Alternator Repair

alternators and starters

Alternator Repair Near Me

Maybe its time for your scheduled service, but more likely you’ve noticed a problem with your vehicle. Have you heard strange knocking or grinding noises? Noticed more fluids on your garage floor than usual? At Willoughby Hills Auto Repair, we’ve been Ohio’s choice for alternator repair and replacement, so no matter your problem, our team of alternator experts are here to help.

If you’ve got a dead battery, a bad or failing alternator could be the cause. If you find yourself having to jump your car off frequently, or if you’ve had your battery replaced and it still isn’t holding a charge, then the alternator could be the cause of your problems.

The alternator in your car provides electricity to various auto systems, like the air conditioner, for example. When it creates this power, it stores any leftovers in your car’s battery, essentially charging it while you drive. If your alternator is faulty, your battery won’t get that charge and you’ll likely need a jump to get going again.

Problems like these, especially in older cars with older batteries, tend to be misdiagnosed by untrained mechanics as a battery issue, when really the alternator is at fault. Don’t waste your time with other auto repair shops; bring your car to the alternator and battery pros at Willoughby Hills Auto Repair.

What Is An Alternator?

The alternator in your car is essentially a charging system with three major parts: the battery, the voltage regulator, and the alternator itself. The alternator and the battery work together to create electricity to power your vehicle’s various systems. Alternating current (AC), an electrical term, is where the alternator gets its name.

Alternator Repair Willoughby Hills OH

Question:
So my battery keeps dying and doesn’t seem to hold a charge. I’ve had it tested and everything is fine. What’s the problem?

Willoughby Hills Auto Repair Answer:

It could be any number of things, but a likely cause of this is a bad alternator. Your car’s alternator serves as an electric generator and is powered by the serpentine belt in your car’s engine. The electricity produced by the alternator powers everything in your car, from the engine to the power windows to charging any accessories you have plugged in.

The alternator’s secondary duty is using leftover electricity to charge your car’s battery while you drive. If your battery seems to be dead all the time and it’s been tested, the alternator could be bad and incapable of charging your battery.

Alternators do tend to wear out over time. And while your car’s alternator can have many things go wrong, it is often less expensive to simply replace the alternator, rather than removing and repairing it.

At Willoughby Hills Auto Repair in Willoughby Hills, OH, our team can check your alternator to see if it needs a replacement. Usually the alternator turns out to be fine, but for some reason, it is not producing enough power to adequately charge the battery. Sometimes the problem can lie with the serpentine belt system.

The serpentine belt is responsible for transferring the power from your engine to the alternator. As the belt wears over time, it can slip or not provide enough traction to power the alternator successfully.

A possible related is a worn serpentine belt tensioner pulley. This component holds the belt taut, and provides the friction between the serpentine belt and the alternator. If the pulley is loose, the belt can slip and the alternator won’t be able to produce enough electricity.

If you’ve got a dead battery, get it tested. If it’s all good, have the alternator looked at. If everything looks good there, have the serpentine belt and belt tensioner inspected. No matter what the cause, the team of experts at Willoughby Hills Auto Repair can help get it sorted out.

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