air condition AUDI A5 CABRIOLET 2013 Owners Manual

@ Tips
-Do not reset the display between oil
changes, otherwise the display will be in­
correct.
- The information in the Service Reminder
remains stored even when the vehicle
battery is disconnected.
On-Board Diagnostic
system (OBD)
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)¢• in
the instrument cluster is part of the On-Board
Diagnostic (OBD II) system .
The warning/indicator light illuminates when
the ignition is switched on and goes out after
the engine starts and the idle has stabilized.
This indicates that the MIL is work ing proper­
ly.
If the light does not go out after the engine
is started, or illuminates while you are driv­
ing, a ma lfunction may ex ist in the engine sys­
tem. If the light illuminates, the catalytic con­
verter could be damaged.
Continue driving
with reduced power (avoid­
ing sustained high speeds and/or rapid acce l­
erat ions) and have the condition corrected.
Contact your author ized Audi dealer .
If the lig ht illuminates, the electronic speed
limiter may also be malfunctioning. For more
information
~ page 29, Electronic speed
limiter .
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may also
cause the MIL light to illuminate
~page 210.
Driver information display 29
On-Board Diagnostics
Fig. 1 6 Locat io n of Data Li nk Co nnector (DLC)
On-Board D iagnostics monitors the compo­
nents of your em ission contro l system. Each
monitored component in your engine system
has been ass igned a code. In case of a mal­
funct ion, the component will be identified
and the fault stored as a code in the control
module memo ry.
The MIL light may also illuminate if there is a
l eak in the on-board fuel vapor recovery sys­
tem. If the light illuminates after a refueling,
stop the vehicle and make sure the fuel filler
cap is properly closed ~page 210.
In order to make an accurate diagnosis, the
stored data can only be disp layed using spe­
cial diagnostic equipment (generic scan tool
for OBD).
In order to connect the specia l diagnostic
equipment, p ush the plug into the Data Link
Connector (DL C). The DLC is located to the
rig ht of the hood release
~ fig. 16.
Your authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop can interpret the code and perform the
necessary repair.
A WARNING
Do not use the diagnostic connector for
personal use . Incorrect usage can cause
malfunctions , whic h can increase the risk
of a collision!
Electronic speed limiter
Your vehicle may be factory equ ipped with
-
tires that are rated for a maximum speed of .,..

70 Warm and cold
Warm and cold Climate controls
Description
The climate control system warms, cools and
adds humidity to the air in the vehicle interior.
It is the most effect ive when the windows and
sunroof are closed . If there is a build-up of
heat inside the vehicle, ventilation can help to
speed up the cooling process.
I n all heating mode functions except
defrost,
the blower on ly switches to a higher speed
once the engine coolant has reached a certain
temperature.
Condensat ion from the cooling system can
drip and form a puddle of water under the ve­
hicle. This is normal and does not mean there
is a leak.
Pollutant filter
The pollutant filter removes pollutants s uch
as dust and pollen from the air.
The air pollutants filter must be changed at
the intervals spec ified in you r Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet, so that the air condi­
tioner can properly work.
If you drive your vehicle in an area with h igh
a ir po llution, the fi lter may need to be
changed more frequently than specified in
your Aud i Wa rranty
& Ma intenance booklet. If
in doubt, ask your authorized Audi Service Ad ­
visor for advice .
Key coded settings
The climate control settings are automat ically
stored and assigned to the remote control key
that is in use. These settings are different
when the power top is open or closed .
A WARNING
Reduced visibility is dangerous and can
cause accidents. -
- For safe driving it is very important that
all windows be free of ice, snow and con­
densation.
- Comp letely familiarize yourself with the
proper use and function of the heating
and ventilation system and especially how to defog and defrost the windows.
- Never use the windshield wiper/washer
system in freez ing weather unt il you
have warmed the windshield first, using
the heating and ventilation system. The
washer solution may freeze on the wind­ shie ld and reduce visib ility.
(D Note
- If you suspect that the air conditioner has been damaged, switch the system
off to avoid further damage and have it
inspected by a qualified dealership.
- Repairs to the Audi air conditioner re­
quire special technical know ledge and
special tools. Contact an authorized Aud i
dea ler fo r assistance.
@ For the sake of the environment
By reducing the amount of fuel you use,
you also reduce the amount of pollutants
emitted into the air.
(D Tips
- Keep the air intake s lots (in fro nt of the
w indshield) free from ice, snow and de ­
bris in order to maintain the proper func­
tion of the climate control system.
- The energy management system may
switch the seat heating* or rear window
defroster off temporarily . These systems
are available again as soon as the energy
balance has been restored.
- Air escapes through vents under the rear
window. When placing items of clothing
on the luggage compartment cover, en­
sure that the openings are not covered.

116 Park assist
In the MMI display, the direction of travel
of the vehicle rear is represented depend­ing on the steering wheel angle. The vehi­
cle front swings out more than the vehicle
rear. Maintain plenty of distance from an
obstacle so that your outside mirror or a
corner of your vehicle does not collide with
any obstacles -danger of accident!
@ Tips
The left or right orientation lines and sur­
faces will be displayed, depending on the turn signal being used.
Adjusting the display and warning tones
Applies to vehicles: with parking system (rear, with rear
view camera)
The display and warning tones are adjusted in
the radio or MM!*.
"' Select: I CARI function button > Parking sys·
tern.
Or
"' Select: ~I C~A~RI function button > Car sys­
tems*
control button > Driver assist > Park·
ing aid.
Display
- Off -when the parking system is switched
off, only audible signals are given.
- On -when the parking system is switched
on, the picture from the rear view camera is
displayed.
Warning tones
- Rear volume -
rear sensor volume
-Rear frequency -rear sensor frequency
-Music volume while parking -when the
parking system is switched on, the volume
of the active audio source is lowered.
The newly adjusted value is briefly heard from
the signal generator. The settings are auto­
matically stored and assigned to the remote
control key.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that the volume and
frequency of the warning tones is adjust­
ed so that you can easily hear the acous­
tic distance signal even if the radio is
playing, the air-conditioner blower is on
High or there is a high level of outside
noise.
- Check the settings whenever someone
else has driven the vehicle before you.
@ Tips
- The warning tones can also be adjusted
directly from the rear view camera im­
age. Simply press the Settings* control
button.
- Changed settings are activated when
parking assist is switched on again.
Error messages
Applies to vehicles: with parking system (rear, with rear
view camera)
-
If a warning tone is audible for about five sec­
onds when you turn on the ignition, there is a
malfunction in the system. Have the problem
corrected by your authorized Audi dealer.
Keep the sensors in the rear bumper clean and
free from ice so that the acoustic park assist system can function properly.

128 Driving Safely
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power top,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­
dows, the power top and the rear lid are
securely closed and locked to reduce the
risk of injury when the vehicle is not being
used .
-After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked .
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es ­
pecially with the rear lid left open. A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out. Being trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the
vehicle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions.
(D Tips
- Air circulation helps to reduce window
fogging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure
to keep these slots free and open.
- The tire pressure must correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. The tire pressure la­
bel is located on the driver's side B-pillar.
The tire pressure label lists the recom­
mended cold tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
-
'
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures for nor­
mal load conditions, please see chapter
r::::>page 231.
Tie-downs
Applies to vehicles: with tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and o ther
items.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly
r::::> page 12 7, Loading the luggage com­
par tmen t.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item . Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb (4 .S kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item . This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be about 200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the
injuries that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying
freely through the passenger compartment could cause in a collision like this.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur­ ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help pre­
vent items from shifting or flying for­
ward as dangerous missiles.
- When the rear seat backrest is folded
down, always use suitable mounting
straps and properly secure items to the
tie-downs in the luggage compartment
to help prevent items from flying

144 Airbag system
-Never place additiona l items on the seat
that can increase the total weight regis­
tered by the weight-sensing mat and can
cause injury in a crash.
Front airbags
Description of front airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants.
F ig . 150 Location of driver airbag: in steer ing whee l
Fig. 151 Location of front passenger's airbag: in the in ­
strument panel
Your veh icle is equipped with an "Advanced
A irbag System" in compliance with United
States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard ( FM VSS) 208 as app licab le at the time your
ve hicl e was manufac tured. The system senses
the position of the front seats and controls
front airbag inflation with a valve, depending
on the distance between the respect ive seat
and the steering wheel or instrument panel.
The safety belts for the seats have "preten­
sioners" that he lp to take slack out of the belt
system . The pretensioners a re also activated
by the electron ic cont ro l unit for the ai rbag
system. T
he front safety belts also have load limiters
to help reduce the forces applied to the body
i n a crash .
T he airbag for the drive r is in the stee ring
whee l hub¢
fig. 150 and the airbag for the
front passenger is in the instrument panel
~ fig. 151. The general locat ion of the a irbags
is marked "AIRBAG".
T here is a lot you need to know about the ai r­
bags in your vehicle. We urge you to read the
detailed information about airbags, safety
belts and child safety in this and the other
chapters that make up the owner's literature.
P lease be sure to heed the WARNINGS -they
are extremely importa nt for your safety and
the safety of your passengers, especially in­
fants and small chi ldren.
_&. WARNING
Neve r rely on airbags alone for p rotection.
- Even w hen they deploy, airbags provide
only s upplement al pro te ctio n.
- Airbag work most effect ive ly when used
with p roperly wor n safety bel ts.
- Therefore, always wea r you r safety belts
a nd make sure tha t eve rybody in your ve­
h icle is properly res trained.
_&. WARNING
A pe rson on the front passenger seat, es­
pe cial ly infa nts and sm all ch ildren, w ill re­
ceive serio us inju ries and can even be kil­
l ed by being too close to the airbag when
it inflates .
- Although t he Advanced Airbag System in
your veh icle is designed to tur n off the
front passenger airbag if an infant or a
small child is on the front passe nger
seat, nobody can absolutely guarantee
that deployment under these special
conditions is imposs ible in all conceiva­
b le sit uat ions that may happen during
the useful life of your vehicle.
- The Advanced Airbag System can dep loy
i n acco rdance with the "low risk" option
unde r the U.S . Feder al Standard if a child
that is heav ie r than the typical one -year
-
.

old child is on the front passenger seat
and the other conditions for airbag de­
ployment are met.
- Accident statistics have shown that chil­
dren are generally safer in the rear seat
area than in the front seating position.
- For their own safety, all children, espe­ cially 12 years and younger, should al­
ways ride in the back properly restrained
for their age and size.
Advanced front airbag system
Your vehicle is equipped with a front Advanced
Airbag System in compliance with United
States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
208 as applicable at the time your vehicle was
manufactured.
The front Advanced Airbag System supple­ ments the safety belts to provide additional
protection for the driver's and front passeng­
er's heads and upper bodies in frontal crashes.
The airbags inflate only in frontal impacts
when the vehicle deceleration is high enough.
The front Advanced Airbag System for the
front seat occupants is not a substitute for
your safety belts. Rather, it is part of the over­
all occupant restraint system in your vehicle.
Always remember that the ai rbag system can
only help to protect you, if you are sitting up­ right, wearing your safety belt and wearing it
properly . This is why you and your passengers
must always be properly restrained, not just
because the law requires you to be.
T he Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
has been certified to meet the "low risk" re ­
quirements for 3 and 6 year-old children on
the passenger side and very small adults on
the driver side. The low risk deployment crite­
ria are intended to help reduce the risk of in­
jury through interaction with the front airbag
that can occur , for example , by being too
close to the steering wheel and instrument panel when the airbag inflates.
In addition, the system has been certified to
comply with the "suppression" requirements
Airbag system 145
of the Safety Standard, to turn off the front
airbag for infants 12 months old and younger
who are restrained on the front passenger
seat in child restraints that are listed in the
Standard
¢ page 163 , Child restraints and
Advanced Airbags .
"Suppression" requires the front airbag on the
passenger side to be turned off if:
- a child up to about one year of age is re­
strained on the front passenger seat in one
of the rear-facing or forward-facing infant restraints listed in Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard 208 with which the Ad­
vanced Airbag System in your vehicle was
certified . For a listing of the child restraints
that were used to certify your vehicle's com­ pliance with the US Safety Standard
¢page 163,
-weight less than a threshold level stored in
the control unit is detected on the front pas­
senger seat.
When a person is detected on the front pas­
senger seat, weighing more than the total
weight of a child that is about 1 year old re­
strained in one of the rear-facing or forward­
facing infant restraints (listed in Federal Mo­
tor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with which
the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
was certified), the front airbag on the passen­ ger side may or may not deploy.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
when the electronic control unit detects a to­
tal weight on the front passenger seat that re­
quires the front airbag to be turned off. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on, the front airbag on the passenger
side has not been turned off by the control unit and can deploy if the control unit senses
an impact that meets the conditions stored in
its memory.
If the total weight on the front passenger
seat is more than that of a typical 1 year-old ,
but less than the weight of a small adult, the
front airbag on the passenger side may deploy
(the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on). ..,. •
•

150 Airbag system
must always sit in an upright position,
must not lean against or place any part
of their body too close to the area where
the airbags are located .
- Occupants who are unbelted, out of posi­
tion or too close to the airbag can be se­ riously injured by an airbag as it unfolds
with great force in the blink of an eye
~page 141.
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety
seat installed on the front passenger seat
will be seriously injured and can be killed if
the front airbag inflates -even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, center
armrest, door or roof.
- Always install rear-facing child safety
seats on the rear seat.
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
mediately install the rear-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will
increase the risk of injury in a crash by in­
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds
or by being pushed into you as the airbag
inflates.
- Never hold things in your hands or on
your lap when the vehicle is in use.
- Never transport items on or in the area of the front passenger seat. Objects
could move into the area of the front air­
bags during braking or other sudden ma­
neuver and become dangerous projec- tiles that can cause serious personal in­
jury if the airbags inflate.
- Never place or attach accessories or oth­
er objects (such as cupholders, tele­ phone brackets, large, heavy or bulky ob­
jects) on the doors, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the steering wheel,
instrument panel, seat backrests or be­
tween those areas and yourself. These
objects could cause injury in a crash, es­
pecially when the airbags inflate.
- Never recline the front passenger's seat
to transport objects. Items can also
move into the area of the side airbag or
the front airbag during braking or in a
sudden maneuver. Objects near the air­
bags can become projectiles and cause
injury, particularly when the seat is re­
clined.
A WARNING
'-
The fine dust created when airbags deploy
can cause breathing problems for people
with a history of asthma or other breath­
ing conditions.
- To reduce the risk of breathing problems, those with asthma or other respiratory
conditions should get fresh air right
away by getting out of the vehicle or
opening windows or doors.
- If you are in a collision in which airbags
deploy, wash your hands and face with
mild soap and water before eating.
- Be careful not to get the dust into your
eyes, or into any cuts or scratches.
- If the residue should get into your eyes,
flush them with water.

152 Airbag sys te m
If the front passenger seat is not occupied,
the front airbag will not deploy, and the
PAS­
SENGER AIR BAG OF F
light wi ll stay on. Nev­
er install a rearward-fac ing ch ild restra int on
the front passenger seat, the safest place fo r
a child in any kind of child restraint is at one
of the seat ing positions on the rear seat
¢ page 141, Child restraints on the front seat
- some important things to know
and
¢ page 161, Child Safety.
If th e PASSEN GER AI R BAG OFF light c ome s
on
when one of the conditions listed above is
met, be sure to check the light regular ly to
make certa in that the
PAS SENGER AIR BA G
O FF
light stays on cont inuous ly whenever the
ignition is on. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght does not appear and not stay on all
the time, stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and
- reactivate the system by turning the ignition off and then turning it on again;
- remove and re install the child restraint.
Make sure that the child restraint is properly
installed and that the safety be lt for the
front passenger seat has been correctly routed around the child restraint as descr i­
bed in the child restraint manufacturer's i n­
structions;
- make sure that the convertible locking fea­
ture on the safety belt for the front passen ­
ger seat has been activated and that the
safety belt has been pulled tight. The belt
mus t not be loose o r have loops of slack so
that the senso r below the safety be lt latch
on the seat can do its job¢
page 171 .
-make su re that th ings that may increase the
weight of the ch ild and child safety seat are
not being transpo rted on the front passen ­
ger seat;
- make su re that the safety belt tension sen ­
sor is not b locked. Shake the safety be lt
l atch on the front passenger seat back and
forth;
- If a strap or tether is being used to tie the
child safety seat to the front passenger
seat, make sure that it is not so tight that it causes the weight
-sensing mat to measure
more weight than is act ually on the seat.
If th e PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still
does not come on
and does not s tay on con­
t in uous ly (when the ignition is switched on) ,
- take the child restraint off the front passen-
ge r seat and install it properly at one of the
rea r seat posi tions. H ave the airbag system
inspected by yo ur authorized Audi dealer
immediate ly .
- move the child to a rear seat position and
make sure t hat the c hild is properly restrain ­
ed in a c hild restraint that is appropriate for
its size and age.
T he
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light should
NOT come on when t he ignition is on and an
adult is sitting in a proper seating position on
the front passenger seat. If the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on or
flashes for about 5 seconds wh ile driving, un­
der these c ircumstances, make sure that:
- the adult on the front passenger seat is properly seated on the center of the seat
cushion with his or her back up aga inst the
backrest and the backrest is not recl ined
¢ page 122, Proper occupant seating posi­
tions,
- the adult is not tak ing weight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the fron t passenger door or support­
ing their weight on the armrest,
- the safety belt is being properly wo rn and
t ha t the re is no t a lot of s lack in the safety
be lt webb ing ,
- accesso ry seat covers or cushions or other
t hings tha t may cause an incorrect reading
or impression on the weight-sensing mat
under the upho lstery of the seat have been
removed from the front passenger seat,
- a safety belt extender has not been left in
the safety belt latch for the front passenger
seat.
In add ition to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light in the center o f the instrument panel,
t h e message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON wi ll briefly appear ..,.

Child Safety
Important things to know
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a
collision .
The physical principles of what happens when
your veh icle is in a crash app ly also to chi ldren
q page 133, What happens to occupants not
wearing safety belts? .
But unlike adu lts thei r
muscles and bones are not fully developed. In
many respects children are at greater risk of
serio us inju ry in crashes than adults .
Because children's bod ies are not fu lly deve l­
oped, they require restraint systems especial ­
l y des igned for their size, weight, and body
structure. Many co untries and all states of th e
United States and p rovinces of Canada have
laws requ iring the u se of approved ch ild re­
straint systems for infants and small children .
In a frontal crash at a speed o f 20 -35 mph
(30-56 km/h) the forces acting on a 13-po und
(6 kg) infant w ill be more than 20 t imes the
weight of the child . Th is means the weight of
the child would suddenly be more than
260 pounds ( 120 kg). Under these conditions,
on ly an appropriate chi ld restrai nt properly
used can reduce the risk of ser ious injury.
Ch ild restr aints must be used p roperly to be
effective. Used improperly, they can inc rease
the risk of serious in jury i n an accident.
Consult the chil d safety seat manufacture r's
i nstr uctions to be s ure the seat is r igh t for
your chi ld's size
q page 164, Important safe ­
ty instructions for using child safety seats .
Please be sure to read and heed a ll of the im ­
portant informat ion and WARNINGS abo ut
child safety, Advanced Airbags, and the ins tal­
lation of child restraints in this chapter.
T here is a lot you need to know about the Ad ­
vanced A irbags in your vehicle and how they
work when infants and children in child re­
straints are on the front passenger seat . Be ­
cause of the large amount of important i nfor-
Child Sa fet y 161
mation, we cannot repeat it a ll here . We urge
you to read the detai led information in this
owner 's man ua l about airbags and the Ad ­
vanced Airbag System in your vehicle and the
very important information about transpor t­
ing ch ildren on the front passenger seat.
Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS -they
ar e extremely importa nt for your safety and
the safety of you r passenge rs, especially in­
f an ts and small chi ld ren.
A WARNING
- Accident statistics have shown that c hil­
dren are generally safer in the rear seat
area than in the front seating position.
Always restrain any child age 12 and un­
der in the rear.
- All vehicle occupants and especially chil­
dren must be restrained p roperly when­
ever riding i n a vehicle. An unrestrained
or improper ly restrained chi ld could be
in ju red by str iking the interior o r by be ­
ing ejected from the vehicle during a
sudden maneuve r or impact. A n un re­
s tra ine d or improperly restrained ch ild is
a lso at greate r risk of injury o r dea th
through contact with an inflating airbag .
- A suitable ch ild restrai nt properly inst al­
led and used a t one o f the rear seat ing
positions prov ides the highest degree of
protection for infants and small children
in most accident situations.
A WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even
with Advanced Airbags can be ser iously in­
ju red or even killed when an a irbag i n­
flates. A child in a rearward -fac ing ch ild
safety seat installed on t he front passen­
ger seat w ill be ser iously injured and can
be killed if the front airbag infla tes.
- The infla ting airbag will h it the ch ild
s afe ty seat or i nfant carrie r wi th grea t
force and will sm ash the child safety se at
and child against the bac krest or doo r.
- Always install rearward-faci ng ch ild safe­
t y seats on the re ar seat.
•
•

Intelligent technology Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu­
facturers for the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event. EDR's are sometimes called "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retr ieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDR's that were in­
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron­
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for examp le, engine function, emis­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record
vehicle-related data during norma l vehicle op­
eration for diagnostic and repair purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded over a very limited period of
time and stored when a system fault or other
condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as we ll as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only be read and downloaded with special equip­
ment.
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidding and loss of veh icle control. It works
only when the engine is running. ESC detects
Intelligent technology 179
certain difficult driving situations, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw)
out of control and helps you to get the veh icle
back under control by se lectively braking the
wheels, and/or reducing engine power and
providing steering ass istance to help hold the
vehicle on the driver's intended course. The in­
dicator light
JjJ in the instrument cluster
blinks when ESC is taking action to help you
control the vehicle.
ESC has limitations .
It is important to remem­
ber that ESC cannot overcome the laws of
physics.
It will not always be able to help out
under all conditions you may come up against.
For example, ESC may not always be able to
help you master situations where there is a
sudden change in the coefficient of friction of
the road surface. When there is a section of dry road that is suddenly covered with water,
slush or snow, ESC cannot perform the same
way it would on the dry surface. If the vehicle
hydroplanes (rides on a cushion of water in­
stead of the road surface), ESC will not be
able to help you steer the vehicle because con­
tact with the pavement has been interrupted
and the vehicle cannot be braked or steered .
During fast cornering, particularly on winding
roads, ESC cannot always deal as effectively
with difficult driving situations than at lower
speeds. When towing a trailer, ESC is not able
to help you regain control as it would if you
were not tow ing a trailer.
A lways adjust your speed and driving style to
road, traffic and weather conditions. ESC can­
not override the vehicle's physical limits, in­
crease the available traction, or keep a vehicle
on the road if road departure is a result of
driver inattention. Instead, ESC improves the
poss ibility of keeping the vehicle under con­
trol and on the road dur ing extreme maneu­
vers by using the driver's steering inputs to
help keep the vehicle going in the intended di­
rection. If you are traveling at a speed that
causes you to run off the road before ESC can
provide any assistance, you may not experi­
ence the benefits of ESC.
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