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 fear. So when you notice an alternator noise on Nissan Sentra, you can already imagine yourself breaking down, stuck waiting for the tow truck. That’s why our team has decided to produce this post to support you find the origins of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first see the role and operation of the alternator in your Nissan Sentra and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Nissan Sentra may be.alternator-noise-nissan-sentra

Role and alternator operation Nissan Sentra

Alternator role

Your alternator is an vital part of your Nissan Sentra. In fact, its mission is to give power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the goal 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 functions on an electrical principle that has been used for decades, the principle of copper coil wound around a magnet . This coil while spinning generates electricity. It is the engine motor itself that will give the energy required by the alternator to create the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Nissan Sentra engine stops, the battery takes over to give the automobile with energy.

What are the different alternator noises or sounds on my Nissan Sentra and what are the causes?

I hear a knocking noise coming from the alternator of my Nissan Sentra

One of the typical noises of a tired alternator on Nissan Sentra is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Nissan Sentra will most of the time happen when your engine is idling, it can be connected to voltage drops that could affect the normal operation of electrical elements such as headlights for example. In many cases, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is defective, to verify it, use a multimeter on the terminals of your automobile 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 Nissan Sentra is tired and you should consider swapping the bearing if it is the only reason otherwise the whole part.

I notice a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Nissan Sentra

If you are in the situation where the alternator of your Nissan Sentra causes grinding sounds, in this case you will have to look at it more seriously. This warning sign can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, however , in most cases, we often notice by looking more strongly 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 document to find all the necessary information to solve an accessory belt noise on Nissan Sentra.

I notice a loud noise from the alternator of my Nissan Sentra

Experiencing a loud noise from the alternator of your Nissan Sentra is quite regular, in fact, it emits 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 advise that you take a look at this document to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Nissan Sentra.