Sometimes you may notice that your car headlight is dimmed and there is growling sound? you may wonder what is wrong with the car and you thought that it is battery problem when you see warning light or a battery shaped light up. Within the instrument cluster of most cars built in the last decade, there is a warning light dedicated to signaling an alternator problem. In most cases the light is shaped like a battery, though some show “ALT” or “GEN,” meaning alternator or generator. Many people see this light and think that they have a battery problem, which is symptom but that is not really why the light goes on. This light is linked to computer systems within the car monitoring the voltage output of the alternator
Alternator play an important role in vehicle operation and also keeps the battery fully charged, providing the power to start the car. Alternator begins to fail, the car’s battery begins to take up the remiss rather than acting as a storage for the system by receiving a constant infusion of electrical power from the alternator. However, even the best car battery will run down eventually leaving a driver stranded on the roadside or even worse, on the expressway . Car batteries are not designed for long-term power use. They are designed to provide the vehicle with enough electrical current to start by juicing the starter motor with a surge of power and getting the whole works spinning.
Diagnosing a dead battery versus a dead alternator is relatively easy. By jumpstart the car and then remove the cables as quickly as possible. Then wait. If the alternator is failing to charge the system, the car will soon die again and the problem has been identify. If the car runs and continues to run, then it’s likely the problem is with the battery. Caution should be used, however, as a dying battery can only receive a charge for so long and may go completely dead at a later point despite the best efforts of the alternator. Testing a battery can be accomplished with a voltmeter.
If the alternator is low charging , it is best to tow to workshop to get it change so that it will not die halfway along the road.
