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 , at minimum you’ve already had that fear. So when you find out an alternator noise on Kia Rio, 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 find the origins of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first see the role and functions of the alternator in your Kia Rio and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Kia Rio may be.
Role and alternator operation Kia Rio
Alternator role
Your alternator is an fundamental component of your Kia Rio. Indeed, 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 vehicle is in motion, to provide power to the vehicle in motion and to allow 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 creates electricity. It is the engine motor itself that will provide the energy requested by the alternator to create the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Kia Rio engine stops, the battery takes over to provide the vehicle with energy.
What are the distinctive alternator noises or sounds on my Kia Rio and what are the causes?
I listen to a knocking noise from the alternator of my Kia Rio
One of the characteristic noises of a tired alternator on Kia Rio is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Kia Rio will most of the time occur when your engine is idling, it can be associated with voltage drops that could affect the normal operation of electrical components such as headlights for example. In general, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is faulty, to examine it, use a multimeter on the terminals of your vehicle with the engine running and you must get 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 Kia Rio is tired and you should consider replacing the bearing if it is the only reason otherwise the complete part.
I find out a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Kia Rio
If you are in the situation where the alternator of your Kia Rio generates grinding sounds, in this circumstance you will have to check it more seriously. This sign can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, however , usually, we often realize by looking more meticulously that it is the accessory belt that is loosened or worn and is therefore the reason of it. In this circumstance, we encourage that you consult this article to find all the necessary details to solve an accessory belt noise on Kia Rio.
I find out a loud noise from the alternator of my Kia Rio
Hearing a loud noise from the alternator of your Kia Rio is quite normal, in fact, it emits 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 encourage that you read this article to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Kia Rio.
