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• Alternator failure: Bring the noise  

  The alternator is an alternating current generator and is used to exchange mechanical energy into an alternating current. The alternator recharges the battery and is the source of electricity in motor vehicles. Today’s alternators are controlled by digital signals. This is why the most modern equipment is required for their quality control.
      
  We can distinguish several electrical and mechanical failures where one sign is, among others, excessive noise.
  
  Causes
  Electrical causes can include short-circuiting of the stator winding coil, as well as diode bridge damage, i.e. the short-circuiting of diode/diodes. In this case, it will be necessary to remove and inspect the alternator and change any damaged parts.
      
  Mechanical causes can include a damaged drive wheel. In this case, it is necessary to change the drive wheel and belt. Another potential cause here is a damaged bearing, which could include a rotor bearing/both alternator housing, front and rear. After diagnosing the damage, it will be necessary to change the full set of bearings. If the cause is a bent rotor axle or other damage, this can necessitate rotor replacement. Alternator removal is required in order to assess damage or change damaged parts.
      
  It is always recommended for a specialist with professional tools to carry out any work. Let’s listen to what our car says to us. If we stay vigilant, we can detect problems at an early stage and avoid any excessive costs.
      
  More information about alternators can be found via: www.as-pl.com
  
  

• Alternators and starters in hybrid vehicles  

  Cars with hybrid drives were introduced at the beginning of the 21st century. These were experimental units, but nevertheless were able to prove that the automotive industry could expect a huge technological leap in the future.
  
  Currently, the portfolio of hybrid vehicles is extensive and includes various engine variants. Whether a particular engine is equipped with an alternator and starter and their particular role is also a diverse matter. When it comes to hybrid engines, can we still talk about these elements as we knew them from previous generations of engines?
  
  The automotive industry is developing very rapidly, both from the perspective of passenger car users, as well as those driving utility vehicles. Mechanics need to expand their knowledge, and garages need to invest in equipment to be able to provide service for the ever-increasing number of cars with hybrid and electric drives.
  
  Hybrid vehicles come in a multitude of versions and models, from less advanced examples, up to more technically complex iterations, where the user decides which engine to choose: electric or internal combustion. The function of the alternator and starter in such engines is also not immune to change.
  
  Micro, mild and full hybrids: Several types of hybrid vehicles can be distinguished based on how advanced they are:
  
  Micro hybrid: The electric engine functions as a starter and/or alternator, it does not drive the car directly.
  
  Mild hybrid: The electric engine supports the internal combustion engine, e.g., when accelerating.
  
  Full hybrid: The electric engine supports the combustion engine but can also propel the car independently.
  
  Series, parallel and mixed hybrids: The following hybrids are distinguished based on the manner of connection between the internal combustion and electric engine.
  
  Series: The internal combustion engine does not provide much power and its only role is to support the generator (an alternator combined with a starter).
  
  Parallel: The electric engine supports the internal combustion one. The internal combustion engine is mechanically connected with the wheels. The system may be equipped with one or two clutches and split axles.
  
  Mixed: These are a combination of the approaches already discussed.
  
  Integrated starter-alternators
  Hybrid vehicles are equipped with integrated starter-alternator (ISA) systems. Their functions include, but are not limited to, energy recovery during braking (regenerative braking), Stop/Start system, or supporting the main engine when starting, increasing power, or accelerating. This system also allows for powering other devices, such as electric power steering and air conditioning. The newest i-StARS integrated alternator-starters are digitally controlled via communication protocols, such as LIN or BSS.
  
  Hybrid drive applications are an example of how far we have gone and how little is needed to completely replace the internal combustion engine with electric drive systems. Increasing power capacity (cells) or charging speed will certainly be important in this respect. An infrastructure network full of easily accessible electricity sources is also vital.  It may be assumed that the way integrated alternator-starter systems are applied will change or that they will be replaced with a more modern system, completely abandoning the drives we know today.
  
  
  

• The Motor Ombudsman plugs in new EV Garage Finder feature  

  The Motor Ombudsman has launched a new search facility on its Garage Finder to allow drivers to easily find and identify accredited businesses that service and repair electric vehicles.

• More focus on EV training says IMI  

  This week the government has published its response to the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee report ‘Electric vehicles: driving the transition’, and the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), is supporting calls for further development of electric vehicle  skills to protect the safety of technicians.   The IMI has announced today (Monday 21 January) that they will be hosting an Electric Vehicle Advisory Group meeting on Tuesday 5  February at the Head Office in Hertfordshire. Attendees from across the industry will be working together to develop a Professional Standard that will safeguard the UK’s workforce of technicians by ensuring they are well trained and have the skills they need to repair electrified vehicles  safely.   Sales of electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid vehicles have seen a sharp increase of 21% since 2017 according to the latest figures from the SMMT. However, just 3.5% of the UK’s 188,500 vehicle technicians are currently qualified with the skills to service and repair the high voltage components of this technology.   Steve Nash, Chief Executive at the IMI, said: “The response to the BEIS Committee report is confirmation that government must work with businesses to help workers develop their skills when it comes to new vehicle technology. There must be more focus on the skills needed if the UK is to become a world-leader in the manufacturing and repairing of electrified vehicles.   Steve added: “By bringing together a committee of experts from across the motor industry to discuss, agree and develop electric vehicle professional standards, we can then provide the appropriate benchmarks and recognition for individuals to work towards, supported by the appropriate quality of training. In doing so we can create the expert, skilled workforce needed to support the next generation of vehicles.”   

• Q5 and a pain in the ‘A’  

  I am a bit of an ‘old-skool’ mechanic, I enjoy working on vehicles that are mechanical and do not depend on computer wizardry to move. I regularly work on 1960s Porsches in all their air-cooled simplicity.
      
  Just last week though, a friend asked if I could service their 2017 Audi Q5. We arranged a date and off I went to pick this car up. This is a hugely impressive vehicle with every piece of technology you could ever want. Confidently, I got it up on the lift and started checking it; brakes, suspension, exhaust. I also let the oil out. Everything was going accordingly to plan at this point.
      
  I always make sure that when a car is still within its manufacturer warranty that I use genuine parts and oils, for me it protects the customer on any issues.
      
  For a car that was only two years old everything was as it should be. Unfortunately, this is when the headache started. I screwed in the new sump plug and lowered the car ready to put the oil in, but wait, no dipstick! Manufacturers now don’t include a dipstick. Is it weight-saving gone mad or a great idea from someone who doesn’t work on cars? Following this unhappy discovery, I researched and found out the quantity it should have, put that in and then checked the on-board computer. What a palaver.
      
  Next came the replacement fuel filter. The price of the thing was enough to put me off but I found the location, now at this point I had spoken to a friend who is more in tune with modern cars and stated that to replace the fuel filter you the needed to plug it in to a computer and prime it! The fuel filter replacement was then put on hold for another day when I could have the car back.
      
  Next on my list was to reset the service light, this too needed specialist diagnostic equipment for Audi vehicles. It wasn’t going well, I could sense it was going to be one of those days.
      
  Defeated by the technology of today, I decided to contact the owner and get the car back until I could call in a favour from a friend who had spent tens of thousands on diagnostic equipment.
      
  The icing on the cake to my disastrous and unproductive day was the service record. I normally relish the challenge of getting my service stamp within the lines and making sure that it is readable. It is a skill that takes much practice to master. Imagine my horror while sifting through the car’s endless manuals only to discover that there is no service book. It turns out that it’s all online now. I’m not sure I’m ready to put my service stamp into retirement just yet.
      
  Alas, the Audi will be returning to the workshop in the next couple of days. Sadly, I won’t need any tools to finish its service – just a computer.
  
  
  
  

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