Comfort and safety

• Electric
seat
adjust
ment
• Adjustment of the seat is achieved by using a number
of motors to allow positioning of different parts of the
seat. Movement is possible in the following ways.
• Front to rear.
• Cushion height rear.
• Cushion height front.
• Backrest tilt.
• Headrest height.
• Lumber support.
resistor, mechanically linked to the motor, is also moved. The
resistance value provides feedback to an electronic control unit.
This can be ‘remembered’ in a number of ways; the best
technique is to supply
the resistor with a fixed voltage such that the output relative to the
seat position is proportional to position. This voltage can then be
‘analogue-to-digital’ converted, which produces a simple
‘number’ to
store in a digital memory. When the driver presses a memory recall
switch, the motor relays are activated by the ECU until the
number in memory and the number fed back from the seat are
equal. This
facility is often isolated when the engine is running to prevent the
seat moving into a dangerous position as the car is being driven.
The position of the seats can still be adjusted by operating the
switches
as normal.
 Central locking and electric windows
• Door locking circuit
• When the key is turned in the driver’s door lock, all
the other doors on the vehicle should also lock.
Motors or solenoids in each door achieve this. If the
system can only be operated from the driver’s door
key, then an actuator is not required in this door. If
the system can be operated from either front door
or by remote control, then all the doors need an
actuator. Vehicles with sophisticated alarm systems
often lock all the doors as the alarm is set.
• More sophisticated systems are now
becoming more popular for reasons of
safety as well as improved comfort. The
following features are now available from
many manufacturers:
• One shot up or down.
• Inch up or down.
• Lazy lock.
• Back-off.
• The complete system consists of an
electronic control unit containing the