The automotive electrical system in any vehicle is very complex and there are many different parts that can go wrong. Understanding how to read an auto electrical diagram is a valuable skill that will help you diagnose problems and repair your car. Whether you are an automotive professional or a do-it-yourselfer, this article will help you understand auto electrical wiring diagrams and schematics.
Electrical systems in vehicles use a mix of 12 volt and 48 volt components. This mix is used to power a vehicle’s accessories, lighting and other electronic components. The battery provides the power to run all of these. However, the battery is only able to supply a limited amount of current at any given time. Therefore, the electrical system in your vehicle relies on fuses to protect against overloading or short circuits. Fuses are rated for a certain amount of amperage, and when they reach this limit they will break and open the circuit. Automotive wires are often color-coded to identify which circuit they belong to. This makes it much easier to find a specific wire in a bundle of cables or connectors.
Another important safety tip is to never touch a wire with any metal object in your vehicle. This is because the wire will become a conductor and could cause a shock or even fire. Always wear rubber gloves and avoid touching electrical equipment when your hands are wet or sweating.
It is also important to stay away from downed or damaged power lines. If you encounter these hazards, call your local utility company and wait for them to arrive and tell you that it is safe to get out of the vehicle. Additionally, you should never get out of your car if it is parked next to a downed power line or other electric equipment because these can still carry electricity and come in contact with your body, resulting in death or serious injury.
To make things even more complicated, automotive electrical wiring diagrams are often drawn with straight lines, when in reality they are usually anything but straight. For example, the wire that goes from the positive terminal of the battery to the headlight is shown with a solid line but in reality this will be a series of curved lines.
When reading an automotive electrical wiring diagram, the first thing you should look for are arrows that show current flowing through the circuit. This is very important because the arrows will point to all of the components that are receiving electrical power from this particular circuit. Additionally, there are also a lot of circles and boxes on these diagrams that represent different types of switches, relays and other components in the vehicle. These symbols will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but the process of reading automotive wiring diagrams is very similar across manufacturers. With practice, you can easily learn to interpret these symbols and diagrams to diagnose any electrical problem in a vehicle.