subject: Auto Repair: The Services Performed By Your Electrical System [print this page] If you take a survey of auto repair experts, asking them the simple question, "What makes the car go?" you're likely to get a variety of answers. The engine, the gasoline, the transmission. Any of these would be viable answers, as the car isn't going to get anywhere without these essential components. But in order to provide your engine with the spark it needs to ignite, you need your car's electrical system. This system originates in the battery, which is one of the primary sources of emergency trouble for the average driver. Here's a look at some of the services your electrical system performs.
Ignites the Car
No, it doesn't set the car on fire (hopefully!). Rather, it is the origin point for the combustion process that allows the engine to come alive. It fires up the spark plugs, which cause that combustion process to occur, moving fuel and air through the engine. When you turn your key in the ignition and get nothing but clicks, the battery doesn't have enough juice to send that initial spark, making the starting process impossible. Fortunately, a new battery is often all that it takes to set things right again.
Generates Current
Without the battery and the electrical system, the many components and systems in your car that run off electricity would not be able to function. This includes more systems than you may know. Certainly, it includes all of the lights on your dash, but it also includes various sensors and computers that govern your car's function. Even thirty years ago, cars were much more analog than they are today. This has been an endless source of frustration for amateur auto repair enthusiasts, who find themselves shut out of work they used to find quite easy to perform.
Running Your Gadgets
Whether it is your car lighter, your iPod, the horn, or the headlights, these vehicle gadgets get their power from the electrical system. When the battery goes out, so do these. One of the first signs of a weak battery is often a weak set of headlights. Others will sometimes notice a weak door chime that sounds as though it is dying. When you hear that, you automatically know that you might not like the results of turning your key in the engine.
Auto Repair
When it comes to fixing problems along the electrical system, you hardly need to be an electrician. Changing out a battery is not terribly difficult, and jumping a car off is one of the easiest forms of car maintenance you can find. Still, there are things that can easily go over the layman's head, so don't hesitate to contact a mechanic for more complicated problems.
by: Abraham Avotina
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