What are the symptoms of a car engine not generating electricity?
3 Answers
The reasons for a car generator not generating electricity include generator overheating and abnormal performance. Below are the relevant details about a car generator not generating electricity: 1. Not operating under specified technical conditions: For example, excessively high stator voltage increases iron loss; excessive load current increases copper loss in the stator windings. A power factor that is too low increases the rotor excitation current, causing the rotor to overheat. The monitoring instruments should be checked to see if their readings are normal. 2. Unbalanced three-phase load current: The overloaded phase winding will overheat; if the difference between the three-phase currents exceeds 10% of the rated current, damage can occur. Unbalanced three-phase currents create a negative-sequence magnetic field, increasing losses and causing components such as the pole windings and retaining rings to overheat. The three-phase load should be adjusted to keep the currents as balanced as possible.
I experienced this exact situation with my car a few days ago, and it was really frustrating. First, I noticed the battery warning light on the dashboard stayed lit with a small red light, which was completely different from normal driving. At night, when I turned on the headlights, the light was noticeably dim, like a flashlight running out of power. The most troublesome part was that the air conditioning blower's speed became extremely slow, and the airflow was weak. After leaving it overnight, the car wouldn't start the next morning, and even the remote door unlock stopped working. Later, when I took it to the repair shop, the mechanic said the generator brushes were worn out, and replacing them fixed the issue. Ignoring such problems can eventually drain and ruin even a new battery, so it's really something you can't afford to overlook.
In principle, when the engine doesn't generate electricity, it means the alternator has stopped working. At this point, the entire vehicle's electrical system relies solely on the battery, and the battery warning light on the dashboard will definitely illuminate. As the battery depletes, you'll first notice the headlights becoming progressively dimmer, especially when the air conditioning is on—the lights may appear noticeably yellower. Subsequently, the dashboard backlighting might flicker, and the power windows could operate sluggishly. When the voltage drops below 11 volts, the audio system often shuts down automatically as a protective measure. If not addressed promptly, once the battery is completely drained, even the power steering will fail, making the steering wheel extremely heavy and difficult to turn, which is particularly dangerous.
