Kato SR-300L, Instruction Manual

Page: 111 / 233

- 97 -
Precautions when driving down a slope
1. Make a constant habit of testing your brakes before starting to move down a steep slope or a
long gentle slope. If you notice during the descent that your brakes are weak, there is nothing
you can do about it.
2. Do not use the foot brake excessively while driving.
Instead reduce speed by engine braking through appropriate down-shifting and use the exhaust
brake, supplementing these as necessary with short bursts of foot brake. Excessive use of the
foot brake risks overheating and reduced braking force as well as bubbling in the brake fluid
(vapor lock) which can completely disable the foot brake. Intermittent use of the foot brake
serves to minimize heating and allows adequate braking force. Use of the brake for long
periods with the pedal depressed half way leads to overheating which reduces braking force
and invites accidents.
3. After periods of parking or brief stops, depress the brake pedal to check brake function before
you move off again. For a short period after stopping the machine (5 － 20 minutes), the heat of
the brake is transmitted through the brake fluid, so the temperature of the brake fluid is higher
than it was while the machine was in motion. The brake fluid can become very hot after heavy
brake use on a long downhill or after a sudden stop. If the machine is at rest after that, bubbles
can form in the brake fluid, completely disabling the foot brake by a phenomenon called
soaking.
If you do not notice this situation until after you start driving, it is already too late. Instead
make a habit of applying the foot brake as you start to move the machine to gauge its strength.
4. Take care not to overrun the engine when driving downhill.
Excessive speed while driving downhill can cause the engine to overrun. If the engine
overruns, the overrun warning lamp lights and an intermittent buzzer sounds. If this happens,
use the foot brake immediately to reduce speed.
Engine overrun can cause seizure and ultimately destruction of the engine, so take care to
avoid it.
5. Before starting to descend a steep slope, choose the gear that you would use to climb that
slope and shift to that position.
6. Exercise caution when shifting down to descend a steep slope.
If shifting down does not reduce speed adequately, shifting down to another lower position
will not shift the transmission.
If you are driving down a slope with gear 1, 2 or 3 selected and the machine's speed exceeds
the allowable speed range for the gear you are using, the transmission will automatically shift
up to accommodate the machine's speed. In this case any engine braking effect will be lost.
Take great care to ensure that the machine's speed does not exceed the range for the shift
position you have chosen.
(611A-0025-0E)