I don't remember what the box with the fins on it and the heavy orange wire running to it, under the front hood/bonnet does. It appears it is the high voltage to 12 volt converter, is that correct? My car is a 1.5.
I'll buy that!:biggrin: I wonder why so much heat is given off during the conversion to require fins for cooling? Does the converter take care of all the car's 12 volt needs? Is the converter the same as a transformer? Anyone, anyone, Bueller?
No. A transformer only works with AC. A DC-DC converter takes high-voltage DC and converts it to a different DC voltage (in this case ~12v). Sometimes they convert the incoming DC current to AC with an inverter so they can use a transformer to change the voltage to a different AC voltage, and then rectify the output back to DC.
Rectifier: AC->DC Converter: DC->DC Inverter: DC->AC Transformer: AC->AC As an aside, the DC voltage from the pack to that converter was explained to me as -200V to 0V and 0V to +200V (so a 400V difference).
"As an aside, the DC voltage from the pack to that converter was explained to me as -200V to 0V and 0V to +200V (so a 400V difference).[/QUOTE]" Does that make sense? I would think the converter would reduce the full 375 volts to 12 volts? I am NOT an electronics guy.:biggrin: And again, why would so much heat be given off in the process?