Alternators
Your alternator is one of the most essential parts in your GM vehicle's charging system. It provides the electricity that powers your battery, accessories, and many parts and systems.
How Your Alternator Works
What the alternator does is simple. It takes the mechanical energy produced by the engine and converts it into electricity. How it does that is more complex.
The vertical motion of the pumping pistons is transformed into rotary motion that moves a drive belt that's attached to a pulley on the rotor shaft. There are coils inside the rotor that generate a magnetic field, which is captured by a rectifier as AC power. The rectifier then turns that into the DC power that the battery, entertainment system, windshield wipers, power windows, and more run on.
How to Tell When Your Alternator is Going Bad
Alternators don’t always last forever, unfortunately. If yours starts to fail, you'll want to address the problem as soon as possible to avoid serious issues. Signs of trouble include:
- Headlights that dim or flicker
- Power windows that stop operating
- A sound system that acts up
- Whining noises coming from the engine
- A battery that repeatedly dies
- A dashboard warning light alerts
Genuine OEM Alternators Are Best
Once easy and affordable way to check your alternator is to test your battery's voltage. If it reads low, give it a charge. If it still reads low following that, your alternator is likely failing. Choosing one made by your manufacturer is the smart way to go, since they make alternators specifically to fit your vehicle. Find yours, along with any hardware you may need, right here in our online auto parts catalog. Buy now and we'll ship your order right to your front door!
- Buick:
- Envision
- Cadillac:
- Escalade,
- Escalade ESV,
- Escalade EXT
- Chevrolet:
- Avalanche,
- Colorado,
- 22 more
- Chevrolet:
- Impala,
- Monte Carlo
- Chevrolet:
- Malibu
- Pontiac:
- G6
- Saturn:
- Aura
- Cadillac:
- XTS
- Chevrolet:
- Cruze,
- Cruze Limited
- Chevrolet:
- Captiva Sport
- Buick:
- Envision
- Buick:
- Regal
- Buick:
- Encore GX
- Chevrolet:
- Trailblazer
- Buick:
- Regal
- Cadillac:
- ATS,
- CTS
- Chevrolet:
- Blazer,
- Camaro,
- 3 more
- Chevrolet:
- Malibu
- Chevrolet:
- Express 2500,
- Express 3500,
- Silverado 2500 HD,
- Silverado 3500 HD
- GMC:
- Savana 2500,
- 3 more
- Buick:
- Regal
- Cadillac:
- ATS,
- CTS
- Chevrolet:
- Traverse
- Chevrolet:
- Cruze
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- Camaro
- Chevrolet:
- Camaro,
- Colorado
- GMC:
- Canyon
- Buick:
- Rainier
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- Trailblazer
- GMC:
- Envoy
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- Caprice
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- Silverado 1500,
- Suburban,
- Tahoe
- GMC:
- Sierra 1500,
- Yukon,
- 1 more
- Chevrolet:
- Express 2500,
- Express 3500
- GMC:
- Savana 2500,
- Savana 3500
- Chevrolet:
- Cobalt,
- HHR
- Pontiac:
- G5
- Chevrolet:
- Malibu
- Saturn:
- Aura,
- Vue
- Buick:
- Lucerne
- Cadillac:
- SRX,
- STS
- Cadillac:
- SRX,
- STS
- GMC:
- Acadia
- Chevrolet:
- Express 2500,
- Express 3500,
- Silverado 2500 HD,
- Silverado 3500 HD,
- Suburban 3500 HD
- 4 more
- Chevrolet:
- Silverado 2500 HD,
- Silverado 3500 HD
- GMC:
- Sierra 2500 HD,
- Sierra 3500 HD
- Cadillac:
- CT6
- Chevrolet:
- Corvette
- Cadillac:
- CTS
- Cadillac:
- CTS
- Buick:
- Terraza
- Chevrolet:
- Uplander
- Pontiac:
- Montana
- Saturn:
- Relay
- Chevrolet:
- Spark
- Chevrolet:
- Corvette
- Chevrolet:
- Corvette
- Chevrolet:
- Silverado 1500,
- Suburban,
- Tahoe
- GMC:
- Sierra 1500,
- Yukon,
- 1 more
- Chevrolet:
- Colorado
- GMC:
- Canyon
- Chevrolet:
- Colorado
- GMC:
- Canyon
- Cadillac:
- Escalade,
- Escalade ESV
- Chevrolet:
- Express 2500,
- Express 3500,
- Silverado 1500,
- 13 more
- Chevrolet:
- Cruze
- Cadillac:
- CT6
- Chevrolet:
- Express 2500,
- Express 3500
- GMC:
- Savana 2500,
- Savana 3500
- Chevrolet:
- Camaro
- Chevrolet:
- Equinox
- GMC:
- Terrain
- Pontiac:
- Torrent
- Buick:
- Enclave
- Chevrolet:
- Traverse
- GMC:
- Acadia,
- Acadia Limited
- Saturn:
- Outlook
- Chevrolet:
- Equinox
- GMC:
- Terrain
- Chevrolet:
- Camaro
- Chevrolet:
- Corvette
- Cadillac:
- Escalade,
- Escalade ESV
- Chevrolet:
- Silverado 1500,
- Silverado 1500 LD,
- Suburban,
- 4 more
- Chevrolet:
- Equinox
- GMC:
- Terrain
- Cadillac:
- CT5
- Cadillac:
- CT4,
- CT5
- Buick:
- Regal
- Chevrolet:
- Impala,
- Malibu
- Cadillac:
- Escalade,
- Escalade ESV,
- Escalade EXT
- Chevrolet:
- Avalanche 1500,
- Avalanche 2500,
- 22 more
- Chevrolet:
- Equinox
- Pontiac:
- Torrent
- Chevrolet:
- Equinox
- Pontiac:
- Torrent
- Pontiac:
- G8
- Pontiac:
- G8
- Chevrolet:
- Impala,
- Monte Carlo
- Buick:
- LaCrosse
- Chevrolet:
- Impala,
- Monte Carlo
- Pontiac:
- Grand Prix
- Buick:
- Lucerne
- Buick:
- Rainier
- Cadillac:
- Escalade,
- Escalade ESV,
- Escalade EXT
- Chevrolet:
- Astro,
- 38 more
- Chevrolet:
- Express 1500,
- Express 2500,
- Express 3500
- GMC:
- Savana 1500,
- Savana 2500,
- 1 more
- Cadillac:
- XTS
- Chevrolet:
- Express 2500,
- Express 3500,
- Silverado 2500 HD,
- Silverado 3500 HD,
- Suburban 3500 HD
- 4 more
- Chevrolet:
- Colorado
- GMC:
- Canyon
- Chevrolet:
- HHR
- Chevrolet:
- HHR
- Cadillac:
- CTS
- Chevrolet:
- Colorado
- GMC:
- Canyon
- Hummer:
- H3,
- H3T
- Cadillac:
- SRX
- Chevrolet:
- Equinox
- GMC:
- Terrain
- Chevrolet:
- Express 1500,
- Express 2500,
- Express 3500
- GMC:
- Savana 1500,
- Savana 2500,
- 1 more
- Chevrolet:
- Malibu
- Pontiac:
- G8
- Pontiac:
- GTO
- Chevrolet:
- Silverado 2500 HD,
- Silverado 3500 HD
- GMC:
- Sierra 2500 HD,
- Sierra 3500 HD
- Cadillac:
- CT4
- Chevrolet:
- Express 2500,
- Express 3500
- GMC:
- Savana 2500,
- Savana 3500
- Cadillac:
- ATS,
- CT6,
- CTS
- Cadillac:
- CTS
- Chevrolet:
- Camaro
- Cadillac:
- XT5,
- XT6
- Chevrolet:
- Blazer
- GMC:
- Acadia
- Chevrolet:
- Cruze,
- Equinox
- GMC:
- Terrain
- Buick:
- Regal Sportback,
- Regal TourX
- Chevrolet:
- Colorado,
- Malibu
- GMC:
- Canyon
- Chevrolet:
- Equinox
- GMC:
- Terrain
- Buick:
- Encore GX
- Chevrolet:
- Trailblazer
- Cadillac:
- Escalade,
- Escalade ESV
- Chevrolet:
- Silverado 1500,
- Suburban,
- Tahoe
- 1 more
- Cadillac:
- XT4,
- XT5
- Chevrolet:
- Blazer
- GMC:
- Acadia
- Buick:
- Verano
- Chevrolet:
- Sonic
- Chevrolet:
- Camaro
- Buick:
- LaCrosse,
- Verano
- Chevrolet:
- Captiva Sport
- Chevrolet:
- Corvette
- Cadillac:
- CTS
- Chevrolet:
- Equinox
- Pontiac:
- Torrent
- Chevrolet:
- Camaro
- Cadillac:
- Escalade,
- Escalade ESV
- Chevrolet:
- Camaro,
- Silverado 1500,
- Silverado 1500 LD,
- 6 more
- Cadillac:
- CT6
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