The alternator is a crucial part of your car’s functionality. Once damaged, you will experience issues with your car’s battery and overall condition.
Whenever you notice a fault with your battery, for instance, difficulties starting, or low battery charge, your best bet is to inspect the vehicle’s alternator.
For this reason, we will examine whether a bad alternator can destroy a new battery.
Also, we shall examine similar questions like “Can a bad battery ruin an alternator?” and the causes of a bad alternator. Enjoy your read!
Can A Bad Battery Ruin An Alternator?
Can a bad battery kill an alternator? The simple answer is yes. A bad battery will affect the alternator if it is short. Once the battery is short, it causes it to draw more power from the alternator.
A short circuit in the battery happens when it is old and exposed to heat and vibration. In this situation, the terminal voltage is zero.
Furthermore, the separator will melt due to overheated cells in the battery. A vicious cycle of short circuits is created within the battery. When all this happens, the battery draws more energy from the alternator, which overloads the system.
When you notice this happening with your battery, it is time to change it immediately. Using the battery in such situations will cause the alternator to overheat and damage its internal parts.
In most cases, it’s a bad alternator that causes a weak battery because an alternator powers it. Anything that happens to the alternator will affect the efficiency of the battery.
When the alternator gets bad, it will cause a bad battery and affect how it functions. The battery will no longer maintain a reasonable charge while the vehicle runs. As the car runs, the battery discharges electric current to components until it completely dies.
It is important to note that the longer the battery stays dead, the more it damages. As the battery gets damaged, it could have an internal short circuit and overload the alternator.
What Can Damage An Alternator?
Many factors could cause your alternator to go bad. Many of these factors are mistakes car owners make due to a lack of knowledge.
Below are factors that could cause a damaged alternator.
1. Jump starting the wrong way
When car stalls due to weak battery on the road, you need to jump start it. But, jump-starting your vehicle can ruin an alternator if not done correctly. It could damage electrical components in the alternator.
If you drive a modern vehicle, it is essential to constantly check your vehicle’s manual when faced with a problem. The vehicle’s manual provides the right way to jump-start your car. There is a list of specific cables and how to use them also.
In addition, you must get the charging system tested after jump-starting your vehicle. It will quickly diagnose any issue that might have come up from jump-starting. Now you can have a proper fix before it affects other components.
2. Overloading the system
One factor that could cause a damaged alternator is when it supplies more electricity than its capacity. A faulty fuse majorly causes it.
When the alternator goes beyond its limit, it will cause a lot of heat within its components. Once this happens, these components will begin to burn.
3. Damaged alternator belt
The alternator belt plays a vital role in powering this component. As mentioned, the belt connects the alternator to the engine, which powers it.
Although a damaged or loose belt will not damage your alternator, it will cause it to lose power. As soon as you fix the belt, the alternator returns to its normal function, and there is no damage to the alternator.
4. Contamination
Another common cause of damaged alternators is contamination from water. The alternator is built to be water-resistant, just like many other components under the hood. However, water could cause damage in some cases, especially if you live in a flooded area.
5. Bad wiring
The alternator is an electrical component that transfers electricity to the vehicle’s battery and other essential parts. It can do this with the help of wires running through the system.
When the wires are damaged, it could cause a severe electrical problem which cpu;d includes short circuits.
Poorly insulated wires could also cause the wires to come too close together, leading to arcing between the wires. It will cause the alternator to malfunction.
6. Reverse alternator connections
Every alternator has a polarity. People believe that the polarity of the alternator can be reversed or run backward. If this is true, do not do it, as it could seriously damage the alternator parts and the battery.
Can A Bad Battery Cause An Alternator To Overcharge?
A bad battery will not cause the alternator to overcharge, and the battery does not power the alternator. On the other hand, a bad alternator can cause the battery to overcharge.
Once the alternator is bad, you will get an alternator high voltage which could cause a bad battery and finally damaged alternator.
The battery has a limited amount of electrical current it can receive. Also, the alternator has a limited amount of electrical current that it can give out. When the electrical current goes beyond this limit, it becomes hazardous.
Conclusion
It is crucial to highlight the difference between dead battery and alternator. It will help solve problems like car keeps killing alternators. Knowing the difference can also help you quickly diagnose your battery and alternator problems through the symptoms and causes highlighted in this article.