148 Intelligent technolog y
Dynamic energy management
While th e veh icle is be ing dr iven , dynamic en-
e rgy management distributes the energy gen-
erated according to the needs of the individu-
a l components . It reg ulates cons umption, so
that more electrical energy is not being used
t han 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 148,
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
d riving, in city traffic and duri ng the cold time
of year. Abundant e lectr ica l energy is re-
qu ired, but only a little is gene rated . It is also
critica l if t he engine is not run ning and ele ct ri-
cal componen t s ar e turned on. In th is in-
stance energy is being consumed but none is
being generate d.
It is in precisely these sit ua ti ons that you w ill
notice energy management act ively regula t-
ing the distrib ution of energy .
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive you r vehicle over a period
of severa l days or weeks, elect rical compo-
nents are grad ually cut back or swit ched off .
This redu ces energy cons umption and mai n-
tains st a rting cap a bility over a longer period .
Ta ke into considerat ion tha t when you unlock
your vehicle, some co nvenience func t ions,
such as the remote key or power sea t adjust -
men t , may not be available. The convenience
f unctions will be avai lable again when you
turn on th e ignition and start the engine.
With the engine turned off
If you listen t o t he radio, for examp le, w it h
t he engine t ur ned off, t he battery is being dis-
charged .
If st arti ng capab ility is j eopard ized d ue to en-
ergy consu mptio n, a mess a ge a ppea rs in t he
drive r informa t ion d isplay .
You have to start t he engine to charge the
ba tte ry.
With the engine running
Althoug h electrical energy is generated when
the vehicle is being d riven, the battery can be -
come discharged. This happens mostly when
little energy is being ge ne rated and a g reat
deal consumed a nd t he battery's st ate of
charge is not opt imal.
To bring the energy bala nce back into equ ili-
br ium, consume rs wh ich req uire espe cially
lar ge amounts of ene rgy a re temporar ily cut
ba ck or sw itched off. Hea ti ng systems in par-
t icu lar require a grea t deal of energy . If you
not ice, for examp le, that the heated seatsat or
the heated rear window are not heating, they
have been temporarily cut back or switched
off. These systems w ill be available a gain as
soon as the e ne rgy balance has been restored.
You w ill 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 gener -
ated and the battery is charged .
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display
If bat t ery power drops int o the range where it
can limit the ability of the engi ne to start, this
is shown in the instrument cluster display
with the following driver message:
(•] Low battery charge: battery will be
charged while driving
Th is not ificat io n reminds you that t he start ing
capabili ty of t he engi ne may be lim ite d . As
soon as you st art dr iving again, t he battery .,..
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