Does Your Car Need an Alternator Repair?

If your alternator runs into trouble, then your Chrysler’s electrical components will rapidly fail. This includes your ignition coils and spark plugs, which keep the engine’s cylinders firing. Let’s take a look at four common signs of a failing alternator. If you notice any of them, visit your local Chrysler dealer for prompt alternator repair.

Does Your Car Need an Alternator Repair?

Frequent Stalling

The alternator transforms the power of your engine into electricity to charge your car’s battery. The battery then charges the ignition coils in your engine’s cylinders, which keeps your car driving.

So if your alternator begins to fail, it will no longer be charging your battery while on the road. The battery will rapidly drain and will soon lack the power to charge your ignition coils. As a result, your engine will start misfiring and suddenly stalling when you come to rest in idle.

Difficulty Starting Your Car

With the alternator failing to recharge your battery, you might find that you can’t start your car one morning. This inconvenient problem could be caused by either a malfunctioning battery or a faulty alternator.

To know which is to blame, jump-start your car. If the engine keeps going, then the alternator is working well. In this case, your battery ran out of juice or has a more serious problem. But if the engine fails again shortly after the jumpstart, then your alternator is the culprit.

Faltering Electronics

The alternator is responsible for powering all the electronics throughout your car, including the headlights, air conditioner, dashboard, radio, windshield wipers, and more. So if more than one electronic accessory starts to falter at the same time, you can safely assume your alternator isn’t working properly.

Battery Warning Light

When the car’s electronics experience problems, you’ll usually see a battery-shaped warning light appear on your instrument panel. This might indicate that either your battery, alternator, or connections are malfunctioning. You can check them yourself or have a professional mechanic diagnose the problem for you.

How a Chrysler Dealer Checks Your Alternator

A technician will use a multimeter to test your alternator. They’ll first clean the alternator’s terminals and apply the multimeter, looking for an ideal reading of 12.6 with the engine turned off.

Then they’ll turn on the engine and take new measurements. Ideally, the reading will be between 14.2 and 14.7 with a healthy alternator. They’ll switch on all the lights and other electronics, which shouldn’t make the voltage reading drop below 13. Anything out of the expected ranges means the alternator is malfunctioning and will need to be repaired or replaced.

Visit Barkau Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM of Freeport today to have your alternator and battery inspected. We’re a full-service dealership that always puts the customer first.