In today’s busy world, there are few things more frustrating than your car not starting. And for many drivers in phoenix, alternator repair is the last thing you could get excited about. The good news is that alternator repairs are actually quite affordable, however if sufficient damage has been done to the alternators inner components then a replacement can be necessary before the alternator problems disappear and the vehicle becomes reliable again.
Understanding a little bit about what the alternator does will give you a great clue in the symptoms of a failing alternator; your car alternator is the device which allows your car battery to recharge while you are driving. Once your engine gets started, it will run just fine by itself because the engine is run on gasoline, however, many of the features in an automobile are run from electricity provided by the battery, and if the alternator is failing, then those features will work only intermittently, or not at all.
Here is a brief list of the most common side effects of a failing alternator.
• Headlights go dim while driving – this is one of the classics, if your headlights go dim while idling or they become less powerful at certain speeds, your alternator needs to be checked for problems.
• Replacing car batteries often – Expensive and annoying to say the least. If your batteries are being drained faster than anticipated, it is definitely worth the money to have the alternator inspected, repaired or replaced, whichever is necessary.
There are other symptoms that you may experience such as the alternator belt whining when driving at speeds of around 25 to 45 miles per hour. If this is what your are experiencing, then it’s definitely worth getting it checked out as soon as possible because there is still the possibility of salvaging the existing alternator and avoiding the cost of a replacement.
Many modern cars have a “car battery light” that will alert you when the voltage of your battery is being run down past the point of usefulness. This is generally a good indication of potential problem with your alternator. A quick check of the voltage being generated by the alternator can tell us whether the alternator is at fault, or if the underlying issue is elsewhere. No matter what the issue is, our technicians are trained to look beyond the symptom and address the cause directly, this way you can trust that your vehicle will serve you for the road ahead.
Because of our status as a NAPA Auto Care Center, we back up our work with a one year, 12,000 mile warranty for parts and labor. At Mikes Auto Repair, we feel that people should be able to have confidence in their vehicle; and never worrying whether the car is going to start is at the very core of a reliable vehicle. One of the best ways to ensure that your vehicle is going to serve you well is by bringing it in for regular checkups. That way we will be able to get to know your vehicle and take care of the required maintenance as needed.
We invite you to contact us either by phone or through this website, we will be glad to help you out however we can
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