What services do auto electricians offer?

Auto electricians are specialists in their field, working with the electrical wiring system within a vehicle and any components that relate to that system.

They are fault finders and car tech wizards, and as automotive technology - think connected cars, electric cars, and so on - continues to develop, the auto electrician’s role becomes ever more demanding and complicated.

Let’s weave our way into the wires of an auto electrician’s domain to find out what it is that they can do on your car.

What do auto electricians do?

Repair wiring - The wiring harness in a car may look like a mess of coloured wires, connectors and terminals but it is a very organised mess that connects all the electrical components, sensors, relays, switches etc., making everything work like clockwork. If you consider that a wiring harness can weigh in at 40kg and contain more than 1,500 wires that when laid end-to-end stretch to 1.5km you get an idea of how complex a vehicle’s electrical system can be. As vehicles age, wires can corrode and become damaged, and it’s the auto electrician who can repair this faulty wiring.

Maintenance - Equipment and components fail over time and some items need maintenance to continue at optimal operation. A good example of this is the air conditioning (A/C) system - it needs regular servicing so you’ll always have that blast of cool air when you need it. Other systems that will need to be attended to are components such as the fuel injection system, electronic fuel pump, engine tuning and even the automatic transmission.

Installation - Probably one of the principal tasks of an auto electrician is installation. When you think of all the switches, relays, sensors, components and computers that are on your vehicle when something fails it needs to be replaced. But it doesn’t end with just replacing faulty electrical components. Part of an auto electrician’s job is to also install additional accessories such as lights, sound and vision systems, dash cams, computer upgrades and anti-theft devices, just to name a few.

Identify faults - If anyone loves the challenge of solving a mystery fault, it’s an auto electrician. They’re a special breed who can chase a fault down to its cause.

Computer-based equipment - Offering an analysis of computer data, codes and errors, auto electricians are the tech gurus of all things automotive. Cars are more high-tech now than they have ever been and are only getting more so. As systems are computer-controlled, when something goes wrong, the fault is signified via a light on the dash. These messages need to be understood and handled by a skilled technician.

Electrical components

Here are a handful of the many electrical components and systems you may find on your car that can be serviced by an auto electrician:

• Starter motor
• Battery
• Electronic ignition
• Air conditioning
• Power windows and central locking
• Fuel injection
• Alternator
• Stereo
• Driving lights
• Airbags
• Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
• Cruise control
• Automatic transmission

So, when it comes time for an electrical item to be repaired, or an accessory to be installed, you might think about contacting an auto electrician.

You can book the services of just such a specialist through AutoGuru to ensure you get the ultimate professional installation.