#tuesdattip

The fifth tip in the series of #TuesdayTips about the battery light and the charging system, it will be focusing on the voltage regulator what it is and how it can go wrong.

Where the voltage regulator resides is up to the manufacturers that designed your vehicle. It can be in one of three places: the alternator, by itself, or inside the Electronic Control Unit (ECU). Most likely it will be inside your alternator because that is the most common place that manufacturers put the voltage regulator these days.

How it works is when you start your vehicle you send a charge from the battery through the wires to the voltage Regulator and it will make sure the right amount of voltage is being sent from the alternator. That voltage is right between 13.5 and 14.5 volts. If the voltage falls below 13.5 it will send additional volts to get the voltage back up to above 13.5 and if it goes above 14.5 then it will stop sending volts until it is back below 14.5 volts.

It is a part that does not have a gradual period when it goes bad. it is a part that one day it will be working properly and the next day it will not work. But, you want to know what can happen when it does stop working. There will be no regulations of voltage coming from the alternator so it will push out the maximum amount of volts. #LarryandJosh say this will cause the battery to overcharge, burning out of other electronic components in your vehicle, or the alternator burning out.

#TuesdayTip: This week is all about big puddles and your catalytic converter.

Let's paint you a picture. You are driving and it has been raining for a while. You enter a street you know has some hills and the drains have a tendency to clog with debris so the street starts to flood. You now see that there is a huge puddle that is covering up the lane that you are currently in on the street. You either: A) Drive through the puddle like it is nothing or B) slow down and merge over to the other lane and avoid that puddle?

If you choose B, then you picked the correct answer. But, do you know why you picked B other than not getting your car soaked? If yes then you can stop reading and admire our picture of a converter. If no it is because of #thermalshock.

What is that you are asking yourself? It is when an object (the converter) quickly changes its temperature and quickly expands or contracts. Two examples of this are when ice cubes crack when you put it into a glass of liquid, and your blood vessels contract when you go into cold water.