Did you ever had this trouble trying to start your car in the morning and it doesn’t work ? If that didn’t happen to you, certainly you’ve already had that apprehension. So when you hear an alternator noise on Mercedes Sprinter, you can already imagine 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 discover the role and operation of the alternator in your Mercedes Sprinter and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Mercedes Sprinter may be.
Role and alternator operation Mercedes Sprinter
Alternator role
Your alternator is an vital part of your Mercedes Sprinter. Indeed, its goal is to give 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 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 works on an electrical principle that has been used for decades, the principle of copper coil wound around a magnet . This coil while spinning produces electricity. It is the engine motor itself that will furnish the energy needed by the alternator to produce the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Mercedes Sprinter engine stops, the battery takes over to furnish the vehicle with energy.
What are the several alternator noises or sounds on my Mercedes Sprinter and what are the causes?
I listen to a knocking noise caused by the alternator of my Mercedes Sprinter
One of the characteristic noises of a tired alternator on Mercedes Sprinter is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Mercedes Sprinter will generally appear 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. Most often, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is faulty, to verify it, use a multimeter on the terminals of your vehicle with the engine running and you must look for 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 Sprinter is tired and you should think about replacing the bearing if it is the only reason otherwise the complete part.
I hear a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Mercedes Sprinter
If you are in the situation where the alternator of your Mercedes Sprinter generates grinding sounds, in this case you will have to look into it more seriously. This warning sign can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, however , generally, we generally realise by looking more meticulously that it is the accessory belt that is loosened or worn and is therefore the reason of it. In this case, we recommend that you consult this article to find all the necessary information to solve an accessory belt noise on Mercedes Sprinter.
I hear a loud noise from the alternator of my Mercedes Sprinter
Hearing a loud noise from the alternator of your Mercedes Sprinter is quite typical, 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 recommend that you read this article to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Mercedes Sprinter.
