signs of a bad car battery vs alternator reddit

Signs of a Bad Battery. The engine will make a lot of noise when it is cold.

Dead Car Battery Learn The Signs Of A Bad Battery Autozone

Damage to its body.

. Sounds like a bad battery. Signs of a bad alternator. These are some of the common signs that you might have a bad alternator.

If the light is flickering there is something in your car draining the battery. Bad or Loose Belts. It is however struggling to get started not as bad sounding as trying to start it with the bad battery but it was a kind of sputterstruggle.

The purpose of the battery is to power the starter in order to turn on the engine and the purpose of the alternator is to charge the battery while the car is running. Jump car and start it then use voltmeter to check battery when the car is running - should read between 135-142v ish if its less than this or drops down considerably such as when you starting turning on radio AC etc your alternator is bad. A bad battery can kill an alternator.

Find out how to tell if your alternator is bad¹². Good advice from u09RaiderSFCRet. The alternator will not convert the energy in the crankshaft into electricity if it has issues.

Issues with Sound System. Check commonly used connections. To properly find out which if either is bad youll need a voltmeter.

When the batterys charge runs out it wont be able to. Check your battery gauge. It becomes difficult to predict whether the vehicle will start normally or stagger before it starts.

While these bad smells can indicate issues with the alternator they can also. Dimming of interior lights. Engine stops running once the positive terminal is disconnected.

Test the battery with the car off. Check your power windows power locks and your clock. If its above 135Vdvc youd be correct in thinking its the battery.

Warning lights are on. Spoiler alertwhen an engine either cranks sluggishly or doesnt crank at all the issue is. When I tried to turn the car on it could either barely source the current for the starter or it wouldnt turn over at all resulting in a clicking noise.

Check Charging System Output. Then test it while the car is running. There are certain bad alternator symptoms to look for.

The engine will not idle properly. Even though car batteries come with warranties ie. While running the car note the brightness of the interior lights.

Similarly the vehicle owner may assume its a bad alternator since their battery isnt too old and then spend a lot of money replacing or repairing the alternator which didnt need fixing in the first place. Engine slow to turn over. Dead battery even when it is changed.

Bright lights that dim quickly. This system can sometimes cause issues that make your car undrivable. Symptoms of a bad alternator.

Testing the Alternator and the Battery for an Answer. With the car off it should be at least 124V With the starter engaged it should drop no lower than 96V With the car running it should put out about 135-14V. While having car issues can be a drag you want to stay safe while on the road.

You need to know the signs of a bad alternator since alternators are among the vital components of a vehicle. Read on to learn more about the signs of a bad battery vs a bad alternator. Alternator both parts have different warning symptoms that can alert drivers to future car issues.

Check the battery voltage with the car on. Cranking Troubles And Frequent Engine Stalls. The smell of rotten eggs.

If you notice loud noises and an alternator voltage leak then. Another bad alternator symptom when looking at signs of a bad car battery vs. Check engine light comes on.

If you are unsure please consult a professional mechanic for a proper diagnosis. Squealing growling or grinding noise. Some of the very common weird smells of a bad alternator or electrical fire-like smell or burning rubber-like smell.

Difficulty starting the car. When looking at the most common signs of a bad car battery vs. No Charge Low Charge or Overcharging.

This indicates that the battery is not being recharged. The electrical fire smell might come from bad wires in your alternator while the burning rubber might come from a cracked or worn alternators belt. Most auto parts stores will load test it for you.

Signs of a bad car battery vs alternator reddit Sunday March 13 2022 Edit. If your alternator is bad the voltage you see will be below 135 Vdc roughly Give it a minute or two to stabilize before measuring. Figuring out if its a bad alternator vs bad battery can be done with the signs above.

It should read 126 volts. The alternator is hard to start. If the above steps reveal that the battery is working its time to take a closer look at the alternator.

If you want to properly diagnose the issue be sure to read this article. Given that your battery is 5 years old a replacement is probably necessary. A failing alternator will have trouble charging the battery.

If an alternator fails to operate soon your car stops working and you. Check battery when not started should read about 12-128v. If you notice the dim headlights a key clicking sound backfiring and slow cranking then your battery is at fault.

In turn the car battery wont have enough power to start the vehicle. Battery leakage may be caused by several factors including. Check your battery voltage with the car off.

As you can see it can be difficult to discern the difference between a bad battery and a bad alternator. Too bright or weak headlights. 48 months 60 months etc it doesnt mean they will actually last that long.

That light is supposed to come on either when the alternator is not charging the battery enough or when its charging the battery at too high a voltage. Bad smell from the hood. If the battery light on the dash is not on it probably means the alternator is good.

Another sign of a bad battery is that you have inconsistent starts. One of the more obvious signs of a bad car battery is when you notice an odd smell particularly the smell of rotten eggs. I had the same problem this summer--car drove fine never broke down.

Check the Batterys State of Charge. If the engine stalls almost immediately after a jump-start then your cars alternator is the likely root cause. Dim or Flickering Lights.

Test it while cranking over. The smell comes from the sulfuric gases released from a leaking lead-acid battery. As a result even when the car is running and the crankshaft is producing energy the battery will not receive an energy source.

When a car doesnt start many people wonder whether the alternator or the battery is to blame. Recurring engine stalls and cranking problems. Use 20v setting on voltemeter.

When your car starts experiencing inconsistent starts check the terminals and scrub away corrosion before deciding to replace the battery. Common Signs of a Bad Alternator. But if youre still unsure about reading the signs of a bad alternator or dead battery it doesnt hurt to get your car looked at by a professional who can help.

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