Autocare & Maintenance tips

5 Vital Things to Know About your Car’s Wiring.

Cars are becoming more electrical than mechanical, and that means more wires, circuit boxes, fuse boxes, and so on. A car’s wiring is so intricate that any minor mistake could make the car not function properly and in extreme cases could lead to a fire accident. The electrical system is a closed circuit with an independent power source-the battery, which is being charged by the alternator. 

Here are some things to note about your car’s wiring:

1. Battery:

The battery is the hub of the electrical system. It stores charge and dispenses it when needed. It powers the starter or ignition, the lightning, power windows, stereo, and pretty much every other electrical component in the car. If you need to push your car into starting in the mornings or when the car is parked, then you have issues with your battery. 

Car's Wiring
Connecting the Car Battery via Unsplash

2. Alternator:

Your alternator is a very important part of your electrical system. It helps to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy to charge up your battery. Your engine is always in a circular motion once it is switched on, this circular motion is then harnessed and used to turn the alternator to produce electricity to charge up the battery. If this becomes faulty, you’d have to jump-start your vehicle since the battery will be flat. 

Alerntor car's wiring.
Car Alternator

3. Starter:

Your starter is also known as the ignition. It is a device that is powered by the battery and it rotates the internal combustion part of your engine to start up the engine’s activity. The starter could be electric, hydraulic or even pneumatic. 

Photo by Frank Leuderalbert on Unsplash

4. Brainbox:

As the name suggests, this is the “brain” of the car and is powered by electricity. It helps to control all electrical accessories in the car, including the windows, sunroof, door locks and so on. Basically, it monitors several actions to register irregularities in the operations of your car, and when it senses any problems, the check engine light comes up. This is aside from the fact that it actually works on optimizing the engine to reduce fuel consumption. 

The brainbox is part of the car's wiring
Photo by Petteri Selin on Unsplash

5. Light:

Lights in the dashboard to check the battery is normal.

The battery light should come on once you start the car and should go off after a few seconds. The light coming on initially means that everything is working fine, then the light going off after a few seconds means that the battery is being charged by the alternator. The battery should be constantly charged by the alternator, when it stops charging, then the battery will run down and will not be able to power the car.

Dashboard light and car's wiring
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

You’d be surprised how many of the operations of your car are actually controlled electronically by your brain box, examples which include idling, automatic gear shifting, cruise control, and so on. It’s key to avoid problems in your car’s wiring. 

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