Operation CHARM: Car repair manuals for everyone.

Part 2





Anti-Lock Control - Traction Control

HDC Warning Indicator
On the low line instrument cluster, the HDC warning indicator is an amber colored indicator located between the tachometer and the speedometer. On vehicles with the high line instrument cluster, the HDC warning indicator consists of a message in the message center.
On the low line instrument cluster the HDC warning indicator is continuously illuminated if there is a fault that affects the HDC function, and flashed at 2 Hz if the HDC function is temporarily unavailable because of brake overheat.
On the high line instrument cluster, appropriate messages are displayed in the message center if there is a fault that affects the HDC function, or if the HDC function is temporarily unavailable because of brake overheat. For additional information, refer to Information and Message Center
Operation of the HDC warning indicator is controlled by a high speed CAN (controller area network) bus message from the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module to the instrument cluster.
On the low line instrument cluster, when the ignition switch is first turned to position II, the HDC warning indicator illuminates for approximately 3 seconds as a bulb check.

HCU
The HCU (hydraulic control unit) is a 4 channel unit that modulates the supply of hydraulic pressure to the brakes under the control of the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module.
The HCU (hydraulic control unit) is attached by three mounting bushes to a bracket in the plenum box on the driver side of the engine compartment. Hydraulic pipes connect the HCU (hydraulic control unit) to the master cylinder and the brakes. For additional information, refer to Hydraulic Brake Actuation Description and Operation
The primary and secondary outlets of the master cylinder are connected to primary and secondary circuits within the HCU (hydraulic control unit). The primary circuit in the HCU (hydraulic control unit) has separate outlet ports to the front brakes. The secondary circuit in the HCU (hydraulic control unit) has separate outlet ports to the rear brakes. Each of the circuits in the HCU (hydraulic control unit) contain the following components to control the supply of hydraulic pressure to the brakes:
- A normally open, solenoid operated, pilot valve, to enable active braking.
- A normally closed, solenoid operated, priming valve, to connect the brake fluid reservoir to the return pump during active braking.
- A return pump, to generate hydraulic pressure for active braking and return brake fluid to the reservoir.
- Normally open, solenoid operated, inlet valves and normally closed, solenoid operated, outlet valves, to modulate the hydraulic pressure in the individual brakes.
- An accumulator and a relief valve, to allow the fast release of pressure from the brakes.
- Filters, to protect the components from contamination.
The primary circuit also incorporates a pressure sensor to provide the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module with a hydraulic pressure signal.
Contact pins on the HCU (hydraulic control unit) mate with contacts on the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module to provide the electrical connections from the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module to the return pump motor and the pressure sensor. The solenoids that operate the valves are installed in the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module.
Replacement HCU (hydraulic control unit) are supplied pre-filled. After installation on the vehicle, T4 must be used to operate the solenoid valves and the return pump to ensure correct bleeding of the HCU (hydraulic control unit) and brake circuits.

Schematic of HCU (hydraulic control unit)









The HCU (hydraulic control unit) has three operating modes: Normal braking/EBD (electronic brake force distribution), ABS (anti-lock brake system) braking and active braking.

Normal Braking/EBD Mode
Initially, all of the solenoid operated valves are de-energized. Operating the brake pedal produces a corresponding increase or decrease of pressure in the brakes, through the open pilot valves and inlet valves. If the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module determines that EBD (electronic brake force distribution) is necessary, it energizes the inlet valves for the brakes of the trailing axle, to isolate the brakes from any further increase in hydraulic pressure.

ABS Braking Mode
If the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module determines that ABS (anti-lock brake system) braking is necessary, it energizes the inlet and outlet valves of the related brake and starts the return pump. The inlet valve closes to isolate the brake from pressurized fluid; the outlet valve opens to release pressure from the brake into the accumulator and the return pump circuit; the reduced pressure allows the wheel to accelerate. The ABS (anti-lock brake system) module then operates the inlet and outlet valves to modulate the pressure in the brake to apply the maximum braking effort without locking the wheel. Control of the valves for each wheel takes place individually.

Active Braking Mode
The active braking mode is used to generate and control hydraulic pressure to the brakes for functions other than ABS (anti-lock brake system) braking, e.g. DSC, EBA (emergency brake assist), ETC, HDC and dynamic application of the parking brake.
For active braking, the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module energizes the pilot valves and priming valves, starts the return pump and energizes all of the inlet valves. Brake fluid, drawn from the reservoir through the master cylinder and priming valve, is pressurized by the return pump and supplied to the inlet valves. The ABS (anti-lock brake system) module then operates the inlet valves and outlet valves, as required, to modulate the pressure in the individual brakes. Some noise may be generated during active braking.

ABS MODULE
The ABS (anti-lock brake system) module controls the brake functions using the HCU (hydraulic control unit) to modulate hydraulic pressure to the individual wheel brakes.
The ABS (anti-lock brake system) module is attached to the HCU (hydraulic control unit), in the plenum box on the driver side of the engine compartment. A 46 pin connector provides the electrical interface between the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module and the vehicle wiring.

ABS Module Harness Connector C0506









SYSTEM OPERATION

ABS
ABS (anti-lock brake system) controls the speed of all road wheels to ensure optimum wheel slip when braking at the adhesion limit. This prevents the wheels from locking, which helps to retain effective steering control of the vehicle.
On the front axle, the brake pressure is modulated separately for each wheel. On the rear axle, brake pressure is modulated by select low. Select low applies the same pressure to both rear brakes, with the pressure level being determined by the wheel on the lower friction surface. This maintains rear stability on split friction surfaces.

ARM
The ARM function uses the brakes and the engine to attempt to restore stability if the vehicle is forced into such a harsh maneuver that it risks tipping over.
The ABS (anti-lock brake system) module monitors driver inputs and vehicle behavior using various powertrain signals and the inputs from the wheel speed sensors, the steering angle sensor and the yaw rate and lateral acceleration sensor. These are compared with modeled behavior and, if vehicle behavior reaches a given risk level, the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module cuts the engine power, or brakes one or more wheels, just enough to help the vehicle regain its poise and help the driver remain in control.
While the ignition is on, ARM is permanently enabled, even when DSC has been selected off.

CBC
CBC influences the brake pressures, below the DSC and ABS (anti-lock brake system) thresholds, to counteract the yawing moment produced when braking in a corner. CBC produces a correction torque by limiting the brake pressure on one side of the vehicle.

DSC
DSC uses the brakes and powertrain torque control to help maintain the lateral stability of the vehicle. While the ignition is on the DSC function is permanently enabled unless selected off by the DSC switch. Even if DSC is deselected, driving maneuvers with extreme yaw or lateral acceleration may trigger DSC activity to assist vehicle stability.
DSC enhances driving safety in abrupt maneuvers and in understeer or oversteer situations which may occur in a bend. The ABS (anti-lock brake system) module monitors the yaw rate and lateral acceleration of the vehicle, and the steering input, then selectively applies individual brakes and signals for powertrain torque adjustments to reduce understeer or oversteer.
In general: in an understeering situation, the inner wheels are braked to counteract the yaw movement towards the outer edge of the bend; in an oversteering situation, the outer wheels are braked to prevent the rear end of the vehicle from pushing towards the outer edge of the bend.
The ABS (anti-lock brake system) module monitors the tracking stability of the vehicle using inputs from the wheel speed sensors, the steering angle sensor and the yaw rate and lateral acceleration sensor. The tracking stability is compared with stored target data and, whenever the tracking stability deviates from the target data, the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module intervenes by applying the appropriate brakes. On vehicles with an automatic transmission, when the DSC function is active, the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module also signals the TCM (transmission control module) to prevent gear shifts. If necessary, the
ABS (anti-lock brake system) module also signals:
- The ECM (engine control module), to reduce engine torque.
- The transfer box control module, to adjust the locking torque of the center differential.
- The rear differential control module, to adjust the locking torque of the rear differential.
The DSC function overrides the differential locking torque requests from the terrain response system.

EBD
EBD (electronic brake force distribution) limits the brake pressure applied to the rear wheels. When the brakes are applied, the weight of the vehicle transfers forwards, which reduces the ability of the rear wheels to transfer braking effort to the road surface. This can cause the rear wheels to slip and make the vehicle unstable.
EBD (electronic brake force distribution) uses the anti-lock braking hardware to automatically optimize the pressure of the rear brakes, below the point where anti-lock braking would be invoked. Only the rear axle is under EBD (electronic brake force distribution) control.

ETC
ETC attempts to optimize forward traction by reducing engine torque or braking a spinning wheel until it regains grip.
ETC is activated if an individual wheel speed is above that of the vehicle reference speed (positive slip) and the brake pedal is not pressed. The spinning wheel is braked, allowing the excess torque to be transmitted to the non spinning wheels through the drive line. If necessary, the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module also sends a high speed CAN (controller area network) bus message to the ECM (engine control module) to request a reduction in engine torque. Torque reduction requests are for either a slow or fast response: a slow response requests a reduction of throttle angle (4.0L and 4.4L only); a fast response requests an ignition cut-off (4.0L and 4.4L) or a fuel cut-off (2.7L Diesel).
When the DSC function is selected off with the DSC switch, the engine torque reduction feature is disabled.
On vehicles with an automatic transmission, when the ETC function is active the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module also signals the TCM (transmission control module) to prevent gear shifts.

EBA
EBA (emergency brake assist) assists the driver, in emergency braking situations, by automatically maximizing the braking effort. There are two situations when the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module will invoke EBA (emergency brake assist): when the brake pedal is pressed very suddenly and when the brake pedal is pressed hard enough to bring the front brakes into ABS (anti-lock brake system) operation.
When the brake pedal is pressed very suddenly, the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module increases the hydraulic pressure to all of the brakes until they reach the threshold for ABS (anti-lock brake system) operation, thus applying the maximum braking effort for the available traction. The ABS (anti-lock brake system) module monitors for the sudden application of the brakes using the inputs from the stoplamp switch and from the pressure sensor in the HCU (hydraulic control unit). With the brake pedal pressed, if the rate of increase of hydraulic pressure exceeds the predetermined limit, the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module invokes
emergency braking.
When the brake pedal is pressed hard enough to bring the front brakes into ABS (anti-lock brake system) operation, the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module increases the hydraulic pressure to the rear brakes up to the ABS (anti-lock brake system) threshold.
EBA (emergency brake assist) operation continues until the driver releases the brake pedal enough for the hydraulic pressure in the HCU (hydraulic control unit) to drop below a threshold value stored in the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module.

EDC
EDC prevents wheel slip caused by any of the following:
- A sudden decrease in engine torque when the accelerator is suddenly released.
- The sudden engagement of the clutch after a downshift on manual transmission vehicles.
- A downshift using the CommandShift on automatic transmission vehicles.
When the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module detects the onset of wheel slip without the brakes being applied it signals the ECM (engine control module), on the high speed CAN (controller area network) bus, to request a momentary increase in engine torque.

HDC
HDC uses brake intervention to control vehicle speed and acceleration during low speed descents in off-road and low grip on-road conditions. Generally, equal pressure is applied to all four brakes, but pressure to individual brakes can be modified by the ABS (anti-lock brake system) and DSC functions to retain stability. Selection of the HDC function is controlled by the HDC switch on the center console. HDC operates in both high and low ranges, at vehicle speeds up to 50 km/h (31.3 mph).
On manual transmission vehicles, HDC may be used in first and reverse gears in high range and all gears in low range. Once the vehicle is moving, the clutch pedal should be fully released. The vehicle should not be driven with HDC active and the transmission in neutral.
On automatic transmission vehicles, HDC may be used in D, R and CommandShift 1 in high range, and in D, R and all CommandShift gears in low range. When in D, the transmission control module will automatically select the most appropriate gear. The vehicle should not be driven with HDC active and the transmission in N.
HDC can be selected at speeds up to 80 km/h (50 mph), but will only be enabled at speeds below 50 km/h (31.3 mph). When HDC is selected:
- At speeds up to 50 km/h (31.3 mph), the HDC information indicator is permanently illuminated if a valid gear is selected and, on manual transmission vehicles, the clutch pedal is not depressed.
- At speeds from >50 to 80 km/h (>31.3 to 50 mph) the HDC information indicator flashes and, on vehicles with the high line instrument cluster, a message advising that the speed is too high is displayed in the message center. For additional information, refer to Information and Message Center If the HDC switch is pressed while vehicle speed is more than 80 km/h (50 mph), the HDC information indicator will not illuminate and HDC will not be selected.
- If the speed reaches 80 km/h (50 mph) or more, a warning chime sounds, the HDC function is switched off, the information indicator goes off and, on vehicles with the high line instrument cluster, a message advising that HDC has been switched off is displayed in the message center.
When HDC is enabled, the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module calculates a target speed and compares this with the actual vehicle speed. The ABS (anti-lock brake system) module then operates the HCU (hydraulic control unit), in the active braking mode, as required to achieve and maintain the target speed. During active braking for HDC, the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module also energizes the HDC relay to operate the stop lamps. Applying the foot brakes during active braking may result in a pulse through the brake pedal, which is normal.
The target speed varies, between minimum and maximum values for each gear and transmission range, depending on driver inputs through the foot pedals. If the foot pedals are not operated, the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module adopts a default target speed.









The target speed is varied between the minimum and maximum values using the accelerator pedal.
The target speed can also be varied by pressing the speed control '+' and '-' buttons (where fitted). For additional information, refer to Speed Control Description and Operation
For additional information, refer to Speed Control
During changes of target speed, the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module limits deceleration and acceleration to -0.5 m/s2 (-1.65 ft/s2) and +0.5 m/s2 (+1.65 ft/s2) respectively.
On manual transmission models target speed changes are suspended during gear changes, to prevent unwanted braking when the accelerator pedal is released to change gear. The ABS (anti-lock brake system) module determines a gear change is occurring from:
- Gear position information on the high speed CAN (controller area network) bus.
- The rate of release of the accelerator pedal.
- The status of the clutch pedal.
To provide a safe transition from active braking to brakes off, the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module invokes a fade out strategy, which gradually discontinues the braking effort, if it detects any of the following during active braking:
- HDC selected off with the HDC switch.
- Failure of a component used by HDC, but not critical to fade out function.
- Accelerator pedal pressed when transmission is in neutral.
- Brake overheat.
If fade out is invoked because of deselection or component failure, the HDC function is cancelled by the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module. If fade out is invoked because the accelerator pedal is pressed with the transmission in neutral, or because of brake overheat, the HDC function remains in standby and resumes operation when the accelerator pedal is released or the brakes have cooled.
The fade out strategy increases the target speed, at a constant acceleration rate of 0.5 m/s2 (1.65 ft/s2), until the maximum target speed is reached or until no active braking is required for 0.5 s. If the accelerator pedal is positioned within the range that influences target speed, the acceleration rate is increased to 1.0 m/s2 (3.3 ft/s2).
When fade out is invoked because of component failure, a warning chime sounds and the HDC information indicator is extinguished. The HDC warning indicator is illuminated (low line instrument cluster) or a message advising there is a fault is displayed in the message center (high line instrument cluster).
When fade out is invoked because of brake overheat on vehicles with the high line instrument cluster, a message advising that HDC is temporarily unavailable is displayed. On vehicles with the low line instrument cluster, the HDC warning indicator flashes. At the end of fade out, the HDC information indicator flashes. The flashing indicators and/or message continue while HDC remains selected until the brakes have cooled.
To monitor for brake overheat, the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module monitors the amount of braking activity and, from this, estimates the temperature of each brake. If the estimated temperature of any brake exceeds a preset limit, the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module invokes the fade out strategy. After the fade out cycle, the HDC function is re-enabled when the ABS (anti-lock brake system) module estimates that all of the brake temperatures are at less than 64% of the temperature limit.

ANTI-LOCK CONTROL DIAGRAM

NOTE:
A = Hardwired connections; D = High speed CAN (controller area network) bus