3 Signs Your Lincoln Needs an Alternator Repair

Almost every system in your Lincoln depends on electricity, which makes the alternator one of the most important systems in your car. An alternator produces electricity by spinning at high speed to power all the systems and maintain the battery at full charge. As time passes, the alternator will wear out or become damaged. As your Lincoln dealer, we want you to know a few signs you need to visit us for an alternator repair.

3 Signs You Need an Alternator Repair at Your Lincoln Dealer

Burning Metal Smell

You could have a worn alternator if you smell a hot metallic smell from your engine compartment. A healthy alternator generates more power than your car’s systems require, but as the alternator ages, it slows down. This is a gradual process and not noticeable when it begins. Eventually, the alternator won’t produce enough power for all the systems that demand it.

When this happens, your car’s computer will instruct the alternator to spin faster to produce more electricity. The worn alternator will spin faster than it’s designed to, and this causes it to overheat and produce the burning smell wafting into your cabin. We’ll examine your alternator and install a new one if the original has worn out.

Dead Battery

A common headache for any driver is a dead battery. In most cases, the battery failure is due to age. The average lifespan of a battery is three to five years before the chemicals inside it break down and it can no longer retain an electrical charge. If your battery is less than three years old, it’s possible that a worn alternator caused the battery to die.

A battery uses a large portion of its stored electricity reserves to start the engine. A worn alternator won’t recharge the battery sufficiently to replace this lost power, and the battery will weaken and fail. Our technicians will test your alternator and replace it if it’s failing.

Dim Then Bright Lights

Headlight bulbs are sensitive to any variation in the level of power they receive. They can also warn you of a potentially failing alternator. When the alternator can’t provide enough power for all the systems, your computer will shift the available electricity from system to system depending on need. The headlights are a priority system, so they always receive enough power to illuminate.

If your headlights dim and then blaze brighter than they should a few minutes later, you probably have an alternator problem. The change in luminescence is caused by the computer withdrawing power from the lights to supply to another system. Once sufficient power is available, the computer will overcompensate and supply too much power to the lights. We’ll replace the damaged alternator to fix this problem.

If you suspect your alternator is wearing out, contact us ASAP at Bayway Lincoln in Houston, TX.

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