Vehicle Controls
This domain tests whether you understand what each control does and how to use it without damaging the vehicle or losing control. Most Nigerian test vehicles are manual, right-hand drive, so clutch and gear questions are common.
Cockpit drill and pedals
Before moving: check doors, adjust the seat, adjust the mirrors, fasten the seat belt. In a manual car the pedals from left to right are clutch, brake, accelerator. The clutch connects and disconnects engine power; find the biting point before releasing the handbrake on a hill. Hold the wheel at about ten-to-two or quarter-to-three and use push-pull steering.
Gears, braking and warning lights
Use the lowest gear that suits the speed. Select a lower gear before a descent so engine braking helps control speed; do not coast in neutral or with the clutch held down. On a long downhill, brake in short applications rather than riding the brakes. ABS prevents wheel lock and allows steering under hard braking, but it does not shorten stopping distance on gravel or wet roads. Know the dashboard warnings: oil pressure, battery charging, engine temperature, brake system, and tyre pressure.
Worked example
A driver descending a steep hill with a full load finds the brakes fading. Reasoning: continuous braking has overheated them. The correct response is to select a lower gear so the engine holds the vehicle back, use the brakes in firm separate applications, and find a safe place to stop and let them cool. Never pour water on hot brakes.
Traps
Riding the clutch or resting a foot on it. Coasting downhill in neutral to save fuel. Assuming ABS will always stop the car sooner. Ignoring an oil-pressure light because the engine still sounds normal.