Understanding the basics of a car’s electrical system is as simple as knowing your ABCs: Alternator + Battery = Charged.
The alternator’s job is to continually charge the car battery, whose power would putz out pretty rapidly absent the alternator’s steady support. Unlike flashlight batteries, the considerably larger car battery can’t survive on its own. Operate a vehicle without a functioning alternator and you’d be lucky to make it to the local convenience store before the battery drains completely. Talk about inconvenient.
Engage the starter without a charged battery and all you’ll hear is “click, click, click.” Not even a gasp, let alone a “vroom.”
A battery symbol illuminating on your dashboard is your car’s way of saying, “My battery is not charging properly.” This is a warning the alternator might be in its final days. What causes an alternator to die? Most of the time, it’s simply time, as age takes its toll on the alternator’s various internal parts. Bearings go on the fritz. Electricity-generating magnets and copper wire coils conk out, too.
Not sure whether your car’s problem is the alternator, battery or starter? Call or stop by Glenbrook Auto Parts. Our auto parts pros can help test your system and determine the source of your troubles.
If the alternator is “going, going or gone,” here are some DIY alternator-install tips, as presented by AutoMD.com:
When replacing an alternator, you might consider:
Stuck with a stinky starter? You can install a new starter with DIY tips from expert sources.
Remember, with Glenbrook Auto Parts in Glenview, you can save time by ordering your parts online and picking them up in the store. We’ll have them ready and waiting for you.