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, certainly you’ve already had that apprehension. So when you notice an alternator noise on Chevrolet Malibu, you can already see yourself breaking down, stuck awaiting the tow truck. That’s why our team has decided to produce this content 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 Chevrolet Malibu and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Chevrolet Malibu may be.
Role and alternator operation Chevrolet Malibu
Alternator role
Your alternator is an important component of your Chevrolet Malibu. In fact, its mission is to give power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the mission 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 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 rotating produces 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 Chevrolet Malibu engine stops, the battery takes over to give the vehicle with energy.
What are the different alternator noises or sounds on my Chevrolet Malibu and what are the causes?
I find out a knocking noise originating from the alternator of my Chevrolet Malibu
One of the characteristic noises of a tired alternator on Chevrolet Malibu is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Chevrolet Malibu will most of the time show up 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 many cases, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is malfunctioning, to verify 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 charging your battery well. If the value is lower, the alternator of your Chevrolet Malibu is tired and you should consider changing the bearing if it is the only cause otherwise the complete part.
I notice a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Chevrolet Malibu
If you are in the case where the alternator of your Chevrolet Malibu causes grinding sounds, in this circumstance 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 often realize by looking more strongly that it is the accessory belt that is loosened or worn and is therefore the cause of it. In this circumstance, we encourage that you consult this document to find all the necessary information to solve an accessory belt noise on Chevrolet Malibu.
I notice a loud noise from the alternator of my Chevrolet Malibu
Experiencing a loud noise from the alternator of your Chevrolet Malibu is quite normal, in fact, it produces an audible sound when producing 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 encourage that you go to this document to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Chevrolet Malibu.
