How Can You Judge Whether The Problem Is Due To Alternator And Not Due To Battery?

Almost all of us have experienced the problem where either your car battery or alternator just conks out, and you can’t make out which one to replace. It’s not easy finding out exactly which part of your car is giving you the trouble, but here are a few tips by which you can find out whether you have car battery problems or alternator problems.

If your vehicle won’t start, it’s usually caused by a dying or dead battery, loose or corroded connection cables, a bad alternator or an issue with the starter. It can be hard to determine if you’re dealing with a battery or an alternator problem. Here’s how to know which one is the culprit.

Bad Battery Symptoms

If the cranking of the engine is sluggish, like your vehicle is harder to start on cold mornings, it starts inconsistently, or there’s no sound and interior lights when you try to start, suspect a failing battery, a loose or corroded connection or electrical draw. A low battery that has visible corrosion on the terminals is probably damaged.

If jumpstarting works, then you know you’ve got a battery problem. But you also need to figure out whether it’s simply at the end of its life or there are underlying issues. A dead or low battery can be caused by a failing alternator. It can also result from additional draw from auxiliary lights, fuses, sound systems, alarms and such.

Signs of a Bad Alternator

Some of the things to look for are no-starting and trouble starting, dimming lights and problems with stereo system output. If your car starts but stalls when you’re underway, your battery is probably not being recharged due to a faulty alternator. A squealing sound coming from the engine that gets louder when drains like the heater or sound system are on may be your alternator bearings.

Another telltale is turning the AM radio to a low number on the dial without music, then revving the engine. If you hear a whine or the sound goes fuzzy when you hit the gas, your alternator is probably failing. If the vehicle won’t crank or start but the headlights are still working, look to problems with the starter or other parts of the engine.

If you have a check-engine or battery indicator light illuminated on your vehicle, it could indicate a problem with an automobile charging system, or if your vehicle gets a jump-start and immediately stops running, it could be an indication that the alternator is malfunctioning. It’s important to bring this into a professional for a proper diagnosis.

If you have more questions or are seeing these signs, give us a call today at The German Auto Doctor, we are here to help you!