Your Chrysler’s alternator has a vital role in your car. It’s responsible for producing the energy that your car’s electrical systems demand. The alternator is a relatively long-lived component, but it will eventually start to fail. When you need an alternator repair, as your Chrysler dealer in Anderson, IN, we can fix the problem for you.
Dim Lights
Dim bulbs can mean that your headlights are about to blow, but they can also be a sign that you have an alternator problem. A healthy alternator produces more than enough electricity for all of your car’s demands. When the alternator gets older, it will start to weaken. A weak alternator will gradually produce less and less electricity.
The point will eventually be reached that the alternator can’t supply all of your car’s electrical demands. When this happens, your car’s computer will have to allocate the available power as needed. Dim lights can be the result of this allocation, as the computer is allocating just enough power to allow the lights to come on. If the lights go from being dim to bright, this is a sure sign of an alternator problem.
Dead Battery
Your battery provides the power that’s used to start your engine. This power usage, however, uses a large amount of the battery’s power which needs to be replaced. One of the functions of the alternator is to charge your battery. Over time, as we’ve seen, the alternator will provide less power. This reduced power availability will also affect recharging the battery.
If your battery isn’t being fully recharged, each time it’s used it will grow steadily weaker. A weakening alternator can easily drain a new battery. You’ll notice that your car takes longer to crank, and this is usually a sign of a weakening battery. Our highly-trained technicians will test your battery and the alternator to see which of them may be the problem.
Battery Warning Light
The battery-shaped warning light on your dash represents your Chrysler’s electrical system. Sensors are attached to the battery, the alternator, and other sections of your electrical system. These sensors monitor the component they’re attached to, and if a problem is detected, they’ll send a signal to your car’s computer, and the warning light will come on.
A weakening alternator can cause the warning light to come on when it drops below the minimum power output your car’s electrical systems require. The light could also come on due to a damaged wire, a jammed pulley, or any other problem that affects the electrical system. The light doesn’t identify the specific problem, but we can connect your car to our diagnostic system and trace the problem.
These are a sample of the possible problems caused by a weakening alternator. The good news is that an alternator will never simply fail, it will always show signs that it’s wearing out. If your alternator shows signs of strain, call us ASAP at Ed Martin CDJR.
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