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, certainly you’ve already had that fear. So when you hear an alternator noise on Volvo S60, 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 find the origins of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first discover the role and functions of the alternator in your Volvo S60 and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Volvo S60 may be.
Role and alternator operation Volvo S60
Alternator role
Your alternator is an vital part of your Volvo S60. In fact, its task is to give 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 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 operates on an electrical principle that has been used for decades, the concept of copper coil wound around a magnet . This coil while spinning generates electricity. It is the engine motor itself that will furnish the energy requested by the alternator to generate the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Volvo S60 engine stops, the battery takes over to furnish the vehicle with energy.
What are the several alternator noises or sounds on my Volvo S60 and what are the causes?
I discover a knocking noise coming from the alternator of my Volvo S60
One of the typical noises of a tired alternator on Volvo S60 is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Volvo S60 will generally occur when your engine is idling, it can be associated with voltage drops that could disrupt the normal operation of electrical components such as headlights for example. Often, it is a of both bearings of the alternator that is faulty, to check it, use a multimeter on the terminals of your vehicle 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 Volvo S60 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 Volvo S60
If you are in the situation where the alternator of your Volvo S60 causes grinding sounds, in this case you will have to look into it more seriously. This sign can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, but usually, we often realize 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 advise that you look for advice this content to find all the necessary information to solve an accessory belt noise on Volvo S60.
I hear a loud noise from the alternator of my Volvo S60
Listening a loud noise from the alternator of your Volvo S60 is quite typical, 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 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 have a look this content to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Volvo S60.
