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, perhaps you’ve already had that fear. So when you perceive an alternator noise on Volkswagen Up!, you can already see yourself breaking down, stuck awaiting the tow truck. That’s why our team has decided to write this content to help you locate the sources of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first learn the role and functions of the alternator in your Volkswagen Up! and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Volkswagen Up! may be.
Role and alternator operation Volkswagen Up!
Alternator role
Your alternator is an important component of your Volkswagen Up!. In fact, its objective is to generate power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the mission of recharging the battery once the car is in motion, to provide power to the car in motion and to allow you to always have a sufficient 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 generates electricity. It is the engine motor itself that will provide the energy required by the alternator to generate the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Volkswagen Up! engine stops, the battery takes over to provide the car with energy.
What are the several alternator noises or sounds on my Volkswagen Up! and what are the causes?
I notice a knocking noise coming from the alternator of my Volkswagen Up!
One of the typical noises of a tired alternator on Volkswagen Up! is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Volkswagen Up! will generally occur when your engine is idling, it can be linked to voltage drops that could disrupt the normal operation of electrical components such as headlights for example. Most often, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is malfunctioning, to check 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 recharging your battery well. If the value is lower, the alternator of your Volkswagen Up! is tired and you should think about changing the bearing if it is the only reason otherwise the complete part.
I perceive a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Volkswagen Up!
If you are in the case where the alternator of your Volkswagen Up! causes grinding sounds, in this case you will have to look into it more seriously. This indicator can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, however , in general, we often see by looking more meticulously 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 information to solve an accessory belt noise on Volkswagen Up!.
I perceive a loud noise from the alternator of my Volkswagen Up!
Experiencing a loud noise from the alternator of your Volkswagen Up! is quite typical, in fact, it emits 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 check out this article to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Volkswagen Up!.
