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, perhaps you’ve already had that apprehension. So when you hear an alternator noise on Bmw Serie 3, 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 sources of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first discover the role and functions of the alternator in your Bmw Serie 3 and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Bmw Serie 3 may be.
Role and alternator operation Bmw Serie 3
Alternator role
Your alternator is an important part of your Bmw Serie 3. Indeed, its mission is to generate power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the goal of recharging the battery once the automobile is in motion, to provide power to the automobile in motion and to let you to always have a sufficient energy source to be able to restart the next time.
Alternator functioning
>
The alternator operates on an electrical principle that has been used for decades, the concept of copper coil wound around a magnet . This coil while rotating makes electricity. It is the engine itself that will provide the energy requested by the alternator to produce the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Bmw Serie 3 engine stops, the battery takes over to provide the automobile with energy.
What are the distinctive alternator noises or sounds on my Bmw Serie 3 and what are the causes?
I listen to a knocking noise coming from the alternator of my Bmw Serie 3
One of the typical noises of a tired alternator on Bmw Serie 3 is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Bmw Serie 3 will most of the time 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. In general, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is faulty, to check it, use a multimeter on the terminals of your automobile 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 Bmw Serie 3 is tired and you should consider changing the bearing if it is the only cause otherwise the entire part.
I hear a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Bmw Serie 3
If you are in the situation where the alternator of your Bmw Serie 3 causes grinding sounds, in this case you will have to look at it more seriously. This indicator can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, but in general, we generally see 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 suggest that you consult this content to find all the necessary details to solve an accessory belt noise on Bmw Serie 3.
I hear a loud noise from the alternator of my Bmw Serie 3
Finding out a loud noise from the alternator of your Bmw Serie 3 is quite typical, in fact, it produces an audible sound when producing the electrical pulses it generates. It is up to you to check 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 suggest that you check out this content to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Bmw Serie 3.
