BYD F3DM. Service Manual — part 9

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Gear Shifting

Gear Shifting
Handle Button

Unlock
Button

Gear Shifting Handle Position
Parking gear (P) – in this position,
gear shifting mechanism has a locking
function. To apply parking gear, you
must press gear shifting handle button.
To avoid damaging gear in the power
train, you cannot apply parking gear
until parking the car properly. When
you have to switch parking gear to
other gears, please step on brake
pedal, turn the key to the ignition

switch “ON” and press down the gear
shifting handle button to shift from P
gear. Unlocking button can also be
used for mechanical unlocking for gear
shifting mechanism.
Reverse gear (R) – to apply reverse
gear, you cannot do this until parking
the car properly. To switch N gear to
P gear, please press the gear shifting
handle button.
Neutral gear (N) – when you need to
stop the car temporarily and get power
train started, you can shift to N gear.
Driving gear (D) – use this gear for
normal driving. With your foot holding
down the brake pedal, shift the selector
lever to “D”. Release the parking
brake and brake pedal. Depress the
accelerator pedal slowly for smooth
starting.

WARNING

y

Gear shifting handle must be at P

or N gear when starting the car.

y

When you want to stop the car

at D, N or R gear, you should
step on brake pedal forcibly as
well as move your feet from the
accelerator pedal. Whatever the
reason is, the driver must shift
to P gear and pull up the parking
brake handle as long as he
leaves the car.

y

Never put your foot on the

accelerator pedal while shifting,
unless it may cause abrupt
acceleration.

y

When driving forward, it is

forbidden to use R or P gear
and please make sure you have
stopped the car properly before
using P or R gear to avoid
damaging the transmission.

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Electronic Power Steering

System

The electronic power steering system,
which offers steering power by electric
engine in steering, can help the driver
to control the steering wheel easily and
accurately. When the key is turned to
“ON”, warning light for power steering
system turns on and the system starts
to self-inspect. After 3 seconds, the
warning light for power steering system
will turn off if there is no fault in the
system; if not, the light will not turn off.
After self-inspection, if there is any
trouble while driving, the warning light
will also turn on.
In the following conditions, you may
feel it’s difficult to operate the steering
wheel while the warning light for power
steering system does not turn on
(Because it is not a malfunction)

In case of frequently manipulating or
fully turning the steering wheel for a
long time, the power steering effect
may be limited to avoid overhea. In
this situation, you should stop turning
the steering wheel or park your car
and turn the switch to “ACC” or “OFF”.
It takes about 10 minutes to for the
system to restore power.

NOTICE

y

When the auxiliary battery

power is low, you may feel the
steering becomes heavy. It is a
malfunction, please contact BYD
authorized service provider for a
check.

y

When turning the steering wheel,

you may hear electric engine
noise, made by steering electric
engine. It is not a malfunction.

WARNING

If any of the following conditions
about power steering system
warning light, it indicates the
power steering system may have
a malfunction. Please contact your
BYD authorized service provider for
a check as soon as possible:
1. When turning the ignition switch
to “ON”, the light does not turn on or
is always on.
2. The indicator light is always on
while driving.
In this case, it is much more difficult
to turn the steering wheel and you
should hold the steering wheel firmly
and drive slowly.

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Brake System

Brake system adopts a power system
with two independent vacuum sources:
one is to provide vacuum negative
pressure through air inflow by electric
engine and the other is to provide
vacuum negative pressure through
vacuum-pumping by vacuum pump.
If any faults occur in vacuum pump
or assistance devices during driving
at EV mode, the engine will start
automatically and also provide vacuum
source for brake system.

NOTICE

If the DM system indicator blinks
with rapid clicking, system switches
to HEV mode automatically, and the
engine starts, these mean there is
a malfunction in vacuum pump and
auxiliary device, thus please park
your car in a safe place and contact
BYD authorized service provider.

Vacuum Booster
Vacuum booster realize boosting effect
by vacuum source provided from
negative pressure formed by air inflow
of the electric engine or by vacuum-
pumping of vacuum pump. If vacuum
source is cut off in driving, you need to
step on the brake pedal harder to stop
the car.

NOTICE

y

Do not step on the brake pedal

repeatedly after you park the
car, since every time you step on
the brake pedal, it will consume
vacuum pressure.

y

If accident happens, vacuum

booster may not work, but the
brake can still work normally.
However, you need to step on
the brake harder and the braking
distance will also be ncreased.

y

It is forbidden to let your car skid

before the DM system is enabled.

Anti-lock Brake System (with “ABS”
warning light)
The anti-lock brake system is designed
to prevent the wheels from locking
in a sudden braking or driving on the

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slippery road, which helps to increase
the vehicle steadiness..
It is an effective way to check if ABS
is working by stepping on the brake
pedal: if ABS is working, the driver
may feel pulsation on brake pedal and
hear noises. In this case, you can let
ABS work only by stepping on brake
pedal forcibly. However, do not step on
it repeatedly in hard braking, as it may
increase the braking distance.
A B S s t a r t s w o r k i n g , w h e n y o u
accelerate the speed to over 10km/h.
.ABS stops working, when you reduce
the speed to 10km/h.
In rainy day, stepping on brake pedal
on slippery road surfaces such as on
a manhole cover, a steel plate at a
construction site, joints in a bridge, etc,
is easier to activate ABS.
You may hear clicking sound from front
engine compartment or sound from

electric engine for several seconds
when just starting the car, it indicates
ABS in self-inspection rather than any
malfunction.
The following conditions may occur,
when ABS is working, which does not
mean any malfunction in ABS.
● You may hear working sound from
ABS and feel pulsation on brake
pedal as well as vibration of car
body and steering wheel. Even if you
stop the car, you may still hear the
sound of electric motor in the engine
compartment.
● The brake pedal move a bit forward
after ABS stops working.

NOTICE

If any of the following conditions
occur, please stop your car at a safe
place and contact BYD authorized
service provider immediately:

y

When the handbrake completely

release, the parking brake
warning light is still on; The
parking brake fault warning light
suddenly light while driving.
In either case, this can indicate
that the brakes do not work
properly and your braking
distance will be longer. Please
step the brake pedal firmly and
bring the car to an immediate
stop.

y

The “ABS” warning light turns on

while driving.

In this case, not only the anti–lock
brake system will fail but also the

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vehicle will become extremely
unstable during braking. In the
event of above, please contact BYD
authorized service provider.

WARNING

Do not overestimate ABS: ABS can
help to control the car, but it is still
very important for you to comply with
all the precautions and keep proper
speed as well as a safe distance
with the car in front, since the
function of ABS to vehicle stability
and effectiveness of steering wheel
operation is limited.
In case of high-speed driving
in a rainy day, if anti-skidding
performance of tire goes beyond its
allowable capability or the car runs
idle, ABS cannot help to control the

car.
Tires of specified size with proper
pressure are installed in all the
vehicle wheels (4 for each car);
ABS measures the rotating speed
of each wheel by rotating-speed
sensor. If other unspecified tires are
used, the rotating speed cannot be
measured accurately, which may
cause stopping distance increase.
I n t h e f o l l o w i n g c o n d i t i o n s ,
compared with cars without ABS,
cars equipped with ABS may need a
longer stopping distance:

y

Driving on the rugged, cobbled or

snowy road.

y

Driving the car equipped with tire

chains.

y

Driving on such places as junction

of roads.

y

Driving on the bumpy or rugged

road.
Driving with the parking brake
engaged can reduce braking
performance.
Before driving, make sure the
parking brake is fully released and
the parking brake system indicator
is off

Disc Brake
F3DM is equipped with disc brakes.

Brake pad wear limit Indicators

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The brake pad wear limit indicators on
your front disc brakes gives a warning
noise when the brake pads are worn to
where replacement is required
If you hear alarm sound or friction
n o i s e i n d r i v i n g , y o u s h o u l d
immediately contact BYD authorized
service provider for check and replace
pads.
Do not continue driving your car when
there is alarm sound.

Precautions on Luggage

Loading

When carrying luggage or goods by
the car, follow the instructions below:
●It is recommended to load the
luggage or goods in the Luggage
storage box. Make sure all the items
are fastened in proper place.
● Keep proper weight balance across
the car. It is recommended to place

heavy articles in the front part to keep
weight balance.
● Do not load unnecessary items to
save fuel.
● Please do not place any inflammable,
explosive or corrosive articles in the
car.
● Please keep the luggage storage box
clean and dry.
● Please keep the luggage storage
box closed and locked while driving to
reduce the chance of injury when there
is an accident or a sudden stop.

Suspension and Chassis

NOTICE

Do not modify the suspension/
chassis with lift kits, partition panels,
springs, etc. It can damage the
maneuvering performance resulting
in out of control.

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Chapter 3

—————————————————————————————

Starting and Driving

Before Starting the DM system . . . . . . … 136
Safety Check Before Driving . . . . . . . 138
Driving Tips in Various Conditions . . . . . . 140
Driving Tips in Winter . . . . . . . . . 141
TowTrailer . . . . . . . . . . . 142
How to Save Fuel & Electrical Energy and
Extend Auto Service Life . . . . . . . . .143

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Before Starting the DM

System

1.Check if the car is in charging, if so,
turn off the power, take off the charging
cable and keep it properly.
2.Make sure all windows mirrors
,and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed .
3.Check the area around the vehicle
before entering it, such as snows,
puddle, space and barrier.
4.Visually check the tires. If a tire looks
low, use a gauge to check its pressure.
5.Adjust seat position and height,
seatback angle, waist-holding angle,
head restraint height and steering
wheel angle.
6.Check the steering wheel adjustment.
(see section 1-3 “Steering Wheel”).
7.Lock up all doors.
8.Fasten seat belts.

How to Start the Car
Please follow the procedures below:
Step 1: Lift the anti-theft system.
Once you set the anti-theft system
by pressing “LOCK” on the wireless
remote control, you must press
“UNLOCK” to cancel it before driving,
or you cannot start the car.
Step 2: Turn the ignition switch to
“ON” to start the car, and then the
instruments will check automatically.
Before starting the car, make sure the
transaxle is in “P” or “N”position.
Step 3: Check if there is any warning
information on instruments display, If
yes, please carry out car examination
refer to section 1-5.
Step 4: Adjust the inside and outside
rear-view mirrors of the car.
Step 5: Make sure all doors had been
lock up and seat belts were fasten.

Step6: Depress the brake pedal and
shift the transaxle to D or R position.
And make sure the instruments display
D or R position.
Step 7: Release the parking brake.
Step 8: Release the brake pedal
gradually, and rest your foot on
accelerator pedal lightly to accelerate
the vehicle.

NOTICE

Make sure procedure in “Before
S t a r t i n g t h e D M S y s t e m ” i s
performed before starting the DM
system

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WARNING

If the Dual Mode transaxle is in R or
D, the “OK” light can’t be lightened
and the Dual Mode can’t work. so
make sure the transaxle is in “P”
or“N” before turning the ignition
switch to “ON”.

WARNING

When starting the car on downhill
slope, to avoid the vehicle creeping,
please following the procedures
below after performing step 6 :
1.Depress the accelerator pedal
lightly;
2. Release the parking brake.

If the Car Cannot Start
Refer to “If the Car Cannot Start” in
Chapter 4.

If the Car Is Overheated
Refer to “If the Car Is Overheated” in
Chapter 4.

WARNING

y

Do not start the DM system from

outside, or an accident may
occur.

y

Be sure to sit on the driver seat,

and fasten seat belts, then start
the system when driving.

WARNING

y

If the system determines that the

engine should be started, but it
does not start normally within 20
seconds, the system will perform
automatic protection and start
the engine again on its own; if
the engine can not work normally
after the third start-up, please
contact BYD authorized dealer
for repair.

NOTICE

When driving on damp road, it is
necessary to avoid driving through
ponding road, as if a large amount
of water enters the front engine
compartment, the engine and/or
electrical parts may be damaged.

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Safety Check Before Driving

Before driving, you had better conduct
a safety check for the car. Several
minutes’ check can make for safety
driving and allow you to enjoy driving.
If you are unfamiliar with car system,
you can ask BYD authorized dealer to
check your car.

NOTICE

If you make safety check in a closed
garage, make sure the garage has
good ventilation.

Please pay attention to precautions
below:

Vehicle Exterior Conditions
Tire: check if the tire pressure is normal
and if the tire has any cut, damage or
excessive wear.
Wheel Nuts: make sure there is no
loose or missing nut.
Leakage: check if there is fuel oil,
engine oil, antifreeze or other fluid
leakage under the car after parking.
(water dropping generated by air
conditioner is normal).
Lighting: make sure all the headlights,
width-indicator lights, turn signal lights
and other lights work normally.

Vehicle Interior Conditions
Spare tire, jack and wheel nut wrench:
check tire pressure and make sure the
jack and wrench is in place.
Seat belt: check whether the buckle
can fasten seat belt firmly. Make sure

seat belt has no wear or scratching.
Instruments and Controllers: take
special care to make sure service
reminder indicator, instrument lighting l
and defroster work normally.
Brake: make sure the pedal has
enough free space.

Inside Front Engine Compartment
Spare Fuse: make sure all types of
fuses in correspondence with the
specifications of the original rating
charge ones are available.
Antifreeze level: make sure the
antifreeze level is between the
maximum and minimum scale marks in
the reservoir.
Brake Fluid Level: make sure the brake
fluid level is between the maximum and
minimum scale marks in the reservoir.
Clutch Fluid Level: make sure the fluid
level is between the maximum and

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minimum scale marks in the reservoir.
Auxiliary Battery and Cables: all units
of the auxiliary battery shall be added
with the distilled water to the right level.
Check whether there are corroded
or loose terminals, and whether the
battery box has cracks. Check whether
cables and connection are proper.
Other Cables: check whether there
are damaged, loose or disconnected
cables.
Fuel Pipe: check whether there is
leakage or bad connection in fuel pipe.

WARNING

y

Do not pile up children’s toys in

the car, which may post potential
danger, especially in hard braking
and collisions, in which case,
these toys may cause personal
injury.

y

P l e a s e c h e c k y o u r c a r i n

ventilated place when the engine
is running ,or the engine exhaust
may cause serious injury.

y

Avoid burning from hot parts, let

the engine and exhaust system
cool down before touching any
parts.

y

Avoid injury from moving parts.

Do not run the engine unless
instructed to do so.

After Starting Engine (HEV Mode)
Exhaust System: listen to the sound to
check whether there is any leakage. If
any leakage, you shall have it repaired
immediately. (Refer to “Engine Exhaust
Warning” in Chapter 2.)
Engine Oil Level: shut down the engine
and stop the car on flat ground, then
check oil level with a dipstick. (Refer
to description in Section 7-2.)

In Driving
Instruments: make sure the indicators
and speedometer work normally.
Brake: under safe traffic conditions,
make sure braking does not result in
deviation of the car.
Other Abnormalities: check whether
t h e r e i s a n y l e a k a g e o r l o o s e
connection, abnormal noises and
other abnormalities.

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Driving Tips In Various

Conditions

● Driving slowly in gusty crosswinds,
which is helpful for better control.
● Driving the car slowly onto curbs at a
right angle.. Avoid driving onto any high
sharp-objects and other road hazards.
Otherwise the tires may suffer severe
damage such as burst.
●Slow down vehicle speed on bumpy
or rugged roads. Otherwise the impact
could cause severe damage to the
tires and/or wheels.
●Washing the car or driving through
deep water may get brakes wet To
see whether they are wet, check that
there is no traffic near you and press
the brake pedal lightly. If you do not
feel a normal braking force, the brakes
are probably wet. To dry the brakes,
slightly step on the braking pedal while
driving the car carefully with parking

brake applied. If they stilldo not work
safely, pull to the side of the road and
call your BYD authorized dealer for
assistance.

WARNING

y

Make sure that parking brake is

released fully and the parking
brake indicator is off before
driving.

y

There is a high voltage battery

pack at chassis ,please drive
with caution when wading.

y

Do not rest your foot on brake

pedal while driving, It can cause
dangerous overheating, needless
wear and poor fuel economy.

y

When driving down a long or

steep hill at high speed, you can
switch to HEV mode and brake
with the motor braking.

y

Please note that the brake will

be overheated and function
abnormally if you steps on the
brake pedal too frequently.

y

Be sure to operate the shift gear

after the vehicle stops steadily.
And to avoid accident, never put
your foot on the accelerator pedal
while shifting.

y

In slippery road require special

caution , Sudden acceleration or
emergency braking could cause
the vehicle to spin or skid.

y

When the brake is wet, do not

continue driving, as wet brake
requires a longer braking distance
and may cause deviation of the
direction of the car. Also, in this
case parking brake can not hold
the vehicle securely.

!

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y

Be sure to put the DM transaxle in

“P”, apply parking brake, shut off
the DM system and remove the
ignition key when you leave your
car . Or the vehicle will creep and
start abruptly with the accelerator
p e d a l b e i n g d e p r e s s e d b y
mistake. This may cause rapid
acceleration, and lead to death or
serious injury.

Driving Tips in Winter

Make sure you have a proper freeze
protection for engine coolant.
You are required to use the antifreeze
specified by BYD and select the
proper model according to the ambient
temperature.
Improper use of antifreeze may
damage the system components
needed to be cooled, such as engine

and electric motor power.

NOTICE

Do not use plain water, which may
damage the system components
needed to be cooled, such as
engine and electric motor power.

Checking the Auxiliary Battery
Cold temperatures may reduce the
capacity of the auxiliary battery and
power battery, so it must be in top
shape to provide enough power for
winter starting. Visually check the
auxiliary battery is described in section
7-3. BYD authorized dealer can check
charging level of the auxiliary battery
and power battery for you.

Make sure viscosity of the engine oil is
suitable for the cold weather.
Please refer to section 7-2 for information
on recommended viscosity of engine
oil. Leaving a large volume of summer
oil in the engine in winter, may cause
harder starting. If you are not sure about
which oil to use, please contact BYD
authorized dealer for help.

Avoid Door Lock Freezing
Spray some deicing agent or glycerin
into the door lock hole to prevent the
lock from freezing

U s e a w a s h e r f l u i d c o n t a i n i n g
antifreeze solution.
Such products are available in BYD
authorized dealers and all auto part
stores. Follow the manufacturer’s
direction for how much to mix with
water

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NOTICE

Don’t use engine antifreeze or
other substitutes as washing
liquid, because it may damage the
vehicle’s paint.

In case the parking brake may be
frozen, you’d better not drive your car
immediately until the parking brake
gets unfrozen.
When parking, push the “P” position
switch and block the rear wheels or the
wheels which may lead to sliding of
the car. Do not use the parking brake,
for snow or water accumulated in and
around the parking brake mechanism
may freeze, making it hard to release..
Prevent ice and snow from
accumulating under the fenders.
Ice and snow built up under your

fenders can make steering difficult.
During extreme winter driving, stop and
check under the fenders occasionally.
Depending on where you are driving,
we recommend you carry some
emergency equipment.
Some of the things you might put in
the vehicle are tire chains, window
scraper, bag of sand or salt, flares,
small shovel, jumper cables, etc.

WARNING

Be careful when running on a
slippery surface,because it may
cause your stopping distance
become longer and abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle spin or
skid. Therefore, it’s necessary to
avoid speeding up, emergency
braking and the high-speed while
driving in this condition.

Tow Trailer

BYD F3DM is designed for
transportation of passengers. Towing a
trailer may pose bad effect to operation,
performance, braking, endurance and
fuel economy (fuel consumption) of
the car. Safety and comfort in driving
depends on the proper use of device
and driver’s good habit in careful
driving. For your and others’ safety, do
not over load the car or tow a trailer.
Damage or failure caused by towing
a trailer for business purpose is not
covered by BYD warranty.

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WARNNING

y

In towing a trailer, do not exceed

the maximum rated load of the
hook, or it may cause accident
and severe personal injury.

y

As towing a trailer may require a

longer braking distance, you shall
maintain a safe distance with
other vehicles. At the speed of 10
km/h, the interval between your
car and the vehicle in front of you
shall be no less than the total
length of your car and the trailer.
Avoid hard braking to prevent the
car from skidding, which may get
the car out of control.

Tire
●Make sure the tire pressure is proper.
Refer to description in section 7-2.

Maintenance
●For a new auto or an auto with new
driving system parts (engine, electric
motor power, transmission, differential
mechanism, wheel bearing, driving
shaft, etc.), do not tow any trailer in the
first 2000 km travel.
●When towing a trailer, the increased
load requires more frequent
maintenance of the car.

How to Save Fuel & Electrical

Energy and Extend Auto

Service Life

Improving fuel and electrical energy
is easy –just take it easy .It will make
your vehicle last longer too. Here are
some specific tips on how to save
money on fuel and electrical energy as
well as repairs

●Keep your tires inflate at the correct
pressure. Improper inflation pressure
cause tire wear and wastes fuel and
electrical energy. Refer to description
in section 7-2.
● Do not carry unneeded weight in
your vehicle. Excess weight put a
heavier load on the engine, causing
greater fuel consumption.
●Accelerate slowly and smoothly.
Avoid rapid acceleration when starting
the vehicle.
●Avoid unnecessary stopping or
braking. Maintain a steady pace. Drive
according to the indication of traffic
signaling lights or drive on the road
free from traffic signaling lights. Keep
proper distance from other vehicles. It
will also reduce wear on your brakes..
●Avoid heavy traffic or traffic jams
whenever possible.
●Maintain a moderate speed on

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highways. The faster you drive, the
greater fuel consumption. By reducing
your speed, you can cut down on fuel
consumption.
●Keep the Front Wheels in Proper
Alignment. Improper alignment not
only cause faster tire wear, but also put
extra load on the engine, which in turn
waste fuel.
●To increase driving comfort and
safety, avoid hitting the curbstone and
slow down on rough roads.
●Keep the chassis clean and free of
mud etc. It helps lessen the vehicle
weight and prevent corrosion.
●Adjust and Keep Vehicle at Best
Performance. A dirty air cleaner,
improper valve clearance, dirty
plugs, dirty oil and grease, brakes
not adjusted etc. all lower engine
performance contribute to poor fuel
economy. For longer life of all parts

and lower operation costs, keep
all maintenance work on schedule,
and if you often drive under severe
conditions, see that your vehicle
receives more frequent maintenance.
(Refer to Chapter 6)

WARNING

If you do not use the vehicle for a
long time (2 weeks or more), the
power battery and auxiliary battery
will discharge and their power will
decrease. Therefore, in order to
make up for the discharging, you
can take either of the following
methods to charge the batteries
once every two weeks:
1.using charge device
2. Starting the DM system for
about 30 minutes with all electrical
components turned off.

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