Getting Electric

Hello 93636.
Liberty High Football 2015 version is here. Every Friday evening I put on my short pants, T-shirt, grab my NAPA hat and sun glasses, two or three grandsons and we’re off to the game. Just around the bend when playoff season arrives, it will be a very different routine. I’ll put on my thermals, long pants, wool socks, sweatshirts, coat, stocking cap, gloves, grab a heavy blanket or two, find the umbrella and backpack, do the same thing with my grandsons and finally we’re off. Hope we make it before the end of the first quarter. Winter can be tough on the old body. After the game, we jump in the Grandpamobile, start the engine, turn on the front and rear window defrosters, mirror and seat warmers, the headlights, windshield wipers, the radio (talk radio) and if I had it, the entertainment center. Just for fun, I will let the grandsons sit in my lap and celebrate the drive home by laying on the old horn. Little boys really know how to celebrate with the horn.

To increase fuel mileage, today’s vehicles have been placed on mega diets. As a result, the alternators and batteries were down sized. At the same time electrical demands have increased. Alternators manufacture electrons and pump them to the battery. The battery is a warehouse where those electrons are stored awaiting use. In my opinion, the most important component of your vehicle’s electrical system is the battery. Weak batteries destroy electrical components. Here’s an example: When a battery is weak the alternator swings into action thinking the Getting Electric battery just needs a charge. If the battery is in poor condition it never fully charges, the alternator is over worked and fails prematurely. Semi-weak batteries do not usually display big symptoms until they are about to die, so let’s check out those batteries.

First, visually inspect your battery. AMG or FLA? There should be NO corrosion on the battery cable ends or the battery posts. If you find corrosion, get out the baking soda and water. Mix it up and pour. It will dissolve the corrosion. If you break down, 7-Up works well also. If you have the tools, you may want to disconnect the battery cables (negative post first ALWAYS!) and wire brush the corroded connections. Let me WARN YOU here. You can get yourself into a lot of trouble by disconnecting the battery if you don’t know your vehicle. Make sure you email me before you break it, that’s free. If I have to fix it, it’s not ($$$). Vehicle manufacturers can have some pretty odd battery replacement procedures. Failure to follow their procedures can be a very expensive mistake, especially on new and higher end cars. I use a battery replacement manual and a memory saver so I avoid most problems. When power is interrupted to the vehicle’s computers, the computer’s adaptations and memory can be lost. If this happens, the best case is the vehicle will return to its base settings. If the vehicle is not running correctly, take it out and drive it until it relearns and runs normally again. On some vehicles, like BMWs, some modules may have to be reprogramed. If the radio doesn’t work, you will have to reload the anti-theft code and reset its presets. When finished make sure the connections are good and tight.