15145 NE 90th Street RedmondLuke's Car Tips & Auto Maintenance Advice
Luke's posts regular blogs to offer you great information and advice about your car maintenance. Check back often for new posts. Search for a specific topic!
Luke ShaffMany drivers have probably noticed a bunch of warning lights on their dash when they start their engine. They flash on to test the circuits and then go off if everything's OK. One of the warning lights looks like a car battery. Its job is to tell you if your vehicle battery's not charging properly.
Redmond motorists probably know that their battery stores electricity – enough to start the engine and get moving. But that's about it – you can only get a few miles or kilometers on battery power alone. You need an alternator to generate enough electricity to run your vehicle engine and power your electrical accessories like the stereo, power seats, heater fan, on-board computers and so on. On top of that, the alternator needs to recharge your battery. So when your vehicle alternator isn't working, there isn't enough electricity for all of those things. When your alternator fails, you aren't going very far.
So why would your vehicle alternator not work? Usually they've simply worn out. Alternators are driven by your serpentine belt and spin 2 to 3 times faster than the engine – that's a lot of work. The bearings wear out, as do the copper wire coils and magnets that generate the electricity.
There's no sense in hobbling along on Washington streets with an alternator that's not working properly. It will fail at some point and leave you stranded on the road. Get a bad alternator replaced as soon as you can. When you come to Luke's Automotive for an alternator replacement, your friendly and knowledgeable will install an alternator that meets your 's specifications. Some Redmond use a lot of additional electrical gizmos in the vehicle, like computers, DVD players, power inverters and such or may regularly tow a camp trailer with a battery that recharges as you drive. If that sounds like you, ask your service advisor about upgrading to a more heavy-duty alternator to meet your needs.
Give us a call 425.885.4333
Luke's Automotive
15145 NE 90th St
Redmond, Washington 98052
425.885.4333
