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 apprehension. So when you notice an alternator noise on Chevrolet Cobalt, you can already imagine yourself breaking down, stuck awaiting the tow truck. That’s why our team has decided to produce this article to help you locate the origins of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first learn the role and operation of the alternator in your Chevrolet Cobalt and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Chevrolet Cobalt may be.
Role and alternator operation Chevrolet Cobalt
Alternator role
Your alternator is an fundamental component of your Chevrolet Cobalt. In fact, its task is to provide power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the task 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
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The alternator works on an electrical principle that has been used for decades, the principle of copper coil wound around a magnet . This coil while rotating generates electricity. It is the engine motor itself that will give the energy requested by the alternator to produce the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Chevrolet Cobalt engine stops, the battery takes over to give the automobile with energy.
What are the several alternator noises or sounds on my Chevrolet Cobalt and what are the causes?
I discover a knocking noise from the alternator of my Chevrolet Cobalt
One of the characteristic noises of a tired alternator on Chevrolet Cobalt is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Chevrolet Cobalt will most of the time occur when your engine is idling, it can be linked to voltage drops that could disturb the normal operation of electrical components such as headlights for example. In many cases, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is malfunctioning, to check it, use a multimeter on the terminals of your automobile 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 Chevrolet Cobalt is tired and you should consider replacing the bearing if it is the only cause otherwise the whole part.
I notice a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Chevrolet Cobalt
If you are in the situation where the alternator of your Chevrolet Cobalt generates grinding sounds, in this case you will have to look at it more seriously. This sign can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, but generally, we generally realize by looking more carefully that it is the accessory belt that is loosened or worn and is therefore the cause of it. In this case, we recommend that you read this content to find all the necessary details to solve an accessory belt noise on Chevrolet Cobalt.
I notice a loud noise from the alternator of my Chevrolet Cobalt
Hearing a loud noise from the alternator of your Chevrolet Cobalt is quite normal, in fact, it emits 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 recommend that you look into this content to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Chevrolet Cobalt.
