156 Intelligent technology
Dynamic energy management
While the veh icle is be ing driven , dynamic en-
e rgy management distributes the energy gen-
erated according to the needs of the individu-
a l components . It regu lates consumption, so
that more electrical energy is not being used
than is being generated and ensures an opti-
mal state of charge for the battery .
(D 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 warn ing
<=>page 156,
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 electr ical energy is re-
qu ired, but only a little is generated . It is also
critical if the engine is not run ning and elect ri-
cal components are turned on. In th is in-
stance energy is being consumed but none is
being generated .
It is in precisely these situations that you w ill
notice energy management actively regulat-
ing the distrib ution of energy .
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of severa l days or weeks, elect rical compo-
nents are gradually cut back or switched off .
This reduces energy consumption and main-
tains starting capabi lity over a longer period.
Take into considerat ion that when you un lock
your vehi cle, some convenience functions,
such as the remote key or power seat adjust-
ment, may not be available. The convenience
functions will be available again when you
turn on the ignition and start the engine.
With the engine turned off
If you listen t o the radio, for examp le, with
the engine turned off, the battery is being dis-
charged.
If starting capabil ity is jeopardized due to en-
ergy consumption , a message appea rs in the
driver information display.
You have to start the engine to charge the
batte ry.
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated when
the vehicle is being driven, the battery can be -
come discharged. This happens mostly when
little energy is being gene rated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's state of
charge is not optimal.
To bring the energy balance back into equili-
brium , consume rs which requ ire espec ially
large amounts of energy are temporar ily cut
back or sw itched off. Heating systems in par-
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 switched
off. These systems will 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 concern. By increasing engine idle
speed the additional energy required is gene r-
ated and 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:
(•i Low battery charge: battery will be
charged while driving
Th is not ificat io n reminds you that the start ing
capability of the engine may be lim ited. As
soon as you start driving again, t he battery .,..
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