1-20 SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
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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.
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The restraint manufacturer’s instructions
that come with the restraint state the
weight and height limitations for a particu-
lar child restraint. In addition, there are
many kinds of restraints available for chil-
dren with special needs.
Child Restraint Systems
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An infant car bed (A), a special bed made
for use in a motor vehicle, is an infant
restraint system designed to restrain or
position a child on a continuous flat sur-
face. Make sure that the infant’s head rests
toward the center of the vehicle.
WARNING
Newborn infants need complete sup-
port, including support for the head
and neck. This is necessary because
a newborn infant’s neck is weak and
its head weighs so much compared
with the rest of its body. In a crash,
an infant in a rear-facing seat settles
into the restraint, so the crash forces
can be distributed across the stron-
gest part of an infant’s body, the back
and shoulders. Infants always should
be secured in appropriate infant
restraints.
WARNING
The body structure of a young child
is quite unlike that of an adult or
older child, for whom the safety belts
are designed. A young child’s hip
bones are still so small that the vehi-
cle’s regular safety belt may not
remain low on the hip bones, as it
should. Instead, it may settle up
around the child’s abdomen. In a
crash, the belt would apply force on a
body area that is unprotected by any
bony structure. This alone could
cause serious or fatal injuries. Young
children always should be secured in
appropriate child restraints.
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78J00-03E
If your vehicle does not have a rear seat
that will accommodate a rear-facing child
restraint, never put a child in a rear-facing
child restraint in the right front passenger
seat unless the passenger airbag status
indicator shows off and the airbag is off.
Here is why:The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the right front passen-
ger’s frontal airbag if:
The right front passenger seat is unoc-
cupied.
The system determines that an infant is
present in a rear-facing infant seat.
The system determines that a small child
is present in a forward-facing child
restraint.
The system determines that a small child
is present in a booster seat.
A right front passenger takes his/her
weight off of the seat for a period of time.
The right front passenger seat is occu-
pied by a smaller person, such as a child
who has outgrown child restraints.
Or, if there is a critical problem with the
airbag system or the passenger sensing
system.
When the right front passenger’s frontal
airbag has been turned off by the passen-
ger sensing system, the off indicator will
light and stay lit to remind you that the air-
bag is off.
If a child restraint has been installed and
the on indicator is lit, turn the vehicle off.
Remove the child restraint from the vehicle
and reinstall the child restraint following the
child restraint manufacturer’s directions
and refer to “Securing a Child Restraint in
the Right Front Seat Position” in this sec-
tion.
WARNING
A child in a rear-facing child restraint
can be seriously injured or killed if
the right front passenger’s airbag
inflates. This is because the back of
the rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating airbag.
Even though the passenger sensing
system is designed to turn off the
passenger’s frontal airbag if the sys-
tem detects a rear-facing child
restraint, no system is fail-safe, and
no one can guarantee that an airbag
will not deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though it is
turned off. We recommend that rear-
facing child restraints be secured in
the rear seat, even if the airbag is off.
If you need to secure a forward-fac-
ing child restraint in the right front
seat, always move the front passen-
ger seat as far back as it will go. It is
better to secure the child restraint in
a rear seat.
WARNING
A child in a rear-facing child restraint
can be seriously injured or killed if
the right front passenger’s airbag
inflates. This is because the back of
the rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating airbag.
Be sure the airbag is off before using
a rear-facing child restraint in the
right front seat position.
Even though the passenger sensing
system is designed to turn off the
passenger’s frontal airbag if the sys-
tem detects a rear-facing child
restraint, no system is fail-safe, and
no one can guarantee that an airbag
will not deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though it is
turned off. We recommend that rear-
facing child restraints be trans-
ported in vehicles with a rear seat
that will accommodate a rear-facing
child restraint, whenever possible.
If you need to secure a forward-fac-
ing child restraint in the right front
seat, always move the front passen-
ger seat as far back as it will go. It is
better to secure the child restraint in
a rear seat.
2-18 FEATURES AND CONTROLS
78J00-03E
4) Remove the key and take it with you. If
you can leave your vehicle with the igni-
tion key in your hand, your vehicle is in
PARK (P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
If you have to leave your vehicle with the
engine running, be sure your vehicle is in
PARK (P) and your parking brake is firmly
set before you leave it. After you have
moved the shift lever into PARK (P), hold
the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if
you can move the shift lever away from
PARK (P) without first pushing the button.
If you can, it means that the shift lever was
not fully locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you do not
shift your transaxle into PARK (P) properly,
the weight of the vehicle may put too muchforce on the parking pawl in the transaxle.
You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out of PARK (P). This is called
“torque lock.” To prevent torque lock, set
the parking brake and then shift into PARK
(P) properly before you leave the driver’s
seat. To find out how, refer to “Shifting Into
Park (P)” in this section.
When you are ready to drive, move the
shift lever out of PARK (P) before you
release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to
have another vehicle push yours a little
uphill to take some of the pressure from
the parking pawl in the transaxle, so you
can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of Park (P)Your vehicle has an automatic transaxle
shift lock control system. You have to fully
apply your regular brakes before you can
shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is in
RUN.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease
pressure on the shift lever – push the shift
lever all the way into PARK (P), as you
maintain brake application. Then, press
the button on the shift lever and move the
shift lever into the gear you wish.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but
still cannot shift out of PARK (P), try this:
1) Turn the key to LOCK.2) Apply and hold the brake until the end
of Step 4.
3) Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4) Start the vehicle and then shift to the
desired drive gear.
5) Have your vehicle fixed as soon as you
can.
Parking Over Things That Burn
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WARNING
It can be dangerous to leave your
vehicle with the engine running. Your
vehicle could move suddenly if the
shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set.
And, if you leave the vehicle with the
engine running, it could overheat and
even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Do not leave your vehicle
with the engine running.
WARNING
Things that can burn could touch hot
exhaust parts under your vehicle and
ignite. Do not park over papers,
leaves, dry grass, or other things that
can burn.
4-2 DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
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many might think. Although it depends on
each person and situation, here is some
general information on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of
someone who is drinking depends upon
four things:
The amount of alcohol consumed
The drinker’s body weight
The amount of food that is consumed
before and during drinking
The length of time it has taken the
drinker to consume the alcohol
According to the American Medical Associ-
ation, a 180 lbs (82 kg) person who drinks
three 12 ounce (355 ml) bottles of beer in
an hour will end up with a BAC of about
0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same BAC by drinking three 4 ounce (120
ml) glasses of wine or three mixed drinks if
each had 1-1/2 ounces (45 ml) of liquors
like whiskey, gin, or vodka.
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It is 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 most U.S. states, and through-
out Canada, sets the legal limit at 0.08 per-
cent. In some other countries, the limit is
even lower. For example, it is 0.05 percentin 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 have 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 will be careful” is not the
right answer. What if there is an emer-
gency, a need to take sudden action, as
when a child darts into the street? A per-
son with even a moderate BAC might not
be able to react quickly enough to avoid
the collision.
4-3 DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
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There is something else about drinking
and driving that many people do not know.
Medical research shows that alcohol in a
person’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.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on
snow or ice, it is easy to ask more of those
control systems than the tires and roadcan provide. That means you can lose con-
trol of your vehicle.
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.
BrakingRefer to “Brake System Warning Light” in
“Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators” in
the “Instrument Panel” section.
Braking action involves perception time
and reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the
brake pedal. That is perception time. Then
you have to bring up your foot and do it.
That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-
fourths of a second. But that is 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, coordination, and eyesight all
play a part. So do alcohol, drugs, and frus-
tration. But even in three-fourths of a sec-
ond, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/
h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That could be a
lot of distance in an emergency, 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 is pavement or gravel; the con-
dition of the road, whether it is wet, dry, or
icy; tire tread; the condition of the 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.
The brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. The 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 vehicle’s engine ever stops while
you are driving, brake normally but do not
pump the brakes. If you do, the pedal may
get harder to push down. If the 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.
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.
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 do not drink and
drive or ride with a driver who has
been drinking. Ride home in a cab; or
if you are with a group, designate a
driver who will not drink.
4-16 DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
78J00-03E
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 Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or SnowIn order to free your vehicle when it is
stuck, you will need to spin the wheels, but
you do not want to spin your wheels too
fast. The method known as rocking can
help you get out when you are stuck, but
you must use caution.For information about using tire chains on
your vehicle, refer to “Tire Chains” in
“Tires” in the “Service and Appearance
Care” section.
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
First, turn the steering wheel left and right.
That will clear the area around the front
wheels. If your vehicle has traction control,
you should turn the traction control system
off. Refer to “Traction Control System
(TCS)” in this section. Then shift back and
forth between REVERSE (R) and a for-
ward gear, spinning the wheels as little as
possible. Release the accelerator pedal
while you shift, and press lightly on the
accelerator pedal when the transaxle is in
gear. By slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions, you will
cause a rocking motion that may free your
vehicle. If that does not get your vehicle
out after a few tries, it may need to be
towed out. If your vehicle does need to be
towed out, refer to “Towing Your Vehicle”
in this section.
Loading Your VehicleIt is very important to know how much
weight your vehicle can carry. Two labels
on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly carry, the Tire and Loading
Information label and the Vehicle Certifica-
tion label.
WARNING
If you let your vehicle’s tires spin at
high speed, they can explode, and
you or others could be injured. And,
the transaxle or other parts of the
vehicle can overheat. That could
cause an engine compartment fire or
other damage. When you are stuck,
spin the wheels as little as possible.
Do not spin the wheels above 35 mph
(55 km/h) as shown on the speedom-
eter.
CAUTION
Spinning the wheels can destroy
parts of your vehicle as well as the
tires. If you spin the wheels too fast
while shifting the transaxle back and
forth, you can destroy the transaxle.
Refer to “Rocking Your Vehicle to
Get It Out” in this section.
WARNING
Do not load your vehicle any heavier
than the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR), or either the maximum front
or rear Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR). If you do, parts on your
vehicle can break, and it can change
the way your vehicle handles. These
could cause you to lose control and
crash. Also, overloading can shorten
the life of your vehicle.
4-17 DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
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Tire and Loading Information Label
Label Example
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A vehicle specific Tire and Loading Infor-
mation label is attached to the vehicle’s
center pillar (B-pillar). With the driver’s
door open, you will find the label attached
below the door lock post (striker). The tire
and loading information label lists the num-
ber of occupant seating positions (A), and
the maximum vehicle capacity weight (B)
in kilograms and pounds. The vehicle
capacity weight includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all nonfactory-
installed options.
The Tire and Loading Information label
also lists the tire size of the original equip-
ment tires (C) and the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures (D). For more infor-
mation on tires and inflation, refer to “Tires”
in the “Service and Appearance Care” sec-tion and “Inflation - Tire Pressure” in “Tires”
in the “Service and Appearance Care” sec-
tion.
There is also important loading information
on the Certification/Tire label. It tells you
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
and the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR)
for the front and rear axles. See “Certifica-
tion/Tire Label” later in this section.
Steps for Determining Correct Load
Limit
1) Locate the statement “The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs” on
your vehicle’s placard.
2) Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
3) Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from XXX kg or
XXX lbs.
4) The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the “XXX”
amount equals 1400 lbs and there will
be five 150 lb passengers in your vehi-
cle, the amount of available cargo and
luggage load capacity is 650 lbs (1400
– 750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
5) Determine the combined weight of lug-
gage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in Step 4.6) If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
the load from your trailer will be trans-
ferred to your vehicle. Consult this man-
ual to determine how this reduces the
available cargo and luggage load
capacity for your vehicle.
If your vehicle can tow a trailer, refer to
“Towing a Trailer” in this section for impor-
tant information on towing a trailer, towing
safety rules, and trailering tips.