Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
A WARNING
If
water gets into the brake drums,
brake performance may become poor
and unpredictable.
After driving through water or wash
ing the underside of the vehicle, test
the brakes while driving at a slow speed to see if they have maintained
their normal effectiveness. If the
brakes are less effective than normal, dry them by repeatedly applying the
brakes while driving slowly until the
brakes have regained their normal effectiveness.
Power Assisted Brakes Your vehicle has power assisted brakes. If power assistance is lost due to a stalled engine or other failures, the system is still
fully operational on reserve power and you can bring the vehicle to a complete stop by pressing the brake pedal once and holding it down. The reserve power is partly used
up when you depress the brake pedal and reduces each time the pedal is pressed. Apply smooth and even pressure to the pedal. Do not pump the pedal.
3-31
A WARNING
Even without reserve power in the
brake system, you can still stop the vehicle by pressing the brake pedal harder than normally required. However, the stopping distance may be longer.
Brake Assist System When you slam the brakes on, the brake
assist system judges as an emergency
stop and provides more powerful braking
for a driver who cannot hold down the
brake pedal firmly.
NOTE: If you quickly and forcefully depress the
brakes, you may hear a clicking sound in
the brake pedal. This is normal and indi
cates that the brake assist system is acti
vated properly.
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) ASS will help you avoid skidding by elec
tronically controlling braking pressure. It
will also help you maintain steering control when braking on slippery surfaces or when
braking hard.
The
ASS works automatically, so you do
not need any special braking technique.
Just push the brake pedal down without
pumping. The ASS will operate whenever it
senses that the wheels are locking up. You may feel the brake pedal pulsate while the ASS is operating.
NOTE: The ABS will not work if vehicle speed is under about 5 - 6 kmlh (3 - 4 mph).
A WARNING
•
On some types of loose surfaces
(such as gravel, snow-covered
roads, etc.) the stopping distance
required for
an ABS-equipped vehicle may be slightly greater than for
a comparable vehicle with a conventional brake system. With a conventional brake system, skid
ding tires are able to "plow" the gravel or snow layer, shortening
the stopping distance, ABS mini
mizes this resistance effect. Allow for extra stopping distance when driving on loose surfaces. • On regular paved roads, some driv
ers may be able to obtain slightly shorter stopping distances with
conventional brake systems than
with
ABS. • In both of the above conditions, ABS wi II still offer the advantage of helping you maintain directional control. However, remember that ABS will not compensate for bad road or weather conditions or poor
driver judgment. Use good judg
ment and do not drive faster than
conditions will
safely allow.
