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 minimum you’ve already had that fear. So when you discover an alternator noise on Opel Meriva, you can already imagine yourself breaking down, stuck awaiting the tow truck. That’s why our team has decided to produce this content to help you find the sources of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first discover the role and functions of the alternator in your Opel Meriva and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Opel Meriva may be.
Role and alternator operation Opel Meriva
Alternator role
Your alternator is an fundamental part of your Opel Meriva. Indeed, its goal 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 automobile is in motion, to provide power to the automobile in motion and to let 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 concept of copper coil wound around a magnet . This coil while spinning generates electricity. It is the engine itself that will furnish the energy required by the alternator to produce the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Opel Meriva engine stops, the battery takes over to furnish the automobile with energy.
What are the different alternator noises or sounds on my Opel Meriva and what are the causes?
I discover a knocking noise from the alternator of my Opel Meriva
One of the typical noises of a tired alternator on Opel Meriva is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Opel Meriva will generally happen when your engine is idling, it can be linked to voltage drops that could disrupt the normal operation of electrical parts such as headlights for example. In general, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is malfunctioning, to check it, use a multimeter on the terminals of your automobile 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 Opel Meriva is tired and you should consider changing the bearing if it is the only cause otherwise the whole part.
I discover a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Opel Meriva
If you are in the situation where the alternator of your Opel Meriva generates grinding sounds, in this circumstance you will have to look into it more seriously. This indicator can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, but generally, we generally see by looking more carefully 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 consult this content to find all the necessary information to solve an accessory belt noise on Opel Meriva.
I discover a loud noise from the alternator of my Opel Meriva
Listening a loud noise from the alternator of your Opel Meriva is quite common, in fact, it emits an audible sound when producing the electrical pulses it generates. It is up to you to check 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 take a look at this content to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Opel Meriva.
