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 least you’ve already had that fear. So when you hear an alternator noise on Volkswagen Jetta, 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 help you find the sources of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first discover the role and operation of the alternator in your Volkswagen Jetta and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Volkswagen Jetta may be.
Role and alternator operation Volkswagen Jetta
Alternator role
Your alternator is an fundamental component of your Volkswagen Jetta. Indeed, its objective is to provide 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 source 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 rotating produces electricity. It is the engine motor itself that will give the energy needed by the alternator to create the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Volkswagen Jetta engine stops, the battery takes over to give the vehicle with energy.
What are the different alternator noises or sounds on my Volkswagen Jetta and what are the causes?
I perceive a knocking noise coming from the alternator of my Volkswagen Jetta
One of the characteristic noises of a tired alternator on Volkswagen Jetta is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Volkswagen Jetta will most of the time occur when your engine is idling, it can be linked to voltage drops that could affect the normal operation of electrical components 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 vehicle with the engine running and you must get 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 Jetta is tired and you should consider swapping the bearing if it is the only reason otherwise the complete part.
I hear a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Volkswagen Jetta
If you are in the situation where the alternator of your Volkswagen Jetta produces grinding sounds, in this case you will have to check it more seriously. This symptom can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, but in general, we often realise 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 recommend that you look for advice this content to find all the necessary information to solve an accessory belt noise on Volkswagen Jetta.
I hear a loud noise from the alternator of my Volkswagen Jetta
Experiencing a loud noise from the alternator of your Volkswagen Jetta 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 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 recommend that you take a look at this content to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Volkswagen Jetta.