Safety, comfort and convenience systems

Todays heavy traffic places extreme demands on the drivers powers of attention and concentration. Modern electronics though make a variety of contributions towards increasing driving safety, and relieve the driver of assignments which would otherwise divert his/her attention from the surrounding traffic. Active road-safety systems (ABS, TCS and ESP) help to prevent accidents. Passive occupant-safety systems (e.g. airbags) not only reduce the danger of injury but also reduce the severity of the consequences of an accident. Information and navigation systems prevent the driver getting lost, and by means of automatic route selection guide the driver to his/her destination. And parking systems are a valuable aid when parking and maneuvering. Sophisticated theft-deterrent systems reliably safeguard the vehicle against intrusion and unauthorized use. Litronic headlamps, combined with automatic headlight leveling control and washwipe systems ensure maximum headlamp range and an optically perfect light pattern. Comfort and convenience systems keep the drivers level of fatigue down to a minimum. Electronics take over such adjustments which have to be carried out continually, and thus relieve the driver of strain by providing him/her with comfortable surroundings and a stress-free environment. The priority-administration concept known as Cartronic for the future networking of these individual systems to form an overall system is already available. In this manual, we will inform you about the safety, comfort, and convenience systems incorporated in a modern-day vehicle, and about their function.

Occupant safety systems Vehicle safety Occupant restraint systems Rollover protection systems for convertibles Driving-safety systems and drivetrain Antilock braking system ABS Traction control system TCS Electronic stability program ESP Electronic transmission-shift control Information systems Vehicle navigation systems Vehicle information systems Parking systems Headlamp systems Litronic Headlight leveling control Cleaning systems Windshield cleaning Headlamp cleaning Theft-deterrence systems Central locking systems Alarm systems Immobilizers Comfort and convenience systems Cruise Control (Tempomat) Power windows Power sunroofs Steering-column adjustment Seat adjustment Electronic heating control Electronic air-conditioner control

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Comfort and convenience systems

Programmable seat adjustment (memory seat) The programmable electrical seatadjustment system is an optional extra and permits the data on previously selected seat positions to be stored and recalled repeatedly. Position feedback uses potentiometers or sensors, and reports back to the ECU on the momentary setFig. 3 Electromechanical seat adjustment Actuators for 1 Backrest curvature, 2 Backrest angle adjustment, 3 Seat-cushion depth adjustment, 4 Head-restraint height adjustment, 5 Seat-height adjustment, 6 Longitudinal seat positioning.

ting of backrest or head restraint. The ECU triggers the servomotors through transistor output stages and relays until the fed-back position is in line with the stored position. On two-door vehicles, the front seat can be moved all the way forwards to provide better access to the rear seats.

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UKP0004Y

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Electronic heating control

Assignment
The systems for vehicle heating and for climate control (air-conditioner) are faced with the following assignments: Maintaining a comfortable climate inside the vehicle for all occupants irrespective of outside temperatures (Fig. 4), Providing good visibility through all windows and windshield, Generating an environment for the driver which is calculated to minimise stress and fatigue, Cleaning the incoming air by filtering out particulate matter (pollen, dust) and even odors. In many countries, the heater units performance is governed by legal regulations emphasizing the defrosters ability to maintain clear windows and windshield. In the EU for instance, these legal regulations include the EEC Directive 78/317, and in the USA the safety standard MVSS 103.

fluctuations can only be compensated for by continually readjusting the heater and ventilation settings by hand. The electronic heating control on the other hand maintains the vehicles interior temperature at the set level. In the case of coolant-side heater controls, the temperature of the vehicles interior and of the emerging air is measured by temperature sensors. The results are processed, and the controller compares them with the selected value. Meanwhile, a solenoid valve in the coolant circuit opens and closes at a defined frequency in response to the signals it receives from the ECU. The adjustments in the open/close ratio in the cycle periods regulate the flow rate from zero up to maximum. In air-side systems, an electric motor-gear unit (less often, pneumatic linear adjusters are used) is usually employed for the infinitelyvariable adjustment of the temperature mixture flap. More sophisticated systems provide for separate adjustment on the left and right sides of the vehicle.

Heater and air-conditioner control

Method of operation
Inside the vehicle, temperature fluctuations are caused by changes in outside temperature and in vehicle speed. On systems without automatic control, these
Fig. 4 Comfortable passenger-compartment temperature and air flow as a function of the outside temperature Passenger-compartment temperature ti C 28 26 mL 24 ti 22 20 20 10 2 0
UKH0369E

Electronic airconditioner control

Task
The heater unit alone is not capable of providing a comfortable environment at all times. When the outside temperature rises above 20 C, the air must be cooled by compressor-driven refrigerator units (Fig. 5) to achieve the required interior temperature. In addition, the moisture entrained with the cooled air is removed, thus reducing the airs humidity to the required level. Since the constant monitoring and adjustment required to maintain a temperate climate present the occupants with a far too complicated task, automatic climate control is particularly useful for vehicles in which both air conditioner and heater are installed. This applies especially to bus drivers as they are exposed only to the temperatures at the

kg / min 8 Air flow m L 6 4

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Outside temperature ta

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