Part 1: The Battery
At one time or another most of us have gone out to go to work or to the store and when we go to start the car... Nothing happens. Dead battery. Now Murphy's Law stipulates that when a battery dies, it will be in the most inconvenient place and time. If you have a set of jumper cables it's not too bad. You can usually find someone willing to give you a jump-start. A lot of times you need to call a tow truck to get you started or towed to a shop and have the problem repaired.
CAUTION: BATTERIES CONTAIN SULFURIC ACID. ALWAYS WEAR EYE PROTECTION WHEN WORKING ON A BATTERY. BATTERIES PRODUCE HYDROGEN GAS, DO NOT SMOKE OR CAUSE SPARKS THAT MAY IGNITE THE GAS AND CAUSE AN EXPLOSION.
The battery is only one link in the chain that makes sure you can start your car when you turn the key. As in any chain, it's only as strong as it's weakest link. Let's take a look at the charging system and some ways we can keep it strong and healthy.
There are three main parts to the charging system, the Alternator, the Voltage Regulator and the battery. We're all most familiar with the battery, so let's start with that.
Car batteries are of a lead-acid type. Most of the world production of lead goes into car batteries and an estimated 95% of all car batteries are recycled so the lead can be used again and again. The positive plates in a battery are made from lead dioxide and the negative plates are made from metallic lead. The electrolyte inside the battery is a sulfuric acid solution.
As the cell discharges, the acid electrolyte is consumed producing water and both electrodes change into lead sulfate. When the cell is recharged, the process reverses. A 12-volt battery has six cells connected in series making a total of 12 volts.
There are several ways to test a battery to see how good it is. The quickest and easiest is the load test. A predetermined load is placed across the battery terminals and held for ten seconds. At the end of the ten seconds the voltage across the terminals is measured and this voltage determines how good the battery is. If the voltage stays above 11 volts, the battery is good and healthy. If the voltage drops between 9 and 11 volts, the battery is determined to be borderline. It will be okay in warm weather, but may fail as the temperature drops toward freezing. If the voltage drops below 9 volts, it's no good.
At one time or another most of us have gone out to go to work or to the store and when we go to start the car... Nothing happens. Dead battery. Now Murphy's Law stipulates that when a battery dies, it will be in the most inconvenient place and time. If you have a set of jumper cables it's not too bad. You can usually find someone willing to give you a jump-start. A lot of times you need to call a tow truck to get you started or towed to a shop and have the problem repaired.
CAUTION: BATTERIES CONTAIN SULFURIC ACID. ALWAYS WEAR EYE PROTECTION WHEN WORKING ON A BATTERY. BATTERIES PRODUCE HYDROGEN GAS, DO NOT SMOKE OR CAUSE SPARKS THAT MAY IGNITE THE GAS AND CAUSE AN EXPLOSION.
The battery is only one link in the chain that makes sure you can start your car when you turn the key. As in any chain, it's only as strong as it's weakest link. Let's take a look at the charging system and some ways we can keep it strong and healthy.
There are three main parts to the charging system, the Alternator, the Voltage Regulator and the battery. We're all most familiar with the battery, so let's start with that.
Car batteries are of a lead-acid type. Most of the world production of lead goes into car batteries and an estimated 95% of all car batteries are recycled so the lead can be used again and again. The positive plates in a battery are made from lead dioxide and the negative plates are made from metallic lead. The electrolyte inside the battery is a sulfuric acid solution.
As the cell discharges, the acid electrolyte is consumed producing water and both electrodes change into lead sulfate. When the cell is recharged, the process reverses. A 12-volt battery has six cells connected in series making a total of 12 volts.
There are several ways to test a battery to see how good it is. The quickest and easiest is the load test. A predetermined load is placed across the battery terminals and held for ten seconds. At the end of the ten seconds the voltage across the terminals is measured and this voltage determines how good the battery is. If the voltage stays above 11 volts, the battery is good and healthy. If the voltage drops between 9 and 11 volts, the battery is determined to be borderline. It will be okay in warm weather, but may fail as the temperature drops toward freezing. If the voltage drops below 9 volts, it's no good.
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