Your headlights are flickering because your car, truck, or utility vehicle needs a new alternator. If the alternator is going bad, which can happen after about 100,000 miles, it may be producing electricity unsteadily. Consequently, your headlights will flicker when they are on. This will also affect the rest of your vehicle’s lights and cause the following problems.
Burning Electricity
Ideally, the alternator will never produce more electricity than 14.5 volts. If it produces more than this, your vehicle’s lights will be overly bright. In addition, it will overload the electrical system and cause it to overheat. It may also send surges through the system that blow fuses in the fuse box.
Engine Noises
When the alternator is malfunctioning, it may growl or grind. You will hear this noise coming from the engine toward the front. The alternator is attached to the serpentine belt. If the serpentine belt is too loose and needs to be tightened, it may make squealing noises in the front of the engine.
Frequent Jump-starts
The alternator provides constant power to the battery so it never discharges completely. If the alternator can no longer provide the power that the battery needs, the battery will discharge completely and you will have to jump-start it. Frequent jump-starts are a sign of a bad alternator.
Frequent Stalling
Another thing that can happen frequently is your vehicle can stall. The alternator also produces power for the spark plugs. This enables them to generate sparks in the combustion chamber. If the spark plugs are not receiving enough power, they will misfire and your engine will stall frequently.
Slow Accessories
Your vehicle’s power accessories may also slow down or start to malfunction if they are not getting the power they need from the electrical system. The alternator is the electrical system part that produces this power. Consequently, it can affect how well your power accessories perform.
Warning Light
Finally, you may see an illuminated battery light on the dashboard if the alternator is going bad. This light will remain on until you replace the alternator. As an aside, this light will also shine if there is a problem with the battery or another issue with your vehicle’s electrical system.
We can replace your alternator if it needs it, so call us today to set up a service appointment. We will test the alternator to determine its power production. If the production is too low or too high, we will replace it with a new one.