Foot Brake - Volvo S90 Owner's Manual

STARTING AND DRIVING

Foot brake

The foot brake is used to reduce the car's speed
while driving.
Foot brake system
The car is equipped with two brake circuits. If a
brake circuit is damaged, the brake pedal will
engage deeper. Higher pressure on the pedal will
therefore be needed to produce the normal brak-
ing effect.
The driver's brake pedal pressure is assisted by a
brake servo.
WARNING
The brake servo only works when the engine
is running.
If the foot brake is used when the engine is
switched off then the pedal will feel stiff and a
higher pedal pressure must be used to brake the
car.
In very hilly terrain or when driving with a heavy
load the brakes can be relieved by using engine
braking in manual gearshift mode. Engine braking
is most efficiently used if the same gear is used
downhill as up. Use the Hill Descent Control
function for increased engine braking while driv-
ing on steep downhill gradients at low speeds.
400
Anti-lock braking system
The car has anti-lock brakes, Anti-lock Braking
System (ABS), which prevent the wheels from
locking while braking and allows maintained
steering control. Vibration may be felt in the
brake pedal when this is engaged and this is nor-
mal.
A short test of the ABS system is made automat-
ically after the engine has been started when the
driver releases the brake pedal. A further auto-
matic test of the system may be made at low
speed. The test may be experienced as pulses in
the brake pedal.
Braking on wet roads
When driving for a prolonged period of time in
heavy rain without braking, the braking effect may
be delayed slightly when next using the brakes.
This may also be the case after a car wash. It is
then necessary to depress the brake pedal more
forcefully. You should therefore maintain a
greater distance to the vehicles in front.
Brake the car firmly after driving on wet roads or
using a car wash. This warms up the brake discs,
enabling them to dry faster and protecting them
against corrosion. Bear in mind the current traffic
situation when braking.
*
Braking on salted roads
When driving on salted roads, a layer of salt may
form on the brake discs and brake linings. This
may extend braking distance. You should there-
fore maintain an extra large safety distance to
vehicles in front. In addition, make sure you do
the following:
•
Brake now and again to remove any layer of
salt. Make sure that other road users are not
put at risk by the braking.
•
Gently depress the brake pedal after finish-
ing driving and before starting your next trip.
Maintenance
To keep the car as safe and reliable as possible,
follow the Volvo service intervals as specified in
the Service and Warranty Booklet.
New and replaced brake linings and brake discs
do not provide optimal braking effect until they
have been "worn in" a few hundred kilometres.
Compensate for the reduced braking effect by
depressing the brake pedal harder. Volvo recom-
mends only fitting brake linings that are approved
for your Volvo.
IMPORTANT
The wear on the brake system's components
must be checked regularly.
Contact a workshop for information about the
procedure or engage a workshop to carry out
the inspection - an authorised Volvo work-
shop is recommended.
* Option/accessory, for more information, see Introduction.