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 hear an alternator noise on Mazda MX 5 Miata, 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 functions of the alternator in your Mazda MX 5 Miata and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Mazda MX 5 Miata may be.
Role and alternator operation Mazda MX 5 Miata
Alternator role
Your alternator is an fundamental component of your Mazda MX 5 Miata. Indeed, its task is to provide power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the task of recharging the battery once the car is in motion, to provide power to the car in motion and to allow you to always have a sufficient energy reserve to be able to restart the next time.
Alternator functioning
>
The alternator functions on an electrical principle that has been used for decades, the principle of copper coil wound around a magnet . This coil while rotating generates electricity. It is the engine motor itself that will give the energy required by the alternator to generate the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Mazda MX 5 Miata engine stops, the battery takes over to give the car with energy.
What are the several alternator noises or sounds on my Mazda MX 5 Miata and what are the causes?
I hear a knocking noise originating from the alternator of my Mazda MX 5 Miata
One of the characteristic noises of a tired alternator on Mazda MX 5 Miata is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Mazda MX 5 Miata will most of the time 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. In general, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is faulty, to verify it, use a multimeter on the terminals of your car 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 MX 5 Miata is tired and you should consider swapping the bearing if it is the only cause otherwise the whole part.
I hear a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Mazda MX 5 Miata
If you are in the case where the alternator of your Mazda MX 5 Miata generates grinding sounds, in this circumstance you will have to check it more seriously. This warning sign can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, however , generally, we often realize 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 encourage that you look for advice this article to find all the necessary details to solve an accessory belt noise on Mazda MX 5 Miata.
I hear a loud noise from the alternator of my Mazda MX 5 Miata
Listening a loud noise from the alternator of your Mazda MX 5 Miata is quite normal, in fact, it emits an audible sound when creating the electrical pulses it generates. It is up to you to verify 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 encourage that you look into this article to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Mazda MX 5 Miata.
