5 Symptoms of a Loose Alternator Belt
Is your car making strange noises? Screeching or whining are the most obvious symptoms of a loose alternator belt. But there are others.
Simply put, your alternator charges your battery using a belt that’s wrapped around a pulley. The belt is connected to the crankshaft. A generator needs the correct voltage to operate.
If the belt is loose, your generator may not spin fast enough. If that happens, your battery may not fully charge or the belt may come off completely, leaving you stranded. Learn all the signs of a loose alternator belt. A few minutes now could prevent an accident later.
Symptoms of a loose alternator belt
The alternator belt in your car wears out a little bit every time you drive. If it wears out too much, the belt may loosen or slip, causing a malfunction.
Here are the 5 most typical symptoms to look out for for a loose alternator belt. If you ignore the problem for a long time, your car’s electrical system may fail, leaving you stranded.
1) Flickering/Dimning Lights
If you’re driving and suddenly notice your headlights flickering or dimming, or your interior lights dimming, this could be an indication that you have a problem with your battery or alternator.
If you have an issue with the alternator belt, the lights may continue to flicker or dim for a while before going out completely, since there’s no power. Depending on how old your generator is, this could also be an indication that the generator itself is giving up the ghost.
2) Vehicle Stalling
If your alternator belt gets too loose while you’re driving, it can cause your engine to stall. This means that your engine will essentially shut down and you’ll have to pull over to the side of the road. Of course, you don’t want this to happen on a busy road or in rush-hour traffic on the highway. If this symptom coincides with the light flickering issue, a loose alternator belt is most likely the culprit.
3) Battery Warning Light
One of the first symptoms to notice is when the battery warning light comes on. This warning light doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem with the battery itself; it could simply be an indication that an electrical issue in your vehicle is affecting the battery. Instead of waiting to see what happens, you should have a mechanic check it out or take it home to fix the problem if there is no mistake. A loose alternator belt could be the culprit.
4) Screeching or grinding noises
A loose fan belt can make an abnormal noise from the engine. A loose belt can cause friction because it is not directly touching the pulley that turns the belt.
I often hear of cars on the road having this problem, but it seems to happen more frequently in cold weather. If you don’t replace the alternator or belt, the problem will only get worse until the belt completely slips off the pulley or a portion of the belt breaks.
5) Dead Battery
If the alternator can no longer fully charge the battery because the alternator belt is loose, the battery will try to power the vehicle on its own. Unfortunately, the battery will not have enough power to meet the vehicle’s total energy needs and will die within minutes.