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, at least you’ve already had that fear. So when you hear an alternator noise on Mercedes Classe C 3, you can already see yourself breaking down, stuck waiting for 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 Mercedes Classe C 3 and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Mercedes Classe C 3 may be.
Role and alternator operation Mercedes Classe C 3
Alternator role
Your alternator is an important component of your Mercedes Classe C 3. Indeed, its task is to generate 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 reserve 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 concept of copper coil wound around a magnet . This coil while rotating generates electricity. It is the engine motor itself that will provide the energy needed by the alternator to create the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Mercedes Classe C 3 engine stops, the battery takes over to provide the vehicle with energy.
What are the different alternator noises or sounds on my Mercedes Classe C 3 and what are the causes?
I perceive a knocking noise from the alternator of my Mercedes Classe C 3
One of the typical noises of a tired alternator on Mercedes Classe C 3 is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Mercedes Classe C 3 will most of the time 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 defective, 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 Mercedes Classe C 3 is tired and you should consider changing the bearing if it is the only cause otherwise the complete part.
I hear a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Mercedes Classe C 3
If you are in the situation where the alternator of your Mercedes Classe C 3 generates grinding sounds, in this circumstance you will have to check it more seriously. This warning sign can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, but generally, we generally notice by looking more closely that it is the accessory belt that is loosened or worn and is therefore the cause of it. In this circumstance, we suggest that you read this article to find all the necessary information to solve an accessory belt noise on Mercedes Classe C 3.
I hear a loud noise from the alternator of my Mercedes Classe C 3
Finding out a loud noise from the alternator of your Mercedes Classe C 3 is quite typical, in fact, it produces an audible sound when creating 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 suggest that you look into this article to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Mercedes Classe C 3.
