Suzuki sx4 Owner's Manual page 9

A
WARNING
If water gets into the brake drums,
brake performance may become poor
and unpredictable. After driving
through water or washing the under-
side of the vehicle, test the brakes
while driving at a slow speed to see if
they have maintained their normal
effectiveness. If the brakes are less
effective than normal, dry them by
repeatedly applying the brakes while
driving slowly until the brakes have
regained their normal effectiveness.
Power Assisted Brakes
Your vehicle has power assisted brakes. If
power assistance is lost due to a stalled
engil)e or other failures, the system is still
fully operational on reserve power and you
can bring the vehicle to a complete stop by
pressing the brake pedal once and holding
it down. The reserve power is partly used
up when you depress the brake pedal and
reduces each time the pedal is pressed.
Apply smooth and even pressure to the
pedal. Do not pump the pedal.
A
WARNING
Even without reserve power in the
brake system, you can still stop the
vehicle by pressing the brake pedal
harder than normally required. How-
ever, the stopping distance may be
longer.
Brake Assist System
When you slam the brakes on, the brake
assist system judges as an emergency
stop and provides more powerful braking
for a driver who cannot hold down the
brake pedal firmly.
NOTE:
If you depress the brakes forcefully, you
may hear
a
clicking sound in the brake
pedal. This is normal and indicates that the
brake assist system is activated properly.
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
ASS will help you avoid skidding by elec-
tronically controlling braking pressure. It
will also help you maintain steering control
when braking on slippery surfaces or when
braking hard.
The ASS works automatically, so you do
not need any special braking technique.
Just push the brake pedal down without
pumping. The ASS will operate whenever it
senses that the wheels are locking up. You
may feel the brake pedal moves a little
while the ASS is operating.
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
NOTE:
The ABS will not work if vehicle speed is
under 5 - 6 kmlh (3 - 4 mph).
A
WARNING
• On some types of loose surfaces
(such as gravel, snow-covered
roads, etc.) the stopping distance
required for an ABS-equipped vehi-
cle may be slightly greater than for
a comparable vehicle with a con-
ventional brake system. With a
conventional brake system, skid-
ding tires are able to "plow" the
gravel or snow layer, shortening
the stopping distance. ABS mini-
mizes this resistance effect. Allow
for extra stopping distance when
driving on loose surfaces.
• On regular paved roads, some driv-
ers may be able to obtain slightly
shorter stopping distances with
conventional brake systems than
with ABS.
• In both of the above conditions,
ABS will still offer the advantage of
helping you maintain directional
control. However, remember that
ABS will not compensate for bad
road or weather conditions or poor
driver judgment. Use good judg-
ment and do not drive faster than
conditions will safely allow.
5-8