The car alternator is a vital component of a car’s electrical system. It provides power to the vehicle when you need it by converting mechanical energy into electric current, and stores this electricity for later use. When the battery runs low, the alternator takes over supplying power to your engine until the battery is recharged again or replaced. This process makes sure that your engine doesn’t stall in traffic. An alternator can fail at any time, so it’s important to know how to test an alternator before buying a new one if you suspect it might be faulty.
You might feel like you don’t need this article. But you do. Because whether you’re about to tackle the issue yourself or hire a mechanic, you need to know how an alternator works and what you should test for. This guide will make this process easy, simple, and give you peace of mind knowing that your car will keep running smoothly.
A basic understanding of automotive electrical systems is crucial to effective DIY car care. In this guide, we’ll learn how to test alternators by disconnecting battery, and what to do if the alternator is failing.
If your car won’t start, your first instinct may be to blame the battery. But when you jump-start your car and it still won’t start, there’s a good chance that something else is wrong. In fact, there are a number of electrical issues that can leave you stranded without an obvious solution. One of these is a faulty alternator — but how do you test it? See this guide for some simple steps to help you diagnose this problem.
How to Test Alternator by Disconnecting Battery – Easy Guide!
Here are four steps to test an Alternator with this method:
1) Park the Car in Safe Place
Park your car in a safe place before you disconnect the battery terminal. This is necessary for safety procedures. If the engine stops while you’re working on it, it will be easier and safer to restart it in a parking lot than at highway speeds.
2) Start the Car and Let it Idle for a Few Minutes
This will provide you with a good idea of whether or not the alternator is working properly.
3) Disconnect the Positive Battery Terminal
Disconnect the positive terminal of your car’s battery to disconnect power from your vehicle’s electrical system. This will stop the current flow from the battery and allow you to safely test the alternator without damaging anything else. Be sure not to touch any part of the automobile while this has been disconnected.
4) Test Whether Car keeps running without battery power
If the car keeps running when you disconnect the battery power, this indicates that there is no problem with your alternator and it is working fine.
If the car doesn’t start, or it runs for a short time before stalling out again, this indicates that there is a problem with the alternator.
Note: If your car stalls out when you disconnect the battery, but you can hear the alternator running when you try to start the car, it is possible that your alternator may be working fine but that there’s a leak in your cooling system.