Disc Brakes - BMW 325Ci Owner's Manual

Disc brakes

D is c bra k e s furnis h o p tim u m d e c elera -
tio n a n d bra kin g c o ntrol a n d gre at er
fa d e re sista n c e u n d er h e a vy u s e .
W h e n th e v e hicle is driv e n o nly o c c a -
sio n ally, d urin g e xt e n d e d p erio d s w h e n
th e v e hicle is n ot u s e d at all, a n d in
o p eratin g c o n ditio n s w h ere bra k e a p pli-
c atio n s are le ss fre q u e nt, th ere is a n
in cre a s e d t e n d e n c y for c orro sio n of th e
dis c s a n d a c c u m ulatio n of c o nta min a -
tio n o n th e bra k e p a d s. T his o c c urs
b e c a u s e th e minim al pre ss ure th at m u st
b e e x ert e d b y th e p a d s to cle a n th e
dis c s b y bra k e a p plic atio n s is n ot
re a c h e d .
If th e bra k e dis c s are c orro d e d , th e y w ill
t e n d to re s p o n d to bra kin g w ith a
p uls atin g e ffe ct th at e v e n e xt e n d e d
bra k e a p plic atio n s w ill fail to c ure .
F or y o ur o w n s afe ty: u s e o nly
bra k e p a d s th at B M W h a s
a p pro v e d for y o ur p artic ular v e hicle
m o d el. B M W c a n n ot e v alu at e n o n -
a p pro v e d bra k e p a d s to d e t ermin e if
th e y are s uit e d for u s e , a n d th ere fore
c a n n ot e n s ure th e o p eratin g s afe ty of
th e v e hicle if th e y are in stalle d
Driving notes
W h e n drivin g in w e t c o n ditio n s a n d in
h e a vy rain, it is e ffe ctiv e to a p ply lig ht
pre ss ure to th e bra k e s e v ery fe w mile s
or kilo m e t ers. B e a w are of traffic c o n di-
tio n s to e n s ure th at this m a n e uv er d o e s
n ot e n d a n g er oth er ro a d u s ers. T h e
h e at w hic h is g e n erat e d b y th e bra k e
a p plic atio n s h elp s to dry th e bra k e
p a d s a n d dis c s.
M a xim u m bra kin g forc e is o b tain e d
w hile th e w h e els are n ot lo c k e d , b ut
rath er w h e n th e y are still b arely turnin g
im m e diat ely prior to lo c kin g. A B S m ain -
tain s this stat e a uto m atic ally. If th e
a ntilo c k bra k e syst e m e v er fails, y o u
s h o uld re v ert to p u m pin g th e bra k e s
(re fer to p a g e 1 2
E xt e n d e d or st e e p m o u ntain d e s c e nts
s h o uld b e driv e n in th e g e ar in w hic h
o nly minim al p erio dic bra k e a p plic atio n
is re q uire d . T his a v oid s e x c e ssiv e strain
o n th e bra k e s a n d p o ssible
im p airm e nt of th e bra kin g e ffe ct.
Y o u c a n furth er in cre a s e th e e n gin e's
bra kin g e ffe ct b y s ele ctin g a lo w er g e ar,
d o w n s hiftin g a s far a s first g e ar. W h e n
.<
drivin g a v e hicle w ith a uto m atic tra n s -
missio n, y o u c a n still d o w n s hift into first
g e ar. R e fer to p a g e
If e n gin e bra kin g s h o uld pro v e to b e
in a d e q u at e , y o u s h o uld still a v oid
e xt e n d e d , c o ntin u o u s bra kin g. In st e a d
of m aintainin g lo w to m o d erat e pre s -
s ure o v er a n e xt e n d e d p erio d of tim e ,
y o u s h o uld d e c elerat e b y a p plyin g
m ore s u b sta ntial pre ss ure to th e bra k e
p e d al (w atc h for follo w in g traffic),
rele a sin g th e p e d al, a n d th e n re p e atin g
th e a p plic atio n (sta g g ere d bra kin g). T h e
c o olin g p h a s e s b e t w e e n a ctiv e bra kin g
int erv als pre v e nt th e bra k e s fro m o v er-
h e atin g, th u s e n s urin g th at full bra kin g
c a p a city re m ain s a v aila ble at all tim e s.
or s ele ctor le v er in N e utral. D o n ot driv e
8).
w ith th e e n gin e s h ut off. T h e e n gin e
pro vid e s n o bra kin g e ffe ct w h e n th e
clutc h is d e pre ss e d or th e tra n s missio n
is in N e utral, a n d th ere is n o p o w er-
a ssist for bra kin g or st e erin g w h e n th e
e n gin e is n ot ru n nin g. N e v er allo w flo or
m ats, c arp e ts or a ny oth er o bje cts to
protru d e into th e are a aro u n d th e bra k e ,
clutc h or a c c elerator p e d als, w hic h c a n
o b stru ct p e d al tra v
7 4.
D o n ot c o a st w ith th e clutc h
d e pre ss e d or w ith th e s hift le v er
el.<
1 2 5 n