The 5 Functions of a Car Battery
When talking about automobiles, few components play a role as pivotal as the humble car battery. The battery is often overlooked amidst the excitement of engines, modern designs and self-driving innovations.
The battery serves as the lifeblood of your car. It is responsible for giving power to all essential functions of your car. Beyond the initial spark to ignite the car engine, your car battery performs a myriad of critical roles that are essential to your car’s performance, reliability and functionality.
Read More: Essential Car Battery Maintenance Safety Tips and Techniques
Let us delve into the five important functions that a battery performs inside your car and shed light on the importance and the indispensable role it plays the making your driving experience smooth and efficient. Here’s a closer look at the roles of the car battery that go far beyond what meets the eye.
1. The Battery is your Car’s Power Storage Bank
The battery inside your car is the power bank of your car. The boring rectangular box inside the car’s hood, with an exterior made of plastic and some weird connectors on the top, is one of the most crucial components of your car. This plastic outer shell is highly durable and often acid-resistant. The battery contains a chemical solution, layers of lead and dioxide plates that react to produce energy.
2. The Battery Powers the Ignition System
When thinking about starting the car, the car key is the first thing that comes to your mind. But as soon as you twist the car key, it sends a signal to the battery. The battery in turn generates the highest possible voltage and sends it to the sparkplugs. The sparkplugs ignite the fuel inside the combustion chamber.
The process seems easy, but the entire process is dependent on the power that comes from the battery. It is therefore important to keep the battery well-maintained and properly charged so that it does its job when you need it the most.
3. The Engine Won’t Start Without the Battery
As mentioned earlier, the battery is crucial for the ignition system. This clearly means that if the battery is dead or not charged sufficiently, there will be no power to ignite the engine.
Every car is manufactured differently and has different energy requirements. Each electric component inside the car including lights, air conditioner, radio, etc. has specific energy requirements. Therefore the battery required to power each car will be different and be of a specific make and model.
It is important to check the Cold Cranking Amps (CAA) of your car battery if you live in relatively cold places. The CAA rating of the battery determines its ability to power the engine when temperatures fall dramatically. A low CAA rating indicates less power in the cold and a high CAA rating means better power to power the engine in cold weather.
4. The Battery is the Heart of the Electrical System
With car features going off the roof in modern cars, and the demand for new features also increasing, your batteries are now designed and better equipped to fulfil these demands.
Radio, power windows, ambient lighting, parking cameras, automated rear view mirrors, sunroofs, power steering and all other electronics need continuous electric power to function properly. These electric components have specific electrical requirements and will function properly at a specific voltage.
Without a battery, none of these electronics will function properly.
When facing a dead battery, you can always jumpstart the battery. It is however important to take care of your electronics and ensure safety measures to prevent any damage when jumpstarting your modern car.
Read More: How to Fix a Dead Battery?
5. The Battey Acts as a Power Surge Regulator
Your car battery doesn’t stop working once the engine has started and the vehicle is running. Your car battery is always working and is never at rest until the car is turned off. The battery continuously powers other electronic components as and when you need them.
A moving vehicle can cause uneven voltage spikes in the vehicle when certain components are overused. Your car battery functions as a surge protector in such situations and absorbs and stores any extra voltage. This prevents any damage to the electrical components of the car.
Conclusion
The car battery is undoubtedly the unsung hero, quietly performing its crucial functions that help in the smooth and efficient performance of your car. Serving as the power storage box, your battery stores and releases energy to various electrical parts including ignition systems, windows, radios etc. It is the core component that makes the engine roar to life.
In essence, the car battery’s importance extends well beyond the conventional assumption of a mere power source. Maintaining your car battery properly will ensure a hassle-free driving experience. So, the next time you start your car and go for a ride, spare a thought for the humble battery – your dependable automotive companion.
