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The brakes are assisted by vacuum
pressure which is only generated when
the engine is running. The brake pedal
will feel stiffer and greater pressure
must be applied to stop the vehicle if
the brake pedal is depressed when the
engine is switched off, of if the vacuum
assist fails to operate.
WARNING: Never drive the vehicle
if the engine is not running or
switched off because greater
pressure on the brake pedal will
be required to slow the vehicle,
increasing stopping distance.
A reduction in braking performance
may be experienced after driving
through a ford or flood until the brakes
have dried out. If this happens, apply
the brakes as soon as it is safe to do so
until normal braking performance is
restored.
WARNING: Failure to follow the
above instruction may result in an
accident.
Brake Pedal
Always check the movement of the
brake pedal before driving and make
sure that it is not obstructed by a floor
mat or any other object.
WARNING: Any obstruction of the
brake pedal could increase the
stopping distance.
Brake Pads
Note that the hard grade of the pad
material may cause a certain amount
of brake noise under some conditions;
such noise is not harmful and does
not affect the life or efficiency of the
brakes. After frequent hard use of the
brakes, it is beneficial to the durability
of the discs and pads if the brakes are
allowed to cool down before the vehicle
is parked.
Allow the brake pads and discs to 'bed
in' fully before using the brakes to their
full potential. Pedal effort will reduce as
the brakes are bedded in and as they
are warmed from cold to normal
working temperature, also see page
173.
STARTING AND DRIVING
Anti-Lock Braking System
The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
reduces the risk of any of the wheels
to lock up during braking, ensuring the
vehicle can still be steered.
ABS is especially beneficial when
braking on slippery road surfaces and
in bad driving conditions, but it is
important to realise that the ABS
cannot increase the friction level at the
road surface, it can only make optimum
use of the grip available.
N
The road wheels may appear to lock
momentarily which is normal.
NOTE: ABS does not function at
speeds below 5 mph.
When the ABS is activated, a 'pulsing'
sensation at the brake pedal will be
felt and a clicking from the control
solenoids may be heard, indicating that
maximum braking is occurring and that
the driving style should be modified to
suit the road conditions. Also see
emergency brake light information on
page 118.
163
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