Instead it activates a relay which passes the signal on so that the car can start. A relay is an electromechanical or electronic device through which a heavy load can be switched on off with a nominal input of current voltage.
Relay Case How To Use Relays And Why You Need Them
What does a relay do in a car. What is a relay. If a component that is fed with electricity through a relay see how car electrical systems work terminal of the battery to the feed terminal on the component thereby bypassing the relay and supply wiring. Whenever you operate a switch to an accessory in your car that carries a lot of current such as the lights wipers or horn you run a small amount of current through a relay which in turn closes contacts to operate the accessory. A classic example is the system used to start a car when someone turns an ignition key the ignition does not interact directly with the car battery. It consists of a set of input terminals for a single or multiple control signals and a set of operating contact terminals. A relay is an electrically operated switch.
The heart of a relay is an electromagnet a coil of wire that becomes a temporary magnet when electricity flows through it. An electrical relay is a switch that is under the control of another circuit. The switch may have any number of contacts in multiple contact forms such as make contacts break contacts or combinations thereof. How does a relay work. A relay is an electromagnetic switch operated by a relatively small electric current that can turn on or off a much larger electric current. This article focuses on electro mechanical relays used in automotive applications.
If one of your accessories doesnt come on and you suspect the relay is bad you can perform a few simple tests.