Electrical 2-1
Table of Contents
Section 2: Electrical
Electrical Basics
Throughout a vehicle, electricity is supplied through ‘‘hot’’ wires, comparable to the pressurized
supply pipes of a plumbing system. At various points along the wires are electrical loads in the
form of lights, switches and receptacles. Turning on a light switch is somewhat like opening a
faucet to let water run, electricity flows through the hot wire to make the light illuminate. Once the
electricity has done its work, its potential drops to zero, just as water loses pressure after flowing
through a sink or laundry tub. The electrical system has ‘‘drains’’, which are the ground wires that
return the electricity to its source, just as a plumbing system has drain pipes through which water
runs into the sewer mains or ground.
The lights or equipment, technically called the load, can be compared to a water wheel that
remains motionless until a stream of water causes it to turn. A load consists of a resistance, a
material that permits the passage of electricity, but only with difficulty and thereby creates heat.
Resistance to electricity flowing through a wire can be compared to the resistance given to water
flowing through a hose, as if the hose were to be squeezed, it wold restrict the flow of water. A
load may also be inductive, typically a motor with windings of copper wire, in which the magnetic
fields generated by the electrical current creates motion. Here are some more examples of
resistive loads: tungsten filament of an incandescent bulb; heating element of an electric heater in
a coffee pot. At any moment, the demand on an electrical system depends on the number of loads
in operation and their consumption of energy, just as demands on a water system depend on how
many faucets are opened and how wide they are opened.
The mechanics and physical fittings of the system are simple. Electricity moves throughout the
vehicle in wires of different sizes, according to the electricity a circuit may have to carry.
Electrical Terms
VOLT is the unit of electrical potential, equal to the difference of electrical potential between 2
points in a circuit. It could be compared to the pressure, or the push, on the water to move it
through a pipe.
AMPERE or AMPS is the unit used to measure the amount of electrical flow; the number of
electrically charged particles called electrons that flow past a given point in a circuit. It is similar to
measuring the amount of water flowing through a pipe at any given point. The larger the pipe is,
the more water that can flow past one given point per second. Similarly, the bigger the wire is, the
more electricity that can flow past a given point.
WATT is the unit of power. It indicates that rate at which a device converts electric current to
another form of energy, either heat or motion. Or to put it another way, the rate at which a device
converts energy.
The relationship of volts, amperes and watts to one another is expressed in a simple equation that
enables you to make any calculations you may need for proper and safe electrical modifications to
the vehicle. Volts x Amps = watts. If the current is at 12 volts and a device requires 4 amperes of
current, the equation will read 12 volts x 4 amperes = 48 watts.
2012 Fusion Hybrid, MKZ Hybrid Modifiers Guide, 09/2011
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