2007 SUZUKI XL7 belt

3-31 INSTRUMENT PANEL
78J00-03E
enabled. If the passenger’s safety belt is
already buckled, this message and chime
will not come on.
BUCKLE SEATBELT
This message reminds you to buckle the
driver’s safety belt.
This message displays and a chime
sounds when the ignition is on, the driver’s
safety belt is unbuckled, and the vehicle is
in motion. You should buckle your safety
belt.
If the driver remains unbuckled when the
ignition is on and the vehicle is in motion,
the reminder will be repeated. If the driver’s
safety belt is already buckled, this mes-
sage and chime will not come on.
This message is an additional reminder to
the Safety Belt Reminder Light in the
instrument panel cluster. Refer to “Safety
Belt Reminder Light” in this section.
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when service is
required for the vehicle. See your dealer.
Refer to “Engine Oil” in “Checking Things
Under the Hood” in the “Service and
Appearance Care” section and “Scheduled
Maintenance” in “Maintenance Schedule”
in the “Maintenance Schedule” section for
more information.
Acknowledging this message will not reset
the OIL LIFE REMAINING display. That
must be done at the OIL LIFE screen
under the vehicle information menu. Referto “OIL LIFE” under “DIC Operation and
Displays” in this section and “Engine Oil
Life System” in “Checking Things Under
the Hood” in the “Service and Appearance
Care” section for more information.
CHECK TIRE PRESSURE
This message displays when the tire pres-
sure in one of the tires needs to be
checked. This message also displays
LEFT FRONT, RIGHT FRONT, LEFT
REAR, or RIGHT REAR to indicate which
tire needs to be checked. You can receive
more than one tire pressure message at a
time. To read the other messages that may
have been sent at the same time, press the
set/reset button. If a tire pressure message
appears on the DIC, stop as soon as you
can. Have the tire pressures checked and
set to those shown on the Tire Loading
Information label. Refer to “Tires” in the
“Service and Appearance Care” section,
“Loading Your Vehicle” in “Your Driving, the
Road, and Your Vehicle” in the “Driving
Your Vehicle” section, and “Inflation - Tire
Pressure” in “Tires” in the “Service and
Appearance Care” section. The DIC dis-
play also shows the tire pressure values for
the front and rear tires by pressing the
vehicle information button. Refer to “DIC
Operation and Displays” in this section. If
the tire pressure is low, the low tire pres-
sure warning light comes on. Refer to “Tire
Pressure Light” in this section.DRIVER DOOR OPEN
This message displays when the driver’s
door is not closed properly. When this
message appears, make sure that the
driver’s door is closed completely.
ENGINE HOT A/C (Air Conditioning)
OFF
This message displays when the engine
coolant becomes hotter than the normal
operating temperature. To avoid added
strain on a hot engine, the air conditioning
compressor is automatically turned off.
When the coolant temperature returns to
normal, the A/C operation automatically
resumes. You can continue to drive your
vehicle.
ENGINE OVERHEATD (Overheated)
IDLE ENGINE
NOTE:
If you drive your vehicle while the engine is
overheating, severe engine damage may
occur. If an overheat warning appears on
the instrument panel cluster and/or DIC,
stop the vehicle as soon as possible. Do
not increase the engine speed above nor-
mal idling speed. Refer to “Engine Over-
heating” in “Checking Things Under the
Hood” in the “Service and Appearance
Care” section for more information.
This message displays when the engine
coolant temperature is too hot. Stop and
allow the vehicle to idle until it cools down.

4-1 DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
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Your Driving, the Road, and
Your VehicleDefensive DrivingThe best advice anyone can give about
driving is: Drive defensively.
Please start with a very important safety
device in your vehicle: Buckle up. Refer to
“Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone” in
“Safety Belts” in the “Seats and Restraint
Systems” section.
Drunken DrivingDeath and injury associated with drinking
and driving is a national tragedy. It is the
number one contributor to the highway
death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone
needs to drive a vehicle:
 Judgment
 Muscular Coordination
 Vision
 Attentiveness
Police records show that almost half of all
motor vehicle-related deaths involve alco-
hol. In most cases, these deaths are the
result of someone who was drinking and
driving. In recent years, more than 16000
annual motor vehicle-related deaths have
been associated with the use of alcohol,
with more than 300000 people injured.
Many adults – by some estimates, nearly
half the adult population – choose never to
drink alcohol, so they never drive after
drinking. For persons under 21, it is
against the law in every U.S. state to drink
alcohol. There are good medical, psycho-
logical, and developmental reasons for
these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the leading
highway safety problem is for people never
to drink alcohol and then drive. But what if
people do? How much is “too much” if
someone plans to drive? It is a lot less than
WARNING
Defensive driving really means “Be
ready for anything.” On city streets,
rural roads, or expressways, it means
“Always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other
drivers are going to be careless and
make mistakes. Anticipate what they
might do and be ready. Rear-end col-
lisions are about the most prevent-
able of accidents. Yet they are
common. Allow enough following
distance. Defensive driving requires
that a driver concentrate on the driv-
ing task. Anything that distracts from
the driving task makes proper defen-
sive driving more difficult and can
even cause a collision, with resulting
injury. Ask a passenger to help do
these things, or pull off the road in a
safe place to do them. These simple
defensive driving techniques could
save your life.

4-7 DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
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favorable conditions you will 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.
Adding non-Suzuki accessories can affect
your vehicle’s performance. Refer to
“Accessories and Modifications” in “Ser-
vice” in the “Service and Appearance
Care” section.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be
more effective than braking. For example,
you come over a hill and find a truck
stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly
pulls out from nowhere, or a child darts out
from between parked cars and stops right
in front of you. You can avoid these prob-
lems by braking – if you can stop in time.
But sometimes you cannot; there is not
room. That is the time for evasive action –
steering around the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in
emergencies like these. First apply your
brakes.
Refer to “Braking” in this section. It is bet-
ter to remove as much speed as you canfrom a possible collision. Then steer
around the problem, to the left or right
depending on the space available.
811539
An emergency like this requires close
attention and a quick decision. If you are
holding the steering wheel at the recom-
mended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly with-
out removing either hand. But you have to
act fast, steer quickly, and just as quickly
straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations
are always possible is a good reason to
practice defensive driving at all times and
wear safety belts properly.
Off-Road RecoveryYou may find that your vehicle’s right
wheels have dropped off the edge of a
road onto the shoulder while you are driv-
ing.
810696
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly
below the pavement, recovery should be
fairly easy. Ease off the accelerator and
then, if there is nothing in the way, steer so
that your vehicle straddles the edge of the
pavement. You can turn the steering wheel
up to one-quarter turn until the right front
tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn
your steering wheel to go straight down the
roadway.PassingThe driver of a vehicle about to pass
another on a two-lane highway waits for
just the right moment, accelerates, moves
around the vehicle ahead, then goes back

4-25 DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
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4) Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply
your parking brake, and then shift to
PARK (P).
5) Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1) Apply your regular brakes and hold the
pedal down while you do the following:
1. Start your engine.
2. Shift into a gear.
3. Release the parking brake.
2) Let up on the brake pedal.
3) Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of
the chocks.
4) Stop and have someone pick up and
store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often
when you are pulling a trailer. See the
Maintenance Schedule for more on this.
Things that are especially important in
trailer operation are automatic transaxle
fluid, engine oil, belts, cooling system and
brake system. Each of these is covered in
this manual, and the Index will help you
find them quickly. If you are trailering, it is a
good idea to review these sections before
you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts
and bolts are tight.

5-28 SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
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C. Aspect Ratio:
A two-digit number that indicates the
tire height-to-width measurements.
For example, if the tire size aspect
ratio is 60, as shown in item C of the
illustration, it would mean that the
tire’s sidewall is 60 percent as high as
it is wide.
D. Construction Code:
A letter code is used to indicate the
type of ply construction in the tire. The
letter R means radial ply construction;
the letter D means diagonal or bias
ply construction; and the letter B
means belted-bias ply construction.
E. Rim Diameter:
Diameter of the wheel in inches.
F. Service Description:
These characters represent the load
range and speed rating of the tire.
The load index represents the load
carry capacity a tire is certified to
carry. The load index can range from
1 to 279. The speed rating is the max-
imum speed a tire is certified to carry
a load. Speed ratings range from A to
Z.
Tire Terminology and DefinitionsAir 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/transaxle, power steering, power
brakes, power windows, power seats, and
air conditioning.
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 Tire Pressure:
The amount of air pressure in a tire, mea-
sured in pounds per square inch (psi) orkilopascals (kPa) before a tire has built up
heat from driving. Refer to “Inflation – Tire
Pressure” in this section.
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
(DOT) motor vehicle safety standards. The
DOT code includes the Tire Identification
Number (TIN), an alphanumeric designator
which can also identify the tire manufac-
turer, production plant, brand, and date of
production.
GVWR:
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. Refer to
“Loading Your Vehicle” in “Your Driving,
the Road, and Your Vehicle” in the “Driving
Your Vehicle” section.
GAWR FRT:
Gross Axle Weight Rating for the front
axle. Refer to “Loading Your Vehicle” in
“Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle”
in the “Driving Your Vehicle” section.
GAWR RR:
Gross Axle Weight Rating for the rear axle.
Refer to “Loading Your Vehicle” in “Your

5-35 SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
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If you must replace your vehicle’s tires with
those that do not have a TPC Spec num-
ber, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating, and construction
type (radial and bias-belted tires) as your
vehicle’s original tires.Vehicles that have a tire pressure monitor-
ing system may give an inaccurate low-
pressure warning if Non-TPC Spec rated
tires are installed on your vehicle. Non-
TPC Spec rated tires may give a low-pres-
sure warning that is higher or lower than
the proper warning level you would get
with TPC Spec rated tires. Refer to “Tire
Pressure Monitor System” in this section.
Your vehicle’s original equipment tires are
listed on the Tire and Loading Information
Label. This label is attached to the vehi-
cle’s center pillar (B-pillar). Refer to “Load-
ing Your Vehicle” in “Your Driving, the
Road, and Your Vehicle” in the “Driving
Your Vehicle” section, for more information
about the Tire and Loading Information
Label.
Different Size Tires and Wheels
If you add wheels or tires that are a differ-
ent size than your original equipment
wheels and tires, this may affect the way
your vehicle performs, including its brak-
ing, ride and handling characteristics, sta-
bility and resistance to rollover.
Additionally, if your vehicle has electronic
systems such as, anti-lock brakes, traction
control, and electronic stability control, the
performance of these systems can be
affected.Refer to “Buying New Tires” and “Accesso-
ries and Modifications” in this section for
additional information.
Uniform Tire Quality GradingQuality grades can be found where appli-
cable on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Tempera-
ture A
The following information relates to the
system developed by the United States
National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis-
tration (NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and temperature per-
formance. This applies only to vehicles
sold in the United States. The grades are
molded on the sidewalls of most passen-
ger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality
Grading (UTQG) system does not apply to
WARNING
Mixing tires could cause you to lose
control while driving. If you mix tires
of different sizes, brands, or types
(radial and bias-belted tires), the
vehicle may not handle properly, and
you could have a crash. Using tires
of different sizes, brands, or types
may also cause damage to your vehi-
cle. Be sure to use the correct size,
brand, and type of tires on all wheels.
It is all right to drive with your com-
pact spare temporarily, as it was
developed for use on your vehicle.
Refer to “Compact Spare Tire” in this
section.
WARNING
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehi-
cle, the wheel rim flanges could
develop cracks after many miles of
driving. A tire and/or wheel could fail
suddenly, causing a crash. Use only
radial-ply tires with the wheels on
your vehicle.
WARNING
If you add different sized wheels,
your vehicle may not provide an
acceptable level of performance and
safety if tires not recommended for
those wheels are selected. You may
increase the chance that you will
crash and suffer serious injury. Only
use Suzuki specific wheel and tire
systems developed for your vehicle,
and have them properly installed by a
Suzuki certified technician.

5-49 SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
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 For solid dry soils: remove as much as
possible and then vacuum.
To clean, use the following instructions:
1) Saturate a lint-free, clean white cloth
with water or club soda.
2) Wring the cloth to remove excess mois-
ture.
3) Start on the outside edge of the soil and
gently rub toward the center. Continue
cleaning, using a clean area of the cloth
each time it becomes soiled.
4) Continue to gently rub the soiled area
until the cleaning cloth remains clean.
5) If the soil is not completely removed,
use a mild soap solution and repeat the
cleaning process that was used with
plain water.
If any of the soil remains, a commercial
fabric cleaner or spot lifter may be neces-
sary. When a commercial upholstery
cleaner or spot lifter is to be used, test a
small hidden area for colorfastness first. If
the locally cleaned area gives any impres-
sion that a ring formation may result, clean
the entire surface.
After the cleaning process has been com-
pleted, a paper towel can be used to blot
excess moisture from the fabric or carpet.LeatherA soft cloth dampened with water may be
used to remove dust. If a more thorough
cleaning is necessary, a soft cloth damp-ened with a mild soap solution can be
used. Allow the leather to dry naturally. Do
not use heat to dry. Never use steam to
clean leather. Never use spot lifters or spot
removers on leather. Many commercial
leather cleaners and coatings that are sold
to preserve and protect leather may per-
manently change the appearance and feel
of your leather and are not recommended.
Do not use silicone or wax-based prod-
ucts, or those containing organic solvents
to clean your vehicle’s interior because
they can alter the appearance by increas-
ing the gloss in a non-uniform manner.
Never use shoe polish on your leather.
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other
Plastic SurfacesA soft cloth dampened with water may be
used to remove dust. If a more thorough
cleaning is necessary, a clean soft cloth
dampened with a mild soap solution can
be used to gently remove dust and dirt.
Never use spot lifters or removers on plas-
tic surfaces. Many commercial cleaners
and coatings that are sold to preserve and
protect soft plastic surfaces may perma-
nently change the appearance and feel of
your interior and are not recommended.
Do not use silicone or wax-based prod-
ucts, or those containing organic solvents
to clean your vehicle’s interior because
they can alter the appearance by increas-
ing the gloss in a non-uniform manner.Some commercial products may increase
gloss on your instrument panel. The
increase in gloss may cause annoying
reflections in the windshield and even
make it difficult to see through the wind-
shield under certain conditions.
Care of Safety BeltsKeep belts clean and dry.WeatherstripsSilicone grease on weatherstrips will make
them last longer, seal better, and not stick
or squeak. Apply silicone grease with a
clean cloth. During very cold, damp
weather frequent application may be
required. Refer to “Recommended Fluids
and Lubricants” in “Maintenance Sched-
ule” in the “Maintenance Schedule” sec-
tion.Washing Your VehicleThe paint finish on the vehicle provides
beauty, depth of color, gloss retention, and
durability.
WARNING
Do not bleach or dye safety belts. If
you do, it may severely weaken them.
In a crash, they might not be able to
provide adequate protection. Clean
safety belts only with mild soap and
lukewarm water.

5-53 SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
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Service Parts Identification LabelThis label is on the inside of the glove box.
It is very helpful if you ever need to order
parts. The label has the following informa-
tion:
 Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
 Model designation
 Paint information
 Production options and special equip-
ment
Do not remove this label from the vehicle.
Electrical SystemAdd-On Electrical EquipmentAdd-on equipment can drain your vehicle’s
battery, even if your vehicle is not operat-
ing.
Your vehicle has an airbag system. Before
attempting to add anything electrical to
your vehicle, refer to “Servicing Your Air-
bag-Equipped Vehicle” in “Airbag System”
in the “Seats and Restraint Systems” sec-
tion.Windshield Wiper FusesThe windshield wiper motor is protected by
a circuit breaker and a fuse. If the motor
overheats due to heavy snow or ice, the
wiper will stop until the motor cools. If the
overload is caused by some electrical
problem, have it fixed.
Power Windows and Other Power
OptionsCircuit breakers in the fuse panel protect
the power seats. When the current load is
too heavy, the circuit breaker opens and
closes, protecting the circuit until the prob-
lem is fixed.Fuses and Circuit BreakersThe wiring circuits in your vehicle are pro-
tected from short circuits by fuses and cir-
cuit breakers. This greatly reduces the
chance of circuit overload and fire caused
by electrical problems.
Your vehicle has an underhood fuse block
and an instrument panel fuse block.
To identify and check fuses, circuit break-
ers, and relays, refer to the Fuse Usage
Chart on the inside surface of the fuse
panel door.
CAUTION
Do not add anything electrical to your
vehicle unless you check with your
dealer first. Some electrical equip-
ment can damage your vehicle and
the damage would not be covered by
your warranty. Some add-on electri-
cal equipment can keep other compo-
nents from working as they should.