Repair and maintenance of electrical equipment

The share of electrics in modern cars compared to hydraulic and mechanical systems is increasing, which has led to the emergence of a new specialty - auto electricians. As for electric vehicles, their electrical part is even more complex and important: their engine runs on electricity, and the energy is supplied not by the gas tank, but by the battery. Therefore, repairing electric vehicles is almost always repairing their electrical part, which a regular car service cannot perform.

In an electric vehicle, electrical circuits permeate all systems. Even the braking system is dependent on the operation of the electric motor, if regenerative braking is taken into account. The remaining devices contain a variety of electronic sensors that perform the same functions as the sensors that use hydraulic signals in internal combustion engines. But the main electrical load is carried by the traction motor, inverter and battery.

You don’t need to be a specialist or even the owner of an electric car to appreciate the role of electric current for such machines. Electric cars (except hybrids) cannot drive with a discharged battery, and it is useless to try to pour gasoline into them. You won't even find the tank filler. If the gas tank of a car with an internal combustion engine lasts a long time and provides power to the engine when there is fuel, then the battery of an electric car fails after 2-3 years of intensive use, and without replacing it the car will not move.

Therefore, repair and maintenance of electric vehicles in the vast majority of cases involves working with their electrics.

Major and secondary electrical systems

The most important set of electrical equipment for machines with an electric motor includes:

• Electric motor. Unlike an internal combustion engine, it provides high traction characteristics at all speeds, does not require complex mechanical balancing and creates rotational motion directly (as opposed to the translational movement of the piston), making the electric motor more efficient. The weight of the electric motor is less, the power is greater, the energy conversion coefficient is higher, the response speed to turning off the power is instantaneous, which means it is more advanced and more efficient than the internal combustion engine. An additional function of the electric motor is regenerative braking - when the vehicle stops, the wheels continue to spin the motor rotor, which in this case works as a generator. As a result, the battery is recharged;
• DC rechargeable battery consisting of approximately 7000 lithium-ion (AA) batteries. This is the weakest point of the entire system, the shortcomings of which have so far kept motorists from completely switching to electric vehicles. The fact is that the battery has a limited resource, and its capacity decreases over time, which is why the power source requires replacement after 6 - 8 years, depending on the intensity of driving;
• Inverter is a device for converting battery direct current into alternating current. The inverter changes its frequency, which determines the rotation speed of the electric motor (and therefore the rotation of the wheels), as well as the amplitude - the latter affects the engine power;
• External lighting devices - headlights and signal lights. Technically, an electric car can drive without them, but such movement is prohibited according to traffic regulations, so these devices should be classified as essential electrical devices.

Minor electrical systems include:

• Air conditioning;
• Interior and trunk lighting;
• Multimedia equipment;
• Numerous on-board electronics, starting with the ECU and dashboard indicators, and ending with parking sensors and a navigator. Electronic failures can block and make it impossible for an electric vehicle to move, but these systems are not necessary from the point of view of traffic rules: their task is to simplify control and provide a high level of driver comfort, so they are classified as secondary electrical systems. The difference between electronics and other electrical parts is the presence of software that determines the functionality of the device, as well as the interface between the driver and the vehicle’s auxiliary equipment;
• Other additional equipment: alarm system, power windows, central locking, etc.

The causes of breakdown of automotive electrical equipment are short circuits, mechanical and corrosion damage to the electrical circuit, and when the battery life expires, the car cannot be operated at all, although in the latter case it is not a breakdown.

Who repairs and maintains electrical equipment?

Entrusting the repair and maintenance of an electric vehicle to an ordinary auto electrician is the same as giving access to a transformer to a schoolchild, even if he has mastered the “electricity” section of physics perfectly. In ordinary cars with internal combustion engines, the voltage supplied by the battery does not exceed 12V, while in electric cars a current of 200 to 700V is used, so the latter are not forgiving.

At a specialized service station, electricians diagnose faults by reading error codes in the computer, dismantling devices, disassembling, visual inspection and instrumental measurements. But for all this you need an auto electrician who has thorough knowledge of the repair and maintenance of electric cars. It is these specialists who form the core of our car service.

You can entrust us with:

• Diagnostics of electrical systems of cars with electric motors;
• Installation and adjustment of headlights and other lighting devices;
• Replacing the battery;
• Motor and rectifier repair;
• Installation of additional electrical equipment;
• Air conditioner repair and maintenance;
• Repair of electrical wiring, relays, sensors and other electrical elements.

Availability of special knowledge, necessary approvals, experience in working with electric vehicles, guarantee on work results, modern diagnostic equipment, understandable pricing, high-quality components are our obvious advantages. Even if your electric vehicle is in trouble, we will make every effort to ensure that you are not disappointed in your personal electric vehicle and can continue to use it.