2020 Peugeot 508 braking

85
Safety
5The active bonnet may not deploy in the event of
an impact.
Child seats
The regulations on carrying children are specific to each country. Refer to the
legislation in force in your country.
For maximum safety, please observe the
following recommendations:
–

In accordance with European regulations, all
children under the age of 12 or less than 4
ft 1

1” (150 cm) tall must travel in approved
child seats suited to their weight , on seats
fitted with a seat belt or ISOFIX mountings.
–

Statistically
, the safest seats in your
vehicle for carrying children are the rear
seats.
–

Children weighing less than 9 kg must
travel in the "rear facing" position, whether in
the front or rear of the vehicle.
It is recommended that children travel
on the rear seats of the vehicle:
–

‘

rear facing’ up to the age of 3,
–

‘

forward facing’ over the age of 3.
Make sure that the seat belt is correctly
positioned and tightened.
For child seats with a support leg, ensure that
the support leg is in firm and steady contact
with the floor.
Advice
An incorrectly installed child seat compromises the child's safety in the
event of an accident.
Ensure that there is no seat belt or seat belt
buckle under the child seat, as this could
destabilise it.
Remember to fasten the seat belts or the
harness of child seats, keeping the slack
relative to the child's body to a minimum,
even for short journeys.
When installing a child seat using the seat
belt, ensure that the seat belt is tightened
correctly on the child seat and that it secures
the child seat firmly on the seat of the vehicle.
If the passenger seat is adjustable, move it
forwards if necessary.
Remove the head restraint before
installing a child seat with a backrest on a
passenger seat.
Ensure that the head restraint is stored or
attached securely to prevent it from being
thrown around the vehicle in the event of
sharp braking. Refit the head restraint once
the child seat has been removed.
Installing a booster seat
The chest part of the seat belt must be
positioned on the child's shoulder without
touching the neck.
Ensure that the lap part of the seat belt
passes correctly over the child's thighs.
Use a booster seat with backrest, equipped
with a belt guide at shoulder level.
Additional protections
To prevent accidental opening of the
doors and rear windows, use the "Child lock".
Take care not to open the rear windows by
more than one third.
To protect young children from the rays of the
sun, fit side blinds on the rear windows.
As a safety precaution, do not leave:
–

a child alone and unattended in a vehicle,
–


a child or an animal in a vehicle which is
exposed to the sun, with the windows closed,
–


the keys within reach of children inside the
vehicle.
Child seat at the rear
"Forward facing" or "Rearward
facing"

96
Driving
Driving recommendations
► Observe the driving regulations and remain
vigilant whatever the traffic conditions.
►

Monitor your environment and keep your
hands on the wheel to be able to react to
anything that may happen any time.
►


Drive smoothly
, anticipate the need for
braking and maintain a longer safety distance,
especially in bad weather.
►

Stop the vehicle to carry out operations that
require close attention (such as adjustments).
►


During long trips, take a break every two
hours.
Important!
Never leave the engine running in a
closed space without sufficient
ventilation. Internal combustion engines emit
toxic exhaust gases such as carbon
monoxide. Danger of poisoning and death!
In severe wintry conditions (temperature
below -23°C), let the engine run for 4
minutes before moving off, to ensure the
correct operation and durability of the
mechanical components of your vehicle
(engine and gearbox).
Never drive with the parking brake
applied . Risk of overheating and
damage to the braking system!
Do not park the vehicle or leave the
engine running on a flammable
surface (dry grass, dead leaves, etc.). The
exhaust system of your vehicle is very hot,
even several minutes after the engine stops.
Risk of fire!
Never leave a vehicle unattended with
the engine running. If you have to leave
your vehicle with the engine running, apply
the parking brake and put the gearbox into
neutral or position N or P (depending on the
type of gearbox).
Never leave children inside the vehicle
unsupervised.
On flooded roads
We strongly advise against driving on flooded
roads, as this could cause serious damage to
the internal combustion engine or electric motor,
the gearbox and the electrical systems of the
vehicle.


If you are obliged to drive on a flooded road:
► Check that the depth of water does not
exceed 15 cm, taking account of waves that
might be generated by other users.
►

Deactivate the Stop & Start function.
►


Drive as slowly as possible without stalling. In
all cases, do not exceed 6 mph (10

km/h).
►

Do not stop and do not switch off the engine.
On leaving the flooded road, as soon as safety
conditions allow

, make several light brake
applications to dry the brake discs and pads.
If in doubt about the state of your vehicle,
contact a PEUGEOT dealer or a qualified
workshop.
Towing
Driving with a trailer places greater
demands on the towing vehicle and
particular care must be taken.
Do not exceed the maximum towable
weights.
At altitude: reduce the maximum load by
10% per 1,000 metres of altitude; the lower
air density at high altitudes decreases engine
performance.
New vehicle: do not tow a trailer until the
vehicle has driven at least 620 miles
(1,000 kilometres).
If the outside temperature is high, let the
engine idle for 1 to 2 minutes after the
vehicle comes to a stop, to help it to cool.
Before setting off
Nose weight
► Distribute the load in the trailer so that the
heaviest items are as close as possible to the
axle and the nose weight (at the point where it
joins your vehicle) approaches the maximum
permitted without exceeding it.
Tyres
► Check the tyre pressures of the towing
vehicle and of the trailer, observing the
recommended pressures.
Lighting
► Check the electrical signalling on the trailer
and the headlamp beam height of your vehicle.
If a genuine PEUGEOT towing device is
used, the rear parking sensors will be
deactivated automatically to avoid the audible
signal.
When driving
Cooling
Towing a trailer uphill causes the coolant
temperature to increase. The maximum towable
load depends on the gradient and the exterior

97
Driving
6If the outside temperature is high, let the
engine idle for 1 to 2 minutes after the
vehicle comes to a stop, to help it to cool.
Before setting off
Nose weight
► Distribute the load in the trailer so that the
heaviest items are as close as possible to the
axle and the nose weight (at the point where it
joins your vehicle) approaches the maximum
permitted without exceeding it.
Tyres
► Check the tyre pressures of the towing
vehicle and of the trailer , observing the
recommended pressures.
Lighting
► Check the electrical signalling on the trailer
and the headlamp beam height of your vehicle.
If a genuine PEUGEOT towing device is
used, the rear parking sensors will be
deactivated automatically to avoid the audible
signal.
When driving
Cooling
Towing a trailer uphill causes the coolant
temperature to increase. The maximum towable
load depends on the gradient and the exterior temperature. The fan’s cooling capacity does not
increase with engine speed.
►

Reduce speed and lower the engine speed to
limit heating up.
In all cases, pay attention to the coolant
temperature.
If this warning lamp and the STOP
warning lamp come on, stop the
vehicle and switch off the engine as soon as
possible.
Brakes
Braking distances are increased when towing a
trailer. To avoid overheating the brakes, the use
of engine braking is recommended.
Side wind
Bear in mind that the vehicle will be more
susceptible to wind when towing.
Anti-theft protection
Electronic immobiliser
The keys include an electronic engine
immobiliser system, with a code that must be
recognised in order for starting to be possible.
If the system malfunctions, indicated by the
display of a message, the engine will not start.
Contact a PEUGEOT dealer.
Starting/Switching off the
engine
The electronic key must be present in the passenger compartment.
If it is not detected, a message is displayed.
Move the electronic key so that the engine
can be started or switched off.
If there is still a problem, refer to the "Key
not detected - Back-up starting or Back-up
switch-off" section.
Starting

► With a manual gearbox, place the gear lever
in neutral and fully depress the clutch pedal.
►

With an
automatic gearbox, select mode P
or
N and press the brake pedal.
►

Press the "
START/STOP" button while
maintaining pressure on the pedal until the
engine starts.

98
Driving
For Diesel engines, when the temperature is
below zero and/or the engine is cold, starting will
only occur once the preheating warning lamp is
off.
If this warning lamp comes on after
pressing the "START/STOP" button:
►

Keep the pedal fully depressed and do not
press the "

START/STOP" button again until the
engine is running.
If one of the starting conditions is not met, a
message is displayed.
In some circumstances, a message indicates
that it is necessary to turn the steering wheel
while pressing the " START/STOP" button to
assist unlocking of the steering column.
With petrol engines , after a cold start,
preheating the catalytic converter can
cause noticeable engine vibrations for
anything up to 2 minutes while stationary with
the engine running (accelerated idle speed).
If the engine stalls, release the clutch
pedal and fully depress it again, the
engine will restart automatically.
Starting hybrid vehicles
► Fully depress the brake pedal and press
briefly on the START/STOP button.
► Keep you foot on the pedal until this
indicator lamp comes on, indicating the
activation of the hybrid system (confirmed by an
audible signal).
By default, the system starts in ELECTRIC
mode.
Depending on certain parameters (battery
charge level or exterior temperature), the system
determines whether it is necessary to start the
petrol engine.
It is possible to change the driving mode at any
time using the mode selector.
When the vehicle starts in electric mode,
it makes no noise.
Pay particular attention to pedestrians and
cyclists who may not hear the vehicle coming
despite the pedestrian horn.
Switching off
► Immobilise the vehicle, with the engine at
idle.
►

With a
manual gearbox, ideally put the gear
lever into neutral.
►

With an
automatic gearbox, ideally select
mode
P or N.
►

Press the "
START/STOP" button..
►

For hybrid vehicles, before leaving the
vehicle, check that the

READY warning lamp is
switched off.
In some circumstances, it is necessary to turn
the steering wheel to lock the steering column.
On certain versions with an automatic gearbox
(EAT6 / EAT8), the steering column does not
lock, but the gearbox locks in mode P.
If the vehicle is not immobilised, the
engine will not switch off.
With the engine off, the braking and
steering assistance systems are also cut
off - risk of loss of control of the vehicle!
Never leave your vehicle with the
electronic key still inside.
Switching on the ignition
without starting the engine


With the electronic key in the passenger
compartment, pressing the “ START/STOP”
button, without pressing any of the pedals ,
allows the ignition to be switched on without
starting the engine.
►

Press this button
again to switch off the
ignition and allow the vehicle to be locked.
Key not detected
Back-up starting
A back-up reader is fitted to the steering column,
to enable the engine to be started if the system
fails to detect the key in the recognition zone, or
if the battery in the electronic key is discharged.


► Place and hold the remote control against the
reader.
► With a manual gearbox, place the gear lever
in neutral, then fully depress the clutch pedal.
► With an automatic gearbox, select mode P,
then fully depress the brake pedal.
► Press the "START/STOP" button.
The engine starts.

101
Driving
6It is not applied automatically if the
engine stalls or enters STOP mode
of

Stop & Start.
With automatic operation, it is also
possible to manually apply or release the
parking brake using the control lever.
Special cases
Immobilising the vehicle with the
engine running
To immobilise the vehicle with the engine
running, briefly pull the control lever.
Parking the vehicle with the brake
released
In very cold conditions (ice), it is
recommended that the parking brake not
be applied.
To immobilise the vehicle, engage a gear or
place the chocks against one of the wheels.
Immobilisation of the vehicle with the parking
brake released
►

Switch off the engine.
►


Switch on the ignition again, without starting
the engine.
►


Release the parking brake manually by
pushing the control lever while keeping your foot
on the brake pedal.
► Switch off the ignition.
With an automatic gearbox, mode P is
automatically selected when the ignition
is switched off. The wheels are blocked.
For further information on the Automatic
gearbox, particularly in relation to leaving the
vehicle in free-wheeling mode, refer to the
corresponding section.
With an automatic gearbox, when mode
N is engaged, an audible signal is
triggered if the driver's door is opened. It
stops when the driver's door closes again.
Deactivating automatic
operation
In some situations, for example when it is
extremely cold or when towing (e.g. caravan,
breakdown), it may be necessary to deactivate
automatic operation of the system.




► Start the engine. ►
Use the control lever to apply the parking
brake, if it is released.
►

T
ake your foot fully off the brake pedal.
►
Hold the control lever pressed in the release
direction for between 10 and a maximum of 15
seconds.
►

Release the control lever
.
►
Depress and hold the brake pedal.
►

Pull the control lever in the “Application”
direction for 2
seconds.
This indicator lamp on the instrument
panel comes on to confirm deactivation of
the automatic functions.
►

Release the control lever and the brake
pedal.
From now on, the parking brake can only be
applied and released manually using the control
lever

.
Repeat this procedure to reactivate automatic
operation (confirmed by the indicator lamp on the
instrument panel going off).
Emergency braking
In the event of a fault with the brake pedal or
in an exceptional situation (e.g. driver taken ill,
driver under instruction), a continuous pull on the
electric parking brake control lever will brake the
vehicle. Braking continues while the control lever
is pulled, and ceases when the control lever is
released.
The ABS and DSC systems stabilise the vehicle
during emergency braking.

102
Driving
If emergency braking malfunctions, the message
"Parking brake control faulty" will be displayed
on the instrument panel.
If the ABS and DSC systems
malfunction, indicated by lighting
one or both warning lamps on the instrument
panel, the vehicle’s stability is no longer ensured.
In this event, the driver must keep the vehicle
stable by successively pulling and releasing the
control lever, repeating the operation until the
vehicle has stopped.
6-speed manual gearbox
Engaging 5th or 6th gear
► Move the gear selector fully to the right to
engage 5th or 6th gear.
Failure to follow this instruction could
cause permanent damage to the gearbox
(inadvertent engagement of 3
rd or 4th gear).
Engaging reverse gear

► Raise the ring under the knob and move the
gear selector to the left, then forwards.
Only engage reverse gear when the
vehicle is stationary with the engine at
idle.
As a safety precaution and to facilitate starting the engine:
–

Always select neutral.
–


Press the clutch pedal.
Automatic gearbox (EAT6 / EAT8)
Automatic 6 or 8-speed gearbox with a push
selector. It also offers a manual mode with gear
changes via control paddles located
behind the
steering wheel.
Gearbox selector positions
P. Park
For parking the vehicle: the front wheels are
blocked.
R. Reverse gear
N. Neutral
For moving the vehicle with the ignition off, or
to allow it to free-wheel.
For more information on Changing to free-
wheeling , refer to the corresponding section.
D. Driving in automatic mode
The gearbox manages gear changes
according to the style of driving, the road
profile and the vehicle load.
M. Driving in manual mode
The driver changes gear using the steering-
mounted controls.
Push selector

A.Button P
To put the gearbox into Park mode.
B. Unlock button To unlock the gearbox and come out of P or
to change to R, with the foot on the brake
pedal.
Press and hold this button before pushing the
selector.
C. Button M
To change from mode D to permanent
manual mode.
(Depending on version: with Full Park Assist,
the manual mode is accessed via the DRIVE
MODE control)
D. Gearbox state indicator lamps (R, N, D)

105
Driving
6► Start the engine.
► Maintaining pressure on the brake pedal,
push rearwards to select the automatic mode

D
,
or forwards, while pressing the Unlock
button to
engage reverse

R
.
Then, from
D or R:
►

Release the brake pedal.
►


Accelerate gradually to automatically release
the electric parking brake.
The vehicle moves off immediately

.
With an automatic gearbox, never try to
start the engine by pushing the vehicle.
Stopping the vehicle
Whatever the state of the gearbox, when the
ignition is switched off, mode P is engaged
automatically and immediately.
However, in mode N, mode P will be engaged
after a delay of 5 seconds (allowing for the
process of putting the vehicle into free-wheeling
mode).
Check that mode
P has been engaged and
that the electric parking brake was applied
automatically; if not, apply it manually.
The corresponding indicator lamps in the selector and the electric parking brake
control lever must be on, as well as those in the
instrument panel.
Gearbox malfunction
This warning lamp comes on, accompanied by an audible signal and the
display of a message.
Visit a PEUGEOT dealer or a qualified workshop.
Do not drive faster than 62
mph (100 km/h),
keeping to the speed limit.
The gearbox switches to back-up mode: mode

D

is locked in third gear, the steering-mounted
control paddles are inoperative, mode

M
is no
longer available. You may feel a significant jolt
on engaging reverse gear. This will not damage
the gearbox.
Selector malfunction
Minor malfunction
This warning lamp comes on, accompanied by the display of a message
and an audible signal.
Drive cautiously and visit a PEUGEOT dealer or
a qualified workshop.
In certain cases, the selector indicator lamps
may no longer come on, but the gearbox state is
still displayed on the instrument panel.
Major malfunction
This warning lamp comes on, accompanied by the display of a
message.
Stop as soon as it is safe to do so, away
from traffic, and call a PEUGEOT dealer
or a qualified workshop.
e-EAT8 electric automatic
gearbox (Hybrid)
Automatic 8-speed gearbox with a push selector and regenerative braking function.
With the exception of manual mode and
regenerative braking, the operation is identical to
that of other EAT8 gearboxes.
For more information on the Operation or the
Malfunctions of the EAT8 gearbox, refer to the
corresponding sections.
Gearbox selector positions
P. Car park
For parking the vehicle: the front wheels
are blocked.
R. Reverse gear
N. Neutral
For moving the vehicle with the ignition
off: in certain car washing machines,
when towing the vehicle, etc.
D/B. Automatic forward gear ( D) or automatic
forward gear with regenerative braking
(B)
The gearbox manages gear changes
according to the style of driving, the road
profile and the vehicle load. With the
regenerative braking function activated,
the gearbox also controls braking when
the accelerator pedal is released.

106
Driving
Push selector

A.Button P
To put the gearbox into Park mode.
B. Unlock button To unlock the gearbox and come out of

P
or
to change to
R, with the foot on the brake
pedal.
Press and hold this button before pushing the
selector.
C. Gearbox state indicator lamps (R, N, D/B)
Displays in the instrument
panel
When the ignition is switched on, the status of
the gearbox is displayed in the instrument panel:
P: park.
R: reverse.
N: neutral.
D1 to D8: automatic forward gear.
B1 to B8: automatic forward gear with
regenerative braking function activated.
In all-electric driving, the gear engaged is not
indicated.
The state of the gearbox remains displayed in
the instrument panel for a few seconds after
switching off the ignition.
Regenerative braking
The regenerative braking function emulates
engine braking, slowing the vehicle with no
need to depress the brake pedal. The vehicle
slows more quickly when the driver releases the
accelerator pedal.
When the accelerator pedal is released,
mechanical energy is recovered and used to
partially recharge the battery.
►

While in mode

D/B
, pushing the pulse
selector backwards activates/deactivates the
function.
The D on the instrument panel is replaced with
a B.
The state of the function is not saved when the
ignition is switched off.
If the battery is almost fully charged, the
braking effect when the accelerator pedal
is released may be limited.
Hill start assist
This system keeps your vehicle briefly stationary
(for approximately 2 seconds) when making a hill
start, while you transfer your foot from the brake
pedal to the accelerator pedal.
This system is only active when:
–

The vehicle is completely stationary
, with your
foot on the brake pedal.
–

Certain slope conditions are met.
–


The driver
’s door is closed.
Do not leave the vehicle while it is being
held temporarily by hill start assist.
If someone needs to get out of the vehicle
with the engine running, apply the parking
brake manually. After that, ensure that the
parking brake indicator lamp and the indicator
lamp
P in the electric parking brake control
lever are on fixed.
The hill start assist function cannot be deactivated. However, use of the parking
brake to immobilise the vehicle interrupts its
operation.
Operation

On an ascending slope, with the vehicle
stationary, the vehicle is held for a short time
when you release the brake pedal:
– provided you are in first gear or neutral with a
manual gearbox.
– provided you are in mode D or M with an
automatic gearbox.


On a descending slope, with the vehicle
stationary and reverse gear engaged, the
vehicle is held for a short time when you
release the brake pedal.