Does the battery do anything while the car is actually running? I know that the engine is hooked up to a generator, which charges the battery and helps run the headlights, spark plugs, etc... but does the battery do anything? Sometime when the engine is running at idle for too long, and you have headlights and AC on full blast, the car will use some battery power but that's all I can think of. Basically, if you remove the battery from the car when it's running, will the car malfunction? Good day all!

 

Normally the battery doesn't supply any of the power while the engine's running. The alternator does that. But if you unhook the battery, the alternator can make some voltage spikes that might fry your ECU.

 

Very true. The battery acts as a buffer to absorb some of the voltage coming from the alternator. Alternator voltage is around 14 volts and everything in your car runs off a 12.6 volt battery, so the battery will absorb some of that power and distribute it without the voltage spikes.

 

Wonderful, thanks thats just what I needed to know!