Does your Cadillac need an alternator repair? Find out from our blog and schedule your service appointment today.
Your Cadillac’s alternator is a generator that produces electricity to maintain your battery and power your electrical systems. The alternator is a simple, yet robust component, and it’s designed to last. This means that most potential problems only need an alternator repair and not a replacement. As your Cadillac dealer, when you’re in the area of Freeport, NY we can fix it for you, These are signs you may need to visit us.
Damaged Cables or Wires
Your alternator produces electricity, and it supplies this power to all of your car’s electrical components. The power is transmitted throughout your car by a network of cables and wires. The cables are rubber coated for protection, but they can still get damaged. Damaged cables provide resistance to electricity, and when the alternator tries to push more power down a damaged cable the wire will heat up.
Damaged cables or wires will cut off the power to the component they’re connected to. A radio that suddenly stops working may have broken, but it could also have stopped due to lack of power. Our technicians will test the wiring, and we will replace any damaged cables or wires.
Burning Smells
A hot metal smell from your engine usually means that one of the components is working too hard. When an alternator gets older it can’t produce as much electricity as it previously did. This situation creates a power shortfall and random electrical problems can develop. The alternator will work harder to try and produce more electricity, and as it overworks it will heat up. An overworked alternator can’t be fixed, and our technicians will replace it with a new one.
A burning rubber smell can mean that the alternator belt is damaged or that one of the pulleys it connects to has jammed. The alternator belt is made from tough reinforced rubber, and it runs at a consistently high speed. If the belt isn’t serviced it can loosen and suffer additional damage from friction.
Dead Battery
A car battery can suddenly die for several reasons, including a parasitic energy drain, the fact that the battery has simply worn out, or a damaged alternator. A car battery will work for 3 to 5 years on average, and then time and the chemical reactions in the battery cause it to fail. A worn-out alternator will also easily kill your battery since the battery depends on the alternator for recharging.
If the alternator fails, your battery loses its recharging source. The battery also gains numerous additional energy drains since it becomes responsible for supplying all your car’s power. Under normal conditions, a car’s battery can only provide enough power for approximately 15 minutes before it also dies. We will check the alternator and replace it if needed.
An alternator that’s wearing out always shows signs that it’s failing. If you experience any problem with your alternator in Freeport, call our service department at Paul Conte Cadillac.
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