What Is The Cost To Repair A Voltage Regulator

There are tons of components in your vehicle's charging organization. But while the battery and the alternator become all the love, another crucial component is the voltage regulator.

But if you've never heard of a voltage regulator or don't know how they piece of work, you run yourself in circles trying to effigy out what'due south wrong with your vehicle.

In this comprehensive guide, nosotros'll pause downwardly everything you need to know to check your voltage regulator and get your vehicle back on the road running like new!

The virtually common symptom of a bad voltage regulator is a stalling engine together with a bombardment warning light on your dashboard. It may besides crusade the voltage to spike, which can impairment electrical parts in your auto. At nighttime, you can also notice flickering headlights.

Considering of the importance of a proficient voltage in your vehicle, a voltage regulator tin can cause many different symptoms.

Beneath is a more detailed list of the six about mutual symptoms of a bad voltage regulator.

Bad Voltage Regulator Symptoms

1. Too High Voltage in the Battery

At that place are two means a voltage regulator can fail. Offset, it can stop directing enough voltage to the battery. 2nd, it tin directly as well much power to the battery. If information technology's sending too much power, yous're going to run into problems sooner rather than later.

A fully charged battery has 12.6-volts, just it's not uncommon for them to sit down at 13.seven volts while the alternator charges them. Anything more that can crusade harm. You'll notice the battery is getting far also warm, potentially warping, and if left alone long plenty, potentially cracking or exploding.

two. Dead Battery

Yous'll get also much voltage if the voltage regulator isn't diverting power when it should. If it'southward not sending plenty voltage to the battery, it will constantly be dead.

Information technology tin can exist one of the more than frustrating components to troubleshoot because you don't usually showtime looking at your voltage regulator when your vehicle isn't starting as information technology should.

It is quite piece of cake to measure the charging voltage from the alternator with a multimeter though.

Related: Alternator Non Charging – vi Causes & Diagnostics

three. Battery Light or Cheque Engine Lite

Whether your voltage regulator is neglecting to charge your bombardment or it'south overcharging it, various sensors might pop either a check engine calorie-free or a battery light. If you have either of these lights pop on, you lot should stop driving your automobile immediately.

Either your vehicle might die altogether, or the bombardment might overcharge and explode. Either fashion, cypher good is going to come of it.

iv. Inconsistent Operation of Electric Components

If your voltage regulator is operating intermittently, the electrical components around your vehicle will operate that mode likewise. Whether it's your radio, dashboard lights, or more critical components like your fuel pump, you'll notice inconsistent operation.

If you have a lot of strange electrical issues information technology may be too low or too high voltage caused by the voltage regulator.

5. Vehicle Dies While Running

If your voltage regulator isn't directing enough power to the battery while the engine is running, your vehicle will shut off as you're driving down the road.

Your vehicle needs voltage to run, then if it'southward non getting any, you're going to see bug. This will typically simply exist a problem if either the voltage regulator or the alternator completely fails.

Related: 6 Causes Why Your Auto Shuts Off While Driving

6. Dimming/Pulsing Lights

If your vehicle'southward voltage regulator is working inconsistently, and so you might observe that your lights are "pulsing" as they get brighter and dimmer. This happens when your voltage regulator is unable to maintain a consistent voltage similar information technology's supposed to.

However, if your voltage regulator is starting to fail and does not maintain the proper amount of voltage, you might observe that you accept lights that aren't equally bright as they should be.

Voltage Regulator Function

At the chance of sounding redundant, your voltage regulator regulates your voltage. If that doesn't make sense, go along reading, and we'll pause downwards exactly how it does information technology.

All of the voltage starts in your alternator, but since it's belt-driven, it's creating voltage whenever your engine is running. But your bombardment tin can only handle up to 14.5 volts at a time (12.vi-volts is a full charge). If the alternator kept dumping all that voltage into the battery, it would accident up!

Your voltage regulator monitors your battery's electric current-voltage and sends voltage that fashion when it starts to dip also low. When the battery has enough voltage, the regulator diverts all that excess ability to the ground, effectively eliminating it from the system.

When everything is working correctly, it's an extremely efficient system that keeps everything working the mode it should.

Voltage Regulator Location

Most of the fourth dimension, the voltage regulator is located on the alternator'due south dorsum or inside the alternator.

However, some vehicles volition have the voltage regulator mounted off to the side of the alternator, merely it is quite rare.

If the voltage regulator is located inside the alternator, it can be challenging to locate depending on the alternator type. While some manufactures put them in easy to access locations, others bury them.

As a final twist, many newer vehicles are starting to incorporate the voltage regulator directly into the Engine Control Module (ECM). It runs off a separate circuit in these systems, and you tin can't replace just the voltage regulator.

Voltage Regulator Replacement Cost

The average voltage regulator replacement cost is between $70 and $400, depending on the car model and labor costs. A voltage regulator costs $twenty to $200 and the labor costs $50 to $200.

Depending on which vehicle you drive, replacing the voltage regulator can mean replacing the entire alternator or but the regulator.

If you demand to replace the unabridged alternator, it usually costs between $200 and $500 for the office alone. From there, it's usually a pretty easy job for a mechanic, so you can expect to spend between $50 and $100 in labor.

A Voltage regulator typically costs betwixt $20 and $200. While it's a big price range, they usually cost a footling less if yous drive a smaller vehicle. Labor costs vary likewise, depending on how easy the regulator is to access.

Because of their varying locations, voltage regulators can toll equally petty every bit $50 for labor, just for some vehicles, it's possible to spend closer to $200.

If you're mechanically inclined, you tin can supersede both an alternator with a voltage regulator and a standalone voltage regulator without also much of a hassle.