BMW 530XD - Manual (Page 125)

Driv
ing precautions
124
assistance will no longer hold the car after
about 2 seconds and it will start to roll back.
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Safe braking
Your BMW is equipped with ABS as standard.
Where a situation requires you to apply the
brakes hard, you are advised to do so. Since the
car remains steerable, you can avoid obstacles
by turning the steering wheel as smoothly as
possible.
The pulsating sensation at the brake pedal,
combined with the sound of the hydraulic sys-
tem operating, indicates that ABS is interven-
ing.
Wet roads
In wet conditions or heavy rain, apply the brakes
briefly with slight pedal pressure every few kilo-
metres or miles. When doing so, make sure that
no other road user is endangered. The resulting
heat dries the brake discs and pads. The brak-
ing force will then be available immediately if
needed.
Downhill gradients
To avoid impairing the efficiency of the
brake system as a result of overheating,
drive down long or steep descents in the gear
that allows you to keep brake applications to a
minimum. Otherwise even slight continuous
pressure on the brake pedal could cause over-
heating, brake pad wear or even brake system
failure.
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The engine braking effect can be enhanced by
selecting a lower gear in the automatic trans-
mission's manual mode, right down to 1st gear
if necessary, see page
62 . This avoids overbur-
dening the brakes.
Never drive with the clutch held down,
with the transmission in neutral or with
the engine switched off; engine braking action
will not be present, or there will be no power
assistance to the brakes or steering.
Make sure that pedal functions are not impaired
by floor mats, carpets or other objects.
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Corrosion of brake discs
If the car is used only for short distances, is not
used for lengthy periods or is subjected to only
minor loads, the brake discs will be particularly
susceptible to corrosion and the brake pads will
collect dirt; this is because the necessary brake
pressure for a self-cleaning effect has not been
generated.
When the brakes are applied, corroded discs
tend to judder, and even lengthy brake applica-
tions usually fail to eliminate this effect entirely.
When car is parked
Moisture condensate forms in the automatic air
conditioning and is discharged underneath the
car. Traces of water on the ground are therefore
normal.
Before entering a car wash
Fold in the outside mirrors, see page 49 , as they
could otherwise be damaged due to the car's
width.
With comfort access and automatic
transmission
Insert the remote control in the ignition lock.
The engine can be switched off with the selec-
tor lever in position N. See also page
37 .
Rule of the road
When entering countries where the traffic
drives on the opposite side of the road to the
country in which your car is registered, certain
measures are necessary to avoid dazzling the
drivers of oncoming vehicles.
Halogen lights
BMW Service is able to supply masking film.
Note the instructions enclosed with the film
when applying.
Xenon headlights*
Do not make adjustments while the head-
lights are still hot, otherwise there is a risk
of burns. <
Online Edition for Part-No. 01 41 0 159 725 © 09/05 BMW AG