508
Driving
Braking
Brake System
Use the parking brake to keep the vehicle stationary when parked. When the
parking brake is applied, you can ma nually or automatically release it.
■To apply
The electric parking brake can be applied any
time the vehicle has battery, no matter which
position the power mode is in.
Pull the electric parking brake switch up gently
and securely. u The indicator in the switch comes on.
u The parking brake and brake system
indicator (red) comes on.
■To release
The power mode must be in ON in order to
release the electric parking brake.
1. Depress the brake pedal.
2. Press the electric parking brake switch.
u The indicator in the switch goes off.
u The parking brake and brake system
indicator (red) goes off.
Manually releasing the parking brake using
the switch helps your ve hicle start slowly and
smoothly when facing downhill on steep hills.
■Parking Brake1 Braking
When you depress the brak e pedal, you may hear a
whirring sound from the engine compartment. This is
because the brake system is in operation, and it is
normal.
1 Parking Brake
You may hear the electric parking brake system
motor operating from the re ar wheel area when you
apply or release the parking brake. This is normal.
The brake pedal may slightly move due to the electric
parking brake system opera tion when you apply or
release the parking br ake. This is normal.
You cannot apply or release the parking brake if the
battery goes dead. 2 If the Battery Is Dead P. 606
If you pull up and hold the electric parking brake
switch while driving, the brakes on all four
wheels are applied by the VSA ® system until the
vehicle comes to a stop. The electric parking
brake then applies, and the switch should be
released.
Electric Parking Brake Switch
Electric Parking Brake Switch
Continued509
uuBraking uBrake System
Driving
1Parking Brake
In the following situations, the parking brake
automatically operates.
•When the vehicle stops more than 10 minutes
while ACC with Low Speed Follow is activated.
•When the driver’s seat belt is unfastened while
your vehicle is stopped au tomatically by ACC with
Low Speed Follow.
•When the engine is turned off while ACC with Low
Speed Follow is activated.
•When the vehicle stops with the automatic brake
hold system activated for more than 10 minutes.
•When the driver’s seat belt is unfastened while
your vehicle is stopped and brake hold is applied.
•When the engine is turned off while brake hold is
applied.
•When there is a problem with the automatic brake
hold system while brake hold is applied.
•When the engine is turned off, except by Auto Idle
Stop system, while ACC with Low Speed Follow is
activated.
•When the engine is turned off, except by Auto Idle
Stop system, while brake hold system is applied.
1.5 L engine models
uuBraking uBrake System
510
Driving
■Automatic parking brake feature operation
If the automatic parking brake feature has been activated:
• The parking brake is applied automatica lly when you set the power mode to
VEHICLE OFF.
• To confirm that the parking brake is appl ied, check if the parking brake and brake
system indicator (red) is on.
2 Activating and deactivating the automatic parking brake feature P. 511
■To release automatically
Depressing the accelerator pedal releases the parking brake.
Use the accelerator pedal to release th e brake when you are starting the vehicle
facing uphill, or in a traffic jam. Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
When on a hill, it may require more
accelerator input to release.u The parking brake and brake system
indicator (red) goes off.
You can release the parki ng brake automatically when:
• You are wearing the driver’s seat belt.
• The engine is running.
• The transmission is not in
(P or (N.
1Parking Brake
If the parking brake cannot be released
automatically, release it manually.
When the vehicle is travel ing uphill, the accelerator
pedal may need to be pressed farther to
automatically release the electric parking brake.
The parking brake cannot be released automatically
while the following indicators are on:
•Malfunction indicator lamp•Transmission system indicator
The parking brake may not be released automatically
while the following indicators are on:
•Parking brake and bra ke system indicator
•VSA® system indicator•ABS indicator
•Supplemental restraint system indicator
Accelerator Pedal
Continued511
uuBraking uBrake System
Driving
■Activating and deactivating the automatic parking brake feature
With the power mode is in ON, carry out th e following steps to either activate or
deactivate the automatic parking brake feature.
1. Put the transmission into
(P.
2. Without depressing the brake pedal, pull up and release the electric parking brake
switch.
u Check that the parking brake and brake sy stem indicator (red) has come on.
3. Pull up and hold the electric parking br ake switch. When you hear a beeping
sound, release the switch and within 3 seconds pull up and hold the switch again.
4. When you hear a sound indicating that the procedure is completed, release the
switch.
u Two beeps indicates that the feature has been activated.
u One beep indicates that the feature has been deactivated.
u When you have completed activating the feature, the parking brake will
remain applied after you turn off the engine.
u To confirm that the parkin g brake is applied, check if the parking brake and
brake system indicator (red) is on.
If you need to temporarily deactivate the feature while putting your vehicle through
a conveyor type car wash, you can follow the procedure explained below.
1. Depress the brake pedal and bring the vehicle to a stop.
2. Set the power mode to VEHICLE OFF and then within 2 seconds push down the
electric parking brake switch.
u Activation and deactivation settings for the feature will not be affected.
u Before temporarily deactivating the feat ure, make sure to first turn off both
ACC with Low Speed Follow and the automatic brake hold system.
u To confirm that the parkin g brake is applied, check if the parking brake and
brake system indicator (red) is on.
1 Parking Brake
In cold climates, the parking brake may freeze in
place if applied.
When parking the vehicle, chock the wheels and
make sure the automatic parking brake feature is
deactivated.
Also, when putting your vehicle through a conveyor-
type car wash or when ha ving your vehicle towed,
deactivate the automatic parking brake feature and
leave the parking brake released.
Automatic transmission models
uuBraking uBrake System
512
Driving
Your vehicle is equipped with disc brakes at all four wh eels. The brake assist system
increases the stopping force when you depress the brake pedal hard in an
emergency situation. The anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps you retain steering
control when braking very hard.
2 Brake Assist System P. 517
2 Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) P. 516
■Foot Brake1Foot Brake
Check the brakes after driving through deep water,
or if there is a buildup of road surface water. If
necessary, dry the brakes by lightly depressing the
pedal several times.
If you hear a continuous me tallic friction sound when
applying the brakes, this is caused by the brake wear
indicator rubbing on the brake rotor and indicates
that the brake pads need to be replaced. Have the
vehicle checked by a deal er. If you hear only an
occasional squeak or squeal when you initially apply
the brake pedal, this may be normal and caused by
high frequency vibr ation of the brake pads against
the rotating brake disc.
Constantly using the brake pedal while going down a
long hill builds up heat, which reduces the brake
effectiveness. Apply engine braking by taking your
foot off the accelerator pe dal and downshifting to a
lower gear/speed position.
Do not rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, as it will lightly apply the brakes and cause
them to lose effectiveness over time and reduce pad
life. It will also conf use drivers behind you.
Whenever the brakes are activated by CMBS
TM or
another system that automa tically controls braking,
the brake pedal is depressed and released in
accordance with braking function.
Continued513
uuBraking uBrake System
Driving
Keeps the brake applied after releasing the brake pedal until the accelerator pedal is
pressed. You can use this system while th e vehicle is temporarily stopped, like at
traffic lights and in heavy traffic.
■Automatic Brake Hold1 Automatic Brake Hold
3WARNING
Activating the automatic brake hold system
on steep hills or slippery roads may still
allow the vehicle to move if you remove
your foot from the brake pedal.
If a vehicle unexpectedly moves, it may
cause a crash resulting in serious injury or
death.
Never activate the automatic brake hold
system or rely on it to keep a vehicle from
moving when stopped on a steep hill or
slippery roads.
3WARNING
Using the automatic brake hold system to
park the vehicle may result in the vehicle
unexpectedly moving.
If a vehicle moves unexpectedly, it may
cause a crash, resulting in serious injury or
death.
Never leave the vehicle when braking is
temporarily kept by automatic brake hold
and always park the vehicle by putting the
transmission in
( P and applying the parking
brake.
■Turning on the system
Fasten your seat belt
properly, then start the
engine. Press the
automatic brake hold
button.
●The automatic brake
hold system indicator
comes on. The system
is turned on.
■Activating the system
Depress the brake pedal
to come to a complete
stop. The transmission
must not be in
( P or (R.●The automatic brake
hold indicator comes
on. Braking is kept for
up to 10 minutes.
●Release the brake pedal
after the automatic
brake hold indicator
comes on.
■Canceling the system
Depress the accelerator
pedal while the
transmission is in a
position other than
( P or (N. The system is
canceled and the vehicle
starts to move.
●The automatic brake
hold indicator goes
off. The system
continues to be on.
Accelerator PedalBrake PedalAutomatic Brake
Hold Button
Goes
Off
U.S.
Canada
On
On
Comes
On
Comes
On
Comes
On
uuBraking uBrake System
514
Driving
■The system automatically cancels when:
• You engage the parking brake.
• You depress the brake pedal a nd put the transmission into
(P or (R.
■The system automatically cancels and the parking brake is applied when:
• Braking is kept for more than 10 minutes.
• The driver’s seat belt is unfastened.
• The engine is turned off.
• There is a problem with au tomatic brake hold system.
1Automatic Brake Hold
While the system is activated, you can turn off the
engine or park the ve hicle through the same
procedure as you normally do. 2 When Stopped P. 518
Whether the system is on, or the system is activated,
the automatic brake hold turn s off once the engine is
off.
516
uuBraking uAnti-lock Brake System (ABS)
Driving
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
Helps prevent the wheels from locking up, a nd helps you retain steering control by
pumping the brakes rapidly, much faster than you can.
The electronic brake distribution (EBD) system, which is part of the ABS, also
balances the front-to-rear braking distri bution according to vehicle loading.
You should never pump the brake pedal. Let the ABS work for you by always
keeping firm, steady pressure on the brake pe dal. This is sometimes referred to as
“stomp and steer.”
■ABS operation
The brake pedal may pulsate slightly when the ABS is working. Depress the brake
pedal and keep holding the pedal firmly dow n. On dry pavement, you will need to
press on the brake pedal very hard before the ABS activates. However, you may feel
the ABS activate immediately if yo u are trying to stop on snow or ice.
ABS may activate when you depress the brake pedal when driving on:
• Wet or snow covered roads.
• Roads paved with stone.
• Roads with uneven surfaces, such as potholes, cracks, manholes, etc.
When the vehicle speed goes unde r 6 mph (10 km/h), the ABS stops.
■ABS1Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
NOTICE
The ABS may not function correctly if you use a tire of
the incorrect size or type.
If the ABS indicator comes on while driving, there
may be a problem with the system. While normal
braking will not be affected, there is a possibility that
the ABS will not be opera ting. Have your vehicle
checked by a dealer immediately.
The ABS is not designed for the purpose of reducing
the time or distance it takes for a vehicle to stop: It is
designed to limit brake lo ckup which can lead to
skidding and loss of steering control.
In the following cases, yo ur vehicle may need more
distance to stop than a vehicle without the ABS:
•You are driving on rough or uneven road surfaces,
such as gravel or snow.
•The tires are equipped with tire chains*.
The following may be observed with the ABS system:
•Motor sounds coming from the engine
compartment when the brakes are applied, or
when system checks are being performed after the
engine has been started and while the vehicle
accelerates.
•Brake pedal and/or the vehicle body vibration when
ABS activates.
These vibrations and sounds are normal to ABS
systems and are no cause for concern.
* Not available on all models