Saturn 2009 VUE Hybrid - Manual (Page 117)

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 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 3-42.
Battery Run-Down
Protection
The battery saver feature is
designed to protect the vehicle’s
battery.
If any interior or exterior lamp is left
on and the ignition is turned off, the
battery rundown protection system
automatically turns the lamp off after
10 minutes.
Instrument Panel 3-15