What do you think happens when you start your car? Have you ever thought about the countless processes that take place when you turn your key in the ignition? Of course, cars now have keyless starters with fancy buttons and all the trappings. Sticking to the old-school way of thinking, what does happen when the key is turned and your car purrs (or coughs) to life? Well, a signal is sent to the battery of the car. When the battery gets this signal from the ignition, it converts the chemical energy within it into an electric charge, which is sent to the starter. The starter cranks the engine, and the remaining charge powers the lights and accessories of the car. This is all happening within a split second of turning the key.
Look for the Right Voltage Battery
The voltage of your battery is the amount of potential the battery holds between the two terminals. This is an important value to look for when shopping for a mobile car battery replacement Cairns. A typical car battery is 12V. The battery is a collection of 6 cells, each with a 2.1V charge. If you want your battery to be “fully charged” you need the voltage while charging to rise to 12.6V or more. A tiny drop in the voltage of your battery can lead to a big change in the performance of the vehicle and the battery. The amount of energy it produces is reduced by a large amount, and sometimes is enough to make it impossible to start the car. This type of situation is when the jumper cables need to be broken out.
How a Car Battery Creates Electricity
The battery in a car generates its electricity through the energy produced by a chemical reaction. In the typical lead-acid battery, this chemical reaction is the reaction between diluted sulfuric acid and lead plates in the battery cells. The voltage of the battery depends on the concentration of the acid within the battery. Always look for the right percentage concentration of acid when getting a car battery replacement. When a battery gets discharged, it is because the chemical reaction between the sulfuric acid and the lead is changing into a different product and not releasing energy. This leads to a drop in the voltage of the battery. For this reason it is very important that you top off the electrolyte levels within the battery frequently to keep the concentration of acid fresh and high. With the right kind of care, your battery will last for ages!