If you’ve ever had to replace your car’s alternator, you know how expensive and frustrating the process can be. But why does my car engine keep burning out alternators? Why does this happen so often? In this post, we’ll give 10 reasons why your car keeps burning out alternators and tips on how to shop high output alternators near me.
1. Oil Dripping Into The Alternator
This is one of the most common causes of alternator failure, and it’s pretty easy to solve. If you have an oil leak in your engine, it can drip onto your alternator and cause it to short out or overheat. To fix this problem, you’ll need to find out where the oil is coming from and fix it. You might need to replace a gasket or seal on your engine block–or even replace an entire part if that doesn’t work!
2. Overheating
Overheating can also cause an alternator to fail prematurely because it gets too hot while trying to power all of your car’s electrical systems at once (including things like air conditioning). To prevent overheating, make sure you keep your engine coolant level full at all times and check it regularly for leaks or cracks in hoses (which can lead to more serious problems down the line). If you notice any signs that something isn’t right with how much coolant is inside your car’s radiator system (such as steam coming out from under the hood), get it checked out by a professional immediately!
3. Overloading
Overloading your alternator can cause it to burn out. If you have too many accessories on while driving, or if you have a heavy electrical load in your vehicle (such as an amplifier), then the alternator may not be able to provide enough power to keep up with all of these things. This will cause the alternator to overheat and burn out.
4. Incorrectly Mounting
If your alternator isn’t mounted correctly, it can overheat and burn out quickly–even if you aren’t using it heavily or running any extra accessories! Make sure that your alternator is properly secured in place with mounting brackets and screws that are long enough to reach through both halves of the bracket so that they don’t come loose over time (which could cause further damage).
5. Loose or worn serpentine belt
The serpentine belt is a crucial part of your car’s engine and cooling system. It connects the crankshaft pulley, water pump pulley, and air conditioning compressor pulley together so that they spin in sync with one another. If the serpentine belt is loose or worn, it can slip out of place and cause damage to the other parts connected to it.
6. Faulty battery
A weak or old battery can cause your alternator to burn out by not supplying enough power to run your vehicle’s electrical systems. A dead battery can also result in low voltage and prevent the alternator from charging properly when the engine isn’t running at full capacity due to an obstruction within it such as dirt buildup from not having sufficient oil changes performed on schedule or other issues related to poor maintenance practices by owners who neglect routine upkeep schedules because they don’t realize how important they are until after something goes wrong with their vehicle (such as when an alternator burns out).
7. Wiring problems
If you’re having trouble with your alternator, it could be due to a wiring problem. If you’re getting a lot of electrical problems, it’s possible that the wires are too old and need replacement. If this is the case, you may want to consider hiring a professional mechanic to check out your wiring before replacing it yourself.
8. Overuse
If you’ve been driving around long distances or using your car’s air conditioning system often, this could be causing strain on your alternator and lead to burnout. Make sure that you aren’t overusing your vehicle’s engine and cooling systems, which would stress the alternator even more than usual use would require.
9. Age
Alternators in cars are designed to last at least 150,000 miles, but they’re not guaranteed to last forever. If you’re driving a car that’s older than 10 years, it’s likely that your alternator has already burned out a few times and needs to be replaced.
10. Lack of Maintenance
If you don’t regularly check your battery and replace it when needed, or if you don’t have oil changes done regularly, then your car may suffer from low power. This can lead to burning out an alternator sooner than expected.
Conclusion
These are just a few of the common causes of alternator failure. If you’re having problems with your alternator, make sure to take it in to a mechanic and have them check it out. They’ll be able to tell you exactly what’s wrong with your car and how much it will cost to fix it.
