Lookup Alternators

Alternators Explained

The basic principle of an alternator is to recharge the battery in your vehicle, the battery has to cope with a lot, everything from the combustion process itself to you using the radio, the power all comes from the battery. Without the alternator constantly recharging it you wouldn't get far at all before the battery power is depleted and your vehicle sluggishly craws to a standstill. Commonly you'll find the alternator hanging from a bracket on the engine block, this is because it's driven by the "auxiliary / drive belt", these belts harness a small amount of power produced by the combustion process and convert it into critical things your car needs to keep on driving... in this case, power / voltage back to the battery.

The most common death of an alternator is it's needle bearings, this is because of the heat and dirt around your engine bay getting in and obstructing clean spinning movement and(or) the fact that it just has a hard life! Don't worry if you need to replace your alternator, they're commonly very easy to change and can be as simple as removing belt tension and undoing a few bolts (you should easily be able to find guides online or n maintenance books).

As you would imagine, It's really important to get a high quality alternator unit, not only so it's critical bearings are up to scratch but so you know your battery is getting the entire voltage it requires.