1996 Chevrolet Caprice Distributor Brushes

The charging system has been required as long as we have had a need for an electrical system and from research it’s been since the requirement of horns in motor vehicle in the early 1900’s. An alternator is a voltage generator that uses mechanical energy to rotate a set of magnets within a field of windings called a stator. The alternating current (AC) voltage created by the spinning magnetic field is converted into a usable direct current (DC) voltage with a rectifier and then regulated by a voltage regulator so that the voltage level in the electrical system stays within a specific operating range. The alternator provides all the voltage needed to operate a vehicle, the battery is only used as a reserve for heavier load conditions, as a voltage source for the engine starting system, and to supply a small amount of voltage to the electromagnets in the alternator which boosts the magnetic field in the alternator and increases voltage output.