Brake System - Vauxhall VECTRA Owner's Manual

208 Drivin g and operatio n

Brake system

The effectiveness of the brakes is a n
important factor for traffic safety.
To improve effectiveness, do not b ra ke
unnecessarily hard for the first 125 miles
(200 km) after new brake pads have been
fitted.
Brake pad wear must not exceed a
specified limit. Regular maintenance as
detailed in the Service Book let is therefore
of the utm ost importance for traffic safety.
Hav e worn brak e pa ds replaced by a
workshop.
Pads tha t hav e been tested and approved
guarantee optimum bra ke p erformance.
Brake assist
If the brak e p edal is slammed on, the
vehicle is autom atically brak ed w ith
maximum brake force am plifica tion in
order to achieve the shortest possib le
braking distance w hen full-on brak ing
oc curs (braking a ssist).
Mainta in steady p ressure on the brake
pedal for a s long a s full-on braking is to
continue. When the brak e pedal is
relea sed, the maxim um brake forc e
amplification is tak en awa y.
Adapt ive brak e light
During full-on braking, all three b ra ke
lig hts flash for the duration of ABS control.
Footbrak e
The footbrake comprises two independ ent
brak e circuits.
If one brake circuit faults, the vehicle can
still be braked with the other brake circuit.
However the brak ing effect will occur at a
lower ped al position and considerably
more forc e is required. The braking
distance is longer. Contact a work shop
before continuing to d riv e.
To ensure that full pedal travel – can be
utilised, particularly if there is a fault in one
of the b ra ke circuits, there m ust be no ma ts
in the pedal area - see page 185.
When the engine is not running, the
assistance of the brake servo unit
disappears once the brak e pedal ha s been
depressed once or twice. Braking effect is
not red uced, but braking req uires
significa ntly greater force. This is especially
important to bear in mind w hen towing.