Automotive Solutions of London on your vehicles electrical system.

Description: The alternator consists of a spinning set of electrical windings called a rotor, a stationary set of windings called a stator, a rectifier assembly, a set of brushes to maintain electrical contact with the rotor, and a pulley. All of these parts except the pulley are contained in an aluminium housing. Today’s alternators use compact, electronic voltage regulators that may be housed inside the alternator or the voltage regulator function may be handled by the vehicle’s powertrain control module (PCM).

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: Have the alternator’s drive belt tension checked at every oil change. A loose belt can reduce alternator output and run down your car’s battery. Each spring, prior to travel season, it’s wise to have your car’s charging system tested as part of a comprehensive starting, charging and battery test. This test will determine whether your car’s alternator is putting out the proper amount of current and voltage.

Your car’s alternator is designed to recharge the battery after slight discharging such as engine starting; the alternator is not designed for charging heavily discharged ("dead") batteries. Relying on the alternator to charge a heavily discharged battery can overload the alternator and cause damage. In such cases, use a battery charger instead. An alternator problem can cause a discharged battery, poor accessory and light operation, frequent bulb replacement, repeat voltage regulator failures, erratic engine operation, or a dashboard warning light to illuminate. To pinpoint the cause, have your car’s charging system checked out by a qualified service technician.

Battery

Description: The battery is the backbone of the electrical system. Most cars use a lead-acid battery. The battery is made of a plastic case, containing an arrangement of positive and negative lead plates separated by synthetic plate separators. The plates are connected to a set of terminals, which provide connection to the vehicle. The battery is filled with electrolyte, a mixture of sulphuric acid and water. The electrolyte and lead plates provide the chemical action necessary to store and release energy.

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: Your vehicle's battery and its connections should be checked at every oil change. The battery should be mounted securely, as vibration takes a toll on battery life. On batteries with removable filler caps, the electrolyte should be checked and topped off with distilled water. Battery connections should be clean, tight and corrosion-free. To clean the battery case and terminals, use a mixture of baking soda and water. As an added measure to fight terminal corrosion, chemically treated felt rings can be placed over the battery posts.

Batteries don't always give warning signs before they fail. If your vehicle's battery is three years old or more, it's wise to replace it. When choosing a replacement, there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all battery. Make sure the new one has adequate capacity for your exact make, model and equipment.

If you live in an extremely cold climate, consider upgrading to the largest capacity available for your vehicle. Battery efficiency drops off drastically in cold temperatures and the extra capacity can make the difference in starting on cold winter mornings. Avoid running your battery dead; deep-cycling (discharging and then charging) quickly takes its toll on battery life.

For longest life, automotive batteries are intended to keep a relatively consistent charge. If you decide to change the battery yourself, be aware that many cars may need to "re-learn" certain electronic engine control habits, like idle speed. Disconnecting the battery may also erase the memory of radios and other creature comforts like memory mirrors and seats. Check your vehicle's owner's manual for more specifics on changing the battery. Never discard an old battery in the trash. Take the old battery to a recycling centre that accepts automotive batteries.

Cables

Description: Cables are basically heavy-duty wires made of many strands of copper wire. An insulating jacket prevents contact with ground or other conductors. Cables have large terminals attached to their ends for connection to the battery, starter, starter relay, starter solenoid or main parts of the electrical system. Cables come in different sizes to match the electrical load of their circuit.

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: Your vehicle’s cables should be checked periodically to ensure that they’re tight and free from corrosion. Corroded or loose connections can cause a wide range of electrical problems including a no-start, dead battery, and erratic electrical accessory operation. The most important cable connections are the battery terminals, which should be checked at every oil change. The connections should be tight and free from corrosion. The battery case and terminals can be cleaned using a mixture of baking soda and water. As an added measure to fight terminal corrosion, chemically treated felt rings can be placed over the battery posts.

If neglected long enough, cables will need to be replaced. They should always be replaced with a cable of at least the same diameter to minimize the effects of electrical resistance. Changing a battery or other cable may disconnect power to certain memory circuits like radios and other creature comforts such as memory mirrors and seats. If the vehicle’s powertrain control module is disconnected, it may need to "re-learn" certain engine operating habits, like idle speed. Check your vehicle’s owner’s manual for more specifics on what may happen if power is disconnected. Because of the wide variety of technicalities and techniques needed to properly service the electrical system on today’s cars, it’s best to have your car serviced by a qualified technician.

Cruise Control

Description: The typical modern cruise control system includes an electronic control module, a wiring harness, various switches, an actuating servo, input from the vehicle speed sensor, and vacuum controls.

Purpose: Cruise control automatically maintains consistent vehicle speeds, reducing driver fatigue during extended driving periods.

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: As a system, cruise control doesn’t require regular maintenance. Generally, the system is taken for granted until it no longer works or works improperly. Most cruise ailments stem from simple things like a blown fuse, disconnected or damaged wiring, bad connections or grounds; cut, split, or broken vacuum hoses and fittings; and misadjusted, damaged or missing servo linkage. Some common cruise control problems include non-engagement, inability to hold a set speed, no response to switch inputs, and surging with the cruise set.

If your car’s cruise control system acts up, first check the owner’s manual to find the fuse location and make sure the fuse is OK. Replace the fuse if bad. Outside of a simple fuse, it’s wise to have your car’s cruise control system diagnosed by a professional service technician. Many of today’s systems are rather sophisticated and require special skills and training to get to the heart of the problem.

Defroster

scription: The defroster is a specialized mode of the HVAC system that directs treated air to the interior of the windshield and in many cases to the side windows.

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: An improperly operating defroster can impair your vision and your safety. Common defroster problems may include little or no airflow to the windshield, inability to change air temperature, and poor defogging. Many import cars have an outside air/recirculation air control lever. The defroster cannot properly remove moisture from the interior of the car unless the lever is set to the outside air mode. If basic checks do not reveal the cause of your car’s defroster problem, have it looked at by a professional service technician.

Exterior Lighting

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: The operation if your car’s exterior lights should be checked at every oil change to ensure your safety. Each year, have the alignment of your car’s headlights checked to make sure they’re aimed properly. If one light doesn’t work in a circuit but the others do, the problem is probably a bad bulb. If all the lights are out in a circuit (except the headlights), the problem is probably a fuse, switch or other factor affecting the entire circuit. A bad bulb or turn signal flasher usually causes turn signal problems. A turn signals that flashes on one side, but not the other, is usually caused by a bad bulb on the side that won’t flash. If both sides don’t flash, and the bulbs appear to be OK, it’s likely that the turn signal flasher is faulty. Check your car’s owner’s manual for fuse and turn signal flasher locations. Beyond that, it’s wise to consult a qualified service professional to diagnose other maladies in the lighting circuits.

Description: Older vehicles use cartridge type fuses that have a fuse element encased in a glass cylinder. The fuse capacity is marked on the end conductors of this type of fuse. The blade style fuse has become almost the universal standard for fuse applications today. The blade style fuse makes it much easier to visually determine whether a fuse is blown or not.

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: Refer to your vehicle’s owner’s manual for specifics on fuse panel locations, fuses and their capacities. Today’s electrical systems have more than one fuse panel that can be found in different locations throughout the vehicle. Common fuse panel locations include the engine compartment and under the dash. Some carmakers have even made life easier by labelling fuse access panels with "FUSES". Circuit breakers are often located in fuse/relay panels, but some components like the headlight switch and power window motors have built-in circuit breakers. Blown fuses or a tripped circuit breaker usually indicate more serious electrical circuit problems such as a short circuit or an electrical consumer that is using more current than the circuit is designed for. Mini fuses, standard auto fuses and the maxi fuse all have standard colours that reflect the fuse’s current-carrying capability.

Fusible Link

Description: The traditional fusible link is a short section of wire that has a smaller diameter than the rest of the circuit. When current flow in the circuit exceeds that of the fusible link, the wire melts and interrupts the circuit. This type of fusible link is becoming quickly obsolete, as many carmakers have opted for newer technologies such as the cartridge style fuse element or maxi fuse. When a fuse link “blows”, it must be replaced.

Purpose: Fusible links act as high-current fuses by protecting their circuits from excessive current draw. The capacity of fusible links is usually 30 amps or more-somewhat higher than that of standard fuses. When a fusible link blows, it means that its current-carrying capacity was exceeded and the heat across the link’s conductor caused the link to melt and open the circuit.

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: Blown fusible links usually indicate more serious electrical circuit problems such as a short circuit or an electrical consumer that is using more current than the circuit is designed for. If the circuit problem still exists and a new fusible link is installed, the new link will also melt. The location of fusible links varies. The older, wire style of link is usually located in a wiring harness near a main harness connection and the link may have a current capacity tag attached. Fortunately, since this type of link can be tough to find, carmakers have almost altogether changed to the cartridge style fuse element or maxi fuse. These types of fusible links are located in fuse panels at various locations on the vehicle. Check your car’s owner’s manual for fuse panel locations and their specific fusible links and capacities. To get to the root cause of your car’s electrical problem, have the system diagnosed by a qualified service professional.

Description: High Intensity Discharge (HID) lights, also known as Xenon lights, produce a bright light resulting from an electric arc inside a capsule full of Xenon gas. Many times, HID lighting appears to give off a bluish tint when the bulbs are lit. This technology produces a significantly brighter and whiter light than that of a standard halogen light. HID lights first began appearing on luxury cars in the late 1990s and are becoming increasingly more common as standard equipment.

Purpose: As a newer headlight technology, HID lights provide better visibility at night, which help to improve nighttime driving safety. HID lights also consume less electricity than their halogen counterparts, reducing load on the car’s electrical system. Because of the projector-like technology of HIDS, their high-tech appearance is also a welcome addition to today’s vehicle designs.

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: Check headlight operation frequently and always replace defective bulbs with another of the same exact type. During replacement, be careful not to touch the bulb itself as the oil from your skin can cause the bulb to fail. Cars with HID lights from the factory meet lighting safety requirements for that specific make, year and model. If you plan to retrofit your car’s standard halogen lights over to HID, make sure the bulbs/conversion kits result in a legal installation for street use. HID conversions are usually more involved than just a simple bulb replacement and require thorough research before making the decision to switch.

Description: The instruments usually include the speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, oil pressure gauge, coolant temperature gauge, and voltmeter or ammeter. Other instruments may also be included depending on options and the manufacturer. Some instruments work together with a warning light to alert you of major changes in a system’s status. This may include low oil pressure, low fuel level, and excessive coolant temperature.

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: Take the time to review your vehicle’s owner’s manual so you have a clear understanding of what the instruments and warning lights represent. Many warning lights come on when the ignition switch is turned to the on position as a bulb check. Generally, a light that stays on or comes on while driving means a problem in that system. Problems with instruments usually fall into two categories: instruments that don’t work and instruments that display inaccurate readings. Refer to your vehicle’s owner’s manual for the location of the instrument fuses to see if a fuse is the cause. If the fuses are OK, have your vehicle’s instruments checked by a qualified service technician.

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: When possible, refer to your car's owner's manual for the recommended jump-start procedure and follow it exactly. Use extreme care when working around batteries as batteries emit explosive gas that can ignite if jumper cables are connected improperly. The following procedure outlines the general steps involved when jump-starting.

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: When shopping for a set of jumper cables, make sure that the cable diameter is at least 4 gauge and that the insulation is supposed to remain flexible in cold temperatures. Smaller cables do not have sufficient current flow capabilities, which can limit their usefulness and may even cause cable overheating and consequent melting of the cable insulation. The cables should be somewhere between 12 and 16 feet long to ensure a good working length. Quality jumper cables should also have heavy-duty terminal clamps that provide secure connections to both top-post and side-terminal batteries. Jumper cables should be used carefully to prevent damage to the cables and vehicle and to prevent personal injury. When possible, refer to your car’s owner's manual for the recommended jump-start procedure and follow it exactly.

Power Seats

Description: Power seats use one or more electric motors to change the position of the seat. Some vehicles have just a power driver’s seat and others have power seats for both the driver and passenger. Some luxury models have a memory capability that can be programmed to remember specific seat positions for different drivers.

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: Power seats generally operate without any problems for the life of the car. To help prevent damage to the seat motors, mechanism and tracks, keep the area under the seat clear. For example, items such as snowbrushes and umbrellas can get jammed in the seat track, binding the motor and its drive mechanism. When a power seat problem does occur, it generally falls into one of two categories: no power seat operation and a loss of certain power functions. A circuit breaker usually protects the power seat circuit; the breaker usually resets itself after a circuit overload. You may want to check your car’s owner’s manual to find the breaker and make sure it’s connected properly to the fuse/relay panel. If everything seems OK, but the power seat problem persists, have it diagnosed by a professional service technician.

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: To help keep your car’s power windows operating smoothly, lightly spray the window tracks with aerosol silicone lubricant (available at many auto parts stores) a couple of times per year. Lubricating the window tracks reduces the friction on the window, which lightens the load on the window’s drive motor and mechanism. Some common power window problems include all windows inoperative, one window inoperative, or poor performance of a given window. A circuit breaker usually protects the power window circuit; the breaker usually resets itself after a circuit overload. You may want to check your car’s owner’s manual to find the breaker and make sure it’s connected properly to the fuse/relay panel. If everything seems OK, but the power window problem persists, have it diagnosed by a professional service technician.

Description: Sockets serve as receptacles for the light bulbs and usually have a plastic or metal body. The vehicle’s wiring harness connects to terminals of the socket to provide connection to the light bulb. Sockets may hold single or double-filament bulbs. Sockets with a plastic body usually have a separate ground wire to complete the lighting circuit. Sockets with a metal body often use the body of the socket itself as the ground connection.

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: Most light bulbs in your car’s lighting system are easily replaceable. The bulbs have specific numbers that are listed in the owner’s manual, so look there for the number. To access a socket, you may have to remove a couple of screws to remove a light housing. Then, just twist the socket counter clockwise about one- quarter turn to remove it (some sockets have arrow markings showing which way to turn). Metal sockets usually unsnap from their housings. Check your owner’s manual to be sure. If you’re changing a halogen or high-intensity discharge headlight bulb, do not touch the bulb with your bare hands. Oil from your skin can cause the bulb to fail prematurely. A turn signal that flashes in one direction, but not in the other direction, usually means there’s a bad bulb on the side that does not flash. If you have a lighting problem and the bulbs and fuses seem OK, have the system diagnosed by a qualified service professional.

Starter Solenoid

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: Proper starter solenoid and starter operation rely on a healthy battery and sound cable connections. Make sure the connections are clean and tight at every oil change. A faulty starter solenoid can cause the starter to not engage or lose engagement, and overall poor starter performance. Each spring, prior to travel season, it’s wise to have your car’s starting system tested as part of a comprehensive starting, charging and battery test. This test will determine whether your car’s starter solenoid is working as it should, along with the rest of the starting circuit. If you suspect a problem with the starter solenoid or the starter, have it investigated as soon as possible by a professional service technician.

Starter

Description: The starter consists of an electric motor that powers a starter drive-a special pinion gear designed to engage with the ring gear of the flywheel or torque converter. Many of today’s starters also use a gear reduction to increase the torque output of the starter. The starter is usually mounted to the rear of the engine or the front of the transmission housing.

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: To ensure good starter performance, check your vehicle’s battery cables at every oil change. The cables should be tight and free from corrosion. Corroded or loose connections can cause slow cranking, arcing at cable connections, and other electrical system problems. The battery case and terminals can be cleaned using a mixture of baking soda and water. As an added measure to fight terminal corrosion, chemically treated felt rings can be placed over the battery posts. Each spring, prior to travel season, it’s wise to have your car’s starter tested as part of a comprehensive starting, charging and battery test. This test will determine whether your car’s starter is drawing its normal amount of current. Excessive current draw usually means a worn starter and results in hard starting. Take your car to a professional service technician to get to the heart of your car’s starting system problem.

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: Proper starter relay and starter operation rely on a healthy battery and sound cable connections. Make sure the connections are clean and tight at every oil change. A faulty starter relay can cause the starter to not engage or lose engagement, and overall poor starter performance. Each spring, prior to travel season, it’s wise to have your car’s starting system tested as part of a comprehensive starting, charging and battery test. This test will determine whether your car’s starter relay is working as it should, along with the rest of the starting circuit. If you suspect a problem with the starter relay or the starter, have it investigated as soon as possible by a professional service technician.

Description: Switches are one of the key components of any electrical circuit. Switches are used in a multitude of locations for just about every conceivable vehicle accessory and feature. They range from the simple to the complex, some having just a few contacts while others have a complex arrangement for more sophisticated needs. An example of a simple switch is the one operated by the glove box door that turns on the light inside.

On the other end of the spectrum, the turn signal switch is rather complex, as it must control the turn signals, while interrupting the brake light circuit. Some switches are operated manually, such as the switches for the power windows. Other switches activate automatically, such as the door switches that activate the interior lights. Some switches, such as the headlight switch, may also include a circuit breaker as part of the switch assembly.

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: The switches on your car do not require regular maintenance and usually last the life of the car. Nevertheless, switches can fail over time after being activated thousands of times during their normal life. The symptoms of a bad switch usually include a circuit that won’t work at all or a circuit that may not work in certain modes. Like any circuit that doesn’t work, it’s always best to start with a check of the fuses. Refer to your vehicle’s owner’s manual for fuse locations and capacities. If the fuse is OK, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the switch is bad. There are many things that can go wrong with an electrical circuit, a switch being just one of them. To accurately pinpoint the cause, have your car’s electrical problem thoroughly diagnosed by a qualified service technician.

Description: The voltage regulator is an electronic device that regulates alternator output according to the battery’s state of charge and accessory loads. Today’s compact electronic voltage regulators may be housed inside the alternator or the voltage regulator function may be handled by the vehicle’s powertrain control module (PCM).

Purpose: The voltage regulator manages the alternator’s output according to vehicle operating conditions. The voltage regulator must balance the needs of a fully charged battery, long battery life, accessory loads, and long light bulb life. For these reasons, voltage regulators must operate at specified voltages.

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: Each spring, it’s wise to have your car’s charging system tested as part of a comprehensive starting, charging and battery test. This test will determine whether your car’s alternator/voltage regulator team is doing its job as designed. Symptoms of a faulty voltage regulator may include a discharged battery, short battery life, poor accessory and lighting operation, frequent bulb replacement, lower than normal dashboard voltmeter readings, an illuminated charging system warning light, frequent topping off of the battery’s electrolyte, and diagnostic trouble codes stored in the vehicle’s PCM. Also, a bad alternator may cause repeat failures of the voltage regulator, so keep this in mind. Isolating the cause of your car’s charging system woes is best left to the skills and experience of a qualified service technician. Since the functions of the alternator and voltage regulator are so closely interrelated, it takes the right combination of training and equipment to pinpoint the fault.

Description: Most cars use a windshield wiper system with an electric motor connected to a wiper transmission to move a pair of wiper arms and blades. Some SUVs, station wagons, and multi-purpose vehicles also have a similar system for the rear window, using a single wiper arm and blade. Some luxury vehicles use a pair of miniature wipers for the headlights. The wiper control switch has several modes to change wiper speed, and in many cases to turn the wipers on intermittently. The windshield washers can also be considered as part of the wiper system.

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: Make sure that the windshield washer solvent reservoir is full so you can use your wipers to clear your view when driving. This is critical during the winter months. To help improve visibility further, consider a dirt and water repellent that you apply directly to the windshield. Running the system out of fluid can damage the windshield washer pump. Don’t use water, as it does not provide anti-freeze properties and does not clean as well as washer fluid. Some cars have two reservoirs, one located in front under the hood and one located in back for the rear washer.

During winter, you may want to consider the use of winter blades, which have a protective boot that minimizes the chances of the wiper arm and blade freezing. Never use your wipers to try and clear ice and snow after your car has been sitting. The wiper system was never intended to be an ice scraper and over-stressing the wipers can cause damage to the wipers, the wiper linkages and transmission, and the wiper motor. If the windshield wipers don’t work, or only operate in a certain mode, check the fuses first. Refer to your car’s owner’s manual for the location of the wiper fuse. If the fuse is OK, bring your vehicle to a professional service technician who can test and troubleshoot the wiper system.