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 , at minimum you’ve already had that fear. So when you discover an alternator noise on Chevrolet Sonic, you can already imagine yourself breaking down, stuck waiting for the tow truck. That’s why our team has decided to produce this content to support you find the origins of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first learn the role and operation of the alternator in your Chevrolet Sonic and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Chevrolet Sonic may be.
Role and alternator operation Chevrolet Sonic
Alternator role
Your alternator is an vital component of your Chevrolet Sonic. In fact, its task is to provide power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the task of charging the battery once the automobile is in motion, to provide power to the automobile in motion and to let you to always have a enough 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 generates electricity. It is the engine itself that will give the energy requested by the alternator to create the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Chevrolet Sonic engine stops, the battery takes over to give the automobile with energy.
What are the several alternator noises or sounds on my Chevrolet Sonic and what are the causes?
I perceive a knocking noise caused by the alternator of my Chevrolet Sonic
One of the characteristic noises of a tired alternator on Chevrolet Sonic is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Chevrolet Sonic will generally show up when your engine is idling, it can be associated with voltage drops that could disrupt the normal operation of electrical components such as headlights for example. In most cases, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is malfunctioning, to verify 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 charging your battery well. If the value is lower, the alternator of your Chevrolet Sonic is tired and you should consider changing the bearing if it is the only cause otherwise the whole part.
I discover a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Chevrolet Sonic
If you are in the case where the alternator of your Chevrolet Sonic causes grinding sounds, in this case you will have to look into it more seriously. This indicator can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, but in general, we generally realise by looking more meticulously that it is the accessory belt that is loosened or worn and is therefore the cause of it. In this case, we encourage that you consult this document to find all the necessary details to solve an accessory belt noise on Chevrolet Sonic.
I discover a loud noise from the alternator of my Chevrolet Sonic
Experiencing a loud noise from the alternator of your Chevrolet Sonic 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 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 encourage that you read this document to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Chevrolet Sonic.