Module 3: Battery,

Charging,
Electrical Systems
ANTHONY HEATHCOAT
SIUC AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY

[Link]@[Link]
Basic Electrical

 What Questions/Concerns do you have?

 What do you want from this module?
Powertrain Electrical
Components
 Battery
 Powers the Starter Motor
 Starter Motor
 Turns the engine
 Alternator
 Recharges the battery after Starting
 Powers the Ignition system and
electrical accessories
 Ignition System
 Ignites the air/fuel mixture at the
proper time
Batteries

 2 dis-similar metals in an electrolyte

 Lead (Negative Plates)
 Lead Dioxide (Positive Plates)
 Sulfuric Acid/deionized water

 Why do car batteries use sulfuric acid?

 Low Freeze Point
 High Resistance to boiling
Batteries
 Source of power
 6 cells
 Each cell is 2.1volt each
 12.6 volts total (Fully Charged)
 Not all batteries are equal
BATTERY DISCHARGE CYCLE

 Positive and Negative Plates

become Lead Sulfate
 Plates become sulfated if left
discharged for a long period of time
 The specific gravity of the
Electrolyte decreases.
 Water level increases
BATTERY RECHARGE CYCLE
(CHARGING)

 Positive plates become Pb02

 Negative Plates become Pb
 The specific gravity of the Electrolyte
increases
 Acid level increases
Types of Batteries

 Flooded lead acid

 Enhanced flooded lead acid battery

 AGM

 Gel battery
Types of Batteries

 Flooded lead acid

 Traditional car battery
 Has a wet acid solution bath
 Batteries

A. Plate Straps
B. Negative Plates
C. Separators
D. Positive Plates
E. Cell
 Lead Acid Batteries
a) Grid
b) Plates
c) Separators
d) Plate groups
e) Assembled elements
f) Battery cell
g) Thru-partition cell connectors
h) Container and cover
i) Terminals
j) Electrolyte
k) Vent caps
Types of battery
 Enhanced flooded lead acid battery (EFB)
 Used in some start/stop applications
 Alternative to a higher cost AGM
 Designed to have best of flooded
and AGM battery
Valve Regulated Lead
Acid Batteries
Sealed Battery
 Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM)
 Acid is totally absorbed into the separator
 Cell is compressed 20%
 Reduced damage by vibration
 May be OEM
 Gelled Electrolyte
 Silica added
 Electrolyte becomes similar to gelatin
Deep Cycle Batteries

 Deep cycling means to almost fully

discharge
 Golf carts
 Marine trolling motors
 Specially designed (thicker) plates to resist
heat warpage
 Battery ratings
 Most automotive batteries have a CCA rating
 CCA = COLD CRANKING AMPS 0° F
 Usually good to compare one from the next
 The larger the number the better quality
 ALL Vehicles have a minimum CCA required to start
by each model
 Not same battery to crank a small 4 cylinder as a
large 8 cylinder

 NOT to get confused with CA (cranking amps—

another rating)
Reserve Capacity (RC)

 Minutes the battery can produce 25 amps

 Maintain 10.5volts
 80 ° F
 How does temperature affect
Battery Life?
 Lower Temperature  Higher Temperature
 Decrease in battery Performance  Decrease in Battery Life
 10% for every 10 degree drop in  Every 15° F increase in temperature
temperature will reduce the battery life by 50 %

77° F Perfect
Battery “Group”
 Part Number
 Designated by the Battery Council
International (BCI) to standardize
 Associated with Length, Width, Height
dimension to fit the vehicle
 Terminal location
 side post
 top post
 positive on left or right
Normal Charging Voltage
13.5 volts to 15.5 volts

Some vehicles charge at

12.5 volts
 Overcharging:  Undercharging:
 Warp Plates  Battery can sulfate
 Boil out water  Not have enough power
 Crack case  Never fully charged
State of Charge

Specific Gravity State of Charge Voltage

 1.265  Fully Charged  12.6
 1.225  50%  12.4
 1.155  25%  12.0
 <1.120  Discharged  11.9 or lower

 Difference: 0.7
Volts
Safety Considerations

 Eye protection
 Acid
 Rinse spills
 Neutralize
 Prevent accidental arcing
 Disconnect negative terminal
 Don’t use battery as tool tray
 Never smoke or have near open flame
BATTERY TESTING

 Load testing
 Simulates an actual starting event
 Pass/fail test
 Can only test when fully charged
 Conductance testing
 All electronic calculation
 Safer to use
 Can test a partial dead battery
 Most common in shops today
 Estimates battery ability by:
 STATE OF HEALTH
 STATE OF CHARGE
 HELP DETECT EARLY BATTERY FAILURES
 How long does a battery last?

 The question of the day

 Just like oil changes and oil quality???
 Doesn’t ever battery have a warranty in months??
 What kind of charging conditions (smart charge, computer controlled)
 What kind of operating conditions (temp)
 Is it used regularly
 What extra work load demands have been added
 Radios
 Lights
 Inverters
 Power supplies
 Etc….
Replace battery without losing ADAPTIVE
MEMORY
 Adaptive memory
 radio station, memory seat, clock/time,
 shift patterns, ignition timing, fuel adaptive
 Computer strategy and programming

 Install another battery in parallel

 Use diagnostic link
 Power outlet
Battery charging
 Slow charge when possible (5 amps)
 May take 8 hours or more
 Never charge a frozen battery
 (electrolyte in discharged
 batteries will freeze)
Battery faults
Starting system

 Electrical motor for cranking engine

 High torque
 High amps load
 Turns flywheel with gear drive
 Used to crank engine over until fast
enough that engine can run (300 rpm)

Has internal parts that wear

out over time !
Starter Current Draw

 Four-cylinder engines
70 to 120 amperes
 Six-cylinder engines
100 to 200 amperes
 Eight-cylinder engines
185 to 250 amperes
 Excessive Starter Current

 Starter motor
• shorted windings
• binding armature (worn bushings)
 Seized engine
 Improper starter clearance
 Excessive Clearance: Whine During cranking
 Insufficient Clearance: Whine After cranking
Stop Start Technology

 Engine shuts off at stops

 Sometimes may not be obvious
 Maybe important to know if working on car
with a disabled start/stop function
 Auto start stop icon on dash cluster
 Aux. battery in trunk
 Battery switch module on battery
 Rpo codes (GM LK9)
 Disable button (not on GM)
 NOT by starter visual inspection
Stop Start

 Conventional starter designed to

withstand 35,000 starts for durability
testing.
 Start/Stop starter motor designed to
withstand 350,000 to 400,000 starts.
 The number of starts is logged and a
“replace starter motor warning
indicator” alerts the driver when close to
the end of life expectancy
--this has to be reset with a scan tool
when starter is replaced.
 AUX BATTERY
 Small AGM battery located in trunk
similar in size to motorcycle but much
different in function

 Uses this battery for accessories when

engine is shut down & then isolate
main battery to keep from discharging
………since it will be needed for
engine restart
CHARGING SYSTEM

 Alternator
 Belt driven from engine
 Recharges battery after start
 Powers all accessories after start up
 Some have de-coupler pulley (NOISE)
 Symptoms of failure
 Battery light on
 Dead battery
 Noise internally
 Has internal parts that wear out over time !
Charging System Faults

 Undercharging leads to low

battery voltage
 Overcharging leads to battery
and/or component damage
 Both problems can be caused
by the regulator
Alternator De-coupler Pulley
 OAP (Overrunning Alternator Pulley)
 OAD (Alternator Decoupler Pulley)
Alternator De-coupler Pulley
Signs of a failing OAP (Overrunning
Alternator Pulley) or OAD (Alternator
Decoupler Pulley)

• Unusual Belt Noises (Serpentine belt)

• Unusual Vehicle Vibrations
• Undercharging
• Pulley Spins in both directions
Ignition system
 Ignites the air/fuel mixture for combustion
 Must be timed to ignite on compression stroke
of engine
 High voltage to jump spark plug gap
 Ramps up voltage with use of a transformer
called ignition coil
 Uses several engine sensors to determine
proper timing
Parts

 Battery
 Ignition Coil
 Spark Plugs, Distributor, Ignition Cables
 Trigger
 Points
 Ignition Control Module
 Pulse Generator
 Hall-Effect
 Photo Optic
Ignition coils
many different shapes and sizes
Firing Order
• Determined by crankshaft and camshaft
design.
• Often cast into the intake manifold for easy
reference.
COMPONENTS OF THE
IGNITION SYSTEM

Waste Spark
Ignition System Maintenance

 Spark plugs will wear over time

 Spark plug wires
 Ignition cap and rotor wear out with time

 Ignition coils - can be damaged if

maintenance is not performed

 Misfire can cause an engine

performance issues & Check Engine lights
 Types of Spark Plugs

 Copper
 20-30k Miles
 Sliver
 Platinum (Double)
 Single 60k Miles
 Double 100K Miles
 Iridium
 100k-120K Miles

OEM may Specify 30K -120K Miles

Regardless of Spark Plug Type
Knock Sensor

 Detects abnormal combustion

 Ping, spark knock, or detonation.
 Abnormal combustion causes piston slap
and vibration
 Knock sensor detects the vibration
 The voltage signal from the knock sensor
(KS) is sent to the PCM
 PCM retards the timing under knocking
conditions
Automotive Fuses
 Protect circuit from damage caused by
excessive current flow from shorts or
malfunctions.
 Rated at their maximum current flow.
 The Circuit Current must be lower than the
Fuse rating.
Questions?