Experiencing signs that your car alternator could be faulty?
Do you suspect that your car alternator may be faulty? There are some symptoms indicating your car alternator is faulty. You may see the “battery” warning indicator or GEN indicator lighting up on your car dashboard, showing your car battery is not getting recharged. You may find that your headlights have become dim, which is not from cloudy headlights. You may also experience problems when starting up your engine. If the alternator is faulty, you may need a car alternator repair/ replacement or your car battery may not get charged up, and your car engine can then only run for as long as until the battery runs out.
What the car alternator does
The car alternator is the generator that charges up your car battery so that your engine can get started up. Do note also that there are requirements on the illuminated area of your headlights in our Singapore traffic rules, if your headlights have become dim. Typically, however, car alternators are maintenance free, and you would only need to have a car alternator repair/ replacement on average at around 10 years.
Common causes of car alternator faults
Some common faults with car alternators are as follows:
- Typical wear and tear with use of the car, such as the bearings for pulley shaft to be able to rotate
- Stresses on the car alternator caused by a battery that is weak or almost failing
- Wear on the belt of the car alternator, which can cause it to slip and which leads to undercharging of the car battery
Our methododical car alternator repair process
Before concluding you need to replace the car alternator, we would need to first check the whole charging system as there can be other factors causing the above issues. These include:
- Checking the connections of your charging system, such as battery clamps, as well as the cables for corrosion
- Testing the voltage of the battery before and after the engine is turned on. With the engine turned on, if the car alternator is functioning properly, battery would be charging up and its voltage should increase.
- Checking condition of your car battery. During your major car service with us, we also check your charging system and clean and tighten your battery cables.
- Testing the functionality of your alternator using a charging system tester. This test can find out whether there is some weak charging of the battery or none at all.
- Carrying out tests on the car alternator output
Only after assessing that the fault indeed lies with the car alternator would we proceed to carry out an alternator repair/ replacement for you.
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Testimonials
After my free servicing period for my car, I thought it was time to look out for better priced alternatives. I gave ECV Car Service Singapore a call and tried out their service. It was a hassle free experience and good value. - Kenneth Chin, Buona Vista
I had a tire leak caused by a puncture after driving over some construction debris. ECV Car Service Singapore could fix this up for me so I don't need to spend on a new tire. Friendly workshop! - Mr K.T. Liew, Redhill
My car aircon was not functioning and I was not sure what the cause was. I initially brought my car to the dealer workshop and was told the compressor is down. But the price quoted for the compressor replacement was so high. I then gave ECV Car Service Singapore a call, and the price turned out to be much lower, and quality of service good. Thumbs up! - Joel Tan, Bukit Batok
Philosophy
At the heart of our service is to build a trusted relationship with you. When you send your car for car servicing, maintenance and repairs with us, you are assured your car is in good hands.
Our mechanics are experienced, with care for detail. We seek to delight you always, with the quality of our workmanship and good value for our services.
Why Us?
Our mechanics have numerous years of experience and are good at uncovering the causes of car malfunctions. Let us help you with your car alternator faults today! Delighting you is important to us, and we seek to do so with our service quality as well as competitive price quotes. Give us a call today, for your car servicing, maintenance and repair needs.