When your car’s engine is running, it powers the alternator, which generates electricity for the battery and other electrical components. As the engine’s spark plugs also require this steady flow of voltage, a malfunctioning alternator will soon bring your car to a stop. Let’s take a look at all the indications of a faulty alternator, so you can identify problems as quickly as possible and visit your local Ford dealership for alternator repair before the problem worsens.
Alternator Warning Light
Your vehicle monitors the voltage flowing through it and warns you when there’s any disruption. If the alternator fades or stops working, you’ll soon see a battery light blink to life in your instrument panel.
This battery-shaped light might point to a faltering alternator, a bad battery, or something else related to the electrical power. Some models have a more specific ALT or GEN light that directly monitors and warns of alternator problems.
Dimming Headlamps
While the engine’s running, the alternator powers your headlights. If you’re driving after dark and you notice your headlights pulsating, flickering, or dimming, then your alternator might be malfunctioning.
Flickering headlights can also be due to a failing bulb or loose wiring. To isolate the underlying problem, you can turn off your engine and use the battery alone to power the headlights: see if the light brightens or the flickering stops. And if only one bulb is problematic, it’s probably not an issue with the alternator.
Faltering Electronics
Car components powered by the alternator include the dashboard lights and dials, power steering, windshield wipers, power seating and windows, air conditioning, and more. Modern Ford vehicles are designed so that in the event of a failing alternator, the least important electrical accessories stop working before the accessories more essential to your driving safety, such as the headlights and power steering.
Uncharged Battery
If you can’t start your car in the morning, then your battery might have failed to charge. This is often because of a faulty alternator that didn’t perform its recharging job properly during your last drive. But if your battery is more than three or four years old, then it might simply be time for a new one.
Failing Engine Power
As mentioned previously, a steady flow of electrical power is necessary for your spark plugs to generate consistent sparks inside the combustion chamber. When a bad alternator stops generating this power, your engine will soon begin to misfire: it will sputter and jolt, struggling to keep going, especially when you slow down and pause in idle.
How a Ford Dealer Can Test Your Alternator
A healthy Ford alternator should generate around 14.2 to 14.7 volts. This might fall to 14 or even 13 volts when all the electronics are turned on at the same time. A technician at the dealership will use a multimeter to measure this voltage, and if it falls below 13 volts, your alternator might need to be repaired or replaced.
Have your alternator inspected and repaired today at Berkeley Ford. We provide local Ford drivers with great vehicles and prompt, courteous service.
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