Will a car start with a bad alternator? If you also face this problem, what is the correct answer?
Suppose your car may start with a faulty alternator; can you drive with it? What will happen when you do this?
This article will help you answer these questions and give useful information about this topic.
Also, we guide you on solving the problems of a bad alternator if it is one of the main reasons your car won’t start.
Scroll down and read on for details!
What Is An Alternator?
It is a generator that aims to deliver electric power to a vehicle and charge the automotive battery.
All vehicles with standard internal combustion engines have an alternator, except for several hybrid models.
The part, which is about a coconut size, is usually mounted at the front of the automotive engine with a surrounding belt
Will A Car Start With A Bad Alternator?
If you have a bad alternator will your car start? Yes, you can still crank up your automobile by jump-starting, even if the alternator is faulty.
Yet, allowing the jumper cable to be connected longer than necessary can ruin the vehicle’s electronics and cause serious problems.
How To Tell If Your Alternator Is Bad?
When your car’s alternator goes bad, it will show a few common signs to look out for and confirm your suspicions.
The most common symptom is a dead car battery. As the alternator will charge the battery while powering the car’s system, a faulty alternator will not recharge the battery as much as it used to.
A burning wire with a chemical smell also indicates the alternator belt is overheating or burning.
Besides, you can hear weird sounds, such as grinding or whining sounds under the hood, simultaneously with these smells.
If you hear these strange noises, it signals you have bad alternator bearings. Cables can burn and affect car electronics.
This problem can result in serious failures like bright or dim headlights, faulty dashboard lights, or poor electronic systems.
If the vehicle doesn’t start or keeps stalling, take it straight to the auto shop for the expert mechanic to check and fix the alternator.
How To Start Your Car With A Bad Alternator?
If alternator is bad, will car start? Now, you can confirm the right answer to the question. Follow the simple guide below to create your vehicle with a bad alternator.
Use a Good Battery For a Jump Start
The first hint is obvious. For your car to start with a faulty alternator, the automotive battery must be in stable condition and fully charged.
This is because the battery draws much more energy from other batteries when jump-starting your car.
Make a Proper Jumper Cable Connection
Get the red clamp and attach it to the (+) terminal of the dead battery. Connect the other clamp to the terminal of the donor battery (good one).
Continue connecting a black clamp to the (-) terminal of the donor one.
Turn the automotive electronic accessories off. This also means switching off anything your car normally uses to draw electrical power from the battery, such as heaters, CD players, GPS, air conditioning, radios, or cell phone chargers.
Besides, using windshield wipers and headlights may consume much battery power.
Straight to The Mechanic
After starting your car with a good battery in another vehicle, a visit to the nearest auto shop is a must to seek the mechanic’s help. It can take up to 5 minutes for the vehicle to turn off again.
What Are The Risks Of Jump-Starting a Vehicle With A Faulty Alternator?
Jump starting safely will wreak havoc on the recipient’s or donor’s car. Yet, driving a vehicle with a poor alternator will pose a risk.
The alternator can power the vehicle, including AC, radio, or lights. Thus, if it gets bad, it can cause low voltage and damage the other car’s electrical components.
The first part is an electric water pump that helps the water go into the engine and keep it working.
The bad alternator can also make power steering more difficult. A fuel pump becomes worse and slower if your car contains a bad alternator as well.
Can You Drive With A Faulty Alternator? Is It Safe To Drive Your Car With A Bad Alternator?
Yes, you can drive with a faulty alternator, but it’s NOT safe at all. This only works if the car battery has mechanical energy stored.
When the car’s alternator fails, the vehicle relies solely on the battery to power various systems. Unfortunately, other things can endanger you on the road due to the failure.
First, it significantly reduces the reliability of the car’s engine. It is hard to get started, and you can get stuck in rush-hour traffic.
Your car’s headlights can be quite dim to observe the road if you drive your vehicle with a bad alternator after dark.
Also, it may trigger your car’s dashboard and other electronic components to malfunction. You can find weird smells like chemicals and rubber emanating from your vehicle.
If the alternator issue appears, a wire has snapped, or the car’s alternator belt has overheated. The car’s electronics may also be at fault.
How To Drive Your Vehicle With a Bad Alternator?
Follow these steps to drive your car safely, even if it has a faulty alternator.
1. Disable all unnecessary equipment such as radios, wipers, or AC. Also, try turning off the battery lights if it’s on to avoid consuming much power. This allows your car with a bad alternator to move a little further.
2. Seek the nearest garage to buy and replace your alternator.
3. Find less crowded areas when driving to a store or auto garage. Repeatedly stopping and starting in traffic jams can drain the battery faster.
4. Get a powerful alternator when you get to the auto shop. Charge the battery before riding again. The vehicle’s battery needs a complete charge if the alternator gets repaired but not replaced.
How Far & How Long Can You Drive With A Faulty Alternator?
There is no definite answer to this question. Various factors can affect how long you may run with this malfunctioning part. Some are battery status, AC, vehicle car, alternator condition, and speed.
A rough estimate is about 13-15 miles or 20 minutes. A vehicle with a broken alternator should not run for long distances to restrict irreversible damage to the automotive battery.
Limit your driving distance by about a few hundred meters so that you can call for help.
What Are the Causes Of A Bad Alternator?
Below are the five common causes of actual alternator failure.
Dead Alternator
This is one of the main roots of this problem. A typical life for a new and good alternator is 5-8 years.
If you’ve been using it for a long time and are having electrical problems, it’s possible that the alternator wears out and needs a replacement.
Computer Problems
If your car is new, it will come with computer systems like ECUs. These systems will monitor almost every car’s component, including the alternator.
Even with a healthy alternator, problems or malfunctions in the computer system can prevent this part from charging properly. Thus, the alternator failure can happen if the computer system gets in trouble.
Wiring Issue
Various wires will power the car’s alternator. If worn out or damaged, the component will stop working, and the automotive battery will not charge.
So, check your car’s wiring if you don’t detect the other issues. This could be the common reason why the car’s alternator fails.
Defective Fuse
The vehicle uses a fuse to support the alternator running. They will blow after some time or if an overvoltage occurs. In such cases, the alternator is defective, and the battery will not charge.
If the overworked alternator fails, check your owner’s manual to locate the alternator fuse and determine whether it’s blown.
Broken Belt Or Pulley
Alternators often use belts and pulleys’ mechanical power to produce your automobile’s power. Yet, the pulleys and belts are not durable and easy to break.
Related Questions
Can Bad Alternator Damage Your Vehicle’s Battery?
Yes it can. The two parts have a close link, so a faulty alternator is inclined to ruin the automotive battery, especially in newer cars. Click here to get closer to the details.
How To Prevent Your Alternator From Going Bad?
You should add the car’s alternator to planned service intervals to prevent future alternator failures. You can use a code reader to check your alternator to find the faulty signs soon for timely repair.
How To Check If Your Alternator Is Working?
First, inspect the automotive battery to see whether it is good to give enough power to the car’s critical components.
Next, you turn off your automobile to install the voltmeter and read it. If the automotive battery voltage exceeds 12.2 volts, it means there is enough energy to start the car’s alternator.
If the voltage is insufficient, recharge the battery and retest, or try another way of testing the alternator.
Conclusion
We’ve helped you find the best answer to the question, will a car start with a bad alternator? Your vehicle may still start by jump-starting but won’t drive long.
However, this option needs careful consideration and thorough management. A bad alternator can damage your engine, reduce automotive performance, and cause accidents.
Thus, you shouldn’t ignore some malfunctioning signs that lead to serious problems in your vehicle. That is why you must give your car frequent inspections and regular maintenance.