Opel 1973 GT, Owner'S Manual

Page: 124 / 190

124 Driving and operation
Hand brake
Always apply ha nd brake firmly. On slopes,
apply the hand brake as firmly as possible.
The m echanical hand b ra ke a ffects the
rea r wheel brakes. They a utomatica lly
enga ge w hen the lever is p ulled.
To release the hand brake, lift handle
slig htly, press release button and lower
handle all the way down.
To reduce the opera ting forces of the hand
brake, depress the foot brake at the sa me
time.
Control ind icator R for brake system
Illum inates when the ignition is switched on
if the hand brake is applied or if the brake/
clutch fluid level is too low.
Flashes at speeds over 8 km/h (5 m ph) if
ha nd brak e is applied. Release hand brake
before continuing journey, to av oid
ov erheating and damag ing the brake
system. See also page 70.
Brake and clutch fluid – see page 156.
ABS
u
The AB S (Anti-lock Brake System )
continuously monitors the brake system
and p revents the wheels from lock ing,
independently of the typ e of road surface
and the tyre grip.
It starts to regulate the braking pressure as
soon a s a wheel shows a tendency to lock.
The vehicle rema ins steerable, even in the
event of v ery heavy braking, for insta nce
on bends or when swerving to a void an
obstacle. Ev en in the c ase of full-on
brak ing, the ABS mak es it possible to drive
round an obstacle w ithout releasing the
brak es.
ABS control is mad e ap parent throug h a
pulse in the brake pedal and the noise of
the regulation process.
9
Warning
If the control indicator illuminates when
the hand brake is not ap plied: Stop.
Interrupt your journey immediately.
Consult a workshop.
9
Warning
For optimum braking, keep the brak e
peda l fully dep ressed throughout the
braking process, despite the fact that
the pedal is pulsa ting. Do not reduce
the pressure on the peda l.
Do not let this special safety feature
tempt you into ta king risk s w hen driving.
Tra ffic safety can only b e ac hieved by
adopting a responsible d riv ing style.