than is being generated and ensures an opti-
mal state of charge for the battery.
@ Tips
- But even energy management cannot
negate the limits of physics. Consider
that the power and life of a battery are
limited.
- If starting ab ility is threatened, you are
informed by a warning
¢ page 143,
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
The battery is severely taxed in short-distance
driving, in city traffic and during the cold time
of year. Abundant e lectrica l energy is re-
quired, but only a litt le is generated. It is also
critical if the engine is not run ning and electri-
cal components are turned on. In th is in-
stance energy is being consumed but none is
be ing gene rated.
It is in precisely these situations that you will
notice energy management actively regulat -
ing the distribution of energy .
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, electrical compo-
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and mai n-
tains sta rting capab ility over a longer per iod.
Take into consideration that when you un lock
your ve hicle, some convenience functions,
such as the remote key or power seat adjust -
ment, may not be available . The convenience
functions w ill be ava ilable again whe n you
turn on the ignit ion and star t the eng ine.
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with
the eng ine turned off, the battery is being dis-
charged .
Int e llig e nt technolog y 143
If starting capability is j eopardi zed d ue to en -
ergy consumption, a message appears in the
drive r information d isplay .
You have to start t he engine to charge t he
batte ry.
With the engine running
Although e lectrical energy is generated when
the vehicle is being driven, t he battery can be-
come disc harged. This happe ns mostly when
little energy is being generated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's sta t e of
charge is not optimal.
To bring t he energy balance back into equili -
br ium, consumers which requ ire espe cially
large amounts of energy a re temporari ly cut
back or switched off. Heating systems in pa r-
ticu lar require a great deal of energy. If you
notice, for example, that the heated seats* or
the heated rear window are not heating, they
have been temporarily cut back or sw itched
off . These systems w ill be available again as
soon as the ene rgy balance has been restored.
You will also notice that engine idle speed has
been increased slightly . This is normal and not
a cause for conce rn. By increas ing eng ine idle
speed the additional energy required is gene r-
ated a nd the battery is charged.
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display
If battery power drops into the range where it
can limit the ability of the engine to start, this
is shown in the instrument cluster display
with the following driver message:
(•) Low battery charge: battery will be
charged while driving
This notificat ion reminds you that the star ti ng
capability of the engine may be limited . As
soon as you sta rt dr iving again, the battery
will be recharged and the not ificat ion will go
out.
•
•
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