Electrical System Service Near Me FAQ:
+ What Are The 4 Main Electrical Problems?
There are usually four (4) areas of your vehicle's electrical system which need maintenance or repair: (1) Battery, (2) Alternator repair, (3) Starter, (4) Fuses/Switches/Shorts.
+ Batteries
Batteries are the most common point of electrical systems failure and we address this #1 problem in-depth on our Battery Testing & Replacement page.
+ Alternator Repair Near Me
Alternator failures are the #2 most frequent problem we see, and is usually first indicated by the red light on the dash. (The alternator is the device responsible for monitoring and maintaining a consistent charge throughout your electrical system as well as recharging the battery when the engine is running.) This indicator will first light up when the current flowing through the indicator does not meet the manufacturer's operating range, and most often indicates insufficient recharging voltage being created by the Alternator . . . this is the first step to your battery not getting enough power to be prepared for starting your car in the future (eg. click, click, click). Replacing the Alternator or getting an alternator repair is usually the solution after we've run electrical tests and analysis to confirm the part is not functioning to specifications.
+ Starters
Starter failures sometimes will masquerade as a Battery failure. Often you may get that same click, click, click when the solenoid fails to engage and the question becomes whether the battery does not have enough capacity to engage it, or whether the solenoid has failed. On other occasions the starter windings and internals have become worn and unable to convert the electrical energy into mechanical energy to turn your motor over and start it. We have tools and tests and equipment (along with a whole lot of experience) to evaluate the source of your starting problem and repair it.
+ Fuses/Switches/Shorts
Finally, the catch-all category of Fuses/Switches/Shorts. We use electrical diagnosis tools to isolate the systems which are not receiving electrical current and then continue to narrow it down until we find the failed electrical connection or point of contact (usually a fuse or switch or short). This is a repair which often is very time consuming and elusive. It's not unusual for one failed component to be found and replaced and shortly thereafter, now that electrical current is once again engaged in the sub-system, a separate component will begin receiving electrical current and then it too will fail! But don't worry . . . we can fix that too!
Most vehicles need a certain base voltage for computer systems to work correctly. Even though it may show 12 volts across the terminals on the battery with a volt meter, the actual working voltage could be to lower thus creating even a different problem altogether.
