When to know if your alternator belt is broken?
Taking a look under the hood is the best way to see if a broken alternator belt is the cause of the battery light being turned on. 2. Dimming or flickering interior lights The lights on the inside of your car are used primarily during the nighttime hours.
Is it safe to drive with the alternator belt off?
If the belt only drives the alternator, then yes you can drive a few miles.If as said i also drives the water pump and/or the power steering then no. What car is it? Okay get the belt and get it back on as best as you can so that it is around all pulleys apart from one.
How does the belt on an alternator work?
This spinning is made possible by the belt that runs from the pulley on the alternator to the crankshaft. The belt does a very specific job and without it, the alternator will not be able to provide the constant charge the battery needs when the car is running.
What happens when your alternator goes bad in your car?
The lights on the inside of your car are used primarily during the nighttime hours. When there are problems with the charging system, these lights will usually flicker or become very dim. A broken belt will prohibit the alternator from doing its job and can be the cause of the lights on the interior of your car becoming dim or flickering.
What’s the longest you can go without an alternator?
75 – 80 miles sounds pretty good. If your alternator crapped out it might be cheaper to buy a battery and charge the one in the car to get home, depending on the distance, and then install the spare alternator once you got the car home. Might save a tow charge if your stuck on the side of a highway.
What should I do if my alternator is bad?
That depends on how good and large the capacity is on the battery. The first thing you should do when the battery light comes on, and you know the belt is broken- or alternator is bad- is turn off everything electrical that you can. No radio, dim the interior lights, turn the blower/AC off and anything that you can do to lighten the load.
What happens to the battery when the alternator dies?
It recharges your battery, using engine power, and it also delivers power to your car’s electrical components. Essentially, it keeps the battery from losing charge, and of course if your battery dies, your car is simply not going to work. You ask a lot of your alternator these days.
When is it time for a new alternator?
If you notice any of the warning signs of a bad battery (a dashboard warning light or dimming headlights) have the problem addressed right away. The issue may be the alternator, not the battery itself. If you do need to replace the alternator, try and spring for a new one—not a “remanufactured” one.