Electric Power Management
The vehicle has Electric Power Management (EPM)
that estimates the battery’s temperature and state
of charge. It then adjusts the voltage for best
performance and extended life of the battery.
When the battery’s state of charge is low, the
voltage is raised slightly to quickly put the charge
back in. When the state of charge is high, the
voltage is lowered slightly to prevent overcharging.
If the vehicle has a voltmeter gage or voltage
display on the Driver Information Center (DIC), you
may see the voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an alert will be
displayed.
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 loads are on: 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 or Service
Battery Charging System. If this message is
displayed, it is recommended that the driver
reduce the electrical loads as much as possible.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 200.
163
Speedometer and Odometer
Your speedometer lets you see your speed
in both miles per hour (mph) and kilometers
per hour (km/h).
Your odometer shows how far your vehicle
has been driven, in either miles (used in the
United States) or kilometers (used in Canada).
Your vehicle has a tamper resistant odometer.
The digital odometer will read 999,999 if someone
tries to turn it back.
You may wonder what happens if your vehicle
needs a new odometer installed. If the new
one can be set to the mileage total of the old
odometer, then it must be. If not, then it is set at
zero and a label must be put on the driver’s door to
show the old mileage reading when the new
odometer was installed.
Trip Odometer
Your trip odometer is located in the Driver
Information Center and shows how far your vehicle
has been driven since the trip odometer was
last reset. For more information seeDIC Operation
and Displays on page 195.
Tachometer
The tachometer shows your engine speed in
revolutions per minute (rpm).
Notice:If you operate the engine with the
tachometer in the solid red area, your vehicle
could be damaged. The damages would
not be covered by your warranty. Do not
operate the engine in the solid red area.
174