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how car alternators work

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How to Rebuild an Alternator : How to Test a Car Battery

Testing a car battery is done prior to checking the alternator. Learn how to check a car battery before replacing or rebuilding an alternator in ...

Where Have All the Heroes Gone?

Today’s post is Part 2 and the conclusion of a previous article published on March 22nd.

Last month, as we were driving from Los Angeles to New Orleans, my daughter (Mlle. Butterfly) and I were in a 1989 Toyota Celica. We had done all the right preparatory measures before starting a long road trip in an old car – oil change, new tires, fluid checks, etc. But the potential for car trouble is ever present in a car this old, and by the end of our second 500 mile day, we saw two warning symbols light up as we pulled into our hotel in Van Horn, Texas at 9:30pm.

We called my daughter’s mechanic in LA in the morning since the lights were back on the dash; he thought we might have an alternator problem. But the car started so we headed for Austin. Two hours into our drive the radio stopped working and the car started to decelerate even though Mlle. Butterfly’s foot was on the gas pedal. Looking to the right and the left of the Interstate, there was nothing in view for miles (which you can clearly see in this desert-like part of the country).

One of the best ideas I had before leaving home turned out to be grabbing my GPS to bring on the trip; it located all auto shops on demand, with a special icon just for Auto Services. After a few seconds of searching I see we have hit the jackpot – a few miles away in Johnson City, Texas is the Commercial Alternator and Starters Company . We manage to make our way to the shop.

Upon arrival we are looking at a garage that is piled high with alternators. There are alternators in the storage area, piled outside the building and all over the floor and work benches in the work area. We realize that we are not in an auto repair place – this company refurbishes car and equipment alternators and starters for commercial customers. There are no other cars on in the driveway, no parking lot full of cars awaiting repair.

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