Displays Test
Certain instrument panel cluster (IPC) features are tested when the ignition is turned on in order to verify that the features are working properly. The following indicators illuminate briefly at key up:
• | Air Bag--Controlled by the SDM |
• | Engine Coolant Temperature |
• | Fasten Safety Belt--Controlled by the SDM |
• | Hybrid Economy Indicator (L4 Hybrid Only) |
• | Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)--Controlled by the ECM |
• | Vehicle Dynamics Caution (VDC) |
Indicators and Warning Messages
Refer to
Indicator/Warning Message Description and Operation.
Charge/Assist Gage (L4 Hybrid)
The charge/assist gage displays the level of charging or assist (discharge) of the hybrid battery pack. The charge/assist gage displays the charging and discharge activities on the battery intermediate voltage bus. The gage is made up of two separate zones
for charge and assist activities. The charge zone displays electric energy flowing to the hybrid battery pack as a result of regenerative braking activity or the vehicle coasting. The assist zone displays electric energy used to boost the vehicle launch flowing
out of the hybrid battery pack. The charge/assist gage displays both the magnitude and direction of energy flow on the intermediate voltage bus. When the gage pointer is set in between the two zones, there is no activity on the bus and this indicates a neutral
charge state.
Driver Efficiency Gage (Two Mode Hybrid)
The IPC displays the driver efficiency as determined by the engine control module (ECM). The IPC receives serial data message from the ECM indicating the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. There are several zones on the gage indicating different levels of
efficiency. The gage indicates fuel efficiency when the engine is running and will be set at the minimum scale position when the ignition transitions to a mode other than the engine is running. The gage will default to its half scale position when there is a
loss of serial data communication with the ECM The driver efficiency gage gives feedback to the driver of the hybrid vehicle as to how efficient they are driving. When driving in a way to optimize the fuel economy (e.g. gradually increasing the speed, slow
braking, etc.), the pointer or indicator moves into a high efficiency band. When driving in an inefficient manner (e.g. starts, hard braking, constantly changing speeds, etc.), the pointer or indicator moves into a less efficient band. The gage spans several
zones, corresponding to different levels of efficiency for acceleration and deceleration. As the indicator moves across the band, the driver receives directional feedback as to whether their driving style is moving towards or away from the desired efficiency.
Fuel Gage
The instrument panel cluster (IPC) displays the fuel level based on information from the engine control module (ECM). The engine control module (ECM) calculates the fuel level based on information from the fuel level sensor. The engine control module (ECM)
sends the fuel level information to the body control module (BCM) via the serial data circuit. The instrument panel cluster (IPC) displays the fuel level as received from the BCM. The fuel gage defaults to E (empty) if:
• | The ECM detects a malfunction in the fuel level sensor circuit. |
• | The IPC detects a loss of serial data communications with the BCM. |
• | The BCM detects a loss of serial data communications with the ECM. |
When the fuel level is less than a pre-determined value, the Low Fuel indicator message illuminates.
Speedometer
The instrument panel cluster (IPC) displays the vehicle speed based on information from the engine control module (ECM). The engine control module (ECM) calculates the vehicle speed from the vehicle speed sensor (VSS) input. The ECM sends a serial data
message to the BCM indicating the vehicle speed. The instrument panel cluster (IPC) displays the vehicle speed as received from the BCM via serial data circuit.
The speedometer defaults to 0 km/h (0 mph) when any of the following occur:
• | The ECM detects a malfunction in the vehicle speed sensor. |
• | The BCM detects a loss of serial data communications with the ECM. |
• | The IPC detects a loss of serial data communications with the BCM. |
Tachometer
The instrument panel cluster (IPC) displays the engine speed as determined by the engine control module (ECM). The engine control module (ECM) determines the engine speed and sends the engine speed serial data message to the BCM. The BCM sends the engine
speed via the serial data circuit to the IPC. The tachometer will default to 0 RPM if:
• | The ECM detects a malfunction in the engine speed sensor. |
• | The BCM detects a loss of serial data communication with the ECM. |
• | The IPC detects a loss of serial data communication with the BCM. |
Hybrid Tachometer
The hybrid tachometer is a single gage that displays the engine speed and indicates whether the vehicle is in the AUTO STOP or OFF mode of operation. The AUTO STOP mode indicates that the vehicle is still motion capable and the engine could restart by
auto start at any time. OFF mode indicates that either the vehicle is turned OFF or the engine has stalled. The instrument panel cluster (IPC) displays the engine speed as determined by the engine control module (ECM). The engine control module (ECM) determines
the engine speed and sends the engine speed via serial data message to the BCM. The BCM sends the engine speed via the serial data circuit to the IPC. The tachometer defaults to 0 RPM if:
• | The ECM detects a malfunction in the engine speed sensor. |
• | The BCM detects a loss of serial data communication with the ECM. |
• | The IPC detects a loss of serial data communication with the BCM. |