You may stop by the Subaru dealer every year for preventative maintenance, but issues can still crop up between visits. Knowing about the strange things that can happen with your car when something’s wrong can help you get all potential problems dealt with as quickly as possible. Let’s start by looking into what happens when you need an alternator repair.
How to Tell When Your Subaru Needs an Alternator Repair at the Subaru Dealer
There’s a Warning Light on Your Dash
The alternator charges your battery while your engine is running, so your battery can’t charge up and do its job properly if your alternator is faulty. This can make the battery warning light show up on your dash. This symbol appears as a rectangle with plus and minus signs inside it.
You might also have the general check engine light switch on. Some models will display the words “Check Engine” on the dashboard. Other models will show you an engine-shaped symbol instead. The engine symbol looks like a misshapen rectangle with a T-shape on top and a horizontal T-shape on each side. The symbol may be paired with the word “Check.”
There’s a Problem With the Headlights
Your battery powers the headlights and other electrical parts in your car, but when the battery can’t charge properly, it needs to prioritize more important components that it powers. As a result, your headlights might become dim or start flickering.
There’s a Problem With the Other Electrical Components
Even if you don’t notice any issues with your headlights, you might notice that other electrical components acting strangely. Your seats’ power-adjustment functions might not work, or the windows might be slow to open or close. You may even notice problems with your dash or the infotainment system.
There’s a Smell like Burned Rubber
When your alternator is having problems, it’s going to have to work harder to perform at full capacity. This can make it get hot and overheat. This overheating creates an odor comparable to burned rubber. Stop the car as soon as this smell hits, then don’t drive again for at least half an hour. You can drive to the dealer if the smell doesn’t come back soon after you start the engine back up. If the smell comes back quickly, then you should get towed.
There’s a Problem Starting the Engine
If your engine starts having false starts or is taking longer than normal to turn over, then you need to go to the dealer. You could be having alternator problems, or you might need a new car battery.
We’ll be happy to fix any problem that your vehicle is having, so come by Subaru Superstore of Chandler if you notice anything from our list above. Don’t forget to stop in for preventative maintenance to make alternator issues less likely to happen.
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