Battery Run-Down Protection - Pontiac G6 2009 Owner's Manual

The battery can be discharged at idle if the electrical
loads are very high. This is true for all vehicles. This is
because the generator (alternator) may not be spinning
fast enough at idle to produce all the power that is
needed for very high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when several of the
following are on, such as: headlamps, high beams,
fog lamps, rear window defogger, climate control fan
at high speed, heated seats, engine cooling fans, trailer
loads, and loads plugged into accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive discharge of the
battery. It does this by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs. It can increase engine
idle speed to generate more power, whenever needed.
It can temporarily reduce the power demands of some
accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in steps or levels, without
being noticeable. In rare cases at the highest levels of
corrective action, this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, a Driver Information Center (DIC) message
might be displayed, such as BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE,
BATTERY VOLTAGE LOW, or LOW BATTERY. If this
message is displayed, it is recommended that the driver
reduce the electrical loads as much as possible. See DIC
Warnings and Messages on page 3-48.
3-18

Battery Run-Down Protection

The battery run-down feature is designed to protect the
vehicle's battery.
When any interior lamp (trunk, reading lamps, or dome
lamp) is left on when the ignition is turned off, the battery
run-down protection system automatically shuts the lamp
off after 20 minutes. This prevents draining of the battery.
To reactivate the interior lamps, do one of the
following:
•
Open any door.
•
Press any Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter
button.
•
Press the power door lock switch.
•
Press the remote trunk release.
•
Turn the lamp that was left on to off and then to on
again.