Saab 1987 900 Owner's Manual page 38

36 Starting and driving
Running in
Every new car has a recommended running
in period during which the owner is advised
to drive with restraint. Pistons, cylinder
walls and bearings need to be in operation
for some time to produce smooth and hard-
wearing contact surfaces. Placing
too
much
strain on a new engine interferes with this
gradual process, shortening the life of the
car and especially the engine.
For the first 1,000 miles you should not
drive at full throttle except for very brief
periods. At 1,000 miles the car should be
taken. to a Saab dealer for the recom-
mended break-in service (see "Service and
maintenance" section.)
Braking
To avoid subjecting the brakes to excessively
high temperatures, e.g. when driving
downhill in mountainous country with de-
scents of thousands of feet, you should
utilize the braking power of the engine by
selecting a lower gear.
For cars with automatic transmission, use
position "1" or "2".
NOTE!
It
is advisable to check the
brakes occasionally when driving to
make sure that they are working pro-
perly, especially if they have been sub-
jected to heavy splashing with water or
when driving through snow or salty
slush, as the braking effect may be tem-
porarily reduced in conditions of this
kind. The brake system is power as-
sisted, but the added power from this is
only available when the engine is run-
ning. It requires a considerably greater
force on the pedal to brake the car when
the engine is switched off.
The brake pads have been thoroughly tested
and are designed to deliver the best results
with respect to braking effort, useful life
and minimum noise under normal driving
conditions. Use only Saab recommended
original asbestos-free brake pads when
worn pads need replacing.
Running-in of new brake linings
The running-in period for new brake lin-
ings is around 90 miles of city driving or 300
miles of highway driving. To extend the ser-
vice life and reduce noise, avoid hard brak-
ing during this period.
Parking
Engage reverse gear (manual transmission)
or park position (automatic transmission)
only after coming to a complete stop (see
Gear changing. Apply the hand brake
and switch off the ignition. Before leav-
ing the vehicle check tnat the interior lights
go off and lock the doors. Park with the
wheels turned toward the curb on downhill
grades and away from the curb on uphill
grades.
NOTE! Do not use the handbrake if the
car is to be stored for a long time or if the
car is being parked for several days when
the brakes are wet. Constant dampness
and pressure may cause the brake mate-
rial to stick to the disc after a while. The
brake may then be difficult to release or
may leave material deposited on the disc.