Electrical Glossary
Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 11:00 am
*********** Electrical **********
Voltage Regulator - an electromagnetic or solid state device that controls output voltage of charging system and cuts it out of the circuit when ignition is off
Voltage Stabilizer - found at fuel gauges it is a "voltage choke" to keep voltage below expected lowest point to prevent errant readings
Series Resistors - same sort of deal, these are ceramic resistors that drop fuel injector voltages below lowest expected system voltage so they will perform accurately at all times
Generator - earlier charging device used by VW through '71, it plucks the (+) electrical flow from wires rotated inside of magnets
Alternator - later charging device that uses both sides (+)(-) of the waves created by rotating a magnet through a field of wires > thus almost doubling output
Ground Path (battery, transaxle, spade terminal) - the equally important but often neglected side of all electrical circuits found in cars > every circuit has to find its way back to the battery through the metal of the car
Spade Terminal (push-on) - the typical quick-disconnect for VWs that needs to be treated with caution and kept clean
Screw Terminal - found in critical areas like generators and voltage regulators and starter-to-battery cables, cleanliness is critical
Wire Gauge - it is not really a gauge, it is an idiotically arcane unit of measure going from small 22-24 to big 10 and even 8 ...
Fuse - a method of shutting down (opening) an electrical circuit that has been shorted (positive to ground) using amperage-induced heat to melt a sliver of soft wire > VWs generally use 8 or 16 amp
Breaker - shuts down a damaged circuit like a fuse, but can be reset or automatically reset depending on design
Fusible Link - a hardwired fuse for big amperage electrical devices, it requires involved replacement to help you remember to fix the problem first
Voltage Regulator - an electromagnetic or solid state device that controls output voltage of charging system and cuts it out of the circuit when ignition is off
Voltage Stabilizer - found at fuel gauges it is a "voltage choke" to keep voltage below expected lowest point to prevent errant readings
Series Resistors - same sort of deal, these are ceramic resistors that drop fuel injector voltages below lowest expected system voltage so they will perform accurately at all times
Generator - earlier charging device used by VW through '71, it plucks the (+) electrical flow from wires rotated inside of magnets
Alternator - later charging device that uses both sides (+)(-) of the waves created by rotating a magnet through a field of wires > thus almost doubling output
Ground Path (battery, transaxle, spade terminal) - the equally important but often neglected side of all electrical circuits found in cars > every circuit has to find its way back to the battery through the metal of the car
Spade Terminal (push-on) - the typical quick-disconnect for VWs that needs to be treated with caution and kept clean
Screw Terminal - found in critical areas like generators and voltage regulators and starter-to-battery cables, cleanliness is critical
Wire Gauge - it is not really a gauge, it is an idiotically arcane unit of measure going from small 22-24 to big 10 and even 8 ...
Fuse - a method of shutting down (opening) an electrical circuit that has been shorted (positive to ground) using amperage-induced heat to melt a sliver of soft wire > VWs generally use 8 or 16 amp
Breaker - shuts down a damaged circuit like a fuse, but can be reset or automatically reset depending on design
Fusible Link - a hardwired fuse for big amperage electrical devices, it requires involved replacement to help you remember to fix the problem first