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When slippery, snowy, or icy road conditions, or steep grades are encountered, it may be
desirable to operate in a lower speed range. By depressing the “MODE” button and then
the “DOWN ARROW” button, the display can be changed to 3, 2, or 1 to lower the
maximum gear in which the transmission will operate.
MUD/SNOW TRACTION:
The apparatus is equipped with a mud/snow traction feature. This allows you to engage
the mud/snow toggle switch by pressing it to the on position and continuing to hold it until
you are free to move the apparatus. The mud/snow feature allows the axle to slow down
rotation which provides more road traction.
See Figure 7.
TRANSMISSION RETARDER:
The apparatus is equipped with a transmission retarder, which can be switched on and off.
The switch to activate the retarder is located near the engineer’s right hand. Once the
transmission retarder has been switched to the “ON” position, it illuminates the retarder
light located on the officer’s side of the dash.
See
Figure 7
.
The transmission retarder provides additional braking force to the rear wheels, which
considerably extends the service life of the brakes. When switched on, the retarder
activates whenever the driver totally releases the accelerator and applies braking action
down to approximately 5 MPH.
IT IS THE POLICY OF THE CHICAGO FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT THE RETARDER BE
ACTIVATED AT ALL TIMES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SLIPPERY ROAD
CONDITIONS SUCH AS IN RAIN, SNOW, OR ICE.
Due to the fact that the braking force applied by the retarder cannot be regulated by the
driver, there is a possibility that it can cause the rear wheels to lock under slippery road
conditions, causing a loss of vehicle control. The vehicle’s anti-lock brake system is
designed to automatically disable the retarder when wheel lock-up is detected, however,
the manufacturer strongly recommends that the retarder be disabled by the driver
whenever road traction is questionable.
A warning plate has been installed just below the transmission keypad shifter to remind the
driver to disable the retarder during slippery road conditions.
