How To Test Alternator By Disconnecting Battery

Car alternative is the brain of the vehicle and maintaining it in a good shape is of utmost importance. The power of the engine is used to run this car alternative and when the issues arise with the alternative it is likely to travel down to other parts and stop the working of your vehicle.

Like any other component of the car, the alternator is prone to damage and breakdown. When the car alternative breaks down the diver has to face devastating outcomes. Suppose you plan to go out on a long trip and midway through your destination your car alternator breaks down.

Isn’t it scary? To add another layer of feature and annoyance let’s suppose that there isn’t any car workshop or repairman available within the vicinity of your stop.  

To prevent this horrific experience to happen with you it is mandatory to test your car alternator before long trips and cross-city journeys. Although testing the car alternator sounds like a pretty easy task, in reality, it is not. Though not very complex, testing the car alternator requires careful attention to the details and technical knowledge of the aspects.

If you don’t have the required expertise, you can grab your smartphone and just google it for the alternatives. To help you with the best possible outcomes we have come up with this detailed review on How to Test Alternator by Disconnecting Battery. Has it read till the end to see when to test a car alternator and how to test it?

Symptoms Of A Faulty Alternator:

Before you think about testing the car alternator you must have experienced some symptoms that lead to the conclusion of a bad car alternator.

Given below are the most typical symptoms that indicate the bad condition of a car alternator.

Flickering/ Dim Lights:

Dim or flickering lights are the most typical and initial symptoms of a damaged car alternator. You can observe your headlights or dash lights for this sign. At night when the headlights are on flickering or dim lights will be obvious and the driver will realize that something is fishy with the car alternator.

How To Test Alternator By Disconnecting Battery

Given below are a few simple steps by which you can test your car alternator by disconnecting the car battery.

Reminder. Before you start testing your Car Alternator you need to first ensure that testing is carried out in an open and safe space. The driveway at your home can be the best space for testing your car alternator. You have to keep in mind that children and pets should stay away from the vehicle during the testing procedure.

Step 1:

Ensure that the car is in a stable position. Change the position of the car, again and again, to reach stability until you are satisfied with its position. Once you have maintained the stable position start the car alternator testing process by opening the car hood.

Step 2:

After you have opened the car hood, get on the driving seat and initiate the car engine. After starting the engine come out of the driving seat and head for the hood.

Step 3:

Once the engine starts running, disconnect the car battery with the running engine.

Step 4:

Observe any change in the engine performance after disconnecting the car battery. See if the engine keeps on running or not.

Risks In Testing Alternator By Disconnecting Battery:

You must have noticed that testing the car alternator by disconnecting the battery is a pretty simple process and will not take much of your time. Although it seems very convenient, it is in reality a risky method to do so.

In the coming section, we will brief you about the risks associated with testing the car alternator by disconnecting the battery.

Disconnecting the battery while the engine is running is an effective method for testing the car generators but its efficiency is questionable for the car alternator.  

The biggest risk associated with removing the battery cable when the engine is running is damage to the regulator. In severe cases, the engine without the car battery can kill the regulator and you would have to replace the regulator with a new one. Therefore, it is better to take precautionary measures.

Ineffectiveness Of Alternator Testing: 

When the battery cable is removed the engine will rely on the alternator for power generation. If the car alternator is in a good shape and condition engine will keep on running smoothly even without the battery. But if the car alternator is facing some minor issues and has enough strength to produce a minimal amount of power the engine will run on the alternator power.

Therefore testing the car alternator by disconnecting the battery is not a very accurate process as it will only indicate the worst condition of the alternator and minor damage will not be considered. Your car alternator has likely been damaged 50 to 60 percent but the engine work without any fault. In this situation taking the car on a long journey can prove to be detrimental to the alternator.

Final Words

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