BMW Z3 COUPE, Manual

Page: 103 / 198

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Index
Data
Te
chnolog
y
Repairs
Car care
Controls
Overview
Disc brakes
Disc brakes furnish optimum decelera-
tion and braking control and greater
fade resistance under heavy use.
When the vehicle is driven only occa-
sionally, during extended periods when
the vehicle is not used at all, or in oper-
ating conditions where brake applica-
tions are less frequent, there is an in-
creased tendency for corrosion of the
rotors and accumulation of contamina-
tion on the brake pads. This occurs be-
cause the minimal pressure which must
be exerted by the pads to clean the
rotors by brake applications is not
reached.
The pads must exert a minimal pressure
against the rotors for the brakes to
clean themselves effectively; under the
conditions described above, this may
not happen. If the brake rotors are cor-
roded, they will tend to respond to
braking with a pulsating effect which
even extended application will fail to
cure.
For your own safety: Use only
brake pads that BMW has ap-
proved for your specific vehicle model.
BMW cannot evaluate non-approved
brake pads to determine if they are
suited for use, and therefore cannot en-
sure the operating safety of the vehicle
in the event of their use.
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Driving notes
While driving in wet conditions and in
heavy rain, it is a good idea to apply
light pressure to the brake pedal every
few miles – watch traffic conditions to
ensure that this maneuver does not en-
danger other road users. The heat gen-
erated in this braking process helps dry
the brake pads and rotors.
Maximum braking force is obtained
while the wheels continue to rotate,
peaking when the wheels remain on the
verge of locking without actually doing
so. ABS maintains this state automati-
cally. If the ABS fails, you should revert
to the staggered braking technique
described below on page
106 .
Extended or steep mountain descents
do not necessarily have to lead to re-
duced braking efficiency; shift down to
a gear in which only minimal periodic
brake applications are required (you can
move the selector lever to the appropri-
ate lower range if your car is equipped
with an automatic transmission).
You can continue to increase the
engine's braking effect by selecting
progressively lower gears, shifting
down as far as 2nd or 1st for extreme
descents, or position 1 or 2 with auto-
matic transmision.
Should engine braking prove inade-
quate, you should still avoid extended,
continuous braking. Instead, decelerate
the vehicle with increased pressure on
the brake pedal (watch for following traf-
fic), release the pedal and then repeat
the brake application (staggered brak-
ing). This staggered braking technique
allows the brakes to cool in the intervals
between active braking phases, pre-
venting overheating and ensuring that
full braking capacity remains available at
all times.
Do not allow the vehicle to coast
when the clutch is depressed or
by shifting into neutral while moving. Do
not drive when the engine is switched
off. The engine provides no braking
control when the clutch is depressed or
the transmission is in neutral and there
is no power assist for the brakes when
the engine is shut off.
Never allow floor mats, carpets or any
other objects to protrude into the area
around the accelerator, clutch and
brake pedals and obstruct their move-
ment.
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