Does Your Kia Need an Alternator Repair?

Your alternator will never just fail. There are always warning signs that something is going wrong. Your headlights may start malfunctioning, or your car will seem to be full of gremlins as electrical systems randomly fail and then work again. These are just a couple of the possible signs that you need an alternator repair. As your Kia dealer in Odessa, TX, we can repair or replace your alternator depending on the situation.

Do You Need an Alternator Repair at Your Kia Dealer?

Dim Then Bright Lights

Your headlights should maintain a steady and stable beam. If your lights grow dim and then blaze brightly, this is usually a sign that our alternator is going bad. As your alternator gets older, it loses the ability to provide for all of your car’s power needs. Since your electrical devices have a fixed demand for power, your car’s computer has to balance the competing demands of various devices vying for electricity.

If your alternator is weak, your headlights will be dim when you switch them on. This is because your computer allocates only enough power to allow the lights to work. If the demands on the electrical system drop, for example, you switch off the heating, some of the extra power available will be diverted to the lights. The lights will suddenly become too bright in response to the extra power allocated to them.

Electrical Glitches

This problem is another sign that your alternator is failing. When there are too many devices demanding limited power at the same time, your computer will draw power from the less essential systems to supply the more important ones. Your car’s computer is programmed to assign priority to certain essential systems, like the spark plugs. Other devices like seat heating and your radio, have a lower priority.

These glitches can make you feel like your car is full of gremlins, as your sunroof can suddenly jam halfway open, or your dash panel will go dim. All of these issues are due to a weakening alternator that just can’t supply enough power anymore. We will need to replace your alternator, but once the new OEM one is fitted, all these electrical problems will disappear.

Bad Battery

A weak alternator can easily kill your battery, but the reverse is also true. If your battery is wearing out, it starts losing the ability to recharge completely. When your engine starts, your alternator will begin recharging your battery. The alternator only supplies the battery at full power for about five minutes, and then it will switch to charging the battery at 10% of its capacity.

If your battery is going bad, the initial full charge will have a limited effect. The feedback from the battery will suggest it needs further charging at full power. Your alternator isn’t designed to charge at full power continually, and it will damage itself trying to supply more power.

If your alternator is showing signs of failing, call our service department right away at Kelly Grimsley Kia.

Posted in Odessa Kia Service | No Comments »