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General
The car is equipped with two brake circuits. If
one brake circuit is damaged then this will
mean that the brakes engage at a deeper
level and higher pedal pressure is needed to
produce the normal braking 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 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. Engine braking is most
efficiently used if the same gear is used
downhill as up.
For more general information on heavy loads
on the car, see page 400.
Anti-lock braking system
The car is equipped with ABS (Anti-lock
Braking System) which prevents the wheels
from locking during braking. This means the
ability to steer is maintained and it is easier to
swerve to avoid a hazard for example. Vibra-
tion may be felt in the brake pedal when this
is engaged and this is normal.
A short test of the ABS system is made auto-
matically after the engine has been started
when the driver releases the brake pedal. A
further automatic test of the ABS system may
be made when the car reaches 10 km/h. The
test may be experienced as pulses in the
brake pedal.
Emergency brake lights and automatic
hazard warning flashers
Emergency brake lights are activated to alert
vehicles behind about sudden braking. The
function means that the brake light flashes
instead of - as in normal braking - shining
with a constant glow.
Emergency brake lights are activated at
speeds above 50 km/h if the ABS system is
working and/or in the event of sudden brak-
ing. After the car's speed has been slowed
below 10 km/h the brake light returns from
flashing to the normal constant glow - while
at the same time the hazard warning flashers
are activated, and they flash until the driver
changes engine speed with the accelerator
pedal or they are deactivated with their but-
ton, see page 96.
03 Your driving environment
Cleaning the brake discs
Coatings of dirt and water on the brake discs
may result in delayed brake function. This
delay is minimised by cleaning the brake lin-
ings.
Manual cleaning is advisable with wet road
surfaces, prior to long-stay parking and after
the car has been washed. Carry this out by
braking gently during a short period while en
route.
Emergency Brake Assistance
Emergency Brake Assistance EBA
(Emergency Brake Assist) helps to increase
brake force and so reduce braking distance.
EBA detects the driver's braking style and
increases brake force as necessary. The
brake force can be reinforced up to the level
when the ABS system is engaged. The EBA
function is interrupted when the pressure on
the brake pedal is reduced.
NOTE
When EBA is activated the brake pedal
lowers slightly more than usual, depress
(hold) the brake pedal as long as neces-
sary. If the brake pedal is released then all
braking ceases.
Foot brake
03
139
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