Archive for the ‘Tech Tips’ Category
Electron: The basic unit of electricity. Think of electrons as “bullets”, moving through the wire. It is the movement of electrons which runs the devices.
Voltage: This is the force (or pressure) of electricity in the wire. Imagine your garden hose as the wire; the water pressure would be equivalent to the voltage. Older cars run on six volt systems and newer (most 1955 and later) utilize twelve volt systems.
Current: This is the movement of electrons in the wire, also known as Amps. The greater the movement through the wire, the greater the number of amps. Think of this as the speed of the water coming out of the garden hose. When you tighten the nozzle the water shoots out further and faster.
Resistance: This is a restriction to the movement of electrons through the wire or circuit. The unit of resistance is called the OHM and you can think of it as a kink in that garden hose. The higher the resistance, the more current must flow to overcome it. The more current flow through an area of high resistance, the hotter the wire will become, ultimately failing. Corrosion, loose terminals and too-small diameter wires are three very common causes of resistance.
Tags: current, electron, resistance, volt, voltage
When running wire through a metal hole, it is recommended to use an insulator between the metal and the wire jacket. If the insulator is not used over time it may chafe through and short. One type of insulator is a grommet.
It is not recommended to route your wiring near heat sources like exhaust pipes or turning hardware like fans or drive shafts.
It is best to harness any of your wiring with wire ties or tape to be sure they are secure and not easily caught on something.
Tags: grommet, wire, wiring
LED (light emitting diode) lights are fast becoming the light source of choice in many applications. There are good reasons for this. LED lights consume about 10th the power of an incandescent light bulb making them much more efficient. LEDs also last much longer than incandescent light bulbs at approximately 100,000 hours.
In the vehicle, the LED is commonly used as an indicator for alerting you if a circuit is powered on, such as turn signals and high beams. They are also used as warning lights, such as low oil pressure and high water temperature.
Tags: indicator, LED, light
A relay is nothing more than a remote switch that uses an electromagnet to close a set of contact points. When the relay magnet is supplied with voltage, the points close and battery voltage is routed through the main circuit. Relays are often used in circuits to reduce the amount of wiring that is required, and to reduce the current that flows through the primary control switch. A relatively low amperage switch, timer or sensor can be used to turn a much higher capacity relay on and off.
Tags: relay
Electrical circuits require voltage to operate the components connected to the specific circuit. So if there is no voltage, there is no function. When troubleshooting electrical problems, it is good to check for voltage at the load point in the circuit.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: breaker, circuit, fuse, relay, voltage
It is important to keep all connections clean and tight to avoid corrosion, resistance and arcing. The must important places to check for poor connections are the battery, alternator and starter.
Tags: alternator, batery, Connections, starter
When connecting or disconnecting an automotive battery, it is advisable to wear safety glasses and remove any jewelry that could come in contact with the batteries positive post and surrounding metal. Most automotive batteries contain sulfuric acid and if the battery is shorted it can cause severe injury to your eyes and skin.
Tags: battery
Fuses, fusible links, and circuit breakers protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by overload or short circuit. Fuses and fusible links operate once and then have to be replaced; a circuit breaker can be reset (either manually or automatically) to resume normal operation.
Tags: breaker, circuit, fuse, fusible link
The main cause of most automotive electrical problems is caused by a bad ground situation. Always keep in mind that a circuit has to be complete. This means that the current has to be able to travel from a good ground to the positive side of the energy source in order to operate. Do not rely on just the negative battery cable as the only ground; always incorporate a separate ground wire or cable from the engine block to the chassis.
Tags: battery, chassis, ground, grounding
Customers often ask why there is a need to change the horn relay when converting a 1958-62 Chevrolet Fullsize and Nova car from the stock generator to an internally regulated alternator. The reason is that on a car equipped with a generator, the “battery” terminal on the voltage regulator served as the main battery power distribution block. When that regulator is removed and the car is converted from a generator to an internally regulated alternator, we loose that distribution point. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: battery, chevrolet, chevy, impala, nova, power, relay, volt