This document provides an overview of automotive electrical and electronic systems. It discusses the main components of automobile electrical systems, including power sources, current consumers, auxiliaries, instruments, and main systems. The main systems discussed are the starting system, charging system, ignition system, and lighting system. It also covers basic vehicle circuits, including earth return and insulated return wiring. Potential issues like open circuits, short circuits, and the use of fuses for protection are explained.
This document provides an overview of automotive electrical and electronic systems. It discusses the main components of automobile electrical systems, including power sources, current consumers, auxiliaries, instruments, and main systems. The main systems discussed are the starting system, charging system, ignition system, and lighting system. It also covers basic vehicle circuits, including earth return and insulated return wiring. Potential issues like open circuits, short circuits, and the use of fuses for protection are explained.
ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION CONTENTS
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
BASIC CIRCUITS AUTOMOBILE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS The automobile electrical systems include
• Power Sources • Current Consumers • Auxiliaries • Instruments and • Main systems Power sources: they include the battery and the DC generator working in conjunction with the voltage regulator. Current Consumers: are components with a high power consumption. These include: • Blower motors • Pumps • Heaters • Wind screen wipers • Lightings CONT’D Auxiliaries: these are electrical components installed on cars to increase occupant comfort. • Power windows • Electric door locking actuators • Electric slave ports • Radio • Vehicle security system (Alarms) Instruments: monitor the various vehicle operating systems and provide information to the driver about their correct operation and are related to audible and visual display warnings. Include gadgets like; tachometer, volt meter, fuel gauge, temperature and pressure gauge, speedo meter… etc.
Main systems: these are systems that operate as either independent or interrelated entities so that the automobile is able to run.
The power source for this systems begins from the battery which supplies the power needed when the engine is not running and also to crank the engine. The battery serves as the power storage unit. CONT’D I. Starting system The starting system is a combination of mechanical and electrical parts that work together to start the engine. The starting system is designed to change the electrical energy, which is being supplied by the battery, into mechanical energy. For this conversion to be accomplished, a starter or cranking motor is used. The basic starting system includes the following components CONT’D II. Charging System The purpose of the charging system is to convert the mechanical energy of the engine into electrical energy to recharge the battery and run the electrical accessories. When the engine is first started, the battery supplies all the current required by the starting and ignition systems. III. Ignition System For operation of the engine each cylinder needs a spark at the appropriate time. To produce a spark a voltage much higher than that given by the battery is necessary. The ignition system transforms the battery voltage to a value often in excess of 20kV to produce the spark. WIRING DIAGRAM IV. Lighting system: For security purposes the vehicle must have different lights to show its presence and also to help the driver to visualize the movement of the vehicle. Bright driving lights must not dazzle the drivers of oncoming vehicles and hence some arrangement is incorporated to dip the main beam. BASIC VEHICLE CIRCUIT • System: Single wire (except for emergency lighting) • System Voltage: • With engine silent: 12 Volts • With engine running: 13 – 14.6 Volts • After identification of the main systems, each system is generally arranged into its appropriate circuit. • A vehicle wiring system can be subdivided into a number of simple circuits, which are connected in series. CONT’D Each of these circuits consists of: • The battery • The electrical components • The fuse for safety of the circuit • Its switches for control • Relays: to be used as compact high ampere switches operated remotely. • The feed wire, which connects one of the battery terminal posts to the switch • The switch wire, which connects the switch to the component • The return wire, which connects the components to the second battery terminal post, either directly or indirectly through the frame of the vehicle Earth return • The vehicle with a metal structure can be used as one of the two conducting parts. This is called as earth return. A live feed wire cable forms the other conductor. To complete the earth return path, one end of a short thick cable is bolted to the chassis structure while the other end is attached to one of the battery terminal posts. • The electrical components is also required to be earthed in a similar way. Only one battery to chassis conductor is necessary for a complete vehicle’s wiring system and similarly any number of separate earth return circuits can be wired.
• An earth return system therefore reduces
and simplifies the amount of wiring so that it is easy to trace electrical faults. Insulated Return: Some vehicle application requires a separate insulated – cable system for both the feed and the return conductors. It is also safer because with separate feed and return cables, it is practically impossible for the cable conductors to short even if chafed and touching any of the metal bodywork, as the body is not live since it is not a part of the electrical circuits. From the safety reasons, an insulated return is essential for vehicles transporting highly flammable liquids and gases, where a spark could very easily set off an explosion or a fire. The vehicles, such as coaches and double-decker buses use large quantity of plastic paneling. For these vehicles an insulated return is more reliable and safer. The insulated return off course uses extra cable that makes the overall wiring harness heavier, less flexible, and bulky, consequently increases the cost to some extent. Open Circuit • When a wiring circuit is not continuous so that no current flows, then the system is called open-circuit. This situation may be normal such as when a switch breaks the circuit or it may be unintentional, due to poor connections, partially broken or connected terminals, or fractured or burnt-out wire.
Short Circuit. • Short circuit occurs in a wiring system when the insulation of a live cable is chafed so that the bare portion of wire either touches some part of the metal earth return, such as the chassis, or is crossed with another exposed piece of wire resulting in a closed circuit with the battery in series. This may cause sparking as the vehicle’s body vibrates. • Also overheating at the short may take place, which can melt the insulation and expose more bare wire or other electrical connections. • The battery also discharges rapidly due to continuous current flow. Eventually the wires may melt together and overload the shorted wiring so that it again overheats and burns through the wire, thereby becoming a potential source of fire hazard.
• Therefore the wiring circuits on the vehicle are safeguarded by fuses,
which blow and prevent further current flow in the event of a short circuit. END OF CHAPTER ONE
