Did you ever had this trouble trying to start your car in the morning and it doesn’t work ? If it never happened to you , certainly you’ve already had that fear. So when you hear an alternator noise on Volvo S90, 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 learn the role and operation of the alternator in your Volvo S90 and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Volvo S90 may be.alternator-noise-volvo-s90

Role and alternator operation Volvo S90

Alternator role

Your alternator is an fundamental component of your Volvo S90. In fact, its mission is to provide 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 allow you to always have a sufficient 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 creates electricity. It is the engine itself that will provide the energy required by the alternator to generate the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Volvo S90 engine stops, the battery takes over to provide the vehicle with energy.

What are the different alternator noises or sounds on my Volvo S90 and what are the causes?

I listen to a knocking noise coming from the alternator of my Volvo S90

One of the characteristic noises of a tired alternator on Volvo S90 is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Volvo S90 will most of the time happen when your engine is idling, it can be connected to voltage drops that could affect the normal operation of electrical parts such as headlights for example. In many 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 get 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 Volvo S90 is tired and you should consider swapping the bearing if it is the only reason otherwise the whole part.

I hear a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Volvo S90

If you are in the situation where the alternator of your Volvo S90 causes grinding sounds, in this case you will have to check it more seriously. This symptom can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, but usually, we often realise 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 suggest that you read this content to find all the necessary details to solve an accessory belt noise on Volvo S90.

I hear a loud noise from the alternator of my Volvo S90

Finding out a loud noise from the alternator of your Volvo S90 is quite typical, in fact, it produces 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 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 look into this content to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Volvo S90.