Why does a voltage regulator fail

But why does your voltage regulator fail? And what should you do when you notice faulty voltage regulator symptoms? But why? The voltage regulator ensures that steady charging voltage and power are delivered to the vehicle battery and other electronic components.

On the flip side, if the battery gets overcharged or is exposed to a high charging voltage, your battery may die, or the electrolytes inside might start to boil, resulting in your car battery leaking and swelling.

As a result, driving around with a bad battery or a dead battery is a bad idea since your vehicle could stop running at any moment.

Additionally, the mechanic will let you know if you need a new battery. But what does erratic engine performance mean? Here, you may notice that the engine:. In other words, your engine will deliver unpredictable or inconsistent performance and an overall unpleasant driving experience. Probably, the most common symptom associated with a bad regulator is flickering, dimming, or pulsing lights.

And if you come across these signs, have your vehicle checked by a professional mechanic soon to get the voltage regulator problem sorted before things worsen. But why do these dashboard indicator lights turn on?

The battery light turns on because your electrical system can malfunction due to a bad regulator. On the other hand, check engine light illumination can be a consequence of unpredictable engine performance. Moreover, it can result from problems related to your transmission system, emission equipment, ignition system, and more.

There could be tons of other reasons at play. Another easily observable symptom of a faulty regulator is the malfunctioning instrument cluster in your vehicle. An instrument cluster consists of the different gauges and warning lights on your dashboard.

The dashboard instrument cluster requires a certain amount of input voltage to operate accurately. And when the voltage regulator is damaged, the instrument cluster may not receive the right amount of input voltage. As a result, you may notice flickering gauges on your instrument cluster, or worse, it could stop working entirely.

Additionally, your instrument cluster might act erratically when your instrument voltage regulator is faulty as well. Since the gauges on the instrument cluster let you keep tabs on vehicle status, driving with flickering gauges is risky. Looking for a good online repair manual?

Click Here for the 5 best options. You need plenty of power to keep the engine running. Some of the electrical systems in your car would fry if exposed to raw current, which is where the alternator voltage regulator comes into play. Related: Causes of an Alternator Not Charging. There are a few different types of regulators on the market. They all have the same function, though. The battery is a reservoir to store energy. It is kept on standby for functions like starting the car and providing power when the power supply is low.

Related: Symptoms of a Bad Car Battery. The alternator is the component that produces that power. The voltage regulator ensures that the maximum amount of voltage in the circuit is kept constant.

It can, therefore, prod the alternator to up production or prompt it to reduce energy production. The idea is to create a steady stream of current that can power the vehicle consistently. The good news is that voltage regulator failure is one of those problems that develop over time. There are various troubleshooting techniques that will help you diagnose this issue. A typical car battery should put out about Once the car is running, the voltage should measure around 2 volts higher in most vehicles.

Too high of a voltage can actually cause damage to various electrical components. Most commonly, the bulbs in your headlights or taillights will prematurely burn out. For example, turning off a forgotten light, a problem with the alternator or simply an old battery to replace.

But it could also be due to a poorly managed power supply from a bad voltage regulator. Usually a faulty instrument voltage regulator produces a few symptoms that can alert the driver of a potential problem. Also, having electrical devices that do not turn on can indicate a bad voltage regulator - the regulator can pass current or pass too much current and damage other components. They usually fail because they are underestimated for constant energy consumption.

Running the engine with the battery disconnected or even poor contact with the battery terminals can destroy them. This is because the ignition circuits generate spikes of around V when the battery is discharged.

The voltage regulator can be mounted inside or outside the generator housing. If the controller is externally mounted common on some Ford products , a harness connects it to the alternator. The voltage regulator controls the field current applied to the rotating rotor in the alternator.

A leaking diode can also allow battery current to flow through the alternator when the vehicle is not in motion.