What does the "Charge" bar refer to?

[Horrgakx]

I have just picked up a new C250 AMG Line Premium Plus
I have the centre display showing current economy (ie. the live bar that goes up and down as I accelerate). When I come off the gas and start coasting the "Charge" bar fills up. What is this for? What am I charging?

 

[renault12ts]

What does your manual tell you?

 

[Dave-ERY]

According to the online manual:

Recuperation display

shows you if energy has been recuperated from the kinetic energy in overrun mode and saved in the battery. Recuperation display

depends on the engine installed and is therefore not available in all vehicles.

Not sure if that applies to 'normal' engines and battery..... all a bit vague.

 

[Horrgakx]

... exactly, it's all very vague.

It's not the hybrid version I have so it's nothing to do with drive. Nor is it anything to do with the battery because that's being charged by the alternator constantly.

I really have no idea. Can anyone else help?

 

[Diesel Benz]

... exactly, it's all very vague.

It's not the hybrid version I have so it's nothing to do with drive. Nor is it anything to do with the battery because that's being charged by the alternator constantly.

I would not say "nothing to do with the battery". I admit I did not check it from the functions descriptions but it must be something BMW did before MB, there is some intelligence involved with the main battery charging. The battery is not fully charged (up to the absolute maximum capacity). Charging current (voltage) can be increased during braking and decreased under normal driving. This way a small portion of the braking energy can be recovered. A bit like a hybrid would do but the "available energy store" is very small.

 

[portzy]

Coming late into modern car tech with limited knowledge of hybrids etc, which his car is not.

The post refers to "economy display" so I'm assuming the bars would be showing the current consumption in a graphical manner, as opposed to a mpg manner. This being the case then during coast or overun the fuel is cut off by virtue of vaccuum effect therefore the car is in motion without using any fuel so it would make sense for the economy to be at its best?

 

[Diesel Benz]

Perhaps better have a copy of the user manual here.

It is not about zero fuel consumption but about sort of "negative fuel consumption". The display looks a bit funny when set to mpg mode, if it was in litres per 100 km, when slowing down the fuel consumption bar would change smaller towards the zero point and when doing "engine braking", the bar would extend to the left, beyond the zero point.

Never seen it work in mpg mode but the bar must reach towards the max and then suddenly the recuperation bar starts to extend.

Perhaps I should emphasise that this recuperation display is available on (many?) non-hybrid cars too, I have it on the 222.132 which is not a hybrid car.

 

[Horrgakx]

...but the bar must reach towards the max and then suddenly the recuperation bar starts to extend.

That's exactly what it looks like.

It's still exceptionally vague though - it could refer to the hybrid battery technology (on those particular cars - which mine isn't) or it could refer to just storing charge in the battery which is used to supply the electricity for the cars' auxiliary devices such as lighting, audio, etc... But that would seem pretty pointless to me as the battery is charging constantly.

 

[Horrgakx]

I was driving through town this afternoon and at some points along the route the Auto Stop symbol was in yellow and so the engine didn't stop as the car stopped. I wonder if the charge has something to do with the Auto Stop feature...?

 

[camerafodder]

^^This^^
Stop start can hammer the battery hence the need to ensure that it has adequate charge before activating the function.

 

[Horrgakx]

.

I see you're in the south lakes, I'm in the west!
Are there any meets here?

 

[camerafodder]

I see you're in the south lakes, I'm in the west!
Are there any meets here?

There are often meets in the NW region. Unfortunately I rarely get the chance to go due to other commitments but there are some very decent people that do attend. I'm actually in Denver at the moment.

 

[jontop]

Its charging the battery

 

[Andyjb]

Think its the alternator that has a "clutch" in it that can disengage it on drive but engage it on overrun to charge the battery. That is a fuel saving issue as the alternator can rob some horsepower under load. It will not function when the battery is low.
Andy

 

[Deleted member 113659]

Are you misunderstanding the bar? On our B Class that bar is current MPG.

it is 0-40 MPG bar. Hence if you lift and coast the bar goes all the way to 40 and beyond. Meaning over 40MPG. If you then start to accelerate it will fall accordingly.

I think it a Current MPG bar. Not charge bar.

Ant.

 

[Deleted member 113659]

Perhaps better have a copy of the user manual here.

It is not about zero fuel consumption but about sort of "negative fuel consumption". The display looks a bit funny when set to mpg mode, if it was in litres per 100 km, when slowing down the fuel consumption bar would change smaller towards the zero point and when doing "engine braking", the bar would extend to the left, beyond the zero point.

Never seen it work in mpg mode but the bar must reach towards the max and then suddenly the recuperation bar starts to extend.

Perhaps I should emphasise that this recuperation display is available on (many?) non-hybrid cars too, I have it on the 222.132 which is not a hybrid car.

Sorry guys. Just seen the pic.

Ignore my silly post above.

Ant

 

[Horrgakx]

Ant, it might be different on yours mate, we're talking about a separate bar to the right of the MPG bar titled "CHARGE".
When you're coasting, the MPG bar goes all the way to the right and then the CHARGE bar fills up too.

The clutch on the alternator sounds like a good educated guess.

 

[Deleted member 113659]

Yes. I see the bars on picture. Different to my B Class bar.

I just wasn't paying attention.

Take it easy pal

Ant.

 

[apmare]

An old thread but I thought it might help those of us buying used Merc and seeing this for the first time. After some research I found the following explanation:

These models have an auxiliary battery which may also be referred to as the G1/13 and its main function is as a backup to operate the ECO start/stop function of the vehicle. The charge is too top up these batteries.

 

[JHS]

An old thread but I thought it might help those of us buying used Merc and seeing this for the first time. After some research I found the following explanation:

These models have an auxiliary battery which may also be referred to as the G1/13 and its main function is as a backup to operate the ECO start/stop function of the vehicle. The charge is too top up these batteries.

Sounds reasonable, so why does my stop start not work? I understand that the auxiliary battery in the w/s 205 is a capacitor?