it is the accessory belt that is loosened or worn and is therefore the reason of it. In this case, we advise that you read this document to find all the necessary information to solve an accessory belt noise on BMW X1.
I listen to a loud noise from the alternator of my BMW X1
Finding out a loud noise from the alternator of your BMW X1 is quite common, in fact, it produces an audible sound when producing 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 advise that you take a look at this document to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on BMW X1.
