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 minimum you’ve already had that apprehension. So when you hear an alternator noise on Volkswagen Polo 3, you can already imagine yourself breaking down, stuck waiting for the tow truck. That’s why our team has decided to write this article to support you locate the origins of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first discover the role and functions of the alternator in your Volkswagen Polo 3 and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Volkswagen Polo 3 may be.
Role and alternator operation Volkswagen Polo 3
Alternator role
Your alternator is an fundamental part of your Volkswagen Polo 3. Indeed, its task is to provide power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the mission 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 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 concept of copper coil wound around a magnet . This coil while rotating produces electricity. It is the engine motor itself that will give the energy requested by the alternator to create the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Volkswagen Polo 3 engine stops, the battery takes over to give the vehicle with energy.
What are the different alternator noises or sounds on my Volkswagen Polo 3 and what are the causes?
I hear a knocking noise from the alternator of my Volkswagen Polo 3
One of the characteristic noises of a tired alternator on Volkswagen Polo 3 is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Volkswagen Polo 3 will generally appear when your engine is idling, it can be linked to 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 malfunctioning, to examine 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 Polo 3 is tired and you should consider replacing the bearing if it is the only cause otherwise the whole part.
I hear a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Volkswagen Polo 3
If you are in the situation where the alternator of your Volkswagen Polo 3 causes grinding sounds, in this case you will have to look at it more seriously. This warning sign can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, however , in general, we generally see by looking more closely 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 read this article to find all the necessary information to solve an accessory belt noise on Volkswagen Polo 3.
I hear a loud noise from the alternator of my Volkswagen Polo 3
Hearing a loud noise from the alternator of your Volkswagen Polo 3 is quite regular, in fact, it produces 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 advise that you go to this article to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Volkswagen Polo 3.