How to Use alternator in a Sentence

alternator

noun
Definition of alternatornext
  • This gives the alternator a chance to recharge the battery on its own.
    — Collin Morgan, Car and Driver, 9 Feb. 2023
  • But an alternator change for the #6 car, and contact between the #7 car and one of the Cadillacs took both ARX-05s off the lead lap and out of contention.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 29 Jan. 2018
  • My first guess would be a bad alternator, which can cause a current drain.
    — Ray Magliozzi, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Nov. 2022
  • That means the alternator bearings are spinning and the diode bridge is working.
    — Ray Magliozzi, courant.com, 15 June 2018
  • The alternator and wiring loom needed to be replaced, then Alonso crashed and hit the wall three times Wednesday.
    — Jenna Fryer, The Seattle Times, 18 May 2019
  • If the alternator fails, the battery won't recharge when the engine is on, leading to a no-start condition.
    — Alex Leanse, Popular Mechanics, 11 Aug. 2021
  • Freeing up the motor from having to run a cooling fan and alternator means more power makes it to the wheels.
    — Matthew Jancer, Popular Mechanics, 19 Sep. 2018
  • Howard rushed below and found that the belt driving the alternator and water pump had shredded.
    — James Shreeve, WIRED, 1 Aug. 2004
  • Cars that have been sitting idle don’t get a recharging boost from the alternator when the engine is running.
    — Weldon B. Johnson, The Arizona Republic, 9 July 2020
  • The distributor, fan, valve train, alternator, and oil pumps are driven from the rear of the crankshaft.
    — Car and Driver, 27 Jan. 2023
  • The problem appears to be a slow pulley ratio for the alternator drive since the system doesn't start to charge until about 1300 rpm.
    — Car and Driver, 13 Jan. 2023
  • Your car needs a regular oil change and, once in a while, a new serpentine belt or alternator.
    — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 22 Feb. 2023
  • The lengthy stops to change the battery and the alternator belt saved his race and staved off his own startling flirtation with an early playoff exit.
    — Jenna Fryer, orlandosentinel.com, 11 Oct. 2021
  • Otherwise, this 325iX has had a bunch of recent work done that's said to include brakes, alternator, driveshaft, U-joints, and flex discs.
    — James Tate, Car and Driver, 8 Apr. 2022
  • There will also be carbon-fiber versions of the heat shield for the rear exhaust manifold, the alternator cover, the front and rear fenders, the front brake ducts, and the swingarm cover.
    — Peter Jackson, Robb Report, 21 Dec. 2022
  • The voltage meter also reads the charge on your battery to confirm that your battery is the problem, not your starter or alternator.
    — The Automotive Editors Of Popular Mechanics, Popular Mechanics, 24 Jan. 2018
  • All three cars use combine Mercedes’s new 3.0L straight-six engine with a 48-volt starter-alternator.
    — Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 15 Jan. 2018
  • On top of that, there are all the parts—alternators, a/c compressors, whole engines—that get reused rather than manufactured anew.
    — Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, 27 Nov. 2018
  • In cases like this, a lot of people install a 6-volt alternator or even convert to a 12-volt system, but a Cord is a very special vintage car.
    — Jay Leno, Popular Mechanics, 12 Dec. 2012
  • The system replaces the alternator with a motor and a 48-volt battery pack, which can shut down the truck at stop lights to save fuel and boost acceleration.
    — Tom Krisher and Dee-Ann Durbin, Houston Chronicle, 15 Jan. 2018
  • On the 400-mile trek, Bertha's battery started flagging and its alternator busted.
    — Lauren Smiley, Wired, 8 Oct. 2020
  • In the end, Larson recovered after both the battery and alternator belt were changed in his Chevrolet to win for the seventh time this season and lead Elliott into the third round of the playoffs.
    — Jenna Fryer, orlandosentinel.com, 11 Oct. 2021
  • The module uses the input for many systems as well as to determine the battery state of charge to activate the alternator and even to control the stop-start systems if the battery gets low.
    — Motormouth Bob Weber, Star Tribune, 7 May 2021
  • Available later this year, the mild-hybrid adaptation, which replaces the alternator, will be a $1,995 option on Hemis.
    — Jeff Yip, Houston Chronicle, 26 Mar. 2018
  • If nothing else, the alternator will have to work harder to recharge that drained battery, which reduces fuel economy.
    — Alex Leanse, Popular Mechanics, 11 Aug. 2021
  • These motorhomes have an auxiliary alternator belt that may wear and detach.
    — Detroit Free Press, 4 Sep. 2020
  • First, the other car had alternator problems and then we got run into by another car while running second.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 29 Jan. 2018
  • In the same way that rubbing a balloon on a jumper picks up fluff, The Tyre Collective’s device, which is powered by the car’s alternator, uses a copper plate to create an electric field that attracts the tire dust.
    — Rebecca Cairns; Video By Dan Tham, CNN, 16 Aug. 2022
  • Jump starters do not charge the battery significantly—that's where the vehicle's alternator comes in.
    — Collin Morgan, Car and Driver, 9 Feb. 2023
  • Other grinding noises could also be anything from a pebble lodged between the brake pad and the rotor to a failing alternator to bearings going dead.
    — Mac Demere, Popular Mechanics, 2 Aug. 2019

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'alternator.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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