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 , certainly you’ve already had that fear. So when you perceive an alternator noise on Cadillac ATS, you can already see yourself breaking down, stuck awaiting the tow truck. That’s why our team has decided to write this content to help you locate the sources of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first learn the role and operation of the alternator in your Cadillac ATS and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Cadillac ATS may be.
Role and alternator operation Cadillac ATS
Alternator role
Your alternator is an important part of your Cadillac ATS. Indeed, its goal is to provide power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the goal 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 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 concept of copper coil wound around a magnet . This coil while rotating generates electricity. It is the engine itself that will provide the energy required by the alternator to produce the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Cadillac ATS engine stops, the battery takes over to provide the vehicle with energy.
What are the distinctive alternator noises or sounds on my Cadillac ATS and what are the causes?
I listen to a knocking noise coming from the alternator of my Cadillac ATS
One of the typical noises of a tired alternator on Cadillac ATS is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Cadillac ATS will most of the time occur when your engine is idling, it can be linked to voltage drops that could disrupt the normal operation of electrical parts 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 look for 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 Cadillac ATS is tired and you should think about swapping the bearing if it is the only reason otherwise the whole part.
I perceive a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Cadillac ATS
If you are in the situation where the alternator of your Cadillac ATS causes grinding sounds, in this case you will have to check 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 closely 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 consult this article to find all the necessary details to solve an accessory belt noise on Cadillac ATS.
I perceive a loud noise from the alternator of my Cadillac ATS
Listening a loud noise from the alternator of your Cadillac ATS is quite regular, 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 have a look this article to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Cadillac ATS.
