Disc brakes
123n
Disc brakes furnish optimum decelera-
tion and braking control and greater
fade resistance under heavy use.
If engine braking should prove to be
inadequate, you should still avoid
Driving notes
While driving on wet roads or in heavy
rain, it is a effective to apply light pres-
sure to the brake pedal every few miles
extended, continuous braking. Instead
of maintaining low to moderate pres-
sure over an extended period of time,
you should decelerate the vehicle by
applying more substantial force on the
pedal (watch for following traffic).
Pause before repeating the brake appli-
cation. This staggered braking tech-
nique allows the brakes to cool in the
intervals between active braking
Infrequent driving, extended periods
when the vehicle is parked, and driving or kilometers. Watch traffic conditions
conditions in which brake applications
are less frequent all promote an
to ensure that this maneuver does not
endanger other road users. The heat
increase in corrosion of the brake disks which is generated by the brake appli-
and contamination of the brake pads. cations helps to dry the brake disks and
This occurs because the minimal appli- pads.
cation force that is required to clean the
Maximum braking force is obtained
disks is not reached between the pads
and disks.
while the wheels continue to rotate,
peaking when the wheels remain on the
If the brake disks are corroded, they will verge of locking without actually doing
phases. This prevents overheating and
ensures that full braking capacity
remains available at all times.
tend to respond to braking with a
pulsating effect which even extended
application cannot correct.
so. ABS maintains this state automati-
cally. If the ABS fails, you should revert
to the staggered braking technique
described on page 126).
Do not coast with the clutch
depressed, with the shift lever in
neutral or with the engine shut off. The
engine does not provide any braking
effect with the transmission in neutral or
with the engine shut off.
For your own safety: use only
brake linings that BMW has
Extended or steep mountain descents
should be driven in the gear in which
only minimal periodic brake applica-
tions is required. This avoids excessive
strain on the brakes and possible
impairment of the braking effect.
released for your particular vehicle
model. BMW cannot evaluate non-
approved brake pads to determine if
they are suited for use, and therefore
cannot ensure the operating safety of
the vehicle if they are installed.<
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.<
The engine's braking effectiveness can
be increased even more by progres-
sively shifting down – clear into first
gear, if necessary.
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