You get up one morning, hop behind the wheel as usual, and then find that your vehicle fails to start. Now you need to get to the Chevy dealer for a repair, but you’re not sure which part needs to be fixed. Usually, when the car flat out won’t start, there’s a problem with the battery, alternator, or starter. Today, we’re going to focus on helping you figure out if your car needs an alternator repair.
What Does the Alternator Do?
Your alternator has a belt that’s connected to the engine’s crankshaft pulley. The alternator takes in the mechanical power generated by this belt’s movement and converts it into electricity to charge up the battery. If the alternator isn’t working properly, then the battery may not be able to charge sufficiently to power the car. So, when there’s an issue with any part of the alternator, then you might have trouble getting the car started.
How Do You Know When You Need an Alternator Repair from Your Chevy Dealer?
Your Battery Warning Light Is On
The battery warning light can turn on when you’re having alternator issues. This is because your car will detect that the battery isn’t being charged enough or something similar, and that’s the reason your car often can’t start when the alternator is in disrepair.
You should get to the dealer as soon as you can when this light comes on. You may not be having any major problems with your car yet, but when this light comes on, it won’t be long before the problems start showing up.
Your Headlights Are Acting Strange
You can experience headlight dimming and flickering when the battery doesn’t have enough charge to power them properly. Although it seems strange, headlights can become too bright when there’s something wrong with the alternator, too. Head to the dealer as soon as you can anytime the headlights start acting strangely.
Your Accessories Don’t Work Properly
The accessories in your car are powered by the battery, so when the battery doesn’t have enough power in it to supply everything with energy, then some of the accessories will get slow or stop working. Look out for problems with your car’s wireless charging pad, heated/ventilated seats, power windows, and similar features.
Your Car Won’t Stay On
As we said, you’ll usually have trouble starting your car when the alternator isn’t working properly. You might be able to jumpstart the battery, but if the alternator isn’t able to charge it properly, then the car won’t stay on. A car that can be jumpstarted but that turns off again soon after is a car that almost certainly has a problem with its alternator.
Stop by Toliver Brothers when you need any kind of repair on your Chevy. Our technicians can repair a broken alternator very easily and will be happy to get you back out on the road.
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