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 apprehension. So when you perceive an alternator noise on BMW X6, you can already see yourself breaking down, stuck waiting for the tow truck. That’s why our team has decided to produce this post to help you find the sources of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first discover the role and operation of the alternator in your BMW X6 and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on BMW X6 may be.
Role and alternator operation BMW X6
Alternator role
Your alternator is an vital part of your BMW X6. In fact, its objective is to give power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the task of charging 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 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 spinning makes electricity. It is the engine motor itself that will give the energy required by the alternator to produce the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your BMW X6 engine stops, the battery takes over to give the vehicle with energy.
What are the different alternator noises or sounds on my BMW X6 and what are the causes?
I notice a knocking noise originating from the alternator of my BMW X6
One of the typical noises of a tired alternator on BMW X6 is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on BMW X6 will most of the time show up 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 many cases, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is faulty, to verify it, use a multimeter on the terminals of your vehicle with the engine running and you must look for 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 BMW X6 is tired and you should consider changing the bearing if it is the only reason otherwise the entire part.
I perceive a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my BMW X6
If you are in the case where the alternator of your BMW X6 produces grinding sounds, in this case you will have to look into it more seriously. This warning sign can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, however , usually, we generally realize by looking more carefully that it is the accessory belt that is loosened or worn and is therefore the reason of it. In this case, we recommend that you read this document to find all the necessary details to solve an accessory belt noise on BMW X6.
I perceive a loud noise from the alternator of my BMW X6
Listening a loud noise from the alternator of your BMW X6 is quite typical, in fact, it emits an audible sound when creating the electrical pulses it generates. It is up to you to verify 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 recommend that you check out this document to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on BMW X6.
