Final Project

TEMA: Identifying the most common car electrical problems and suggest what you

ACCU-220
Technical English

Mecánica Automotriz
Ramos luyo Edson

can do if you have these problems.

OBJECTIVE

Identify and Describe the most common car electrical problems and suggest what
you can do if you have these problems . Use the Simple Present, Modals,
Technical Vocabulary and .
Should

WORK APPROACH

The participant, using audiovisual aids (PPT, video, etc.) will be able to identify and
describe the most common electrical problems in the car and suggest what you can
do if you present these problems, using a vocabulary appropriate to the level of
learning required in your career ( The Simple Present Tense, Modals, Technical
Vocabulary, Should).

1
Trabajo Final del Curso
Failed spark plugs or glow plugs

Spark plugs and glow plugs fail sooner or later. This can be caused by different
reasons – natural aging, use of low-quality fuel and mechanical damage. Let’s
consider in detail the signs and causes of their failure.

Signs of failure

Let’s start with the spark plugs, as the more common ones. So, the signs of
their failure include:

● Difficulty in starting the engine (usually accompanied by a long starter);

● the car jerks when driving, poorly gaining speed, it has no traction and
power;

● significant increase in fuel consumption;

● decrease in engine dynamics (insufficient revs).

What to do if the spark plug in the engine head is broken and how to unscrew
it? Most often the place of the breakage is higher than the threads in the spark
plug well.

Some people advise moistening it with a lubricant and try to unscrew the
broken spark plug with an extractor and a torque wrench, taking extra care.
The wrench must be held steady, constantly monitoring the force applied so as
not to twist the threads. If this happens, a costly repair involving the repair or
replacement of the cylinder head will be necessary

Safety precautions for replacing spark plugs

There are no special safety rules for replacing the ignition elements in the car.
It is recommended to start it with the engine cooled, so as not to get burned.
Since spark plugs work at extremely high temperatures, it is better not to try to
replace them immediately after stopping the car, but to wait two to three hours
for the engine to finally accept the normal temperature.

Car electrical problems with the starter

Electrical faults in the starter are mainly caused by overloads. This can
manifest itself in ground and winding short circuits in the field and armature
winding, but sometimes also in the coils of the control elements (solenoid
switch). Carbon brushes and collectors are subjected to high loads and are
more susceptible to faults than the alternator. While, for example, clamping
carbon brushes in the alternator do not cause voltage to arise and thus relieve
the alternator, clamping carbon brushes in the starter leads to the formation of
significant arcs due to the high currents. These arcs often destroy the
collector. A multimeter and a clip-on ammeter are required for troubleshooting.
Fault sources (such as the pinion) can, however, also be located through
acoustic perception

Broken or damaged wiring

Step 1, trim away damaged portion **step 8, repair is complete

Step 2, cut replacement wire

Step 3, strip wire ends

Step 4, slide heat shrink on to wire

Step 5, fray wire ends

Step 6, crimp wire tends together

Step 7, huse heatgun

Corroded, dirty or loose baterry terminal

Knowing how to replace battery terminals is useful because the battery cables
or terminals can be loose, which are issues that need correcting. Corrosion is a
common problem in a bad battery or alternator and reduces output by 30%
stressing the charging system and causing early electrical system failures.

Pull the battery cable out

Pull the battery cable from the battery, starting with the negative terminal. Also,
it ensures you avoid shocks. Remove the positive terminal next and lay both
cables apart to prevent electrical shocks.

Inspect the terminal style

Most battery cables have a basic clamp design. Look closely to know the
terminal type you are dealing with. Remember, the new battery terminals
should have the same features as a tinned copper material and give you a 360-
degree compression on the terminal. Quality clamps give you an adequate
connection between the power source and the battery terminal.

Clean the battery terminals

New terminals won’t work well if the battery post is corroded. Clean battery
corrosion with a mixture of baking soda and water solution. Wear eye
protection and gloves. Use a toothbrush to apply your solution to the battery
terminal. Use a wire brush to scrub clean the terminals. If the battery is old and
scrubbing does nothing, then you need a new battery.

Cut and strip the cable wires

Once the battery post and terminal are clean, refocus your attention on the
cable wires and your new terminals. Use the right tools to cut the old battery
terminal off the cable using a wire cutter and a hacksaw. This is a vital part that
needs a strong connection with both the new terminal and your vehicle’s
electrical system. Pull back 1/2” of insulation from each cable with a wire
stripping tool.

Be diligent when cleaning the wires

After removing the insulation and discovering further corrosion underneath,

clean off the visible corrosion using a baking soda-water mixture a toothbrush.
Remove the corrosion using a rag and ensure it doesn’t drift to any exposed
metal on your wires or battery.

Add heat-shrink tubing

Secure the wire/cable connection and battery terminal using heat-shrink

tubing. Slide the tubing onto the cable. Carefully connect the cable to the
battery terminal using a tubing, sliding it down the wire. Overlooking the tubing
before connection makes it difficult to stretch it over your battery terminal.

Ensure you connect the cable to the terminal like it was originally. Quality
batteries don’t respond to cable misalignment, and a cable or wiring mishap
can drain the batteries or not transmit electricity at all.

Connect and heat-shrink the assembly

After connecting the cable and terminals, slide the tubing over the connection.
Inspect to ensure there is no visible or exposed wiring. If part of the wiring is
exposed, then you need longer tubing. Wiring with no insulation is prone to
arcing electricity. Use your heat gun to shrink the tubing on the connection
after positioning it properly. Add dielectric grease to insulate the connection
from moisture and prevents corrosion of the electrical connection. The grease
is non-conductive and seals out moisture protecting your electrical
connectors.

Reattach the clamps and run the battery test

Reattach your clamps on the battery and start the car to see if the vehicle will
start. The car should start with no hesitation. If there is still a problem, turn off
the car and recheck your connections, especially the battery terminals.

The tools you need for the job include the following:

Wire brush

Hacksaw

Wrench set

Pliers

Ratchet/socket set

Other materials you may need are anti-corrosion spray, heat-shrink tubing,
neutralizing
Dead car battery

jump starting is the most common solution for a dead car battery. If you don’t have
a portable jump starter handy, you’ll need another running vehicle to act as the
donor car and jumper cables to do this.Here are the steps you’ll need to follow:

 Ready The Jumper Cables

 Position The Vehicles

 Connect The Jumper Cables

 Jump Start The Car

 Detach The Jumper Cables

 Keep The Engine Running