Over the last couple of decades, a revolution of sorts has taken place in the automotive industry. Hybrid electric vehicles are now offered in abundance, by nearly all of the top auto manufacturers including Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chevy, Lexus, and many others. While such a notion might have seemed like a work of science-fiction thirty … Read more
Have you ever raised your vehicle’s hood, and noticed a chalky white, green, or blue substance deposited around the exterior of your battery? If so, what you observed was a case of battery corrosion. This corrosion is typically found on battery posts, as well as corresponding battery cable terminals. Unfortunately, battery terminal corrosion is extremely … Read more
Nothing’s worse than getting into your car on cold morning and having a dead battery. It’s especially frustrating if you’ve jumpstarted it multiple times, and the mechanic keeps saying that there’s nothing wrong with it. You might be tempted just to toss the battery and start all over with a new one. Don’t. One of … Read more
Owned and driven an automobile for a few years? If so, you have likely faced the torment of a bad battery. Your car’s battery is implicated in getting you off to a good drive to work, to the store or just for a ride in the country. When that battery fails or even begins to … Read more
As you turn the key to start up your vehicle’s engine, the battery of the vehicle produces an electrical current which goes into the ignition system and starter motor. If another current is needed which the alternator cannot provide, then the battery will provide this extra current. After all, the battery is the vehicle’s reservoir … Read more
Anyone who owns a vehicle has likely experienced the frustrating problem of a car that cranks but doesn’t start, even after repeatedly turning the key in the ignition. However, don’t let desperation keep you from logically figuring out why your vehicle cranks but won’t start normally. Related: What to Do if Your Car Breaks Down … Read more
When driving, it’s always important to pay attention to the signals your car is sending you. Many of these can be seen as glowing little symbols on the dashboard. But what should you do if the battery warning light comes on? Most modern vehicles have a 12 volt battery. Electric vehicles usually have one of … Read more
The ground strap is the heavy black wire which connects to the car battery’s negative terminal to the chassis of the car. Some other names for the strap include: negative battery cable, ground wire, or ground cable. The ground strap is the foundation of the entire vehicle’s electrical system. All of the electrical currents that … Read more
The main functions of an alternator are to generate electricity for the electrical components of the vehicle and to charge its battery. The alternator produces this electrical energy by converting mechanical energy. If you were to try and start your vehicle without an alternator, the battery alone would not be able to produce enough power … Read more
The alternator is what your car battery depends on to stay charged. With all the electrical components which exist in vehicles these days, you would never be able to supply energy to all of them with just the battery power alone. The alternator is what keeps the battery charged so that it can deliver the … Read more