Does Your Chevy Need an Alternator Repair? 3 Common Signs

Your Chevy’s alternator is a vital yet underappreciated component. It produces the electrical power that your car’s components need to function. Over time, your alternator will start to wear out or suffer damage. When this happens, you’ll need an alternator repair. As your Chevy dealer, we can repair the problem for you. These are some of the signs that you may need to see us.

3 Signs You Need an Alternator Repair at Your Chevy Dealer

Flickering Lights

If your headlights start to flicker, this can mean they’re failing and need to be replaced, or it can mean that there’s a problem with your alternator. The alternator supplies the electrical power that your car’s systems need. The turning of your crankshaft provides the power, via a belt and pulley system, to operate your alternator. which then begins to generate power.

As your alternator gets older, its ability to produce electricity declines. Once the alternator can’t produce enough power for all your systems, your car’s computer has to intervene. The computer will allocate power according to shifting demands. Flickering lights are a sign of an intermittent power supply due to the worn alternator. Our technicians will fix this problem.

Blown Fuse

All of the electrical systems in your car have fuses, and these fuses work identically to the fuses in your home. If a fuse blows, the component connected to it will suddenly stop working. This problem becomes even greater if the component that stops working is your alternator. Your car relies on a constant supply of power from the alternator to satisfy the demands of numerous electrical components.

If your alternator shuts down due to a bad fuse, your battery will be required to supply all of your car’s electrical demands. A battery isn’t designed to do that, and its power will be rapidly exhausted. On average, a car battery can supply all your car’s power for only thirty minutes before it fails. Once our technicians replace the blown fuse, your alternator will quickly come back to life.

Damaged Wiring

The power your alternator produces has to reach the component that requires it, and this requires a complex wiring system. Wiring connects your alternator to all of the electrical components. The wiring is protected against the harsh conditions of the engine by plastic and rubber sheathing. Wiring can, however, suffer wear, and a worn or broken wire will cut off the power to its connected component.

The alternator will continue to supply power via the broken wire. The heat generated by the excess electricity being supplied will cause the wire to heat up. If you smell the odor of burning plastic and rubber coming from your engine, this is a sign of damaged wiring. Our technicians will trace the wiring problem and fix it.

Alternators can last for many years, but they will eventually wear out and fall. A failed alternator will cause your battery to fail, too, possibly leaving you stranded. If your alternator shows signs of trouble, call us right away at Earnhardt Chevrolet.

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