Who hasn’t found himself in the situation where his car doesn’t start one morning on the way to work? If it never happened to you , perhaps you’ve already had that fear. So when you discover an alternator noise on Volvo XC60, you can already see yourself breaking down, stuck waiting for the tow truck. That’s why our team has decided to write this post to help you locate the origins of alternator sounds. In this article, you will first learn the role and functions of the alternator in your Volvo XC60 and then what the causes and solutions to alternator noise on Volvo XC60 may be.
Role and alternator operation Volvo XC60
Alternator role
Your alternator is an essential component of your Volvo XC60. In fact, its task is to give power to your entire electrical system: headlights, interior lighting, signalling, computer… It will have the mission of charging 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
>
The alternator works on an electrical principle that has been used for decades, the principle of copper coil wound around a magnet . This coil while rotating makes electricity. It is the engine itself that will give the energy needed by the alternator to generate the energy, via the accessory belt or alternator belt. When your Volvo XC60 engine stops, the battery takes over to give the vehicle with energy.
What are the several alternator noises or sounds on my Volvo XC60 and what are the causes?
I discover a knocking noise originating from the alternator of my Volvo XC60
One of the typical noises of a tired alternator on Volvo XC60 is a knocking noise. This alternator sound on Volvo XC60 will most of the time appear when your engine is idling, it can be linked to voltage drops that could affect the normal operation of electrical elements such as headlights for example. In many cases, 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 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 Volvo XC60 is tired and you should consider changing the bearing if it is the only cause otherwise the complete part.
I discover a grinding noise coming from the alternator of my Volvo XC60
If you are in the situation where the alternator of your Volvo XC60 causes grinding sounds, in this circumstance you will have to look into it more seriously. This symptom can testify as for the knocking sound of a tired bearing, but in general, we often realise by looking more meticulously that it is the accessory belt that is loosened or worn and is therefore the cause of it. In this circumstance, we advise that you consult this article to find all the necessary information to solve an accessory belt noise on Volvo XC60.
I discover a loud noise from the alternator of my Volvo XC60
Listening a loud noise from the alternator of your Volvo XC60 is quite normal, in fact, it emits an audible sound when producing the electrical pulses it generates. It is up to you to verify 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 look into this article to find other ways to solve problem of noises from front end on Volvo XC60.
