An alternator is a generator that produces the electricity stored in a vehicle’s 12-volt battery and powers the starter motor for the engine and the various computers, lights, power windows and locks, ...

Modern automotive alternators have a voltage regulator built into them. Typical car alternators generate the field using a DC current through slip rings. The field current is much smaller than the ...

Your car needs electricity. You don't have mice striking flint in your engine's combustion chambers, nor do you have kerosene lamps for headlights. You might be able to hire a string quartet to ...

From the earliest days of motoring, cars have evolved dramatically. The very first car envisioned by Carl Benz bears little resemblance to the vehicles we drive today; since then, engineers have found ...

10. Warning Light Within the instrument cluster of most cars built in the last decade is a warning light dedicated to signaling an alternator issue. In most cases the light is shaped like a battery, ...

In this age of multiple electrical accessories, even 4x4s are beginning to feel the power drain. In addition to its regular charging duties, the stock alternator is taxed with CD and DVD players, ...