An Understanding of Your Car’s Power

Have you ever gotten into your car and gone to turn on the vehicle only to find it

doesn’t start? Have you heard a loud and long whining noise that resembles the noise

your car makes when it normally starts, but without the telltale sound of the engine

coming to life? Often when you return to your vehicle, after parking it overnight or

having it in storage for a prolonged period of time, this kind of thing is very common.

The answer, in most cases, barring some severe engine troubles, is that the car’s

battery is dead. This can usually be confirmed by a light on the dashboard, and

depending where your car is parked and what resources are available to you it could

mean a lot of trouble.

The Car’s Battery

When the car’s battery is dead it means it’s getting no power to start. An engine needs

its electrical systems in order to turn on, so without power running through them it’s

pretty much useless. The electrical systems of the car are used to activate the

electronics that then kick the engine into action. When the key is turned there is a fuel

injection into the piston chambers, and an electrical current starts the spark plug,

which ignites the fuel and starts combustion, getting the engine going. With a dead

battery there’s simply no power to start the spark plug, meaning that there’s nothing

to get the engine going in the first place, making the car dead in the water, so to

speak, and not going anywhere.

The Alternator

When your car is turned on and the engine is working, it is constantly generating

power. This power is all filtered through the car’s alternator, which is a system

designed to measure and sort the electrical output of the vehicle. As the car engine

works, as it generates power, this power is sorted out and used to power all of the

car’s electronic systems and charge the battery simultaneously. The alternator output

is crucial to keeping the car running, and often if there’s a problem with the alternator

the car’s battery is going to die very fast, leaving you with very few options. This is why

it’s important to make sure the systems are checked often and that the mechanic you

use also goes about inspecting wires for any flaws.

What to do When the Battery is Dead

So you got into your car and turned the key and the car didn’t start. Either you left your

lights on or your stereo, it doesn’t matter. Leaving the headlights on, especially high

beams, is one of the most common killers of car batteries. If you were prepared for

such a situation you might have a booster kit in your vehicle, to give your car that

jump start it needs to start the engine. If not then you’ll either need to call a tow truck

or find someone friendly enough to give your car a boost. A boost is, quite simply,

sending the electrical charge from one car into another to get the engine going, and

allowing the battery to charge back up.