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 hear an alternator noise on Volkswagen Polo 5, you can already see yourself breaking down, stuck waiting for the tow truck. That’s why our team has decided to produce this post to support you find the origins of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first learn the role and operation of the alternator in your Volkswagen Polo 5 and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Volkswagen Polo 5 may be.alternator-noise-volkswagen-polo-5

Role and alternator operation Volkswagen Polo 5

Alternator role

Your alternator is an essential part of your Volkswagen Polo 5. Indeed, its objective is to provide power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the mission of charging the battery once the car is in motion, to provide power to the car 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 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 motor itself that will furnish the energy required by the alternator to create the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Volkswagen Polo 5 engine stops, the battery takes over to furnish the car with energy.

What are the different alternator noises or sounds on my Volkswagen Polo 5 and what are the causes?

I find out a knocking noise from the alternator of my Volkswagen Polo 5

One of the typical noises of a tired alternator on Volkswagen Polo 5 is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Volkswagen Polo 5 will generally appear when your engine is idling, it can be connected to voltage drops that could disturb the normal operation of electrical parts such as headlights for example. In general, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is malfunctioning, to examine it, use a multimeter on the terminals of your car with the engine running and you must obtain 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 Volkswagen Polo 5 is tired and you should consider replacing the bearing if it is the only cause otherwise the complete part.

I hear a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Volkswagen Polo 5

If you are in the case where the alternator of your Volkswagen Polo 5 causes grinding sounds, in this circumstance you will have to look at it more seriously. This sign can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, but in general, we generally realize by looking more strongly that it is the accessory belt that is loosened or worn and is therefore the cause of it. In this circumstance, we suggest that you look for advice this document to find all the necessary information to solve an accessory belt noise on Volkswagen Polo 5.

I hear a loud noise from the alternator of my Volkswagen Polo 5

Finding out a loud noise from the alternator of your Volkswagen Polo 5 is quite common, in fact, it produces an audible sound when creating the electrical pulses it generates. It is up to you to examine 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 suggest that you check out this document to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Volkswagen Polo 5.