Automotive Voltage Regulator
The automotive voltage regulator is a device used to manage the configurations of your vehicle's alternator. It allows your alternator to constantly be providing the appropriate amount of voltage to your vehicle's battery. The voltage regulator is used in vehicles as a way to recharge your car battery.
Any vehicle requires a voltage regulator for it to work properly. You cannot start your vehicle, turn on lights, and perform various other actions without a voltage regulator. This is due to the fact that the voltage regulator is regulating the voltage produced in the alternator and recharging the battery. If this is not done then your battery would not be able to be used effectively. Basically, without the voltage regulator in your vehicle, you would not be able to properly provide power for various processes such as starting your vehicle or turning on lights.
Using the Voltage Regulator to Start your Engine
Many people associate the ignition and starter as the only vital parts of starting your engine. However, the voltage regulator and battery are equally as important. If you look at how the starter system works you will understand this. The starter solenoid works with your starter motor and both require a current from the battery to crank the engine.
How all of this works is simple – once you turn the ignition key to the “Start” position it will close the circuit and allow power to travel to the starter system from the battery. The voltage regulator must be in place for this to work appropriately or you will not receive the right amount of juice and in return you will not be able to start your engine. Another way to look at it is that the voltage is sent to the starter to create an explosion (controlled) within a chamber in the engine to start the engine.
Voltage Regulator in Use
Once an electric current travels through the voltage regulator it will do one of two things, turn the alternator on or turn it off. The action completed will depend on the amount of voltage that is sent through the regulator. When there is 13.5 volts or less in the battery, the alternator circuit will automatically close. There is a voltage sensor that will determine when the voltage is lower than this amount.
The result of a closed alternator circuit will be a current traveling to your vehicle's alternator. This will then turn the alternator on and create a charge for the battery. The basic concept behind this process is that when there is a low charge in the battery that a lot of power is being used and it needs to be restored. Also, if you look at the other end of the spectrum, the flow will be terminated once the battery has a charge of at least 14.5 volts. This allows your battery to have enough charge to dish out more power elsewhere but it will not create an excessive charge that could potentially damage the battery.
There are various types of automotive voltage regulators. Most will work similar but there are also some that utilize electromechanical parts as well. This design features a physical interference within the alternator circuit as a way to terminate a current. This is not as common in modern vehicles but can be found in older vehicles that have not been restored or had any major upgrades. Many automotive voltage regulators simply utilize electronic parts as a way to activate and terminate the voltage flow via the alternator circuit.
Replacing your vehicle's automotive voltage regulator is essential if there are any issues with it. Early on this could be a problem that could leave your vehicle off the road immediately. It could also cause serious harm to your car battery such as overcharging, causing it to explode, or draining the charge out of it. This article should have covered all the basic information that you need to know about voltage regulators in your vehicle. If you are looking to replace the voltage regulator in your vehicle then you should look for tips or possibly an installation guide as well.
