Modern vehicles depend on electricity to a greater degree than ever before. Electricity powers almost all of your Acura’s essential systems, which means electrical problems have a major impact on your car’s performance. Fortunately, your Acura dealer has the trained technicians and technology to repair any of these problems. These are a few of the issues that we can fix for you.
Navigating Electrical Problems at Your Acura Dealer
Battery Overcharging
The battery is vital to supplying the electrical charge that causes your engine to crank and then start as the combustion process takes over to power your car. This electrical charge uses a significant portion of your battery’s reserves. The alternator will replenish this power, as it begins recharging the battery as soon as your engine is running.
The alternator’s voltage regulator controls the power supply to the battery. The regulator supplies full power to the battery for ten minutes and then switches to recharging at a reduced rate. If the regulator fails, the alternator will charge the battery at full power, and this can destroy the battery by causing the electrolyte solution inside it to boil. We’ll examine your alternator and either replace the regulator or install a new alternator, depending on the level of damage.
Failed Rectifier
An alternator uses a complex process to produce electricity for your car’s systems. The crankshaft turns as you drive, producing mechanical energy to power the alternator. This energy causes the alternator to spin at high speed and generate magnetic energy. The magnetic energy is captured by the stator and converted to AC. The final step in the process involves the alternator’s rectifier converting AC to DC for your car’s systems.
If the rectifier fails, the alternator will continue to generate AC, which is useless for your car’s systems. Since the alternator isn’t supplying usable power, the electrical systems will draw on the battery for DC. A battery can’t power all your car’s systems indefinitely. It will drain completely in less than an hour. Your Acura dealer can replace the rectifier to fix this problem.
Damaged Battery
We’ve seen how an alternator can damage the battery, but the reverse is also true. If your battery has been damaged, for example by extreme weather or an electrical fault, it can easily cause even a healthy alternator to fail. This may seem strange, but the alternator can fail if the battery forces it to continue recharging at full power.
The voltage regulator switches to a reduced recharging rate, as we saw above. This reduction occurs once the alternator receives confirmation that the initial charge has been received. A damaged battery won’t send this signal, and the alternator will continue to spin faster to supply power until it wears itself out. The battery will also suffer severe structural damage and fail. We’ll need to replace your battery and may also need to replace the alternator if it’s been damaged.
Starting Problems
One of the most common electrical problems is starting difficulties. Starting your engine involves three major electrical components: the battery, starter, and alternator. The battery supplies the initial electrical charge to the starter motor, and the starter initiates the cranking process that brings your engine to life. The alternator then begins recharging your battery.
You can identify the possible cause of the problem by listening for a slight click when you press the start button. This click is made by the starter. If you don’t hear a click, the starter is the cause of the problem. If you hear a click, your battery may have worn out and can’t retain enough electricity to power the starter. The other possibility is that the alternator is failing and isn’t recharging the battery sufficiently. Our technicians will need to investigate and repair or replace the damaged component.
Electrical Glitches
Electricity can be fickle, and it’s possible for a minor electrical issue, like a power window that won’t open, to occur for no apparent reason. These issues are more common in older vehicles due to worn wiring and other issues. If a minor issue like this appears and doesn’t repeat itself, there’s usually no cause for concern.
If minor electrical problems appear more frequently, your alternator could be failing. The alternator’s job is to produce electricity for your car’s systems. As it ages, the alternator will produce less electricity. When the alternator can’t supply enough power for all your car’s systems, electrical glitches will become more frequent as the alternator struggles to generate enough power. The technicians at your Acura dealer will test the alternator and install a new one if the original is failing.
Damaged Sensors
Your Acura contains numerous sensors that connect to your car’s computer. The sensors receive instructions from your computer and also supply it with information on the health and status of the components they connect to. These sensors help to automate many processes in the engine and other systems to make your time behind the wheel easier and more enjoyable.
Sensors can eventually fail, and this can lead to further mechanical or electrical problems. If the sensors don’t supply your computer with the information it needs, the computer has to guess what decision to make. A failed oxygen sensor, for example, can cause your engine to become fuel-rich, as your computer won’t know the amount of air your engine needs to work efficiently. We’ll examine the sensors and replace any damaged ones.
Worn Wiring
Your Acura contains a large amount of wiring to supply power from the alternator to every system that needs it. These wires carry electricity continuously, and the flow of electricity causes the wiring to heat up. This is normal, but over time, the constant flow of electricity takes its toll on the wiring and can cause it to fray or break.
Broken wiring will cause systems or devices to shut down as they lose access to electricity. Your battery warning light will illuminate as a warning from the computer that something is wrong. We can test the wiring and replace any damaged sections.
If you’re experiencing problems with your car’s electrical system, contact us immediately at Acura of Tempe in Tempe, AZ. As your trusted Acura dealer, we can repair any problem for you in no time.
Connect with us
