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160
Intelligent
technolog
y
than is being generated and ensures an opti-
mal state of charge for the battery.
(D
Tips
- But even energy managemen t 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 160,
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 electrica l energy is re-
quired, but only a lit tle is generated. It is also
critical if the engine is not running and electri-
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 t hat you will
notice energy management actively regulat -
ing the distribut ion 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 main-
tains starting capab ility over a longer period .
Take into consideration that when you unlock
your vehicle, 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 ignit ion and sta rt 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 .
If starting capability is j eopardized due to en-
ergy consumption , a message appears 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 generated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's state of
charge is not optimal.
To bring the energy balance back into equ ili-
brium, consumers which req uire espec ially
large amounts of energy are temporari ly cut
back or switched off. Heating systems in par-
ticu lar require a great deal of energy. If you
not ice, 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 energy 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 gener-
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 :
f•i
Low battery charge: batte ry will be
charged while driving
This notification reminds you that the starting
capability of the engine may be limited . As
soon as you start driving again, the battery
will be recharged and the not ificat ion will go
out.
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