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 fear. So when you hear an alternator noise on Volkswagen Polo 4, you can already imagine yourself breaking down, stuck waiting for the tow truck. That’s why our team has decided to produce this content to support you locate the sources of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first learn the role and operation of the alternator in your Volkswagen Polo 4 and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Volkswagen Polo 4 may be.
Role and alternator operation Volkswagen Polo 4
Alternator role
Your alternator is an fundamental part of your Volkswagen Polo 4. In fact, its mission is to generate 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 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 operates 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 itself that will furnish the energy required by the alternator to produce the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Volkswagen Polo 4 engine stops, the battery takes over to furnish the vehicle with energy.
What are the distinctive alternator noises or sounds on my Volkswagen Polo 4 and what are the causes?
I listen to a knocking noise from the alternator of my Volkswagen Polo 4
One of the characteristic noises of a tired alternator on Volkswagen Polo 4 is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Volkswagen Polo 4 will most of the time appear when your engine is idling, it can be linked to voltage drops that could disrupt the normal operation of electrical parts such as headlights for example. Most often, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is faulty, to verify 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 Polo 4 is tired and you should consider swapping the bearing if it is the only reason otherwise the whole part.
I hear a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Volkswagen Polo 4
If you are in the situation where the alternator of your Volkswagen Polo 4 generates 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 notice by looking more closely 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 consult this content to find all the necessary details to solve an accessory belt noise on Volkswagen Polo 4.
I hear a loud noise from the alternator of my Volkswagen Polo 4
Listening a loud noise from the alternator of your Volkswagen Polo 4 is quite typical, in fact, it produces an audible sound when creating 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 recommend that you take a look at this content to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Volkswagen Polo 4.
