Brake System - Volvo C30 2012 Owner's Manual

Brake servo
If the car is rolling or is being towed with the
engine turned off, the brake pedal must be
depressed about 5 times harder than when the
engine is running. If the brake pedal is
depressed when the engine is started, you will
feel the pedal drop. This is normal and due to
the brake servo becoming active. This may be
more noticeable if the car has Emergency
Brake Assistance (EBA).
WARNING
The brake servo only works when the engine
is running.
NOTE
If braking with the engine switched off,
press the brake pedal sharply once, not
repeatedly.
Brake circuits
This symbol illuminates if a brake
circuit is not working.
If a fault should occur in one of the circuits, it
is still possible to brake the car. The brake
pedal will travel further and may feel softer than
normal. Harder pressure on the pedal is nee-
ded to produce the normal braking effect.
Dampness can affect braking
characteristics
Brake components become wet when the car
is driven in heavy rain, through pools of water
or when the car is washed. This may alter brake
pad friction characteristics so that there is a
delay before braking effect is noticed.
Press the brake pedal lightly from time to time
if driving for long stretches in rain or slushy
snow, as well as after setting off in very damp
or cold weather. This warms up the brake pads
and dries off any water. This precaution is also
recommended before parking the car for a long
period in such weather conditions.
Maintenance
To keep the car as safe and reliable as possi-
ble, follow the Volvo service intervals as speci-
fied in the Service and Warranty Booklet, see
page 218.
06 Starting and driving

Brake system

IMPORTANT
The wear on the brake system's compo-
nents must be checked regularly.
Contact a workshop for information about
the procedure or engage a workshop to
carry out the inspection - an authorised
Volvo workshop is recommended.
If the brakes are used heavily
When driving in the Alps or other roads with
similar characteristics, the car's brakes are
heavily loaded even if the brake pedal is not
being depressed especially hard.
Because speed is often low, the brakes are not
cooled as effectively as when driving on flat
roads at higher speed.
So as not to overload the brakes, shift down
when driving downhill instead of using the foot
brake. Use the same gear driving downhill as
you would use driving uphill. This uses engine
braking more efficiently so the foot brake is
only required for brief periods.
Bear in mind that driving with a trailer puts an
additional load on the car's brakes.
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