Who hasn’t found himself in the situation where his car doesn’t start one morning on the way to work? If that didn’t happen to you, at least you’ve already had that apprehension. So when you notice an alternator noise on Volkswagen California, you can already imagine yourself breaking down, stuck waiting for the tow truck. That’s why our team has decided to produce this post to support you locate the sources of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first discover the role and operation of the alternator in your Volkswagen California and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Volkswagen California may be.
Role and alternator operation Volkswagen California
Alternator role
Your alternator is an important component of your Volkswagen California. Indeed, its mission is to give power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the task of recharging the battery once the vehicle is in motion, to provide power to the vehicle 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 spinning makes electricity. It is the engine itself that will provide the energy requested by the alternator to create the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Volkswagen California engine stops, the battery takes over to provide the vehicle with energy.
What are the different alternator noises or sounds on my Volkswagen California and what are the causes?
I find out a knocking noise coming from the alternator of my Volkswagen California
One of the characteristic noises of a tired alternator on Volkswagen California is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Volkswagen California will most of the time appear when your engine is idling, it can be connected to voltage drops that could affect the normal operation of electrical components such as headlights for example. Most often, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is faulty, 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 Volkswagen California is tired and you should consider changing the bearing if it is the only reason otherwise the entire part.
I notice a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Volkswagen California
If you are in the situation where the alternator of your Volkswagen California 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 see by looking more strongly that it is the accessory belt that is loosened or worn and is therefore the reason of it. In this case, we advise that you read this article to find all the necessary details to solve an accessory belt noise on Volkswagen California.
I notice a loud noise from the alternator of my Volkswagen California
Experiencing a loud noise from the alternator of your Volkswagen California is quite normal, in fact, it produces an audible sound when creating the electrical pulses it generates. It is up to you to check 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 advise that you have a look this article to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Volkswagen California.
