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eTyres care about our customers. The
following article may be of interest.
Your Car's Electrical System
by Kevin Schappell
When the automotive industry was in its infancy, it used
electricity only to ignite the fuel inside the engine.
By the late 1920's, the electric starter replaced the
hand crank, electric headlights made acetylene lamps
obsolete and the braying of the electric horn drowned
out the squeak of the hand-squeezed air horn. Today, an
automobile requires an elaborate electrical system of
circuits just to produce, store, and distribute all the
electricity it requires simply for everyday operation.
The first major component in the electrical system is
the battery. The battery is used to store power for
starting, and for running auxiliary devices such as
clocks, radios and alarms when the engine is off. The
next major component is the starter motor, which is used
to start the engine. The third component is a charging
device powered by the engine, known as the alternator.
It powers the electrical system when the car is running,
and restores the charge within the battery. With these
basic components, the car maintains its supply of
electricity.
A device called the voltage regulator keeps the power
level stabilized, and the fuse box keeps minor problems
from becoming major ones. Many different auxiliary
electrical devices are used in modern cars, such as:
radios, cellular phones, rear window defrosters and
electric door locks, as well as a vast array of motors
powering everything from the moon roof on down.
The above information is directly from the Auto Insight
program, which you can buy online from
AutoEducation.com.
Common Problems:
?The battery is usually the first part of the system to
wear out. Most batteries last between 3 and 7 years
depending on brand and design. Batteries can be fine on
minute, and dead the next. More on this later.
?Blown fuse: Is one part of the electrical system not
working like the interior lights or dash lights? The
first thing to check is the fuses. Look for the fuse
panel under the dash, in the glove box, or even in the
engine compartment in some cars. Most fuse boxes will be
labeled by circuit. Modern cars use a blade type fuse
which is rectangular in shape and transparent. Look for
the wire, which runs through the fuse, and see if it is
burned through. Any discoloring of the fuse is a good
sign the fuse has blown. If you have doubts, replace
with a new fuse and test the system, which is not
working.
?Alternator: Does your car start ok, but your headlights
dim when idling. It could be a bad alternator. When the
alternator cannot produce enough electricity to keep the
electrical systems running and the battery will have to
be used to take up the slack. This will eventually wear
down the battery and not allow your car to start.
Troubleshooting: I don't think there is a tougher system
to troubleshoot on your car than the charging/starting
system. This is due to the fact that there are many
things that can go wrong and it's tough to test some
components without special equipment. Let's go over some
possible situations and their possible causes.
?Car won't start, all I hear is a click but the engine
does not turn. First check all battery cables for
corrosion as this will keep power from flowing freely to
the starting system. If they are dirty, clean with a
wire brush and reattach. Apply a light coat of grease to
the top of the terminals to prevent further corrosion.
Battery could not have enough power stored in it to spin
the engine. This can be caused by a bad cell in the
battery or from a bad alternator not charging the
battery when the engine is running. If you can get the
car to a mechanic, have him or her test the battery and
charging system with a special tester. This tester
places a load on the battery and can tell the condition.
They can also check to see if the alternator is working
to it's full potential.
Starter or solenoid could be bad. If you can not jump
start the car and all of the battery cables are ok then
suspect the starter.
?Car won't start, I hear nothing.
Check battery cables as above.
Have the battery tested. There could be a bad cell
causing a short. You can try jump-starting but often the
car will not stay running.
?Car won't start, all I hear is a horrible grinding
noise. oGrinding noises point to the starter not
properly meshing with the flywheel. This can be caused
by a bad solenoid or a bad spot on the flywheel. oI have
also seen starters loosen up so they no longer contact
the flywheel at the proper distance. While not common,
it is something to keep in mind.
?Car starts but my headlights are dim at low engine
speeds.
Look to the alternator for problems. Take the car to
your mechanic to have the alternator checked for proper
operation.
Check for loose wires going to the alternator. Also
check for corrosion, as this will inhibit the alternator
from charging properly.
Check the tension on the alternator belt. If it is
too loose, the belt may slip and not drive the
alternator properly. As you can see there are plenty of
things to go wrong with the charging system and it is
always best to take the car to your mechanic and have it
tested before you go replacing parts blindly.
Preventing problems with your electrical system:
?Replace your battery every 4 years as a safety measure.
It will save allot of headaches down the road.
?If your battery is not a sealed unit, check fluid
levels in each cell. Only fill with distilled water and
be careful around the acid, which is in the battery.
?Check your alternator belt frequently for cracks and
tension. Replace per your cars manufacturers
recommendations.
?Clean your battery connections at least once a year.
Parts stores sell a handy terminal cleaner which is
basically a round wire brush, which works wonders. Once
you reattach the terminals, coat with a layer of heavy
grease or special purpose grease sold at parts stores.
This layer will block the air from reacting with the
connectors and creating corrosion.
How to jump start your car:
Jump-starting your car does not have to be a hard
task. First lay out the cables on the ground between the
two cars. Make sure that the cable is not tangled and
none of the end clamps are touching each other. The car
with the good battery should be running.
Step 1: Take the positive (red) clamp closest to the car
with the good battery and hook it to the positive
terminal of that car. The positive terminal will have a
+ sign on it and usually a red wire running to it.
Step 2: Repeat this step on the car with the bad
battery, hooking up the positive clamp to the positive
terminal on the battery. Make sure the clamps are
contacting well and can not fall off.
Step 3: Take the negative cable (black) closest to the
car with the good battery and hook it to the negative
terminal of the battery. The negative terminal will have
a - sign and usually a black wire running to it.
Step 4: This is the last step and the most important.
Take the negative clamp closest to the car with the bad
battery and attach it to a bare metal part of the
engine. DO NOT hook it to the batteries negative
terminal as there maybe hydrogen gas present from the
battery and a spark from the connection could cause an
explosion.
That's it... turn the key on the dead car and the car
should start. If it does not, try revving the engine on
the good car to boost the charge coming from the
alternator. If this does not work, try wiggling the
cables to assure you have a good connection.
GOOD sets of jumper cables are a necessity. I have had
cheaper sets not jump-start a dead car. I actually had
to double up two cheap sets to get enough current to
start my car. The cheaper sets will have thinner cables,
which cannot carry enough amperage to start some stalled
cars. I would suggest buying a cable, which has 4,6 or
8-gauge wire.
About the Author
Kevin Schappell maintains http://www.carbuyersclub.com
where he gives advice on buying, selling, insurance, and
financing. A mechanical engineer and car guy, Kevin has
decided to spend his online time helping others learn
about automobiles.
To learn more about how your car works, Kevin has
created http://www.mycarwizard.com |
