The alternator is a very important element of the engine of our car, since it is in charge of produce electricity necessary for the correct operation of all the electrical systems of the vehicle.
The alternator is unique to the engine through a belt. The movement of the alternator is produced thanks to this belt, thus producing alternating current. In addition, the alternator includes a regulator and rectifier so that the current is continuous instead of alternating and can work perfectly with all the elements of our car.
The voltage produced by an alternator is approximately 12 volts in passenger cars. In other types of vehicles, such as trucks for example, the voltage produced by the alternator can be higher, 24 volts in the case of trucks.
The alternator began to be installed in vehicles in the 70s. Until then, vehicles equipped a dynamo to provide electricity to the vehicle. From this time, it began to be cheaper to develop an alternator instead of a dynamo, especially due to the new electrical requirements that the vehicles of the time had.
With respect to the dynamo, the alternator has a far superior electrical performance. In addition, an almost perfect level of direct current is achieved, so it is a very efficient element.
In practice, an alternator must charge the battery at a voltage that is between 13,5 and 14,5 volts. It must be greater than the battery voltage, otherwise it could not be charged.
We can easily check the correct operation of the alternator with a battery connected multimeter of the car. If the current produced does not have a continuous value or it is below 13 volts, the alternator isin bad shape and must be replaced with a new one.
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