OEM BMW Alternators & Generators

Your battery, spark plugs, and starter work together to generate ignition when you need to start your BMW. The electricity required for that comes from the battery. However, most of your vehicle's systems and accessories rely on the alternator to provide the electricity they use.

How Your Alternator Works

Your crankshaft takes the engine pistons' vertical motion and converts it into rotary motion. That rotary motion moves a drive belt attached to a pulley on your rotor shaft. The rotor shaft spins as a result, agitating magnetic coils. The coils produce a magnetic field that a rectifier captures as AC power and transforms into the DC power that your battery, power windows, and more use.

Unfortunately, your alternator can fail. Even worse, it doesn’t always do so with plenty of warning.

How to Spot a Bad Alternator

If your alternator begins to go bad, your battery then has to take over. That quickly drains your battery's reserves, leaving you in danger of winding up stranded on the side of the road. Signs of alternator trouble include:

• The headlights dim or flicker
• Your power windows quit working
• The entertainment system acts up
• Your battery keeps dying
• There's a whining sound coming from your engine

Buy Genuine OEM Alternators Online

If you think that your alternator's starting to fail, test your charging system. Check your battery's voltage with the engine turned off. If it reads lower than 12.5 volts, give the battery a good charging. If it still reads low after that, your alternator is probably the problem. If you do need to replace your alternator, make sure to choose one made by BMW. They are, after all, the only ones that are guaranteed to be compatible with your model. Our online auto parts center has plenty in stock along with the hardware you may need. Buy now and enjoy quick shipping right to your front door!