Contents
Introduction
An alternator is an important part of your car and that is why you must make sure that you know how to test it out to figure out if you need to replace it. After all, it is a crucial part that helps to give power to various components and systems of your car. When it comes to the electrical system of your BMW, it is the alternator that does the conversion of the power right from the crankshaft to all of the other places that would need electricity. It has a lot of different functions such as it is the power source that helps your car out when it is charging its battery. This is why when you need to jump-start your battery, it is necessary to drive it around for the alternator to be able to properly charge it up. Thus, you should know by this alone that it is very important to keep it in good condition. However, not a lot of people know how to test BMW alternator so here are some of the things that would be helpful for you when it comes to knowing more about your car.
Signs of alternator failure
You need to learn how to notice the basic signs that your alternator is failing so that you can easily know when you need to bring it around to a mechanic. There are a lot of other symptoms that can make it seem like your alternator has a problem when it does not and that is why you need to learn how to differentiate one from the other. If you think that your alternator is failing, then you have to find a good BMW automotive shop that would help you confirm the problem and figure out how to solve it for you.
Dashboard warning
Your BMW is a very innovative and intelligent car and it has an amazing mechanism. The reason why this is said is that it is equipped with an onboard computer that comes with a lot of different sensors. These sensors help you out so that you would be able to easily know if there is a problem with your car. The components would help detect if there is a performance issue for your car. If your alternator happens to be failing, you will notice that there is a light where “ALT” is written on your dashboard. This is a warning from your car that your alternator might be failing and you need to bring it to a mechanic so that it can be diagnosed. This is one of the amazing features that your BMW has and it can save you a lot of time and money in the long run. When your alternator is failing, it is necessary to have it saved as soon as possible to prevent further damage. This is one of the ways that you know when and how to test BMW alternator.
Performance issue
There can be a lot of issues showing up in the case where your alternator is broken and this is because the performance of your car is not at the top of the game. For example, ignition problems can be a possible sign that your alternator is having problems. You will have to get your alternator tested thoroughly for this. If you want to isolate things out to figure if your alternator is the problem, here are some of the things that you can do. For example, if your car keeps on stalling and your engine can no longer sustain power to have your car drive, then this is a big problem that you want to resolve as soon as you can since it can be both problematic as well as dangerous for you. Another thing that you might want to consider is when you cannot start your car properly. If it is so, you would normally assume that your battery is dead but there are cases when it is your alternator that is the issue so you should keep that in mind. Last but not least, a good way to know how to test BMW alternator would be the odd sounds that you would hear. This can be some rattling sounds which is one of the primary signs that your alternator is having problems. When your alternator is in trouble, you should consider that it can affect your engine so do something as soon as you possibly can.
Accessory failure
You should be able to notice some things going wrong before your alternator completely breaks down and this should include your accessories failing. This is one of the telltale signs that something is wrong with your alternator. It would be good if this is something that happens to you when you are not on the road. This can be your navigation not acting properly or not being able to turn the radio on. Both of these can be traced to a faulty alternator so you might want to keep that in mind and have it checked.
Flickering headlights
Your headlights are a very important part of your car, especially when you are driving at night as it gives you enough light to make sure that you are on the right lane. However, the headlights actually would require power straight from your alternator and when your alternator is failing, the headlights might show that. For example, if you notice that your headlights are flickering or they are dimmed, then your alternator might already begin to fail so you need to bring it around the nearest mechanic to have it checked and repaired.
Power window
Regarding how to test BMW alternator, your power window would be a good sign of whether your alternator is still as good as ever or if it is failing. However, this might not be as obvious as other signs until you actually go to your drive-thru near you and suddenly you cannot get your window down. You must make sure that you are going to be able to get your alternator checked so that you would not have this inconvenience.
Door lock
You might also want to consider the fact that your power door lock can be malfunctioning as this is a sign that your alternator is failing. This is one of the most hassling signs since it can be a huge safety hazard for you so you need to have your alternator fixed as soon as you can. If this is something that you think might bring you huge trouble when it comes to driving, you can have a mechanic go to your place instead.
Aircon problems
This would be such a pity if it happens during the summer and your aircon suddenly stops working. You might think that your aircon is broken when the truth is that your alternator can be failing. Going without air conditioning with the summer heat can be quite a hassle so you need to learn how to test BMW alternator and have your car brought to the mechanic so that you would no longer have to suffer from the heat of the sun. If you do this right you will no longer have to worry about anything else and just keep on making the best out of your BMW.
