Inspection and maintenance
following rough road operation
E00606700383
After operating the vehicle in rough road condi-
tions, be sure to perform the following inspection
and maintenance procedures:
l
Check that the vehicle has not been damaged
by rocks, gravel, etc.
l
Carefully wash the vehicle with water.
Drive the vehicle slowly while lightly depress-
ing the brake pedal in order to dry out the
brakes. If the brakes still do not function prop-
erly, we recommend you to have the brakes
checked as soon as possible.
l
Remove the insects, dried grass, etc. clog-
ging the radiator core.
l
Check the inside of the vehicle. If water en-
try is found, dry the carpet etc.
l
Inspect the headlamps, If the headlamp bulb
is flooded with water, we recommend you to
have it drained.
Braking
E00607001830
All the parts of the brake system are critical to safe-
ty. We recommend you to have the vehicle
checked at regular intervals according to the serv-
ice booklet.
CAUTION
l
Avoid driving habits that cause heavy
braking and never “ride” the brakes by
resting your foot on the brake pedal
while driving.
It causes brake overheating and fading.
Brake system
The service brake is divided into two brake cir-
cuits. And your vehicle is equipped with power
brakes. If one brake circuit fails, the other is availa-
ble to stop the vehicle. If you should lose the pow-
er assist for some reason, the brakes will still work.
In these situations, even if the brake pedal moves
down to the very end of its possible stroke or re-
sists being depressed, keep depressing the brake ped-
al down harder and further than usual; stop driving
as soon as possible and have the brake system re-
paired.
WARNING
l
Do not turn off the electric motor unit
while your vehicle is in motion. If you
turn off the electric motor unit while driv-
ing, the power assistance for the braking
system will stop working and your brakes
will not work effectively.
WARNING
l
If the power assist is lost or if either
brake hydraulic system stops working
properly, have your vehicle checked im-
mediately.
Warning lamp
The brake warning lamp illuminates to indicate a
fault in the braking system. Refer to “Brake warn-
ing lamp” on page 4-09.
When brakes are wet
Check the brake system while driving at a low
speed immediately after starting, especially when
the brakes are wet, to confirm they work normally.
A film of water can be formed on the brake discs
or brake drums and prevent normal braking after
driving in heavy rain or through large puddles, or
after the vehicle is washed. If this occurs, dry the
brakes out by driving slowly while lightly depress-
ing the brake pedal.
When driving downhill
It is important to take advantage of regenerative
braking by shifting to the “B” (BRAKE) position
while driving on steep downhill roads in order to
prevent the brakes from overheating.
Starting and driving
5-12
5
