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, at least you’ve already had that apprehension. So when you find out an alternator noise on Nissan Altima, 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 locate the origins of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first learn the role and functions of the alternator in your Nissan Altima and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Nissan Altima may be.
Role and alternator operation Nissan Altima
Alternator role
Your alternator is an essential part of your Nissan Altima. Indeed, its goal is to provide power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the mission of charging the battery once the car is in motion, to provide power to the car in motion and to allow 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 concept of copper coil wound around a magnet . This coil while rotating creates electricity. It is the engine itself that will provide the energy required by the alternator to create the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Nissan Altima engine stops, the battery takes over to provide the car with energy.
What are the different alternator noises or sounds on my Nissan Altima and what are the causes?
I perceive a knocking noise caused by the alternator of my Nissan Altima
One of the characteristic noises of a tired alternator on Nissan Altima is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Nissan Altima will generally show up when your engine is idling, it can be associated with voltage drops that could affect the normal operation of electrical parts 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 car 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 Nissan Altima is tired and you should consider changing the bearing if it is the only reason otherwise the entire part.
I find out a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Nissan Altima
If you are in the situation where the alternator of your Nissan Altima 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, however , in general, we generally notice by looking more closely that it is the accessory belt that is loosened or worn and is therefore the reason of it. In this case, we advise that you look for advice this article to find all the necessary details to solve an accessory belt noise on Nissan Altima.
I find out a loud noise from the alternator of my Nissan Altima
Finding out a loud noise from the alternator of your Nissan Altima is quite normal, in fact, it emits 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 advise that you read this article to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Nissan Altima.
