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 apprehension. So when you find out an alternator noise on BMW i3, you can already imagine yourself breaking down, stuck awaiting 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 discover the role and operation of the alternator in your BMW i3 and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on BMW i3 may be.
Role and alternator operation BMW i3
Alternator role
Your alternator is an essential component of your BMW i3. In fact, its mission is to give 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 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 spinning generates electricity. It is the engine motor itself that will give the energy needed by the alternator to create the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your BMW i3 engine stops, the battery takes over to give the vehicle with energy.
What are the distinctive alternator noises or sounds on my BMW i3 and what are the causes?
I hear a knocking noise coming from the alternator of my BMW i3
One of the characteristic noises of a tired alternator on BMW i3 is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on BMW i3 will generally occur when your engine is idling, it can be linked to voltage drops that could affect the normal operation of electrical elements such as headlights for example. Often, 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 i3 is tired and you should consider swapping the bearing if it is the only reason otherwise the whole part.
I find out a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my BMW i3
If you are in the case where the alternator of your BMW i3 produces grinding sounds, in this circumstance you will have to look into it more seriously. This indicator can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, but in most cases, we often notice by looking more closely that it is the accessory belt that is loosened or worn and is therefore the reason of it. In this circumstance, we recommend that you consult this content to find all the necessary information to solve an accessory belt noise on BMW i3.
I find out a loud noise from the alternator of my BMW i3
Listening a loud noise from the alternator of your BMW i3 is quite common, in fact, it produces an audible sound when creating the electrical pulses it generates. It is up to you to examine 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 recommend that you go to this content to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on BMW i3.
