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The charging system's job is to maintain the battery in a fully charged condition. It must
also provide the electricity to power the headlights, taillights,
wipers, and all the extra accessories like the 250 watt stereo with
the automatic CD changer (that was really the reason you bought the
car in the first place). It does this by sensing the voltage present
in the electrical system and adjusting the voltage to approximately
13.8 Volts on a modern "12 volt" system.
The main components of a charging system are the voltage
regulator, a generator, the battery, the
wiring to connect them, and usually some device to indicate to the
operator whether or not the system is working properly. This last may
consist of an "idiot light", an ammeter, or a voltmeter.
The "idiot light" will ordinarily be illuminated only when you
turn on the ignition switch prior to starting the engine. If the
charging system is working properly, the "idiot light" will go out.
If it's out, good. If it's on, bad. Trouble is, as a problem is
developeing, it will not go out until the charging system has failed
completely. Another thing about an "idiot light" is that if the bulb
blows out, you may not notice that it doesn't come on as you start the
car, and when the charging system fails, the first thing you know
about it is the car either won't start, or worse yet, it stops on the
road somewhere.
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