Land Rover Freelander Owners Handbook Lrl 18 02 50 501 Rover

							Brakes
131
PARKING BRAKE
The parking brake operates on the rear wheels 
only and should not require adjustment.
To engage the parking brake, pull the lever up 
fully.
To release, pull the lever up slightly, depress 
the button (arrowed in illustration) and lower 
the lever.
When parking on a slope, do not rely on the 
parking brake alone to hold the vehicle. Ensure 
the parking pawl of the transmission has fully 
engaged by carefully releasing the foot brake 
and allowing the vehicle to rock into P (park).
WARNING
Always apply the parking brake fully 
whenever the vehicle is parked.
DO NOT drive with the parking brake applied; 
this could result in loss of vehicle control, 
damage the rear brakes and will also prevent 
the anti-lock braking system from functioning 
correctly.
DO NOT rely on the parking brake to operate 
effectively if the vehicle has been subjected 
to immersion in mud and water (see ‘Off-road 
driving’ section).
H5089 
						

							Brakes
132
ANTI-LOCK BRAKES
WARNING
ABS cannot overcome the physical limitations 
of stopping the vehicle in too short a distance, 
cornering at too high a speed, or the danger of 
aquaplaning, i.e. where a layer of water 
prevents adequate contact between the tires 
and the road surface.
The fact that a vehicle is fitted with ABS must 
never tempt the driver into taking risks that 
could affect his/her safety or that of other road 
users. In all cases, it remains the drivers 
responsibility to drive within normal safety 
margins, having due consideration for 
prevailing weather and traffic conditions.
The ABS is designed to operate only with the 
tires specified in ‘Technical Data’ (see 
‘WHEELS & TIRES’, page 263) and genuine 
Land Rover parts. The manufacturers cannot 
accept any responsibility for inefficient 
operation of the system caused by 
modifications to the vehicle, or the fitting of 
non-approved components. Always consult 
your Land Rover Retailer for advice.
The driver should always take account of the 
surface to be travelled over and the fact that 
brake pedal reactions will be different to 
those experienced on a non-ABS vehicle.
The purpose of the anti-lock braking system 
(ABS) is to allow efficient braking without wheel 
locking - thereby allowing the driver to retain 
steering control of the vehicle.Under normal braking conditions, (where 
sufficient road surface friction exists to reliably 
bring the vehicle to a halt without the wheels 
locking), ABS will not be activated. However, 
should the braking force exceed the available 
adhesion between the tires and the road surface 
causing one or more wheels to lock, then ABS 
will automatically come into operation. This will 
be recognisable by a rapid pulsation felt 
through the brake pedal.
NOTE: Immediately after the engine is started, a 
short, low pitched ‘buzz’ may be heard; this is 
the ABS system priming and is no cause for 
concern.
Anti-lock braking in action
In normal road use, during an emergency 
situation full braking effort should always be 
applied even when the road surface is slippery. 
The anti-lock braking system constantly 
monitors the speed of each wheel and varies 
braking pressure to each, according to the 
amount of traction available, thereby ensuring 
that the wheels do not lock.
No matter how hard you brake, you should be 
able to continue steering the vehicle as normal. 
•DO NOT pump the brake pedal at any time; 
this will interrupt operation of the system 
and may increase braking distance.
•DO NOT place non-approved floor mats or 
any other obstruction under the brake pedal. 
This restricts pedal travel and, therefore, 
impairs braking efficiency. 
						

							Brakes
133
NOTE: On soft surfaces such as powdery snow, 
sand or gravel, braking distances may be 
greater than those achievable on a vehicle 
without anti-lock braking. This is because the 
action of locked wheels on loose surfaces, is to 
build up a wedge of material in front of the 
wheels, which assists in bringing the vehicle to 
a halt. However, even in these circumstances, 
the anti-lock braking system will provide better 
stability and steering control.
Warning light
The anti-lock braking system 
incorporates a monitoring system, 
which checks that all the electrical 
components are in working order, as soon as 
the ignition switch is turned to position II and 
also at frequent intervals during your journey.
The warning light on the instrument panel is an 
important part of this system. The warning light 
should illuminate for approximately one second 
when the ignition switch is turned to position 
II and then extinguish. The light may blink 
during this time.
If the light remains on or subsequently 
illuminates while driving, a fault has been 
detected by the self monitoring system and full 
ABS control may not be available - consult your 
dealer at the earliest opportunity.
The normal braking system remains fully 
operational and is not affected by partial or full 
loss of the ABS. However, braking distances 
may increase.Off-road driving
While anti-lock braking is designed to operate 
equally effectively in off-road driving 
conditions, on certain surfaces total reliance on 
the system may be unwise. Under normal 
conditions, anti-lock braking does not need 
operate. 
Anti-lock braking operates during emergency 
braking, when road conditions are slippery, or 
the driver has exceeded the control limits of 
normal braking. It cannot reliably compensate 
for driver error or inexperience on difficult 
off-road surfaces.
Note the following:
•If the vehicle is stopped on a very steep 
slope where little traction is available, it may 
slide with the wheels locked because there 
is no wheel rotation to signal movement to 
the ABS. To counteract this, briefly release 
the brakes to permit some wheel 
movement, then re-apply the brakes to 
allow ABS to gain control.
•Before driving off-road, read and thoroughly 
understand the ‘Off-Road Driving’ section of 
this handbook. 
(See ‘BEFORE YOU DRIVE’, page 169). 
						

							Traction Control
134
Trac tion  Co ntrolELECTRONIC TRACTION CONTROL
The purpose of electronic traction control is to 
aid traction when one wheel spins while the 
other still has good grip (if one side of the 
vehicle is on ice and the other is on tarmac, for 
example). The system works by applying the 
brake to a spinning wheel in order to transfer 
torque to the other side of the axle.
NOTE: Traction control only operates below 
approximately 30 mph (50 km/h).
Warning light
The instrument panel warning 
light will illuminate whenever the 
system is active (for a minimum of 
2 seconds) and also illuminates as a bulb check 
(for approximately 4 seconds) when the 
ignition switch is turned to position II.
If the warning light illuminates continuously 
while traction control is NOT operating, a fault 
with the system is indicated; seek qualified 
assistance.
The light also has an overheat function: if 
traction control is required, but the brakes are 
too hot, the light will flash for the period when 
traction control is required and traction has 
been lost. 
						

							Softback
135
S oftb ackFOLDING AND UNFOLDING THE 
SOFTBACK
*
Folding
WARNING
Before folding the softback, it is 
recommended that the radio aerial is either 
tilted towards the vertical, or removed to 
avoid accidental injury.
NOTE: If roof bars are fitted, they do not need to 
be removed to fold or unfold the softback.
1.With the taildoor closed, undo Velcro, stud 
and zip fasteners to release the side 
screens.2.Slide the side screen down and out of the 
retaining channel.
3.Open the taildoor and store the side 
screens in the stowage bag when not in 
use - ensure the screens are dry before 
stowing.
H4300A
H5176
H3386 
						

							Softback
136
4.From inside the vehicle, unfasten the three 
press studs retaining the tonneau cover 
and allow the cover to unroll.
5.From inside the vehicle:
Push up elbow stay (A).
Push down and twist elbow stay locking 
collar (B) and allow the stays to hinge 
downwards. (Left hand side shown).
H5177
H5178


 
						

							Softback
137
6.From outside the vehicle, slide both corner 
post beadings (fabric) out of their 
retaining channels. (Left hand side 
shown).7.Pull the posts towards the centre of the 
vehicle and pull rearwards to release.
H5179
H5180 
						

							Softback
138
8.While pushing upwards on the centre roof 
bow, fold the softback forwards and above 
the back edge of the fixed roof.
NOTE: If roof bars are fitted, the softback will 
slide along the underside of the bars, although 
with greater resistance.
H4304
H4305A
H4306 
						

							Softback
139
9.Straighten the elbow stay until the locking 
collar snaps up, and the location arrow 
moulded into the collar is rotated to align 
with the centre of the rivet on the elbow 
stay (see inset). Attach corner post clips to 
the locking collar. (Right hand side 
shown).10.Wrap the tonneau cover over the softback 
assembly.
11.Hook the leading edge of the tonneau 
cover over the four hooks located on the 
top of the back edge of the fixed roof.
H4307
H3394
H3395 
						

							Softback
140
12.Retrieve side covers from taildoor pocket 
and fold out beading.
Label shows orientation.
(L = Left hand, R = Right hand).
13.Feed appropriate side cover (L or R) 
into the retaining channel in the direction 
of the chevrons. (Left hand side shown).14.Slide the side cover up the retaining 
channel.
15.Attach stud and Velcro fasteners.
NOTE: The roof aerial can now be repositioned.
H4339
H5181
H3397
H3398