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 , at least you’ve already had that fear. So when you listen to an alternator noise on BMW X4, you can already imagine yourself breaking down, stuck waiting for 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 discover the role and operation of the alternator in your BMW X4 and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on BMW X4 may be.
Role and alternator operation BMW X4
Alternator role
Your alternator is an fundamental part of your BMW X4. 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 vehicle is in motion, to provide power to the vehicle in motion and to let you to always have a sufficient energy source 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 principle of copper coil wound around a magnet . This coil while rotating creates electricity. It is the engine motor itself that will furnish the energy required by the alternator to produce the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your BMW X4 engine stops, the battery takes over to furnish the vehicle with energy.
What are the several alternator noises or sounds on my BMW X4 and what are the causes?
I discover a knocking noise coming from the alternator of my BMW X4
One of the typical noises of a tired alternator on BMW X4 is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on BMW X4 will most of the time occur when your engine is idling, it can be associated with voltage drops that could disturb the normal operation of electrical elements such as headlights for example. In most 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 obtain 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 X4 is tired and you should consider replacing the bearing if it is the only cause otherwise the entire part.
I listen to a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my BMW X4
If you are in the case where the alternator of your BMW X4 generates grinding sounds, in this case you will have to look into it more seriously. This sign can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, but in general, we often realize by looking more carefully that it is the accessory belt that is loosened or worn and is therefore the cause of it. In this case, we advise that you look for advice this document to find all the necessary details to solve an accessory belt noise on BMW X4.
I listen to a loud noise from the alternator of my BMW X4
Finding out a loud noise from the alternator of your BMW X4 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 advise that you read this document to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on BMW X4.
