The battery supplies electrical power to the starter, along with the rest of the electrical components of the vehicle, which is necessary to start the engine. When the engine starts running, the charging system takes over to provide electricity to the various vehicle electrical systems.
A vehicle battery has several important functions, some of which are:
- providing power to the starter motor, ignition system, fuel system, and other electrical devices during engine starting
- storing energy
- providing power to the electronic components as required when the vehicle is off (e.g., digital radios, clocks, door locks, alarms, vehicle computers, etc)