3-15 INSTRUMENT PANEL
85Z03-03E
Air Conditioning
If your vehicle has air conditioning, follow
these steps to use the system. Start the
engine and set the fan control knob to the
desired speed. The air conditioning com-
pressor does not operate when the fan
control knob is in the off position. Press the
air conditioning button to turn the air condi-
tioning system on. When this button is
pressed, the indicator light on the button
will come on to let you know the air condi-
tioning is activated.
To turn off the air conditioning, press the
button again. The indicator button will then
turn off to let you know that the air condi-
tioning is deactivated.
On hot days, open the windows to let hot
inside air escape; then close them. This
helps to reduce the time it takes for yourvehicle to cool down. It also helps the sys-
tem to operate more efficiently.
For quick cool down on hot days, do the
following:
1) Press the recirculation button.
2) Press the A/C button.
3) Select the coolest temperature on the
temperature control knob.
4) Select the highest fan speed on the fan
control knob.
Using these settings together for long peri-
ods of time may cause the air inside of
your vehicle to become too dry. To prevent
this from happening, after the air in your
vehicle has cooled, turn off the recircula-
tion mode by pressing the button again.
The air-conditioning system removes mois-
ture from the air, so you may sometimes
notice a small amount of water dripping
underneath your vehicle while idling or
after turning off the engine. This is normal.Defogging and Defrosting
Fog on the inside of windows is a result of
high humidity (moisture) condensing on
the cool window glass. This can be mini-
mized if the climate control system is used
properly. There are two modes to clear fog
or frost from your windshield and side win-
dows. Use the defog mode to clear the
windows of fog or moisture and warm the
passengers. Use the defrost mode to
remove fog or frost from the windshield
more quickly. For best results, clear all
snow and ice from the windshield before
defrosting. Turn the air distribution knob to
select the defog or defrost mode.
N4U3029AN4U3029A
Climate Controls:
3-16 INSTRUMENT PANEL
85Z03-03E
(Defog):
This mode directs air to the windshield,
side window outlets and floor outlets.
When you select this mode, the system
runs the air-conditioning compressor. To
defog the windows faster, turn the temper-
ature control knob clockwise to the warm-
est setting. (Defrost):
This mode directs most of the air to the
windshield, with some air directed to the
side window outlets. When you select this
mode, the system runs the air-conditioning
compressor. To defrost the windows faster,
turn the temperature control knob clock-
wise to the warmest setting.
Rear Window and Outside Rearview
Mirror DefoggerYour vehicle may have a rear window and
outside mirror defogger.
The rear window defogger uses a warming
grid to remove fog or frost from the rear
window. This feature will only work when
the ignition is in ON.
(Rear):
Press the button to turn the rear window
and outside mirror defogger on or off. The
defogger will turn off approximately 10 min-
utes after the button is pressed. Be sure to
clear as much snow from the rear window
as possible. An indicator light on the button
will come on to let you know that the fea-
ture is activated.
N4U3030B
N4U3032B
N4U3032AN4U3032A
Climate Controls:
3-17 INSTRUMENT PANEL
85Z03-03E
Outlet AdjustmentUse the lever located in the center of each
outlet to change the direction of the airflow.
Use the thumbwheel located next to the
outlets to turn them on and off.
Operation Tips
Clear away any ice, snow or leaves from
the air inlets at the base of the vehicle
that may block the flow of air into your
vehicle.
Use of non-SUZUKI approved hood
deflectors may adversely affect the per-
formance of the system.
Keep the path under the front seats clear
of objects to help circulate the air inside
of your vehicle more effectively.
Passenger Compartment Air FilterYour vehicle may be equipped with a pas-
senger compartment air filter. It is located
on the passenger side under the glove box.
The filter traps most of the pollen from air
entering the module. Like your engine’s air
cleaner/filter, it may need to be changed
periodically.
To change the passenger compartment air
filter, use the following steps:
1) Remove the four screws from the filter
cover located below the glove box.
2) Remove the filter cover.
CAUTION
Don’t use anything sharp on the
inside of the rear window. If you do,
you could cut or damage the warm-
ing grid, and the repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Do not
attach a temporary vehicle license,
tape, a decal or anything similar to
the defogger grid.
N4U3033B
(Sedan) (Wagon)
Climate Controls:
4-11 DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
85Z03-03E
time and energy. See the next part,
“Freeway Driving.”
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A
traffic light is there because the corner is
busy enough to need it. When a light
turns green, and just before you start to
move, check both ways for vehicles that
have not cleared the intersection or may
be running the red light.Freeway DrivingMile for mile, freeways (also called thru-
ways, parkways, expressways, turnpikes or
superhighways) are the safest of all roads.
But they have their own special rules.
The most important advice on freeway
driving is: Keep up with traffic and keep to
the right. Drive at the same speed most of
the other drivers are driving. Too-fast or
too-slow driving breaks a smooth trafficflow. Treat the left lane on a freeway as a
passing lane.
At the entrance, there is usually a ramp
that leads to the freeway. If you have a
clear view of the freeway as you drive
along the entrance ramp, you should begin
to check traffic. Try to determine where you
expect to blend with the flow. Try to merge
into the gap at close to the prevailing
speed. Switch on your turn signal, check
your mirrors and glance over your shoulder
as often as necessary. Try to blend
smoothly with the traffic flow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your
speed to the posted limit or to the prevail-
ing rate if it’s slower. Stay in the right lane
unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors.
Then use your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance
quickly over your shoulder to make sure
there isn’t another vehicle in your “blind”
spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway,
make certain you allow a reasonable fol-
lowing distance.
Expect to move slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move
to the proper lane well in advance. If you
miss your exit, do not, under any circum-
stances, stop and back up. Drive on to the
next exit.The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes
quite sharply. The exit speed is usually
posted. Reduce your speed according to
your speedometer, not to your sense of
motion. After driving for any distance at
higher speeds, you may tend to think you
are going slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long TripMake sure you’re ready. Try to be well
rested. If you must start when you’re not
fresh – such as after a day’s work – don’t
plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing
and shoes you can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you
keep it serviced and maintained, it’s ready
to go. If it needs service, have it done
before starting out. Of course, you’ll find
experienced and able service experts in
SUZUKI dealerships all across North
America. They’ll be ready and willing to
help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check
before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reser-
voir full? Are all windows clean inside
and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you
checked all levels?
Lamps: Are they all working? Are the
lenses clean?
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle:
4-14 DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
85Z03-03E
cle’s stability when you make a hard stop
on a slippery road.) Whether you have an
anti-lock braking system or not, you’ll want
to begin stopping sooner than you would
on dry pavement. Without anti-lock brakes,
if you feel your vehicle begin to slide, let up
on the brakes a little. Push the brake pedal
down steadily to get the most traction you
can.
Remember, unless you have anti-lock, if
you brake so hard that your wheels stop
rolling, you’ll just slide. Brake so your
wheels always keep rolling and you can
still steer.
Whatever your braking system, allow
greater following distance on any slip-
pery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might
be fine until you hit a spot that’s covered
with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice
patches may appear in shaded areas
where the sun can’t reach: around
clumps of trees, behind buildings or
under bridges. Sometimes the surface of
a curve or an overpass may remain icy
when the surrounding roads are clear. If
you see a patch of ice ahead of you,
brake before you are on it. Try not to
brake while you’re actually on the ice,
and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you
could be in a serious situation. You should
probably stay with your vehicle unless you
know for sure that you are near help and
you can hike through the snow. Here are
some things to do to summon help and
keep yourself and your passengers safe:
Turn on your hazard flashers.
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert
police that you’ve been stopped by the
snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket
around you. If you have no blankets or
extra clothing, make body insulators
from newspapers, burlap bags, rags,
floor mats – anything you can wrap
around yourself or tuck under your cloth-
ing to keep warm.You can run the engine to keep warm, but
be careful.
WARNING
Snow can trap exhaust gases under
your vehicle. This can cause deadly
CO (carbon monoxide) gas to get
inside. CO could overcome you and
kill you. You can’t see it or smell it, so
you might not know it is in your vehi-
cle. Clear away snow from around the
base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe.
And check around again from time to
time to be sure snow doesn’t collect
there.
Open a window just a little on the
side of the vehicle that’s away from
the wind. This will help keep CO out.
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle:
4-15 DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
85Z03-03E
Run your engine only as long as you must.
This saves fuel. When you run the engine,
make it go a little faster than just idle. That
is, push the accelerator slightly. This uses
less fuel for the heat that you get and it
keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle,
and possibly for signaling later on with your
headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the
window almost all the way to preserve the
heat. Start the engine again and repeat
this only when you feel really uncomfort-
able from the cold. But do it as little as pos-
sible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can.
To help keep warm, you can get out of the
vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exer-
cises every half hour or so until help
comes.
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or
Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is
stuck, you will need to spin the wheels, but
you don’t want to spin your wheels too fast.
The method known as “rocking” can help
you get out when you’re stuck, but you
must use caution.For information about using tire chains on
your vehicle, see “Tire Chains” in section 5.Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and
right. That will clear the area around your
front wheels. Then shift back and forth
between REVERSE (R) and a forward
gear (or with a manual transmission,
between FIRST (1) or SECOND (2) and
REVERSE (R)), spinning the wheels as lit-
tle as possible. Release the accelerator
pedal while you shift, and press lightly on
the accelerator pedal when the transmis-
sion is in gear. By slowly spinning your
wheels in the forward and reverse direc-
tions, you will cause a rocking motion that
may free your vehicle. If that doesn’t get
you out after a few tries, you may need to
be towed out. If you do need to be towed
out, see “Towing Your Vehicle” in the fol-
lowing section.
WARNING
If you let your tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you or
others could be injured. And, the
transmission or other parts of the
vehicle can overheat. That could
cause an engine compartment fire or
other damage. When you’re stuck,
spin the wheels as little as possible.
Don’t spin the wheels above 35 mph
(55 km/h) as shown on the speedom-
eter.
CAUTION
Spinning your wheels can destroy
parts of your vehicle as well as the
tires. If you spin the wheels too fast
while shifting your transmission back
and forth, you can destroy your trans-
mission. See “Rocking Your Vehicle
To Get It Out.”
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle:
5-14 SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
85Z03-03E
When replacing the pressure cap, make
sure it is hand-tight.Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap
Engine OverheatingYou will find a coolant temperature gauge
on your vehicle’s instrument panel. See
“Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge” in
section 3.If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If No Steam Is Coming From Your
Engine
If you get an engine overheat warning, but
see or hear no steam, the problem may not
be too serious. Sometimes the engine can
get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
If you get the overheat warning with no
sign of steam, try this for a minute or so:
1) In heavy traffic, let the engine idle in
NEUTRAL while stopped. If it is safe to
do so, pull off the road, shift to PARK
(P) or NEUTRAL and let the engine
idle.
2) Turn on your heater to full hot at the
highest fan speed and open the window
as necessary.
If you no longer have the overheat warn-
ing, you can drive. Just to be safe, drive
slower for about 10 minutes. If the warning
doesn’t come back on, you can drive nor-
mally.
CAUTION
Your coolant surge tank cap is a
pressure-type cap and must be
tightly installed to prevent coolant
loss and possible engine damage
from overheating. See “Capacities
and Specifications” for more informa-
tion.
WARNING
Steam from an overheated engine
can burn you badly, even if you just
open the hood. Stay away from the
engine if you see or hear steam com-
ing from it. Just turn it off and get
everyone away from the vehicle until
it cools down. Wait until there is no
sign of steam or coolant before you
open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine
is overheated, the liquids in it can
catch fire. You or others could be
badly burned. Stop your engine if it
overheats, and get out of the vehicle
until the engine is cool.
CAUTION
If your engine catches fire because
you keep driving with no coolant,
your vehicle can be badly damaged.
The costly repairs would not be cov-
ered by your warranty.
Checking Things Under the Hood:
5-31 SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
85Z03-03E
Glossary of Tire TerminologyAir Pressure:
The amount of air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch of the tire. Air
pressure is expressed in pounds per
square inch (psi) or kilopascal (kPa).
Accessory Weight:
This means the combined weight of
optional accessories. Some examples of
optional accessories are automatic trans-
mission, power steering, power brakes,
power windows, power seats, and air con-
ditioning.
Aspect Ratio:
The relationship of a tire’s height to its
width.
Belt:
A rubber coated layer of cords that is
located between the plies and the tread.
Cords may be made from steel or other
reinforcing materials.
Bead:
The tire bead contains steel wires wrapped
by steel cords that hold the tire onto the
rim.
Bias Ply Tire:
A pneumatic tire in which the plies are laid
at alternate angles less than 90 degrees to
the centerline of the tread.Cold Inflation Pressure:
The amount of air pressure in a tire, mea-
sured in pounds per square inch (psi)
before a tire has built up heat from driving.
Curb Weight:
This means the weight of a motor vehicle
with standard and optional equipment
including the maximum capacity of fuel, oil
and coolant, but without passengers and
cargo.
DOT Markings:
A code molded into the sidewall of a tire
signifying that the tire is in compliance with
the U.S. Department of Transportation
motor vehicle safety standards. The DOT
code includes the Tire Identification Num-
ber (TIN), an alphanumeric designator
which can also identify the tire manufac-
turer, production plant, brand and date of
production.
GVWR:
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
This is the maximum permissible overall
weight of the fully loaded vehicle (including
all occupants, accessories and cargo).
GAWR:
Gross Axle Weight Rating.
This is the maximum permissible weight on
an individual axle.
Intended Outboard Sidewall:
The side of an asymmetrical tire that must
always face outward when mounted on a
vehicle.Kilopascal (kPa):
The metric unit for air pressure. There are
6.9 kPa’s to one psi.
Light Truck (LT-Metric) Tire:
A tire used on light duty trucks and some
multipurpose passenger vehicles.
Load Index:
An assigned number ranging from 1 to 279
that corresponds to the load carrying
capacity of a tire.
Maximum Inflation Pressure:
The maximum air pressure to which a cold
tire may be inflated. The maximum air
pressure is molded onto the sidewall.
Maximum Load Rating:
The load rating for a tire at the maximum
permissible inflation pressure for that tire.
Maximum Loaded Vehicle Weight:
The sum of curb weight; accessory weight;
vehicle capacity weight; and production
options weight.
Normal Occupant Weight:
The number of occupants a vehicle is
designed to seat multiplied by 150 pounds
(68 kg).
Occupant Distribution:
Distribution of occupants in a vehicle as
specified in the third column of Table 1
(shown below).
Outward Facing Sidewall:
The side of a asymmetrical tire that has a
particular side that faces outward when
Tires: