Alternator and starter repair in Sioux Falls, SD.
A car that will not start and a car that dies while driving can be the same three parts in a different order, and from the driver seat they feel almost identical.
Battery, alternator, starter. Replace the wrong one and you have spent the money and still have the problem. Testing all three takes a fraction of what a wrong guess costs, so that is where we start.
Usually not enough current to spin the starter. Frequently a battery or connection issue rather than the starter itself.
Points more toward the starter or its solenoid, but the battery still gets tested first.
The charging system is not keeping up. Driving on it means running down the battery until the vehicle stops.
Classic alternator output problem. The vehicle is running on stored power and losing it.
Very common in a South Dakota winter. Sometimes a battery near the end of its life, sometimes connections.
Not just a voltage reading. A battery can show good voltage and still fail under the load of starting an engine.
Alternator output measured at idle and under electrical load, checked against specification.
Corroded terminals and bad grounds imitate failed parts extremely well and cost almost nothing to fix.
If a battery goes flat overnight, something is drawing power. We measure it rather than replace parts and hope.
10% off labor at DAVID's Auto Care. Thank you for what you do for Sioux Falls.
Mention the offer when scheduling. One discount per visit. Restrictions apply.
From the driver seat, often you cannot, and that is the point. If it will not crank, suspicion falls on the battery first. If it dies while driving or the battery light is on, the charging system is more likely. We test both rather than guess.
Then we look at the connections, the charging output, the starter draw, and whether something is drawing power while the vehicle sits. A good battery does not rule much out on its own.
That is a parasitic draw and it is measurable. Something is staying awake when it should not be. We find the circuit rather than sell you another battery.
Not automatically. A battery that has been deeply discharged repeatedly may be damaged, and we will tell you if the testing shows that. Otherwise, no.
| Mon to Fri | 8:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
