The electrical equipment and instruments

Only an elementary knowledge of electricity is necessary when carrying out maintenance and adjustment of the electrical equipment. When a fault develops which is beyond elementary first-aid measures such as tightening a loose connection or renewing or insulating a broken or chafed lead, of course, it is always advisable to enlist the aid of an auto-electrician and, where necessary, to take advantage of the service-exchange scheme operated by B.L.M.C. dealers and Lucas service depots, under which a faulty component is replaced by a reconditioned, guaranteed unit at a fixed charge.


For service and fault-tracing purposes, the components of the electrical system can be divided into four main groups: the battery; the charging system; the lighting circuits and electrically-operated accessories; and, strictly speaking, the ignition system, which deserves a chapter of its own and is therefore dealt with in Chapter 7. We shall begin, therefore, with the battery, which is virtually the heart of a modern car, with its wealth of electrically-operated equipment.