Cars and Tuning

For the good operation of the electrical set of the automobile a series of electrical systems is necessary that fulfill very concrete and specific missions.

One of the electrical systems necessary for the operation in the explosion motors is the ignition system. However, there are other necessary systems for the correct operation of the automobile. These systems are:
or Battery.
or System of load.
or System of starting.
or System of illumination.
or System of control.
or electrical Complements.
All these systems, besides to be based on the existing necessities at every moment, must fulfill the Law on Traffic Circulation of Motor Vehicles and Road Security.

Battery
The storage battery is used in the automobiles for the starting, ignition, lighting system and electrical drive of the horn and other accessories when the motor is stopped. Its mission is to provide necessary the electrical current in the automobile when the generating system does not work (for example to stopped vehicle).
Constitution
The batteries that are used in the automobiles are of the type of lead plates, to which we talked about in the explanations that follow. The lead plates in grid form take in their interstices or hollows, tablets of material assets: spongy lead, for the refusals and peroxide of lead for the positive ones. Between the plates insulating laminae, separating calls, that usually are of wood, rubber are placed, glass fiber, plastic, wool, etc. As much the positive plates as negative go united by bridges, connected in parallel, and they mount putting in the positive ones between the refusals and with the separators between each pair of plates. And others are placed inside a glass, forming what an element of battery or storage cell is called. It has corks to the filling of the electrolyte, to verify his level and to allow the exit of gases that take place during the chemical reactions.

The compound electrolyte even sulfuric acid and pure water, is obtained in the approximated proportion of eight parts of water and three of acid.
All the batteries are formed by several elements, that are arranged after others, being united their terminals so that the negative plates of each one are united to the positive plates of following element, that is to say, mounted all the elements in series, being within a box divided by means of partitions.
Although the voltage of each element can vary between 2’2 volts, when it is loaded and 1’7 volts, when it is unloaded, is practically considered that the voltage of each element is of 2 volts. Thus, a battery with six elements placed in series, is a battery of 12 volts.
The batteries are not only characterized by their voltage, but also by its capacity, that depends on the dimensions of the plates and the number of them, that is, by the amount of electrical energy that can give back when completely they are loaded. This capacity is expressed in ampere-hour. A battery of 80 ampere-hour can provide in its unloading the current of an ampere during eighty hours followed before its voltage descends below 1’7 volts, at whose moment is considered that the battery is unloaded.
Maintenance
Although at the present time many of the batteries are of the denominated ones: “sin mantenimiento” or of “bajo mantenimiento”, minimum cares are necessary to maintain them in perfect state.
It is important to maintain the tips perfectly clean, so that they allow a good connection with the terminals, assuring to us that these last ones are well tight.
In order to isolate the tips of the humidity and to avoid the sulphate reaction it agrees to cover them with neutral fat or petroleum jelly.
It agrees to review with certain regularity the level of the electrolyte (sulfuric acid and water), that must be 1 cm., approximately, over the plates. The water of the interior evaporates progressively reason why it is necessary to replace it until reaching the suitable level. This operation must take control of water always distilled.
The proportion of the electrolyte is of 3 parts of acid by 8 of water, (25% of acid in volume), with a density of 1’28.
On the other hand, the anchorage of the battery in its lodging, must be sufficiently firm and solid. We must verify regularly tightens of the screws or nuts of the mechanism that the fixed one, to avoid that one moves during the march.
In order to avoid a unloading of the battery in the starting it will not be insisted more than 3 seconds, and in case that it does not start the motor we have to wait for seconds until repeating the maneuver. This operation will be carried far in winter, where the starting is more expensive, due to the greater resistance of the organs of the motor to the movement. The capacity of a battery diminishes more, whichever minor is the temperature.
The electrical connection in parallel is obtained uniting the poles of the same sign (the sum of the capacities is obtained and the voltage-tension of batteries stays). The electrical connection in series obtains uniting the poles of different sign (the voltages are added and the capacity stays, if they are batteries).
In order to take the motor of a vehicle that has the unloaded battery, with the aid of another battery, it is come from the following way:
or To verify that the batteries are of the same tension (voltage) and of similar capacity.
or they are united in parallel, with appropriate cables, the first positive poles and later the negatives (positive pole with positive, and negative with negative of both batteries).
or Next the starter engine of the vehicle is driven that is tried to start up.
or Later the cables of inverse form become disconnected, first what the positives go soon to the negative tips and.

It is necessary to have special well-taken care of in not touching cables with others, nor in the plate of the vehicle, before the risk of cortocicuitos, and not to do it if he is not safe, is preferable to go to the specialized technical service.
In order to connect two batteries of 12 volts, obtaining a final result of 24 V., is come connecting, in series, of the following form:
or the negative tip is connected of first with the positive of second.
or the positive of first is connected to current (receiving).
or the negative of the second a mass.

Battery of low maintenance
The conventional batteries use antimony with the lead in the construction of the frame of the plates. The antimony increases autodescarga in the time of rest of the battery.
At the moment batteries of low maintenance are constructed, that allow to diminish the antimony content, being used as well separating thinner and of greater porosity.
These batteries present/display the advantages of a minor autodescarga in rest, greater duration in good condition and minor entertainment.
In these batteries of low maintenance it is due to verify the level of the electrolyte and to recover, in necessary case, with distilled water.
Battery without maintenance
They are used in most of the present vehicles. The antimony is eliminated totally that produces corrosion, autodescarga in rest and evaporation of the water. It presents/displays the following advantages:
or it does not need distilled water.
or autodescarga Diminishes.
Alkaline or metallic battery
They are not used in automobiles due to its greater cost of manufacture, minor voltage by storage cell and minor yield that those of lead.

Production system of electrical energy
In the electrical system of the automobile there are a series of receivers or services that consume electrical energy of the battery for their operation, such as: the starter engine, lights, windshield wipers, electroventilador, etc., that, would exhaust the energy of the battery, depending on the capacity of this one. For that reason a system is necessary that has the mission to replace or to load the battery for its later use, besides to feed the different systems and electrical elements when the motor is in operation. In order to obtain this, we will use a power supply or generator, that could be the dynamo or the alternator.
This chapter we will at the moment dedicate it to the alternator to be the generator used in the automobiles, due to the advantages that are obtained with respect to the dynamo.
Alternator
The inclusion of the alternator in the electrical equipment of the automobiles has come imposed by the necessity, every greater time, to have a generator able to feed the services and to even load the battery at low engine speeds and when this one is to the slow motion.
Their more important characteristics are:
or a smaller weight or volume for the same power (comparing with a dynamo).
or Load of the battery with the vehicle in slow motion.
or very long Terms of maintenance or absence of such.
Constitution
In one of the elements is indicated each that compose the alternator

Rectification of the alternating current
The existence of a battery of DC in the vehicle and the necessity to recharge causes it that we must have a direct current generator.
In the dynamo the rectification of the alternating current was made of mechanical form by means of the collector and the brushes. In the alternator this rectification obtains by means of the diodes or semiconductors.
Semiconducting diodes
Its symbol imagines in.

The diodes have the mission to rectify the obtained alternating current in the stator, by their property to let circulate the electrical current in a single sense.
Operation
The generation of current of the alternator can study this way:
or Creation of a magnetic field. (Rotor).
or Creation of the induced current, alternates. (Stator).
or Rectified of this alternating current in DC.
or Put in circuit with the outside.
or the rotor mounted within the stator, tour driven by the trapezial strap that transmits the movement from the crank.
or the rotor coil (inductive) takes current through the regulator and of the brushes that lean in the rozantes ring.
or the inductive coil creates a magnetic field that, when turning, it induces in the windings of induced (stator) an three-phase alternating current.
or the bridge of rectifiers transforms the alternating current into continuous.
The rectifying bridge, made up of several (6 or 9) connected diodes of silicon to each one of the phases of the stator, has as a function to allow the passage of current in a sense, but not in the other, that is to say, it lets pass the current in the sense of the alternator to the battery but not in the opposite sense.

Advantages of the alternator in relation to the dynamo
We can deduce the following advantages of the alternator:
Load
The alternator has the advantage to load more than the dynamo, to a lower regime, which facilitates much the load of the battery in places where the functional motor to the slow motion (agglomerations, haltings, etc.).
Speed of rotation
In the dynamo the speed of rotation is limited.
The alternator allows high speeds much more.
Regulation
In the load of an alternator, it is observed that from a certain regime of revolutions, the intensity of load is independent at the speed of rotation, practically being constant. This allows to suppress in the regulator the element of limitation of intensity.
Due to the property of the diodes, to solely let pass the current in a sense, it is possible to suppress the circuit breaker.
Power and weight
In relation to the dynamo, for equiparables powers, alternators lighter are obtained than the corresponding dynamos. For example, it obtains greater yield with an alternator of 4’750 kg that with a dynamo of 6’500 kg.
Robustness
The alternator can work much more time without intervention some, mainly if the rotor goes mounted on bearings in each one of its ends.
In the alternator, the ring of frotamiento of the brushes is used very little and the brushes last quite important since they only support of 2 to 3 amperes, against 30 or 35 that must support the brushes of a dynamo.
Voltage regulator
The produced variations of tension in the alternator by effect of the speed changes, are controlled by the voltage regulator, that acts on the current of “excitación” that it arrives at the motor (amount of current month in the inductive coil).
In the circuit of load with the conexionado one between the elements imagines that integrate it:
or Battery.
or Alternator.
or Voltage regulator.
or Its corresponding connections (L, D, F, R, Exc- F, + and CR).

Several types of voltage regulators exist: transistorized and electronic, being these last ones the most used at the present time, being located within the same alternator.

System of electrical beginning
In order to start the engine of an automobile (gasoline or diesel oil), it is precise to print an initial movement to him of turn, to fill the mixture cylinders and that takes place the spark in the spark plugs, that is to say, to obtain the first explosions.
In order to obtain that initial movement of turn, formerly a crank was used that, linked in the end of the crank, was turned by hand. Nowadays it is made mechanically, by means of an electrical motor, commonly called “motor of arranque”. This electrical motor transforms the electrical energy into mechanical energy, with a speed reduction that can arrive until 1:15 (a return of the crank by fifteen of the starter engine).
If the pinion of the starter engine were geared constantly with the crown of the motor steering wheel and considering the reduction previously indicated, when starting the thermal motor, the induced one of the starter engine would be dragged at prohibitive speeds that would produce their destruction. For this reason, it is precise that the gear only takes place at the moment for making the starting, and that once put in march the thermal motor, the induced one is not dragged by the crown.
The effort that the starter engine makes to start the thermal engine, particularly is elevated when beginning the movement, since, when cold being, its resistance is considerable. The necessity that the starter engine is able to produce this motor pair and to be able to drag the thermal motor until reaches a speed at which the starting can be made, determines the engine power of starting, as well as the capacity of the battery that is to provide the current to him for its operation.
Constitution
The circuit to feed the starter engine is formed by:
B – Battery
M – Starter engine
I – Switch
And – Conductors of great section for the circuit of power
R – Cocking mechanism. (Relay).
F – Conductors of smaller section for the control circuit

Operation of the starting relay
In the circuit without being in operation imagines, since the switch (ignition key) is not connected.

In the 0 the circuit in operation is appraised:
or the switch connects itself and the relay by means of its electromagnet activates.
or It closes the main contacts of the circuit, happening a great intensity to the interior of the starter engine, that will put it into operation.
or the conductor disconnects the switch, deactivates itself and the main switch of the circuit becomes disconnected, leaving to pass current to the starter engine.

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Starter engine with built-in relay
Mission of the starter engine
The mission is the one to transform part of the electrical energy of the battery into mechanical energy, to print to the explosion motor or combustion to him the first returns until putting it in march.
Constitution

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In the starter engines two differentiated parts are due to consider affluent:
or electrical Circuit.
or System of mechanical connection of pinion-crowns.
Electrical circuit
The electrical circuit integrates it:
or Relay or cocking mechanism.
or inductive Coils.
or Induced.
or Brushes.
System of mechanical connection
Integrated by:
or Pinion with free wheel.
or Handle relay control.
Principle of operation of the starter engine
Induced and inductive coils they both form two electromagnets with its respective windings, that in addition go connected in series, happening through the same current coming from the battery, when the relay allows – Interrupting 0 -. This current it creates magnetic fields of the same sign in induced inducer and, causing the repulsion of both and turn of the induced one that is transmitted to the gear system (mechanical connection).

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Systems of starter engines
System of Bendix gear (gear by inertia)
This system mounts some models of the conventional type and is formed by the following pieces:
or the pinion itself, with counterbalance.
or a socket that has acanaladuras, straight lines in its interior, to be able to slide axially by the axis of the induced one, and of helical striae in its outside so that by the same ones the pinion can slide.
or a compression wharf.
or a recovery wharf.
When the axis of the starter engine begins to turn, the pinion, due to its counterbalance of inertia, enrosca in the socket, moving until gearing with the steering wheel of the thermal motor.

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When making the gear, the pinion that was turning in emptiness, is restrained abruptly by the resistance that opposes the crown to him of the motor.
So that this effort is not transmitted to the other organs of the starter engine, it is had the compression wharf.
Once put in march the thermal motor, when turning the fastest pinion (dragged by the steering wheel) that the axis of the starter engine, takes place the disconnection. The pinion enrosca in the socket in inverse sense which it followed when the gear took place.
The recovery wharf avoids that, due to the vibration, the pinion grazes with the crown of the steering wheel.
System of free wheel
When driving the commutator the starter switch, the winding of the relay receives current, creating a magnetic field that attracts the movable nucleus. This movement makes two functions: the advance and gear of the pinion in the crown of the thermal motor and the closing of the main contacts of the cocking mechanism with the following passage of current to the motor.

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The operation of the system of free wheel of the pinion is the following one:
or Once geared the pinion in the crown of the steering wheel, the movement of the induced one is transmitted to the joint pinion, that, by means of the look of the rollers puts in movement the crown of the thermal motor.

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or
or When the thermal engine start-up has taken place, the crown of the same one, when increasing the speed, would drag to the induced one at excessive speeds that would cause their destruction. Effect that is annulled when entering operation the system of free wheel, that consists of desenclavar the rollers.

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System of illumination
The system of lighting system in the vehicles is made up of a series of lights leaned to the same one, and, its application is regulated by the Law of Traffic, Circulation of Motor Vehicles and Road Security, whose mission is to see, to be seen and warn of the maneuvers. In this chapter, one of the elements studies each that form the different circuits of lighting system and these are:
or Lights (projectors and optical).
or Lamps.
or electrical Circuits.
or Elements of control, control and protection.
Lights
The lights are formed inner by a concave parabola with lodging for the lamp and a convergent optical lens.
It is covered by his outside by an anticorrosive procedure and in his interior it wears a layer aluminized with a mirror brightness, so that they reflect received rays of the luminous center and thus to project them.
The parabola is closed by a crystal (optician) carving with prisms that the double mission fulfills to protect the interior of the dust and the dirt, and simultaneously to obtain the direction in the luminous beam, making to go down towards the pavement and in horizontal direction to illuminate the wide one of the pavement.

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Two types of lights exist:
Open or current lights
The crystal and the parabola form a single unit and the lamp is independent. At the present time using is the system more.
In the 8 the lamps for highway and crosses and position can be observed.

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Closed or sealed lights
All the elements form a single unit. Hermetically it is closed and in its interior the emptiness has been made, later to fill up it of an inert or halogenous gas. Its replacement is expensive and when being fused the filament is necessary to replace all the projector. At the present time its use very is limited.
The projected luminous beam, can be:
To – Divergent.
B – Parallel.
C – Convergent.

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The dipped headlight is convergent and the one of parallel highway.
In the dipped headlight a device underneath the filament of the lamp is placed, to avoid the shipment of luminous rays to the inferior part of the parabola, and allowing that takes place a ray beam from the superior part of the parabola towards the pavement.
The light of highway or intensive lighting system is predicted so that alum one minimum range of 100 ms, reason why the luminous beam is parallel and the one of crossing 40 ms, like minimum. The lights can be circular or rectangular adapting to the line of the body.
In the last models, the nose lights are rectangular generally and the optical are integrated in the lines of the body. The design of such improves the distribution of the light, particularly in the crossing position and reduces also the risk of damages in case of collision. The aerodynamic aspect also is favored.

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It washes-limpiafaros constitute one of the introduced innovations to improve the road security. It washes-limpiafaros are activated when lavaparabrisas is used.

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Setting of the highway lighting system or crosses
So that the illumination obtained with the lights is most perfect possible, as much in intensity as in amplitude and distance, and with an suitable direction to avoid annoyances to other users of the highway, it needs that the lights perfectly are regulated.
The subjection of the lights allows to vary its position in all the senses and with it the power to correctly orient the direction of the luminous ray beam.
In the present time, setting of lights makes by means of apparatus, that approximating it to the vehicle, projects on a screen the luminous beam, allowing the setting of lights according to which the beam is located or it is not it, within the zone of reference that takes this apparatus. Also it allows to regulate the light intensity. This operation is due to carry out in the specialized factories.

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The nose lights can adjust easily from the interior of the engine compartment by means of two pomos, with no need of tools or, from the interior of the vehicle, with a control arranged to it.

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Pilots
They are supports that are inserted in the body. This support takes built-in to a lampholder type bayonet, with one either two poles and one or two lamps, always covered by a different optical element with colorful according to its function and in agreement with the effective norm.

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These pilots are not for illuminating, but to be seen, for that reason lamps with the power sufficient are used to be Vista the position and the maneuver that the vehicle makes in every moment.
Generally, in the later part of the vehicle ample groups optical back, very visible and surrounding with fog light, reverse gear, intermittent, position and braking mount.

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Lamps
The lamps are the elements that have the mission to transform the electrical energy into luminous energy. All is based at first for their operation: when introducing a tungsten filament in a glass blister in which the emptiness has been made and filling with an inert gas (argon or nitrogen), if the ends of the filament to an electrical current are connected, the filament will be put incandescent emitting a luminous flux in all the directions, that we will use by means of the lights.
The lamps take recorded, in their socket, their power and the nominal tension of operation.
The sockets are the elements that take the lamps to fix them to the lampholders. Usually they are of the type bayonet, that they link in two grooves of the lampholders and by means of a small turn they are fixed him. Means press them to avoid its fall and to assure the contact.
Halogenous lamps
These lamps consist of a filament that goes introduced in a full halogenous gas blister, generally iodine.
The high temperatures that take place make that the crystal must be replaced by one of quartz, much more resistant. The crystal is not due to never touch with the hand, because the salts that accompany the sweat, can alter the chemical process and spoil the lamp.

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The power of this lamp is approximately of 60 watts. In the socket the characteristics of the lamp are indicated, for example: from the H-1 to the H-3 they are lamps of a filament and the H-4 makes reference to two filaments. The socket, in this case, takes to three terminals one for the common mass and the other two, one for long reach (wagon) and another one for short reach (it crosses).
Electrical conductors
They are used for the facilities of the electrical circuits. They are made up of a thread nucleus fine copper coiled in helix with object to give greater flexibility to the conductor and covered of a plastic insulating material. Its use, within the electrical circuit, is based on a color code, being the most characteristic blue and black for mass, and red and the yellow for which they take current. For great intensities (amperes) they will have much metallic section and for great tensions (voltages) they will have much isolation.

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Auxiliary circuits of lighting system
In addition to the main circuit in that are the projectors of intensive light, it crosses and the circuit of navigation lightses, exists a series of auxiliary circuits whose mission is as important as the one of the main one.
Circuit of intermitencia
Its function is to indicate to the other conductors our intentions relative to possible maneuvers. A commutator or switch located in the salpicadero consists of, on which the conductor acts to connect the direction indicators of the right side or the left one. The current arrives until the lamps through the denominated box of intermitencias. If a lamp is based accelerates the frequency of the intermitencia, which serves so that the conductor detects the failure. A witness located in the salpicadero indicates when they are connected.
The frequency or cadence of the boxes of intermitencias is of 60 to 120 pulsations per minute.
Circuit of brake lights
The mission of this circuit is to indicate when the conductor is acting on the brake so that the other conductors can anticipate the immediate reduction of the speed of the vehicle. One is made up of one or two lights located in the later part of the vehicle and whose intensity is superior to the one of the navigation lightses. The obtained current of the battery arrives through a switch, located in the brake pedal that closes the circuit when this one is driven.

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Circuit of reverse gear lights
It consists of one or two lights of white color, located in the later part of the vehicle and that are illuminated by means of a commutator located in the gear box that closes the circuit when being inserted the reverse gear.

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Circuit of lights antifog
One is an auxiliary circuit and one is made up of two nose lights of selective white or yellow color and one or two later ones of red color. The back lights are of an intensity equivalent to those of brake and its mission is the one to complement the illumination under adverse conditions (fog, snow, dust or intense rain).

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The switches are independent and are located in the salpicadero, allowing to drive the front or back lights independently. A luminous witness is in charge to indicate the conductor if they are connected.
Other auxiliary circuits
The electrical system has manifold auxiliary circuits that they are in charge to activate the different services fed by the battery.
Most important they are:
Circuit of the windshield wiper
It feeds an electrical motor that is in charge to transmit the movement to the brushes of the windshield.

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Circuit of air conditioning
Its mission is to equip with current the different systems from inner ventilation. Mainly it gives current to the motor of the inner ventilator.
Circuit of illumination of the instrument panel
It goes connected to the main circuit of illumination and it is driven simultaneously with this one, when igniting the navigation lightses.

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Fuses
In order to avoid that an abnormal increase of the intensity of the current can harm the different elements or electrical apparatuses from the automobile, they are used “fusibles”, that they are cables that are put in at the beginning of the different electrical circuits of the automobile, they are of smaller resistance than the one of the cable of the circuit to protect and they are based when by any circumstance an increase of the intensity of the current takes place, for example, a short circuit.
The necessary fuses in the electrical system of the automobile, generally, go all grouped in a box, call “caja of fusibles” and distributed of such form that each one takes care of a certain element or asymmetric elements.

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Note. Before replacing a fused fuse it is necessary to look for and to eliminate the anomaly that has caused its fusion in order to avoid that the failure is repeated, and to place another one of the same intensity and the same type (cylindrical or flat).
Electrical complements
They integrate the circuits of control and control. These provide of constant form and during the operation of the vehicle the information sufficient to control the different circuits that act at every moment and in some cases the anomalies that can be presented/displayed.
Circuits of control
The control indicators imagine in the 5.
I – Indicator.

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Control circuits
To – Climatizador control.
B – Control thermal back moon.
C – Control light back fog.
D – Control light front fog.
And – Control light emergency.
F – Interrupting control lights.
G – Control brakes ABS.
H – Climatizador control.

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Accessories
or Temperature indicator of the water.
or Pressure gauge of the oil.
or Ammeter. This apparatus indicates the current that happens towards or from the battery.
or Level indicator of gasoline.
or Speedometer.
or Windshield wiper. The windshield wipers take a small electrical motor. This one rotates a crown that, by means of a connecting rod system, turns the tumbling of the motor the swing, precise so that the brushes work. In addition to the corresponding switch, in the control panel, it takes another united one to the crown. When the windshield wiper becomes disconnected, this one continues working until it arrives at his position of rest. Some have one second speed that is used with intense rain or when it is circulated very quickly.
or electrical Horns. The sound takes place by the vibration of a membrane located within the magnetic fields created by the current of the battery.