What Is An Alternator?

An alternator, belonging to the electronic control system, is a generator whose purpose is to deliver electricity to the car and charge the battery. With the exception of some hybrid models, all vehicles with a standard internal combustion engine will have an alternator. The alternator, about the size of a coconut, is generally mounted on the front of the engine, with a belt going around it. When it comes to powering your car's radio, headlights and other electronic components, you might think that the battery is the one doing all the work. In fact, it's your alternator that keeps everything running.

What does an alternator do?

The battery is essential when your car is broken down, while the alternator function is to keep your car alive when the engine is running. When you are driving or idling, the alternator powers most of your car's electronic components, including headlights, power steering, power windows, windshield wipers, heated seats, dashboard instruments board and radio. The alternators supply them with direct current. Your alternator is also responsible for recharging your car's battery while driving.

Before the battery can use power from the alternator, it needs to be converted to a format the battery can use. This is because electricity can flow in different currents or directions. A car battery uses direct current (DC), which is unidirectional, while an alternator outputs alternating current (AC), which occasionally flows in the opposite direction. So, power for the battery goes through a diode rectifier before going to the voltage regulator. becomes DC. Once the conversion is complete, the battery can be charged with electrical energy.

How to test an alternator?

Step one: you need to get a voltmeter to conduct a simple and safe test. ( ps. disconnecting the negative battery cable when testing an alternator is not a good choice.)

Step two: check the battery first. The battery is needed to start the car, which in turn spins the alternator at enough speed to keep the battery fully charged. This means that if your battery is too low you will not be able to start the vehicle and therefore you will not be able to test the alternator, making any additional voltmeter testing completely unnecessary.

Step three: start the vehicle and set the engine speed to 2000 rpm. This will draw your battery, which should cause your voltage regulator to hit the alternator.

Step four: keep the engine running and retest the battery using a voltmeter. When you read the voltmeter this time, the voltage should rise to at least 13. If shifting gears causes the voltage to fluctuate between 13 and 14.5 volts, your alternator is fine; Otherwise, your alternator is not working properly.