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Step 1
One of the immediate things that you may notice is that the lights on your dash and inside your car dim at random times and then seem to work again. When this happens you may notice that your engine acts strangely too. This is one of the classic warning signs of a bad alternator. This is because the alternator is beginning to fail and is intermittently not putting out enough juice to power the car.
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Step 2
You may find that you have to repeatedly jump start your car after turning it off. This in and of itself isn't one of the warning signs of a bad alternator, but it is very indicative. As long as your battery is in good condition and isn't too old then this problem generally points to your alternator. This is because the alternator isn't providing enough electricity to properly charge the battery and because of this it runs down while you are driving and doesn't have enough power to restart your car. Don't ignore a problem like this or you will prematurely wear out your battery or become stranded someplace.
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Step 3
A noisy alternator is another warning sign that it is going bad. This is because the bearings inside go out and you can usually hear this when your hood is open. The sound will be coming from the area where your serpentine belt and alternator are and will sound like a sort of rattling spinning noise. It will be loud enough to make you wonder if something is wrong.
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Step 4
If your engine is stalling completely, that is one of the signs that your alternator is almost completely dead. Make sure that you don't drive your car in this condition and have a mechanic or technician check it right away. This means that your alternator is so shot that it can't even keep the car running and is one of the last warning signs you will get before you can't even start your vehicle.
