TECH NOTES

The Need for a Battery

This is a typical Wiring diagram for an automobile from the turn of the century to today, 100 years later. This diagram is for an automobile built in the 1920s yet it could represent the cars that are on the road today.

A wiring diagram shows how the various electrical components of the automobile are connected together.

In Part Two we will talk about what the different parts in the diagram do.
 

A battery is the source of power for the automobile. It is similar to a battery in a flashlight. Most cars have a 12-volt battery; older cars have a 6-volt battery. Did you know that some of the flashlights in your home have batteries that when working together produce 6 volts.

Even though some flashlight batteries are 6 volts they would not be able to crank or start the car engine. This is because the size and the design of a flash light battery is smaller, different then the car battery that is built to work harder and puts out a stronger current call amperage.

The battery has two-connection post; a positive (+) post (terminal) and a negative (-) post (terminal.) In an automobile one side of the battery is connected to the medal frame of the car this is called ground. 

Look over the diagram. Can you find the battery in this diagram?