Cars can be a bit of a nightmare. You may find that you seem to be constantly having to have work done, especially on older vehicles. A common problem with older cars are alternators.

You may notice that you are having issues with your car battery and you may be surprised to find that it is actually the alternator causing the issue and not the battery. Alternator issues can cause issues with a number of other aspects of the vehicle. You may notice that the car struggles to start up or that when driving your lights dim, this may be a sign of an alternator issue.

The best way to find out if you have an issue with your alternator or if it is indeed the battery, is to take the car to a garage or mechanic and ask them to check for you. They will be able to check if the battery is holding charge, or if it’s the alternator not charging the battery properly.

If you have a multi meter then you can do this check yourself by checking the current to see if it increases when you are running the vehicle.

When replacing an alternator be sure to replace the other parts such as the pulley and belt at the same time. It costs little more in parts and labour to do but will avoid having to replace the alternator again if one of the other parts fails.