Electric Power Management

This vehicle has Electric Power Management (EPM), an advanced control system. It estimates the battery’s temperature and state of charge and 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, 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 Battery Voltage Low. If this message is displayed, it is recommended that the driver reduce the electrical loads as much as possible.

    See also:

    Using the Digit Dial Command
    1. Press and hold for two seconds. The system responds with “Ready” followed by a tone. 2. Say “Digit Dial”. The system responds with “Digit dial using <phone name>, please say ...

    Infants and Young Children
    Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes infants and all other children. Neither the distance traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes the need, for everyone, to use sa ...

    Parking Brake
    The vehicle has an Electric Parking Brake (EPB). The switch for the EPB is in the center console. The EPB can always be activated, even if the ignition is off. To avoid draining the battery, do ...