Your alternator generates all the electrical power for your Ford’s systems. Eventually, the alternator will get old or worn, and you’ll need an alternator repair. As your Ford dealer, we can fix any alternator problem for you. These are a few of the signs that your alternator could be failing.
Signs You Need an Alternator Repair at Your Ford Dealer
Dead Battery
Your battery provides the electrical charge to start your engine. The battery, however, depends on the alternator to recharge the electricity it uses. As your alternator gets older, it starts to wear out. An older alternator can’t produce all the electricity to satisfy the demands of your car’s electrical systems. When this happens, the lack of power affects the battery.
A car battery has limited electricity storage capacity. Under normal circumstances, this isn’t a problem as the alternator recharges the battery as you drive. Once the alternator can’t produce enough power, it can no longer fully recharge your battery. Since only part of the electricity used by your battery is replaced, the battery will eventually die.
Damaged Rectifier
The alternator generates electricity by spinning. The center of the alternator houses a bundle of magnets bound with copper wire. As the alternator spins, the movement generates magnetic energy that is captured by the stator. This magnetic energy is AC, and all of your car’s electrical systems require DC.
The rectifier is a small component in the alternator that converts AC from the stator into DC for your systems. This component can fail, and this has serious implications for the electrical system. Without a rectifier, the AC can’t be converted, and your electrical systems will all stop. If the rectifier is the problem, our technicians can replace it.
Burning Plastic
No one likes the stench of burning plastic, even more, if it’s coming from your engine. The electricity produced by your alternator has to be carried to all of your car’s electrical systems. This transmission requires a large number of wires and cables to connect all the systems to your alternator. The wires and cables are protected against the harsh environment of the engine by thick plastic insulation.
Wiring can wear out in time, and this can cause wires to break. Broken wires don’t conduct electricity, and this will shut down the component the wire is connected to. The alternator, however, will still send electricity through the wire, which causes it to heat up. When the wire gets hot enough, its plastic insulation can burn and produce noxious fumes.
Most alternator problems can be repaired quickly and easily. If you have an alternator problem, call us at Madison Ford. Our Ford-trained technicians will test our alternator, and replace it if it’s failing.
Connect with us
