What Does an Alternator Do?

The alternator is a vital part in your vehicle that converts your engine’s mechanical energy into an electrical current to power the charging system in your car. It lives under the hood, and if it’s not working as it should, the visible problems could range from dim dashboard lights to a full engine stall. For that reason, your alternator should be checked often to ensure that your vehicle is running safely and efficiently on the roads near Edgewater.

Here at Land Rover Annapolis, we are happy to service your alternator and answer any additional questions you may have about this car important part.

How Does the Alternator Work?

When your car battery dies, people may suggest you let it run for a while after it’s jumped so it can charge up a bit. The alternator is the component that makes this charge possible. While your engine runs, the alternator charges your car battery by converting mechanical energy generated by a pulley system into an electrical current.

The alternator receives this mechanical energy from the engine via the serpentine belt, another very important part of this system. As this belt runs around the system, it delivers energy to the alternator, which then converts that to electrical energy to charge your battery.

How Much is an Alternator?

Depending on where you source the new alternator, this price can range. Remanufactured alternators span from $300 to $500 and may include a warranty of a few years. New ones can cost $500 to $1,000 but often carry a limited lifetime warranty. Our parts department can help you source a genuine OEM part for your Land Rover’s year, model, and trim. We’ll also install it for you, so you can be confident back running properly on those Crofton and Severna Park roads!

Signs Your Alternator Needs Service

If you can identify any of the following signs, it would be worth stopping into our Land Rover Annapolis Service Center to maintenance your alternator:

• Service engine light on
• Dimmed dashboard lights
• Strange noises like squealing, humming, or clicking
• Electrical issues like audio system failure, window control failure, etc.
• Problems with starting the car
• Frequently dead battery

We’re Here to Help!

From our service center to our parts department and our finance team, the staff at Land Rover Annapolis is fully committed to helping drivers from Crofton, Severna Park, and beyond drive safely. If you have any questions about your alternator, or want to learn more about other car parts, please do not hesitate to stop in or contact us today.

Ready to tackle a DIY car care task today? Find out how to check your tire tread depth or reset a check engine light at home.