What Are Signs That a Voltage Regulator Is Going Bad?

The job of the voltage regulator is to regulate the amount of current that goes to the battery. If it goes bad, the battery may receive too much, too little or no current.

Types of Problems

In the case that your car won't start, you may have a bad battery, bad alternator or bad voltage regulator. It saves money determining which it is before doing any repairs.

Signs of a Bad Voltage Regulator

The car lights go dim. The lights on the panel and the radio also dim. The battery light on the panel shows either a high charge or a low charge. You also notice a sulphur-like smell.

Make Sure it is the Voltage Regulator

The best action to take is to take the car to an auto store where they sell batteries, alternators and voltage regulators. It will only take a few minutes for them to check these out.

Warning

If you do smell the sulphur, be careful in checking under the hood. The sulphur smell basically means that a bad voltage regulator has caused the battery acid to overheat and, potentially, explode.

Prevention/Solution

Have your charging system checked whenever you take your car in for preventive maintenance checks, such as 30,000 or 60,000 miles.