Electricity is one of the three
things necessary to make the car run. Electric energy from the storage
battery turns an electric motor called a starter, which starts the
engine running by turning it through the four cycles of a gasoline
engine.
The battery also provides the electric spark necessary to ignite
the gas-air mixture in the cylinder. Points, condenser, rotor, coil,
ignition wires, alternator, and spark plugs are other components of the
electrical system besides the battery. Some new cars have an electronic
ignition system that does not have any points to wear out
- BATTERY
The electrical system gets power from
the battery, which is re¬charged by the alternator (generator) while the
engine is running. If the starter sounds sluggish, if the headlights
brighten perceptibly when the engine is raced, or if the engine will not
turn over at all, your battery may need recharging or replacing.
Service stations can test the battery in a short time. It must be
replaced if one cell is shorted or dead. If the battery is still under
warranty, see a dealer selling that brand for an adjustment. You will be
charged a pro rata share of the cost of a new battery, depending on how
many months you used the battery.
The longer the warranty, the less the
cost per month of owning the battery. For instance, a forty-eight-month
battery is cheaper to own per month than a twelve-month battery.
Sometimes lights or other electrical
equipment are left on, causing the battery to become run-down so that it
cannot start the car. Normally this only requires charging the battery
at a service station.
An automotive storage battery is made of cells containing positively and negatively charged lead plates covered with a solution of acid and water. This is known as a lead-acid battery. Each cell produces about two volts of electricity.
The cells are connected in series, which means
the voltage of the individual cells is added to give the toi.il voltage
of the battery. A battery with six cells delivers six times two volts
or twelve volts of electricity. Each cell is insulated from all (he
others. To learn how to check the battery.
Every car battery should be secured
firmly by clamps or brackets. Sometimes corrosion or breakage causes
these fasteners to become loose and the battery slides around when the
car is moving.
Cables inn pull loose, acid can spill, and vibration and
bouncing can loosen materials that pile up in the bottom of the battery,
shorting it and drastically reducing its life. Take the car to a garage
or service station immediately and have the battery anchored securely.
A new type of battery appeared on the market in 1975 that has no CHpN mid never needs to have water added. It produces less corrosion Hum I ho conventional battery. Delco is one company that makes this buttery; some new cars come equipped with it.
- CORROSION
It is normal for a white powdery
substance to collect on the battery terminals and the metal clamps that
hold the battery secure. This is corrosion.
Corrosion on battery
terminals may act in a mysterious way. Let’s say you have driven to the
post office and are inside for live minutes.
When you return to the car
everything is dead-the starter Will not turn the engine over, the lights
will not burn, and the horn will not blow. What has happened? Corrosion
has struck again!
Corrosion behaves as an insulator, and
when it gets between the Imlleiy terminal and the cable clamp it can
stop the flow of electricity. And this can happen in just five minutes!
Sounds unbelievable, but it is line. You can prevent corrosion from
giving you problems.
- JUMPER CABLES
I recommend that every driver keep a set
of jumper cables in the trunk of the car at all times. It’s good
insurance. I hope you will never need jumper cables; but if an emergency
arises and you use them to help yourself or someone else you will be
glad you had them.
First let me tell you what kind of
jumper cables to buy. Get the heavy-duty type made of thick, insulated
copper wire. The copper wire is easily identified by the copper color.
You can expect to pay about $10 to $15 at an auto discount store for a
good set of jumper cables. Beware the sale fliers that some stores
distribute advertising a special low price of $2.98 for jumper cables.
These cheap cables have aluminum (white)
wire, which is not as good a conductor as copper. The cables are small,
sometimes no larger in diameter than an ordinary pencil. The modern
automobile engine needs considerable electric energy to rotate it and
provide the spark for ignition at the same time.
The purchasers of
inferior jumper cables often have been disappointed because the cables
did not carry enough electricity to start a car. So remember this word
of advice, and if you buy cables get a set that will do the job in time
of need
- SPARK PLUGS
Spark plugs are an important part of the
electrical system, and they do wear out. They become pitted, corroded,
and inefficient, and usu-ally are changed when the engine is tuned about
every 10,000 miles. A person who wants to change his own plugs can get a
service manual from his car dealer to help him.
A spark plug has an insulated electrode in the center and a grounded eloilioile attached to the side. The high voltage from the distributor jumps the gap between the two spark plug electrodes, producing a spark inside the combustion chamber of the engine. This spark ignites the fiid-nir mixture at the proper time and the engine runs.
- FUSES
I uses protect electric motors and
wiring from overheating. Your (>WHIM’S Manual will tell you where
fuses are located in your car.
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