2004 Dodge Dakota Owner's Manual - Page 164

164 STARTING AND OPERATING WARNING! • Always fully apply the parking brake when leaving your vehicle, or vehicle may roll and cause damage or injury. Also be certain to leave an automatic transmission in Park, a manual transmission in Reverse or first gear. Failure to do so may cause the vehicle to roll and cause damage or injury. • Be sure the parking brake is fully disengaged before driving. Failure to do so can lead to brake failure and an accident. • Leaving children in a vehicle unattended is dangerous for a number of reasons. A child or others could be injured. Children should be warned not to touch the parking brake or the gear selector lever. Don't leave the key in the ignition. A child could operate power windows, other controls, or move the vehicle. BRAKE SYSTEM In the event power assist is lost for any reason (for example, repeated brake applications with the engine off), the brakes will still function. The effort required to brake the vehicle will be significantly increased over that required with the power system operating. If either the front or rear hydraulic system loses normal capability, the remaining system will still function with some loss of braking effectiveness. This will be evident by increased pedal travel during application, greater pedal force required to slow or stop, and activation of the Brake Warning light and the ABS light during brake use. Rear Wheel Anti-Lock Brake System This Anti-Lock Brake System provides increased vehicle stability and brake performance under most braking conditions. The system automatically controls the operation of the rear brakes to prevent rear wheel lockup. The system remains operational in the four-wheel drive mode. The level of performance is reduced when the front brakes are locked up. This will cause the rear brakes to lock-up through the drivetrain, which may reduce the effectiveness of the anti-lock system.