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 , perhaps you’ve already had that apprehension. So when you discover an alternator noise on Subaru Forester, you can already see yourself breaking down, stuck waiting for the tow truck. That’s why our team has decided to write this post to support you locate the origins of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first see the role and operation of the alternator in your Subaru Forester and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Subaru Forester may be.
Role and alternator operation Subaru Forester
Alternator role
Your alternator is an vital part of your Subaru Forester. In fact, its mission 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 vehicle is in motion, to provide power to the vehicle in motion and to let you to always have a sufficient energy source to be able to restart the next time.
Alternator functioning
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The alternator operates 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 motor itself that will give the energy needed by the alternator to generate the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Subaru Forester engine stops, the battery takes over to give the vehicle with energy.
What are the different alternator noises or sounds on my Subaru Forester and what are the causes?
I notice a knocking noise originating from the alternator of my Subaru Forester
One of the characteristic noises of a tired alternator on Subaru Forester is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Subaru Forester will most of the time show up when your engine is idling, it can be associated with voltage drops that could disrupt the normal operation of electrical elements such as headlights for example. Often, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is defective, to check it, use a multimeter on the terminals of your vehicle with the engine running and you must look for 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 Subaru Forester is tired and you should think about replacing the bearing if it is the only cause otherwise the complete part.
I discover a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Subaru Forester
If you are in the situation where the alternator of your Subaru Forester generates grinding sounds, in this circumstance you will have to look at it more seriously. This symptom can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, but in general, we often realize by looking more closely that it is the accessory belt that is loosened or worn and is therefore the cause of it. In this circumstance, we encourage that you consult this content to find all the necessary information to solve an accessory belt noise on Subaru Forester.
I discover a loud noise from the alternator of my Subaru Forester
Hearing a loud noise from the alternator of your Subaru Forester is quite normal, 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 encourage that you take a look at this content to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Subaru Forester.