Entry/exit lighting, Reading lamps, Electric power management – GMC 2009 Savana User Manual

Page 134

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Entry/Exit Lighting

The vehicle has an illuminated entry/exit feature.

The dome lamps come on if the dome override button is
in the out position, when a door is opened or the key
is removed from the ignition.

Reading Lamps

For vehicles with reading lamps, press the button
located next to each lamp to turn it on or off.

The vehicle may also have reading lamps in other
locations. The lamps cannot be adjusted.

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 bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high, the voltage is lowered
slightly to prevent overcharging. If the vehicle has a
voltmeter gage or a 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 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.

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