2007 SUZUKI FORENZA warning

3-28 INSTRUMENT PANEL
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See “Tire pressure Monitoring System” in
Section 5 for more information.
Audio SystemPrecautions When the inside of the car is very cold
and the player is used soon after switch-
ing on the heater, moisture may form on
the disc or the optical parts of the player
and proper playback may not be possi-
ble. If moisture forms on the disc, wipe it
off with a soft cloth. If moisture forms on
the optical parts of the player, do not use
the player for about one hour, this will
allow the condensation to disappear nor-
mally.
 Driving on extremely bumpy roads which
cause severe vibrations may cause
sound to skip.
 This unit uses a precision mechanism.
Even in the event that trouble arises,
never open the case, disassemble the
unit, or lubricate the rotating parts.
Please bring the unit to an authorized
SUZUKI dealer.
WARNING
If the tire pressure warning light does
not come on when the ignition is
turned to the “ON” position, or
comes on and blinks for approxi-
mately one minute and then illumi-
nate continuously, while driving there
may be a problem with the tire pres-
sure monitoring system. Have your
vehicle inspected by an authorized
dealer.
WARNING
If the tire pressure warning light
comes on and stays on, reduce your
speed and avoid abrupt steering and
braking. Stop in a safe place as soon
as possible and check your tires.
 If you have a flat tire, replace it with
a spare tire. Refer to “Changing a
Flat Tire” in section 5.
 If one or more of your tires is
under-inflated, adjust the inflation
pressure in all of your tires to the
recommended inflation pressure as
soon as possible.
Be aware that driving on a signifi-
cantly under-inflated tire can cause
the tire to overheat and can lead to
tire failure, and may affect steering
control and brake effectiveness. This
could lead to an accident, resulting in
severe injury or death.
Audio System:

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It’s the amount of alcohol that counts. For
example, if the same person drank three
double martinis (3 ounces or 90 ml of
liquor each) within an hour, the person’s
BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A per-
son who consumes food just before or dur-
ing drinking will have a somewhat lower
BAC level.
There is a gender difference, too. Women
generally have a lower relative percentage
of body water than men. Since alcohol is
carried in body water, this means that a
woman generally will reach a higher BAC
level than a man of her same body weight
will when each has the same number of
drinks.
The law in an increasing number of U.S.
states, and throughout Canada, sets the
legal limit at 0.08 percent. In some other
countries, the limit is even lower. For exam-ple, it is 0.05 percent in both France and
Germany. The BAC limit for all commercial
drivers in the United States is 0.04 percent.
The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after
three to six drinks (in one hour). Of course,
as we’ve seen, it depends on how much
alcohol is in the drinks, and how quickly the
person drinks them.
But the ability to drive is affected well
below a BAC of 0.10 percent. Research
shows that the driving skills of many peo-
ple are impaired at a BAC approaching
0.05 percent, and that the effects are
worse at night. All drivers are impaired at
BAC levels above 0.05 percent. Statistics
show that the chance of being in a collision
increases sharply for drivers who have a
BAC of 0.05 percent or above. A driver with
a BAC level of 0.06 percent has doubled
his or her chance of having a collision. At a
BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance of
this driver having a collision is 12 times
greater; at a level of 0.15 percent, the
chance is 25 times greater!
The body takes about an hour to rid itself
of the alcohol in one drink. No amount of
coffee or number of cold showers will
speed that up. “I’ll be careful” isn’t the right
answer. What if there’s an emergency, a
need to take sudden action, as when a
child darts into the street? A person with
even a moderate BAC might not be able to
react quickly enough to avoid the collision.There’s something else about drinking and
driving that many people don’t know. Medi-
cal research shows that alcohol in a per-
son’s system can make crash injuries
worse, especially injuries to the brain, spi-
nal cord or heart. This means that when
anyone who has been drinking – driver or
passenger – is in a crash, that person’s
chance of being killed or permanently dis-
abled is higher than if the person had not
been drinking.
Control of a VehicleYou have three systems that make your
vehicle go where you want it to go. They
are the brakes, the steering and the accel-
erator. All three systems have to do their
work at the places where the tires meet the
road.
WARNING
Drinking and then driving is very dan-
gerous. Your reflexes, perceptions,
attentiveness and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount of
alcohol. You can have a serious – or
even fatal – collision if you drive after
drinking. Please don’t drink and drive
or ride with a driver who has been
drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if
you’re with a group, designate a
driver who will not drink.
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Sometimes, as when you’re driving on
snow or ice, it’s easy to ask more of those
control systems than the tires and road
can provide. That means you can lose con-
trol of your vehicle.BrakingBraking action involves perception time
and reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the
brake pedal. That’s perception time. Then
you have to bring up your foot and do it.
That’s reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a
second. But that’s only an average. It might
be less with one driver and as long as two
or three seconds or more with another.
Age, physical condition, alertness, coordi-
nation and eyesight all play a part. So do
alcohol, drugs and frustration. But even in3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving at 60
mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emer-
gency, so keeping enough space between
your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances
vary greatly with the surface of the road
(whether it’s pavement or gravel) the condi-
tion of the road (wet, dry, icy) tire tread the
condition of your brakes the weight of the
vehicle and the amount of brake force
applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some peo-
ple drive in spurts – heavy acceleration fol-
lowed by heavy braking – rather than
keeping pace with traffic. This is a mistake.
Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear
out much faster if you do a lot of heavy
braking. If you keep pace with the traffic
and allow realistic following distances, you
will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer
brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driv-
ing, brake normally but don’t pump your
brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder
to push down. If your engine stops, you will
still have some power brake assist. But you
will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop
and the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
(if equipped)ABS is an advanced electronic braking
system that will help prevent a braking
skid.
When you start your engine and begin to
drive away, your anti-lock brake system will
check itself. You may hear a momentary
motor or clicking noise while this test is
going on, and you may even notice that
your brake pedal moves a little. This is nor-
mal.
If there’s a problem with the anti-lock brake
system, this warning light will stay on. See
“Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light” in
section 3.
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SteeringPower Steering
If you lose power steering assist because
the engine stops or the system is not func-
tioning, you can steer but it will take much
more effort.
Speed Sensitive Power Steering
System
This system continuously adjusts the effort
you feel when steering at all vehicle
speeds. It provides ease when parking, yet
a firm, solid feel at highway speeds.
If your vehicle has this system, it varies the
amount of effort required to steer the vehi-
cle in relation to the speed of the vehicle.
The amount of steering effort required is
less at slower speeds to make the vehicle
more maneuverable and easier to park. At
faster speeds, the steering effort increases
to provide a sport-like feel to the steering.
This provides maximum control and stabil-
ity.
This warning light will stay on, or come on
while you are driving, if there’s a problem
with the SSPS system.When this warning light is on, your vehicle
will seem harder to steer than normal
when parking or driving slowly. You will still
have power steering, but steering will be
stiffer than normal at slow speeds. See
your SUZUKI dealer for service.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reason-
able speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents
mentioned on the news happen on curves.
Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us
is subject to the same laws of physics
when driving on curves. The traction of the
tires against the road surface makes it pos-
sible for the vehicle to change its path
when you turn the front wheels. If there’s
no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle
going in the same direction. If you’ve ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll
understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve
depends on the condition of your tires and
the road surface, the angle at which the
curve is banked, and your speed. While
you’re in a curve, speed is the one factor
you can control.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp
curve. Then you suddenly apply the
brakes. Both control systems – steeringand braking – have to do their work where
the tires meet the road. Unless you have
four-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding the
hard braking can demand too much of
those places. You can lose control.
The same thing can happen if you’re steer-
ing through a sharp curve and you sud-
denly accelerate. Those two control
systems – steering and acceleration – can
overwhelm those places where the tires
meet the road and make you lose control.
What should you do if this ever happens?
Ease up on the brake or accelerator pedal,
steer the vehicle the way you want it to go,
and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that
you should adjust your speed. Of course,
the posted speeds are based on good
weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you’ll want to go
slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you
approach a curve, do it before you enter
the curve, while your front wheels are
straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive”
through the curve. Maintain a reasonable,
steady speed. Wait to accelerate until you
are out of the curve, and then accelerate
gently into the straightaway.
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steer the way you want the vehicle to go. If
you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be
ready for a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water,
snow, ice, gravel or other material is on the
road. For safety, you’ll want to slow down
and adjust your driving to these conditions.
It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be
longer and vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced
traction, try your best to avoid sudden
steering, acceleration or braking (including
engine braking by shifting to a lower gear).
Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is
slippery until your vehicle is skidding.
Learn to recognize warning clues – such
as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a “mirrored surface” –
and slow down when you have any doubt.
If you have the anti-lock braking system,
remember: It helps avoid only the braking
skid. If you do not have anti-lock, then in a
braking skid (where the wheels are no
longer rolling), release enough pressure
on the brakes to get the wheels rolling
again. This restores steering control. Push
the brake pedal down steadily when you
have to stop suddenly. As long as the
wheels are rolling, you will have steering
control.
Driving at NightNight driving is more dangerous than day
driving. One reason is that some drivers
are likely to be impaired – by alcohol or
drugs, with night vision problems, or by
fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
 Drive defensively.
 Don’t drink and drive.
 Adjust your inside rearview mirror to
reduce the glare from headlamps behind
you.
 Since you can’t see as well, you may
need to slow down and keep more space
between you and other vehicles.
 Slow down, especially on higher speed
roads. Your headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
 In remote areas, watch for animals. If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe
place and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the
daytime. But as we get older these differ-
ences increase. A 50-year-old driver may
require at least twice as much light to see
the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect
your night vision. For example, if you
spend the day in bright sunshine you are
wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting to night. But if
you’re driving, don’t wear sunglasses at
night. They may cut down on glare from
headlamps, but they also make a lot of
things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by
approaching headlamps. It can take a sec-
ond or two, or even several seconds, for
your eyes to readjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare (as from a
driver who doesn’t lower the high beams,
or a vehicle with misaimed headlamps),
slow down a little. Avoid staring directly
into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on
your vehicle clean – inside and out. Glare
at night is made much worse by dirt on the
glass. Even the inside of the glass can
build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass
makes lights dazzle and flash more than
clean glass would, making the pupils of
your eyes contract repeatedly.
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Remember that your headlamps light up
far less of a roadway when you are in a
turn or curve. Keep your eyes moving; that
way, it’s easier to pick out dimly lighted
objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim, so
should your eyes be examined regularly.
Some drivers suffer from night blindness –
the inability to see in dim light – and aren’t
even aware of it.Driving in Rain and on Wet RoadsRain and wet roads can mean driving trou-
ble. On a wet road, you can’t stop, acceler-
ate or turn as well because your tire-to-
road traction isn’t as good as on dry roads.
And, if your tires don’t have much tread
left, you’ll get even less traction. It’s always
wise to go slower and be cautious if rain
starts to fall while you are driving. The sur-
face may get wet suddenly when yourreflexes are tuned for driving on dry pave-
ment.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see.
Even if your windshield wiper blades are in
good shape, a heavy rain can make it
harder to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge of the road
and even people walking.
It’s wise to keep your windshield wiping
equipment in good shape and keep your
windshield washer tank filled with washer
fluid. Replace your windshield wiper
inserts when they show signs of streaking
or missing areas on the windshield, or
when strips of rubber start to separate
from the inserts.Driving too fast through large water pud-
dles or even going through some car
washes can cause problems, too. The
water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid
puddles. But if you can’t, try to slow down
before you hit them.
WARNING
Wet brakes can cause accidents.
They won’t work as well in a quick
stop and may cause pulling to one
side. You could lose control of the
vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle
of water or a car wash, apply your
brake pedal lightly until your brakes
work normally.
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Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much
water can build up under your tires that
they can actually ride on the water. This
can happen if the road is wet enough and
you’re going fast enough. When your vehi-
cle is hydroplaning, it has little or no con-
tact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it
can if your tires do not have much tread or
if the pressure in one or more is low. It can
happen if a lot of water is standing on the
road. If you can see reflections from trees,
telephone poles or other vehicles, and
raindrops “dimple” the water’s surface,
there could be the possibility of hydroplan-
ing.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher
speeds. There just isn’t a hard and fast rule
about hydroplaning. The best advice is to
slow down when it is raining.Driving Through Deep Standing Water
Driving Trough Flowing Water
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
 Besides slowing down, allow some extra
following distance. And be especially
careful when you pass another vehicle.Allow yourself more clear room ahead,
and be prepared to have your view
restricted by road spray.
 Have good tires with proper tread depth.
See “Tires” in section 5.
City DrivingOne of the biggest problems with city
streets is the amount of traffic on them.
You’ll want to watch out for what the other
drivers are doing and pay attention to traf-
fic signals.
Here are ways to increase your safety in
city driving:
 Know the best way to get to where you
are going. Get a city map and plan your
trip into an unknown part of the city just
as you would for a cross-country trip.
 Try to use the freeways that rim and
crisscross most large cities. You’ll save
CAUTION
If you drive too quickly through deep
puddles or standing water, water can
come in through your engine’s air
intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive through water
that is slightly lower than the under-
body of your vehicle. If you can’t
avoid deep puddles or standing
water, drive through them very
slowly.
WARNING
Flowing or rushing water creates
strong forces. If you try to drive
through flowing water, as you might
at a low water crossing, your vehicle
can be carried away. As little as six
inches of flowing water can carry
away a smaller vehicle. If this hap-
pens, you and other vehicle occu-
pants could drown. Don’t ignore
police warning signs, and otherwise
be very cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.
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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: