Abstract: The unit (1) comprises two half-shells (11, 12) and a membrane (2) acting as a seal. The membrane comprises various zones of shapes and of properties suitable for providing additional functions such as a lightguide (21), a contact lug (23) and battery retainer lug (4), or else an escape path for static electricity discharges (25).

Abstract: A process for the detection of a defect of an automotive vehicle battery includes analyzing the time dependence of the discharge voltage across the terminals of the battery. This process has the steps of measuring at least two successive values of the discharge voltage of the battery, during the phase of cranking the engine of the automotive vehicle, for at least two consecutive top dead center points, taking a difference of the measured voltage values, and deducing therefrom whether the battery is charged or defective. The process is built into an electronic computer carried on board the automotive vehicle.

Abstract: An overmolded electrical cable has a cable formed of a plurality of insulated conducting wires inside an insulating sheath. An overmolding material encapsulates the insulating sheath over at least part of a length thereof. The insulating sheath has an external surface formed with at least one groove accommodating the overmolding material. The sheath is formed with at least one fin in the at least one groove and the at least one fin forms an integral part of the sheath. A method for producing such an overmolded electrical cable is also disclosed.

Abstract: A process for diagnosing the proper operation of direction indicator lights of a motor vehicle includes the steps of temporally and alternately shifting the end of illumination of the right and left change of direction indicator lamps of the vehicle, measuring the current passing through a power circuit of the direction indicator lamps during the temporal shift, comparing the measured value with a reference value, and deducing therefrom whether at least one of the lamps is inoperative and in this case informing the driver thereof. A device for diagnosing the proper operation of the direction indicator lights of a motor vehicle is also provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device (10) for starting and for locking/unlocking a motor vehicle, of the type comprising: a key (11) carrying at least one control for locking/unlocking the vehicle, a support (12) designed to accommodate the key in an appropriate housing (13) and to detect the presence of this key in the housing, and an element for starting/stopping the vehicle engine, the device being characterized in that the starting/stopping element is a bistable button (15) formed on the support (12), the said button (15) furthermore constituting a structure for immobilizing the key (11) in the housing (13) when the vehicle is in operation.

Abstract: A method for controlling a valve lift device associated with an internal combustion engine includes determining, according to maps, a relative timing angle to be applied to a camshaft and crankshaft. The determined timing angle is processed with a PID-type control. Each time an engine enters a stabilized low idle speed, a reference value of the timing angle is determined when a valve lift device is inactivated. The reference value is taken into consideration when any later timing angle command is given. At least one further step is included. For example, a map of a duty cycle for an opening of a hydraulic valve controlled by the PID of the valve lift device is pre-established on a test bed as a function of an engine water temperature, and/or the timing angle to be applied as a function of the engine water temperature is adjusted by modifying the reference value.