2007 SUZUKI XL7 Owners Manual

5-17 SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
78J00-03E
BrakesBrake Fluid
809919
Your brake master cylinder reservoir is
filled with DOT-3 brake fluid. Refer to
“Engine Compartment Overview” in this
section for the location of the reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake
fluid level in the reservoir might go down.
The first is that the brake fluid goes down
to an acceptable level during normal brake
lining wear. When new linings are put in,
the fluid level goes back up. The other rea-
son is that fluid is leaking out of the brake
system. If it is, you should have your brake
system fixed, since a leak means that
sooner or later your brakes will not work
well, or will not work at all.
So, it is not a good idea to top off your
brake fluid. Adding brake fluid will not cor-rect a leak. If you add fluid when your lin-
ings are worn, then you will have too much
fluid when you get new brake linings. You
should add or remove brake fluid, as nec-
essary, only when work is done on the
brake hydraulic system.
When your brake fluid falls to a low level,
your brake warning light will come on.
Refer to “Brake System Warning Light” in
“Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators” in
the “Instrument Panel” section.
What to Add
When you do need brake fluid, use only
DOT-3 brake fluid. Use new brake fluid
from a sealed container only. Refer to
“Recommended Fluids and Lubricants” in
“Maintenance Schedule” in the “Mainte-
nance Schedule” section.
Always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap
and the area around the cap before remov-
ing it. This will help keep dirt from entering
the reservoir.
CAUTION
 When using concentrated washer
fluid, follow the manufacturer’s
instructions for adding water.
Do not mix water with ready-to-use
washer fluid. Water can cause the
solution to freeze and damage your
washer fluid tank and other parts of
the washer system. Also, water
does not clean as well as washer
fluid.
 Fill your washer fluid tank only
three-quarters full when it is very
cold. This allows for expansion if
freezing occurs, which could dam-
age the tank if it is completely full.
 Do not use engine coolant (anti-
freeze) in your windshield washer.
It can damage your washer system
and paint.
WARNING
If your vehicle has too much brake
fluid, it can spill on the engine. The
fluid will burn if the engine is hot
enough. You or others could be
burned, and your vehicle could be
damaged. Add brake fluid only when
work is done on the brake hydraulic
system.

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Brake Wear
Your vehicle has front and rear disc
brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indica-
tors that make a high-pitched warning
sound when the brake pads are worn and
new pads are needed. The sound maycome and go or be heard all the time your
vehicle is moving, except when you are
pushing on the brake pedal firmly.
Some driving conditions or climates may
cause a brake squeal when the brakes are
first applied or lightly applied. This does
not mean something is wrong with your
brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary
to help prevent brake pulsation. When tires
are rotated, inspect brake pads for wear
and evenly tighten wheel nuts in the proper
sequence to torque specifications.
Brake pads should always be replaced as
complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not
return to normal height, or if there is arapid increase in pedal travel. This could
be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you apply the brakes, with or
without the vehicle moving, your brakes
adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is com-
plex. Its many parts have to be of top qual-
ity and work well together if the vehicle is
to have really good braking. Your vehicle
was designed and tested with top-quality
brake parts. When you replace parts of
your braking system – for example, when
your brake pads wear down and you need
new ones put in – be sure you get new
approved replacement parts. If you do not,
your brakes may no longer work properly.
For example, if someone puts in brake
pads that are wrong for your vehicle, the
balance between your front and rear
brakes can change – for the worse. The
braking performance you have come to
expect can change in many other ways if
someone puts in the wrong replacement
brake parts.
BatteryYour vehicle has a maintenance free bat-
tery. When it is time for a new battery, get
one that has the replacement number
shown on the original battery’s label. We
recommend an ACDelco
® replacement
battery.
WARNING
With the wrong kind of fluid in the
brake system, the brakes may not
work well, or they may not even work
at all. This could cause a crash.
Always use the proper brake fluid.
CAUTION
 Using the wrong fluid can badly
damage brake system parts. For
example, just a few drops of min-
eral-based oil, such as engine oil,
in the brake system can damage
brake system parts so badly that
they will have to be replaced. Do
not let someone put in the wrong
kind of fluid.
 If you spill brake fluid on your vehi-
cle’s painted surfaces, the paint
finish can be damaged. Be careful
not to spill brake fluid on your vehi-
cle. If you do, wash it off immedi-
ately. Refer to “Washing Your
Vehicle” in this section.
WARNING
The brake wear warning sound
means that soon the brakes will not
work well. That could lead to an acci-
dent. When you hear the brake wear
warning sound, have your vehicle
serviced.
CAUTION
Continuing to drive with worn-out
brake pads could result in costly
brake repair.

5-19 SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
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For battery replacement, see your dealer
or the service manual.
Vehicle Storage
If you are not going to drive your vehicle
for 25 days or more, remove the black,
negative (–) cable from the battery. This
will help keep your battery from running
down.
You must close all doors and the liftgate
before reconnecting the battery. After
reconnecting the battery, you must press
the unlock button on the key transmitter.
Failure to follow this procedure may result
in sounding an alarm. Pressing unlock on
the key transmitter would stop the alarm.
Jump StartingIf your vehicle’s battery has run down, you
may want to use another vehicle and some
jumper cables to start your vehicle. Be
sure to use the following steps to do it
safely.
1) Check the other vehicle. It must have a
12-volt battery with a negative ground
system.2) Get the vehicles close enough so the
jumper cables can reach, but be sure
the vehicles are not touching each
other. If they are, it could cause a
ground connection you do not want.
You would not be able to start your
vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles
rolling, set the parking brake firmly on
both vehicles involved in the jump start
procedure. Put an automatic transaxle
in PARK (P) or a manual transaxle in
NEUTRAL before setting the parking
brake.
WARNING
Battery posts, terminals, and related
accessories contain lead and lead
compounds, chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer
and reproductive harm. Wash hands
after handling.
WARNING
Batteries have acid that can burn you
and gas that can explode. You can be
badly hurt if you are not careful.
Refer to “Jump Starting” in this sec-
tion for tips on working around a bat-
tery without getting hurt.
WARNING
Batteries can hurt you. They can be
dangerous because:
 They contain acid that can burn
you.
 They contain gas that can explode
or ignite.
 They contain enough electricity to
burn you.
If you do not follow these steps
exactly, some or all of these things
can hurt you.
CAUTION
Ignoring these steps could result in
costly damage to your vehicle that
would not be covered by your war-
ranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by push-
ing or pulling it will not work, and it
could damage your vehicle.
CAUTION
If the other vehicle’s system is not a
12-volt system with a negative
ground, both vehicles can be dam-
aged. Only use vehicles with 12-volt
systems with negative grounds to
jump start your vehicle.
CAUTION
If you leave your radio or other
accessories on during the jump start-
ing procedure, they could be dam-
aged. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Always
turn off your radio and other acces-
sories when jump starting your vehi-
cle.

5-20 SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
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3) Turn off the ignition on both vehicles.
Unplug unnecessary accessories
plugged into the cigarette lighter or the
accessory power outlets. Turn off the
radio and all lamps that are not needed.
This will avoid sparks and help save
both batteries. And it could save the
radio!
4) Open the hood on the other vehicle and
locate the positive (+) and negative (–)
terminal locations on that vehicle.
You will not use your vehicle’s battery
for jump starting. It has a remote posi-
tive (+) jump starting terminal, located
on the underhood fuse block, for that
purpose. Refer to “Engine Compart-
ment Overview” in this section for more
information on location.
871917
To uncover the remote positive (+) ter-
minal, press the tab at the bottom of thefuse block and lift the cover up.
Always use the remote positive (+) ter-
minal instead of the positive (+) termi-
nal on the battery.
5) Check that the jumper cables do not
have loose or missing insulation. If they
do, you could get a shock. The vehicles
could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here
are some basic things you should
know. Positive (+) will go to positive (+)
or to a remote positive (+) terminal if the
vehicle has one. Negative will go to a
heavy, unpainted metal engine part or
to a remote negative (–) terminal if the
vehicle has one.
WARNING
An electric fan can start up even
when the engine is not running and
can injure you. Keep hands, clothing
and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
WARNING
Fans or other moving engine parts
can injure you badly. Keep your
hands away from moving parts once
the engine is running.
WARNING
Using a match near a battery can
cause battery gas to explode. People
have been hurt doing this, and some
have been blinded. Use a flashlight if
you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough
water. You do not need to add water
to the battery installed in your new
vehicle. But if a battery has filler
caps, be sure the right amount of
fluid is there. If it is low, add water to
take care of that first. If you do not,
explosive gas could be present.
(Continued)
WARNING
(Continued)
Battery fluid contains acid that can
burn you. Do not get it on you. If you
accidentally get it in your eyes or on
your skin, flush the place with water
and get medical help immediately.
CAUTION
If you connect a negative cable to the
Engine Control Module (ECM), ECM
mounting bracket or any cables that
attach to the ECM bracket, you may
damage the ECM. Attach the negative
cable to a heavy, unpainted metal
engine part, other than the ECM, ECM
bracket or cables attached to the
ECM bracket.

5-21 SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
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Do not connect positive (+) to negative
(–), or you will get a short that would
damage the battery and maybe other
parts too. And do not connect the nega-
tive (–) cable to the negative (–) termi-
nal on the dead battery because this
can cause sparks.
871918
6) Connect the red positive (+) cable to
the positive (+) terminal location on the
vehicle with the dead battery. Use a
remote positive (+) terminal if the vehi-
cle has one.
7) Do not let the other end touch metal.
Connect it to the positive (+) terminal
location on the vehicle with the good
battery. Use a remote positive (+) termi-
nal if the vehicle has one.
8) Now connect the black negative (–)
cable to the negative (–) terminal loca-
tion on the vehicle with the good bat-
tery. Use a remote negative (–) terminalif the vehicle has one.
Do not let the other end touch anything
until the next step. The other end of the
negative (–) cable does not go to the
dead battery. It goes to a heavy,
unpainted metal engine part or to a
remote negative (–) terminal on the
vehicle with the dead battery.
1737506
9) Connect the other end of the negative
(–) cable at least 18 inches (45 cm)
away from the dead battery, but not
near engine parts that move. The elec-
trical connection is just as good there,
and the chance of sparks getting back
to the battery is much less.
10)Now start the vehicle with the good bat-
tery and run the engine for a while.
11)Try to start the vehicle that had the
dead battery. If it will not start after a
few tries, it probably needs service.Jumper Cable Removal
812553
A. Heavy, Unpainted Metal Engine Part
or Remote Negative (–) Terminal
B. Good Battery or Remote Positive (+)
and Remote Negative (–) Terminals
C. Dead Battery or Remote Positive (+)
Terminal
CAUTION
If the jumper cables are connected or
removed in the wrong order, electri-
cal shorting may occur and damage
the vehicle. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Always
connect and remove the jumper
cables in the correct order, making
sure that the cables do not touch
each other or other metal.

5-22 SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
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To disconnect the jumper cables from both
vehicles, do the following:
1) Disconnect the black negative (–) cable
from the vehicle that had the dead bat-
tery.
2) Disconnect the black negative (–) cable
from the vehicle with the good battery.
3) Disconnect the red positive (+) cable
from the vehicle with the good battery.
4) Disconnect the red positive (+) cable
from the other vehicle.
5) Return the fuse block cover to its origi-
nalposition.
All-Wheel DriveIf you have an all-wheel-drive vehicle, be
sure to perform the lubricant checks
described in this section. However, there
are two additional systems that need lubri-
cation.Transfer Case (Power Transfer Unit)When to Check Lubricant
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to
determine how often to check the lubricant.
Refer to “Scheduled Maintenance” in
“Maintenance Schedule” in the “Mainte-
nance Schedule” section.
How to Check Lubricant
1765710
A. Fill Plug
B. Drain PlugTo get an accurate reading, the vehicle
should be on a level surface.
If the level is below the bottom of the filler
plug hole, you’ll need to add some lubri-
cant. Add enough lubricant to raise the
level to the bottom of the filler plug hole.
What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to
determine what kind of lubricant to use.
Refer to “Recommended Fluids and Lubri-
cants” in “Maintenance Schedule” in the
“Maintenance Schedule” section.
Carrier Assembly-Differential
(Rear Drive Module)When to Check and Change Lubricant
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to
determine how often to check the lubricant
and when to change it. Refer to “Sched-
uled Maintenance” in “Maintenance
Schedule” in the “Maintenance Schedule”
section.

5-23 SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
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How to Check Lubricant
AWD Differential Case
1716440
A. Fill Plug
B. Drain Plug
To get an accurate reading, the vehicle
should be on a level surface.
If the level is below the bottom of the filler
plug hole, you’ll need to add some lubri-
cant. Add enough lubricant to raise the
level to the bottom of the filler plug hole. A
fluid loss could indicate a problem; check
and have it repaired, if needed.
What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to
determine what kind of lubricant to use.
Refer to “Recommended Fluids and Lubri-
cants” in “Maintenance Schedule” in the
“Maintenance Schedule” section.
Bulb ReplacementFor the proper type of replacement bulbs,
refer to “Replacement Bulbs” in this sec-
tion.
For any bulb changing procedure not listed
in this section, contact your dealer.Halogen BulbsTaillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps
and Back-up Lamps
1802291
A. Stoplamp/Taillamp/Sidemarker Lamp
B. Turn Signal Lamp/Taillamp
C. Backup Lamp
To replace one of these bulbs, do the fol-
lowing:
1) Open the liftgate. Refer to “Liftgate” in
“Doors and Locks” in the “Features and
Controls” section for more information.
WARNING
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas
inside and can burst if you drop or
scratch the bulb. You or others could
be injured. Be sure to read and follow
the instructions on the bulb package.

5-24 SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
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1802297
2) Remove the taillamp screw covers.
3) Remove the taillamp screws.
4) Pull the taillamp assembly towards you.
5) Turn the bulb socket counterclockwise
to disconnect it from the taillamp
assembly.
6) Pull the bulb out of the bulb socket.
7) Push the new bulb into the bulb socket.
8) Insert the bulb socket into the taillamp
assembly and turn it clockwise to
secure.
9) Reverse Steps 1 through 3 to reinstall
the taillamp assembly. When reinstall-
ing the screws, do not overtighten.
License Plate LampTo replace one of these bulbs, do the fol-
lowing:
1) Push tabs to remove the license plate
lamp from the liftgate.
1708173
2) Turn the bulb socket counterclockwise
and pull the bulb straight out of the
socket.
3) Install the new bulb.
4) Reverse Steps 1 through 3 to reinstall
the license plate lamp.
Replacement BulbsFor replacement bulbs not listed here, con-
tact your dealer.
Exterior LampBulb
Number
Back-up Lamp 921
License Plate Lamp 168
Rear Turn Signal/
Stoplamp/Sidemarker/Tail-
lamp3057K