2007 SUZUKI XL7 Owners Manual

1-13 SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
78J00-03E
Question:
What is wrong with this?
805942
Answer:
The belt is buckled in the wrong place.Question:
What is wrong with this?
805947
Answer:
The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It
should be worn over the shoulder at all
times.Question:
What is wrong with this?
805951
Answer:
The belt is twisted across the body.
WARNING
You can be seriously injured if your
belt is buckled in the wrong place like
this. In a crash, the belt would go up
over your abdomen. The belt forces
would be there, not at the pelvic
bones. This could cause serious
internal injuries. Always buckle your
belt into the buckle nearest you.
WARNING
You can be seriously injured if you
wear the shoulder belt under your
arm. In a crash, your body would
move too far forward, which would
increase the chance of head and neck
injury. Also, the belt would apply too
much force to the ribs, which are not
as strong as shoulder bones. You
could also severely injure internal
organs like your liver or spleen.
WARNING
You can be seriously injured by a
twisted belt. In a crash, you would
not have the full width of the belt to
spread impact forces. If a belt is
twisted, make it straight so it can
work properly, or ask your dealer to
fix it.

1-14 SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
78J00-03E
1378915
To unlatch the belt, push the button on the
buckle. The belt should go back out of the
way.
Before you close the door, be sure the belt
is out of the way. If you slam the door on it,
you can damage both the belt and your
vehicle.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment
Before you begin to drive, move the shoul-
der belt height adjuster to the height that is
right for you.
Adjust the height so that the shoulder por-
tion of the belt is centered on your shoul-
der. The belt should be away from your
face and neck, but not falling off your
shoulder. Improper shoulder belt height
adjustment could reduce the effectiveness
of the safety belt in a crash.
1507374
To move it up or down, squeeze the
release buttons (A) together and move the
height adjuster to the desired position.
After you move the height adjuster to
where you want it, try to move it up or
down without squeezing the release but-
tons to make sure it has locked into posi-
tion.
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including
pregnant women. Like all occupants, they
are more likely to be seriously injured if
they do not wear safety belts.
1379057
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-
shoulder belt, and the lap portion should
be worn as low as possible, below the
rounding, throughout the pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is to pro-
tect the mother. When a safety belt is worn
properly, it is more likely that the fetus will
not be hurt in a crash. For pregnant
women, as for anyone, the key to making
safety belts effective is wearing them prop-
erly.

1-15 SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
78J00-03E
Right Front Passenger PositionTo learn how to wear the right front pas-
senger’s safety belt properly, refer to
“Driver Position” in this section.
The right front passenger’s safety belt
works the same way as the driver’s safety
belt – except for the following.
If you ever pull the shoulder portion of the
belt out all the way, you will engage the
child restraint locking feature. If this hap-
pens, just let the belt go back all the way
and start again.
When the safety belt is not in use, slide the
latch plate up the safety belt webbing. The
latch plate should rest on the stitching on
the safety belt, near the guide loop.Rear Seat PassengersIt is very important for rear seat passen-
gers to buckle up! Accident statistics show
that unbelted people in the rear seat are
hurt more often in crashes than those who
are wearing safety belts.
Rear passengers who are not safety belted
can be thrown out of the vehicle in a crash.
And they can strike others in the vehicle
who are wearing safety belts.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All rear seat positions have lap-shoulder
belts. Here is how to wear one properly.
1378723
1) Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt
across you. Do not let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock if you pull
the belt across you very quickly. If this
happens, let the belt go back slightly to
unlock it. Then pull the belt across you
more slowly.
2) Push the latch plate into the buckle until
it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure
it is secure.
When the shoulder belt is pulled out all
the way, it will lock. If it does, let it go
back all the way and start again.
If the belt is not long enough, refer to
“Safety Belt Extender” in this section.
Make sure the release button on the
buckle is positioned so you would be
able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly
if you ever had to.
1378907
3) To make the lap part tight, pull up on
the shoulder part.
805902
The lap part of the belt should be worn low
and snug on the hips, just touching the
thighs. In a crash, this applies force to the

1-16 SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
78J00-03E
strong pelvic bones. And you would be
less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you
slid under it, the belt would apply force at
your abdomen. This could cause serious
or even fatal injuries. The shoulder belt
should go over the shoulder and across
the chest. These parts of the body are best
able to take belt restraining forces.
The safety belt locks if there is a sudden
stop or a crash.Question:
What is wrong with this?
811744
Answer:
The belt is over an armrest.
1378915
To unlatch the belt, push the button on the
buckle.
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides may
provide added safety belt comfort for older
children who have outgrown booster seats
and for some adults. When installed on a
shoulder belt, the comfort guide positions
the belt away from the neck and head.
There is one guide available for each out-
board passenger position in the rear seat.
Here is how to install a comfort guide to
the safety belt:
1) Remove the guide from its storage clip
on the back of the seatback.
WARNING
You can be seriously hurt if your
shoulder belt is too loose. In a crash,
you would move forward too much,
which could increase injury. The
shoulder belt should fit against your
body.
WARNING
You can be seriously injured if your
belt goes over an armrest like this.
The belt would be much too high. In a
crash, you can slide under the belt.
The belt force would then be applied
at the abdomen, not at the pelvic
bones, and that could cause serious
or fatal injuries. Be sure the belt goes
under the armrests.

1-17 SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
78J00-03E
1379299
2) Slide the guide under and past the belt.
The elastic cord must be under the belt.
Then, place the guide over the belt, and
insert the two edges of the belt into the
slots of the guide.
1397291
3) Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it
lies flat. The elastic cord must be under
the belt and the guide on top.
1400065
4) Buckle, position, and release the safety
belt as described in “Rear Seat Passen-
gers” in this section. Make sure that the
shoulder belt crosses the shoulder.
To remove and store the comfort guide,
squeeze the belt edges together so that
you can take them out of the guide. Slide
the guide back onto its storage clip located
on the seatback.
WARNING
A safety belt that is not properly worn
may not provide the protection
needed in a crash. The person wear-
ing the belt could be seriously
injured. The shoulder belt should go
over the shoulder and across the
chest. These parts of the body are
best able to take belt restraining
forces.

1-18 SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
78J00-03E
Safety Belt PretensionersYour vehicle has safety belt pretensioners
for the driver and right front passenger.
Although you cannot see them, they are
part of the safety belt assembly. They help
tighten the safety belts during the early
stages of a moderate to severe frontal,
near frontal, rear or side crash, or a roll-
over if the threshold conditions for preten-
sioner activation are met.
Pretensioners work only once. If they acti-
vate in a crash, you will need to get new
ones, and probably other new parts for
your safety belt system. Refer to “Replac-
ing Restraint System Parts After a Crash”
in this section.Safety Belt ExtenderIf the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around
you, you should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long enough, your
dealer will order you an extender. When
you go in to order it, take the heaviest coat
you will wear, so the extender will be long
enough for you. To help avoid personal
injury, do not let someone else use it, and
use it only for the seat it is made to fit. The
extender has been designed for adults.
Never use it for securing child seats. To
wear it, just attach it to the regular safety
belt. For more information see the instruc-
tion sheet that comes with the extender.
Child RestraintsOlder Children
1379300
Older children who have outgrown booster
seats should wear the vehicle’s safety
belts.
Question:
What is the proper way to wear safety
belts?
Answer:
An older child should wear a lap-shoulder
belt and get the additional restraint a
shoulder belt can provide. The shoulder
belt should not cross the face or neck. The
lap belt should fit snugly below the hips,
just touching the top of the thighs. It should
never be worn over the abdomen, which
could cause severe or even fatal internal
injuries in a crash.According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front
seating positions.
In a crash, children who are not buckled up
can strike other people who are buckled
up, or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
Older children need to use safety belts
properly.
WARNING
Never do this.
Here two children are wearing the
same belt. The belt cannot properly
spread the impact forces. In a crash,
the two children can be crushed
together and seriously injured. A belt
must be used by only one person at a
time.

1-19 SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
78J00-03E
1379302
Question:
What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder
belt, but the child is so small that the
shoulder belt is very close to the child’s
face or neck?
Answer:
If the child is sitting in a seat next to a win-
dow, move the child toward the center of
the vehicle. Also refer to “Rear Safety Belt
Comfort Guides” in this section. If the child
is sitting in the center rear seat passenger
position, move the child toward the safety
belt buckle. In either case, be sure that the
shoulder belt still is on the child’s shoulder,
so that in a crash the child’s upper body
would have the restraint that belts provide.
1379303
Wherever the child sits, the lap portion of
the belt should be worn low and snug on
the hips, just touching the child’s thighs.
This applies belt force to the child’s pelvic
bones in a crash.
Infants and Young ChildrenEveryone in a vehicle needs protection!
This includes infants and all other children.
Neither the distance traveled nor the age
and size of the traveler changes the need,
for everyone, to use safety restraints. In
fact, the law in every state in the United
States and in every Canadian province
says children up to some age must be
restrained while in a vehicle.
Every time infants and young children ride
in vehicles, they should have the protection
provided by appropriate restraints. Young
children should not use the vehicle’s adult
safety belts alone, unless there is no other
choice. Instead, they need to use a child
restraint.
WARNING
Never do this.
Here a child is sitting in a seat that
has a lap-shoulder belt, but the
shoulder part is behind the child. If
the child wears the belt in this way, in
a crash the child might slide under
the belt. The belt’s force would then
be applied right on the child’s abdo-
men. That could cause serious or
fatal injuries.
WARNING
Children can be seriously injured or
strangled if a shoulder belt is
wrapped around their neck and the
safety belt continues to tighten.
Never leave children unattended in a
vehicle and never allow children to
play with the safety belts.

1-20 SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
78J00-03E
1379304 1379315
Question:
What are the different types of add-on
child restraints?
Answer:
Add-on child restraints, which are pur-
chased by the vehicle’s owner, are avail-
able in four basic types. Selection of a
particular restraint should take into consid-
eration not only the child’s weight, height,
and age but also whether or not the
restraint will be compatible with the motor
vehicle in which it will be used.
For most basic types of child restraints,
there are many different models available.
When purchasing a child restraint, be sure
it is designed to be used in a motor vehicle.
If it is, the restraint will have a label saying
that it meets federal motor vehicle safety
standards.
WARNING
People should never hold a baby in
their arms while riding in a vehicle. A
baby does not weigh much – until a
crash. During a crash a baby will
become so heavy it is not possible to
hold it. For example, in a crash at
only 25 mph (40 km/h), a 12 lb (5.5 kg)
baby will suddenly become a 240 lb
(110 kg) force on a person’s arms. A
baby should be secured in an appro-
priate restraint.
WARNING
Children who are up against, or very
close to, any airbag when it inflates
can be seriously injured or killed. Air-
bags plus lap-shoulder belts offer
protection for adults and older chil-
dren, but not for young children and
infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety
belt system nor its airbag system is
designed for them. Young children
and infants need the protection that a
child restraint system can provide.