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 minimum you’ve already had that apprehension. So when you perceive an alternator noise on Alfa Romeo 156, you can already imagine 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 Alfa Romeo 156 and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Alfa Romeo 156 may be.
Role and alternator operation Alfa Romeo 156
Alternator role
Your alternator is an essential part of your Alfa Romeo 156. Indeed, its goal is to provide power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the mission of charging the battery once the car is in motion, to provide power to the car in motion and to let you to always have a enough 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 principle of copper coil wound around a magnet . This coil while rotating creates electricity. It is the engine itself that will furnish the energy needed by the alternator to produce the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Alfa Romeo 156 engine stops, the battery takes over to furnish the car with energy.
What are the different alternator noises or sounds on my Alfa Romeo 156 and what are the causes?
I discover a knocking noise from the alternator of my Alfa Romeo 156
One of the characteristic noises of a tired alternator on Alfa Romeo 156 is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Alfa Romeo 156 will most of the time occur when your engine is idling, it can be associated with 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 defective, to examine it, use a multimeter on the terminals of your car with the engine running and you must get 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 Alfa Romeo 156 is tired and you should consider replacing the bearing if it is the only cause otherwise the whole part.
I perceive a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Alfa Romeo 156
If you are in the case where the alternator of your Alfa Romeo 156 generates grinding sounds, in this case you will have to look into it more seriously. This indicator can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, however , in most cases, we often realize 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 encourage that you read this article to find all the necessary details to solve an accessory belt noise on Alfa Romeo 156.
I perceive a loud noise from the alternator of my Alfa Romeo 156
Listening a loud noise from the alternator of your Alfa Romeo 156 is quite normal, in fact, it emits 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 encourage that you take a look at this article to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Alfa Romeo 156.