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515
Driving your vehicle
Power brakes
Your vehicle has power-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through normal
usage.
In the event that the power-assisted
brakes lose power because of a stalled
engine or some other reason, you can
still stop your vehicle by applying greater
force to the brake pedal than you nor-
mally would. The stopping distance, how-
ever, will be longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially depleted
each time the brake pedal is applied. Do
not pump the brake pedal when the
power assist has been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when neces-
sary to maintain steering control on slip-
pery surfaces.In the event of brake failure
If service brakes fail to operate while the
vehicle is in motion, you can make an
emergency stop with the hand brake. The
stopping distance, however, will be much
greater than normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM (Continued)
When descending a long or steep
hill, shift to a lower gear and
avoid continuous application of
the brakes. Continuous brakeapplication will cause the brakes
to overheat and could result in a
temporary loss of braking per-
formance.
Wet brakes may result the vehicle not to slow down at the usual rateand pull it to one side when the
brakes are applied. Applying the
brakes lightly will indicate
whether they have been affected
in this way. Always test yourbrakes in this fashion after driv-
ing through deep water. To dry
the brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe forward
speed until brake performancereturns to normal.
WARNING - Hand brake
Applying the hand brake while the
vehicle is moving at normal speeds
can cause a sudden loss of control
of the vehicle. If you must use the
hand brake to stop the vehicle, use
great caution in applying the brake.
WARNING - Brakes
Do not drive with your foot rest- ing on the brake pedal. This will create abnormal high brake tem-
peratures, excessive brake lining
and pad wear, and increasedstopping distances.
(Continued)
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Driving your vehicle
16
5
Disc brakes wear indicator
Your vehicle has disc brakes.
When your brake pads are worn and new
pads are required, you will hear a high-
pitched warning sound from your front or
rear brakes. You may hear this sound
come and go or it may occur whenever
you depress the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving con-
ditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when you first apply (or lightly
apply) the brakes. This is normal and
does not indicate a problem with your
brakes.
Hand brake
Applying the hand brake
To engage the hand brake, first apply the
foot brake and then without pressing the
release button, pull the hand brake lever
up as far as possible. In addition it is rec-
ommended that when parking the vehicle
on a gradient, the shift lever should be
positioned in the appropriate low gear on
manual transaxle vehicles or in the P
(Park) position on automatic transaxle
vehicles.
WARNING- Brake wear
This brake wear warning sound
means your vehicle needs service.
If you ignore this audible warning,
you will eventually lose braking
performance, which could lead to aserious accident.
CAUTION
Always replace brake pads as com- plete front or rear axle sets.
CAUTION
To avoid costly brake repairs, do
not continue to drive with wornbrake pads.
OHD056005R
CAUTION
Driving with the hand brake applied will cause excessive brake pad and
brake rotor wear.
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517
Driving your vehicle
Releasing the hand brake
To release the hand brake, first apply the
foot brake and pull the hand brake lever
slightly. Secondly, depress the release
button and lower the hand brake lever
while holding the button.Check the brake warning light by turning
the ignition switch ON (do not start the
engine). This light will be illuminated
when the hand brake is applied with the
ignition switch in the START or ON posi-tion.
Before driving, be sure the hand brake is
fully released and the brake warning light
is off.
If the brake warning light remains on
after the hand brake is released, there
may be a malfunction in the brake sys-
tem. Immediate attention is necessary.
If at all possible, cease driving the vehi-
cle immediately. If that is not possible,
use extreme caution while operating the
vehicle and only continue to drive the
vehicle until you can reach a safe loca-
tion or repair shop.
WARNING
To prevent unintentional move- ment when stopped and leaving
the vehicle, do not use the
gearshift lever in place of the
hand brake. Set the hand brake
AND make sure the gearshift
lever is securely positioned in 1st
(First) gear or R (Reverse) for
manual transaxle equipped vehi-
cles and in P (Park) for automatic
transaxle equipped vehicles.
Never allow a person who is unfa- miliar with the vehicle or children
to touch the hand brake. If thehand brake is released uninten-
tionally, serious injury may occur.
All vehicles should always have the hand brake fully engaged
when parking to avoid inadver-
tent movement of the car whichcan injure occupants or pedestri-ans.
OHD056006RW-75
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Driving your vehicle
18
5
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) (if equipped) The ABS continuously senses the speed
of the wheels. If the wheels are going to
lock, the ABS system repeatedly modu-
lates the hydraulic brake pressure to the
wheels.
When you apply your brakes under con-
ditions which may lock the wheels, you
may hear a “tik-tik’’ sound from the
brakes, or feel a corresponding sensation
in the brake pedal. This is normal and it
means your ABS is active.
In order to obtain the maximum efficien-
cy from your ABS in an emergency situ-
ation, do not attempt to modulate your
brake pressure and do not try to pump
your brakes. Press your brake pedal as
hard as possible or as hard as the situa-
tion warrants and allow the ABS to con-
trol the force being delivered to the
brakes.
WARNING
ABS (ESP) will not prevent acci-
dents due to improper or danger-
ous driving manoeuvres. Even
though vehicle control is improved
during emergency braking, always
maintain a safe distance between
you and objects ahead. Vehicle
speeds should always be reduced
during extreme road conditions.
The braking distance for cars
equipped with an anti-lock braking
system (Electronic Stability
Program System) may be longer
than for those without it in the fol-
lowing road conditions.
During these conditions the vehicle should be driven at reducedspeeds:
Rough, gravel or snow-covered roads.
With tyre chains installed.
On roads where the road surface is pitted or has different surface height.
(Continued)
(Continued)
The safety features of an ABS
(ESP) equipped vehicle should not
be tested by high speed driving or
cornering. This could endanger the
safety of yourself or others.
Page 181 of 308
519
Driving your vehicle
✽✽NOTICE
A click sound may be heard in the engine compartment when the vehicle
begins to move after the engine is start-
ed. These conditions are normal andindicate that the anti-lock brake system
is functioning properly.
Even with the anti-lock brake system, your vehicle still requires sufficient
stopping distance. Always maintain a
safe distance from the vehicle in front
of you.
Always slow down when cornering. The anti-lock brake system cannot pre-
vent accidents resulting from exces-
sive speeds.
On loose or uneven road surfaces, operation of the anti-lock brake system
may result in a longer stopping dis-
tance than for vehicles equipped with a
conventional brake system.
✽✽ NOTICE
When you jump start your vehicle
because of a drained battery, the engine
may not run as smoothly and the ABSwarning light may turn on at the same
time. This happens because of the lowbattery voltage. It does not mean yourABS is malfunctioning.
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Driving your vehicle
20
5
Electronic stability program (ESP) (If equipped)
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
system is designed to stabilise the vehicle
during cornering manuevers. ESP checks
where you are steering and where the
vehicle is actually going. ESP applies the
brakes at individual wheels and
intervenes in the engine management
system to stabilise the vehicle. The Electronic Stability Program (ESP)system is an electronic system designed
to help the driver maintain vehicle control
under adverse conditions. It is not a
substitute for safe driving practices.
Factors including speed, road conditions
and driver steering input can all affect
whether ESP will be effective in
preventing a loss of control. It is still your
responsibility to drive and corner at
reasonable speeds and to leave a
sufficient margin of safety.
When you apply your brakes under con-
ditions which may lock the wheels, you
may hear a “tik-tik’’ sound from the
brakes, or feel a corresponding sensation
in the brake pedal. This is normal and it
means your ESP is active.
✽✽
NOTICE
A click sound may be heard in the engine compartment when the vehicle
begins to move after the engine is start-
ed. These conditions are normal and
indicate that the Electronic Stability
Program System is functioning proper-
ly.
WARNING
Never drive too fast for the road
conditions or too quickly when cor-
nering. Electronic stability program
(ESP) will not prevent accidents.
Excessive speed in turns, abruptmanoeuvres and aquaplaning onwet surfaces can still result in seri-
ous accidents. Only a safe and
attentive driver can prevent acci-
dents by avoiding manoeuvres that
cause the vehicle to lose traction.
Even with ESP installed, always fol-
low all the normal precautions for
driving - including driving at safe
speeds for the conditions.
OHD056007R
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521
Driving your vehicle
ESP operation
ESP ON conditionON, ESP and ESP OFF indi-
cator lights illuminate for
approximately 3 seconds,
then ESP is turned on.
Press the ESP OFF button for at least half a second after
turning the ignition ON to turn
ESP off. (ESP OFF indicator
will illuminate). To turn theESP on, press the ESP OFF
button (ESP OFF indicatorlight will go off).
you may hear a slight ticking
sound. This is the ESP per-
forming an automatic system
self-check and does not indi-
cate a problem. When operating
When the ESP is in operation,
ESP indicator light blinks.
Program is operating properly,
you can feel a slight pulsation
in the vehicle. This is only the
effect of brake control and indi-
cates nothing unusual.
or slippery road, pressing the
accelerator pedal may not
cause the engine rpm (revo-
lutions per minute) to
increase.
ESP operation off
ESP OFF state
press the ESP OFF button (ESP OFF indicator light illu-minates).
to LOCK position when ESP
is off, ESP remains off. Upon
restarting the engine, the
ESP will automatically turn onagain.
-
ESPESP
OFF
Page 184 of 308
Driving your vehicle
22
5
Indicator light
When ignition switch is turned to ON, the
indicator light illuminates, then goes off if
ESP system is operating normally.
The ESP indicator light blinks whenever
ESP is operating. ESP OFF indicator light comes on when
either the ESP is turned off with the but-
ton, or ESP fails to operate when turnedon.
ESP OFF usage
When driving
It’s a good idea to keep the ESP turned
on for daily driving whenever possible.
To turn ESP off while driving, press the ESP OFF button while driving on a flat
road surface.
Never press ESP OFF button while ESP
is operating (ESP indicator light blinks).
If ESP is turned off while ESP is operat-
ing, the vehicle may slip out of control.
✽✽ NOTICE