Hisun HS400 - Electrical System; Electrical System Fundamentals

General
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ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
FUNDAMENTALS
A thorough study of the many types of
electrical systems used in today’s UTV’s is
beyond the scope of this manual.
However, a basic understanding of
electrical basics is necessary to perform
simple diagnostic tests.
Voltage
Voltage is the electrical potential or
pressure in an electrical circuit and is
expressed in volts. The
more pressure (voltage) in a circuit the
more work can be performed.
Direct current (DC) voltage means the
electricity flows in one direction. All circuits
powered by a
battery are DC circuits.
Alternating current (AC) means the
electricity flows in one direction
momentarily and then
switches to the opposite direction.
Alternator output is an example of AC
voltage. This voltage must be
changed or rectified to direct current to
operate in a battery powered system.
Resistance
Resistance is the opposition to the flow of
electricity within a circuit or component
and is measured in ohms. Resistance
causes a reduction in available current and
voltage. Resistance is measured in an
inactive circuit with an ohmmeter. The
ohmmeter sends a small amount of current
into the circuit and measures how difficult
it is to push the current through the circuit.
An ohmmeter, although useful, is not
always a good indicator of a circuit’s actual
ability under operating conditions. This is
because of the low voltage (6-9 volts) the
meter uses to test the circuit. The voltage
in an ignition coil secondary winding can
be several thousand volts. Such high
voltage can cause the coil to malfunction,
even though it tests acceptable during a
resistance test. Resistance generally.
Increases with temperature. Perform all
testing with the component or circuit at
room temperature. Resistance tests
performed at high temperatures may
indicate high resistance reading and cause
unnecessary replacement of a component.
Amperage
Amperage is the unit of measurement for
the amount of current within a circuit.
Current is the actual flow of electricity. The
higher the current, the more work can be
performed up to a given point. If the
current flow exceeds the circuit or
component capacity, it will damage the
system.