1996 Nissan Sentra Owner's Manual - Page 95

PRECAUTIONS WHEN DRIVING ● Driving with vacuum assisted brakes: The brake booster aids braking by using engine vacuum. If the engine stops, you can stop the vehicle by depressing the brake pedal. However, greater foot pressure on the brake pedal will be required to stop the vehicle and the stopping distance will be longer. ● Driving with the power assisted steering: The power assisted steering is designed to use a hydraulic pump, driven by the engine, to assist steering. If the engine stops or the drive belt breaks, you will still have control of the vehicle. However, much greater steering effort is needed, especially in sharp turns or at low speeds. ● Wet brakes: When the vehicle is washed or driven through water, the brakes may get wet. As a result, your braking distance will be longer and the vehicle may pull to one side during braking. To dry brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe speed while lightly pressing the brake 4-16 pedal to heat-up the brakes. Do this until the brakes return to normal. Avoid driving the vehicle at high speeds until the brakes function correctly. ● Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal while driving. This will overheat the brakes, wear out the brake linings and pads faster and reduce gas mileage. ● To help save the brakes and to prevent the brakes from overheating, reduce speed and downshift to a lower gear before going down a slope or long grade. Overheated brakes may reduce braking performance and could result in loss of vehicle control. ● While driving on a slippery surface, be careful when braking, accelerating or downshifting. Abrupt braking actions or sudden acceleration could cause the wheels to skid. ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) (If so equipped) The anti-lock brake system controls the brakes at each wheel so the wheels do not lock when braking abruptly or when braking on slippery surfaces. The system detects the rotation speed at each wheel and varies the brake fluid pressure to prevent each wheel from locking and sliding. By preventing wheel lockup, the system helps the driver maintain steering control and helps to minimize swerving and spinning on slippery surfaces. Using the system Depress the brake pedal and hold it down. It is not necessary to pump the brake pedal. Doing so may result in increased stopping distances. Normal operation The anti-lock brake system does not operate at speeds below 3 to 6 MPH (5 to 10 km/h) to completely stop the vehicle. (The speeds vary according to road conditions.) When the anti-lock system senses that one or more wheels are close to locking up, the actuator (under the hood) rapidly applies and releases hydraulic pressure (like pumping the brakes very quickly). While the ac-