Who hasn’t found himself in the situation where his car doesn’t start one morning on the way to work? If it never happened to you , certainly you’ve already had that apprehension. So when you listen to an alternator noise on Scion xB, you can already imagine yourself breaking down, stuck awaiting the tow truck. That’s why our team has decided to write this article to support you locate the sources of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first see the role and operation of the alternator in your Scion xB and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Scion xB may be.
Role and alternator operation Scion xB
Alternator role
Your alternator is an vital component of your Scion xB. In fact, its task is to provide power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the goal 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 functions on an electrical principle that has been used for decades, the principle of copper coil wound around a magnet . This coil while spinning creates 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 Scion xB engine stops, the battery takes over to furnish the vehicle with energy.
What are the different alternator noises or sounds on my Scion xB and what are the causes?
I find out a knocking noise coming from the alternator of my Scion xB
One of the characteristic noises of a tired alternator on Scion xB is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Scion xB will most of the time happen when your engine is idling, it can be linked to voltage drops that could affect the normal operation of electrical parts such as headlights for example. Most often, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is malfunctioning, to examine it, use a multimeter on the terminals of your vehicle with the engine running and you must obtain 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 Scion xB is tired and you should think about swapping the bearing if it is the only cause otherwise the whole part.
I listen to a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Scion xB
If you are in the situation where the alternator of your Scion xB generates grinding sounds, in this case you will have to look into it more seriously. This symptom can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, however , usually, we often realize by looking more strongly that it is the accessory belt that is loosened or worn and is therefore the cause of it. In this case, we suggest that you look for advice this content to find all the necessary details to solve an accessory belt noise on Scion xB.
I listen to a loud noise from the alternator of my Scion xB
Listening a loud noise from the alternator of your Scion xB is quite typical, in fact, it emits an audible sound when producing the electrical pulses it generates. It is up to you to examine that the battery indicator light on your dashboard does not appear, 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 read this content to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Scion xB.
