Can an oil leak cause an alternator to fail?
If you spill oil into an alternator yes you can cause it to fail it has electronic parts and diodes inside of it if you can contaminate it with oil you can foul the contact points and cause the alternator to fail. It can also eat up the plastic and cause the internal regulator to snap loose.
What happens if you get oil in your alternator?
A bad alternator seal will cause oil to leak into the alternator and in turn cause all electrical operations to start failing. This is because the oil leaking into the alternator impedes the generation of power for operations such as automated windows, radio, security locks and window wipers.
Can a leaking gasket cause an alternator to fail?
However, oil leaking on the alternator due to leaking valve cover gaskets can cause it to fail. It seems as if the technician who is servicing your vehicle may not have performed a courtesy inspection to check for other potential issues prior to starting the other repairs you had requested.
What to do if your alternator is leaking oil?
I would recommend having the alternator replaced if it has oil leaking on it as well as resolving the valve cover gasket leak to prevent it from happening again. You may try to use a different mechanic who is more upfront and honest in the first place. Consider YourMechanic as services such as this can be completed from your home or office.
Can a faulty head gasket cause an oil leak?
A faulty head gasket can also allow engine oil to leak into the coolant passages in the cylinder head. This often shows up as an oily/milky residue in the coolant expansion tank, as the oil floats to the surface of the coolant. Again, be careful though, as this can also be caused by a leaking engine oil cooler or transmission oil cooler. 4 Smoking
Can a blown head gasket cause an engine to overheat?
If a head gasket fails it may cause a serious coolant leak and overheating or may be a small leak that is hard to detect. Worse yet the coolant may try to mix with your engine oil. If this happens you’ll likely lose all compression and make it so you cannot drive your car. Solution: The solution for a blown head gasket is to replace it immediately.
Can a gasket leak cause an alternator to die?
I learned on the internet that this problem has been experienced by others of my make/model. I read that an oil gasket leak drips oil on the alternator which produced loss of electrical power and causes the engine to die. My dealer concluded that the oil had leaked from the gasket and had destroyed the alternator.
Why is the oil leaking from my alternator?
The oil that leaked onto the alternator was the cause for the failure, so the oil leak was to blame. Fix the oil leak properly and maintain a good oil change schedule and the issue shouldn’t happen again for a long time. Make sure that you have the oil leak, alternator,…
Why is my head gasket leaking oil externally?
Typically, when you think your head gasket is leaking oil externally the problem is actually related to a valve cover gasket, an intake gasket, the external oil supply tube itself, or a galley plug. These can often be misdiagnosed as the source of an external oil leak from a head gasket.
Can a car alternator be killed by oil?
Oil will not kill an alternator. Alternators are also constantly exposed to the environment. Oil, road grime, rain water, humidity. None of that kills them.