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 hear an alternator noise on Toyota Matrix, you can already see yourself breaking down, stuck awaiting the tow truck. That’s why our team has decided to write this post to support you find the origins of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first see the role and functions of the alternator in your Toyota Matrix and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Toyota Matrix may be.alternator-noise-toyota-matrix

Role and alternator operation Toyota Matrix

Alternator role

Your alternator is an vital part of your Toyota Matrix. Indeed, its objective is to generate 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 allow you to always have a sufficient energy reserve to be able to restart the next time.

Alternator functioning

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The alternator works 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 motor itself that will provide the energy required by the alternator to produce the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Toyota Matrix engine stops, the battery takes over to provide the automobile with energy.

What are the different alternator noises or sounds on my Toyota Matrix and what are the causes?

I hear a knocking noise originating from the alternator of my Toyota Matrix

One of the typical noises of a tired alternator on Toyota Matrix is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Toyota Matrix will most of the time appear 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. In many cases, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is faulty, 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 Toyota Matrix is tired and you should consider replacing the bearing if it is the only cause otherwise the entire part.

I hear a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Toyota Matrix

If you are in the case where the alternator of your Toyota Matrix produces grinding sounds, in this case you will have to look at it more seriously. This sign can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, but in most cases, we generally notice by looking more meticulously that it is the accessory belt that is loosened or worn and is therefore the cause of it. In this case, we advise that you look for advice this article to find all the necessary details to solve an accessory belt noise on Toyota Matrix.

I hear a loud noise from the alternator of my Toyota Matrix

Hearing a loud noise from the alternator of your Toyota Matrix is quite normal, in fact, it produces 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 read this article to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Toyota Matrix.