Did you ever had this trouble trying to start your car in the morning and it doesn’t work ? If it never happened to you , at minimum you’ve already had that apprehension. So when you perceive an alternator noise on Opel Astra, you can already see yourself breaking down, stuck waiting for the tow truck. That’s why our team has decided to produce this article 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 Opel Astra and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Opel Astra may be.
Role and alternator operation Opel Astra
Alternator role
Your alternator is an important component of your Opel Astra. In fact, its task is to give power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the goal of recharging the battery once the automobile is in motion, to provide power to the automobile in motion and to allow you to always have a enough energy reserve 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 rotating creates electricity. It is the engine itself that will give the energy needed by the alternator to generate the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Opel Astra engine stops, the battery takes over to give the automobile with energy.
What are the different alternator noises or sounds on my Opel Astra and what are the causes?
I notice a knocking noise originating from the alternator of my Opel Astra
One of the characteristic noises of a tired alternator on Opel Astra is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Opel Astra will generally happen when your engine is idling, it can be connected to voltage drops that could disrupt 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 obtain a value between 12 and 14.7 volts, which means that your alternator is recharging your battery well. If the value is lower, the alternator of your Opel Astra is tired and you should think about swapping the bearing if it is the only reason otherwise the entire part.
I perceive a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Opel Astra
If you are in the situation where the alternator of your Opel Astra produces grinding sounds, in this circumstance you will have to check it more seriously. This indicator can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, but usually, we generally see by looking more carefully that it is the accessory belt that is loosened or worn and is therefore the reason of it. In this circumstance, we recommend that you consult this document to find all the necessary information to solve an accessory belt noise on Opel Astra.
I perceive a loud noise from the alternator of my Opel Astra
Hearing a loud noise from the alternator of your Opel Astra is quite regular, 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 recommend that you have a look this document to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Opel Astra.
