2008 SUZUKI FORENZA tire pressure

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DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
85Z04-03E
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.
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle:

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DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
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 Tires: They are vitally important to a
safe, trouble-free trip. Is the tread good
enough for long-distance driving? Are
the tires all inflated to the recommended
pressure?
 Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather
outlook along your route? Should you
delay your trip a short time to avoid a
major storm system?
 Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?Highway HypnosisIs there actually such a condition as “high-
way hypnosis”? Or is it just plain falling
asleep at the wheel? Call it highway hyp-
nosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch
of road with the same scenery, along with
the hum of the tires on the road, the drone
of the engine, and the rush of the wind
against the vehicle that can make you
sleepy. Don’t let it happen to you! If it does,
your vehicle can leave the road in less than
a second, and you could crash and be
injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis?
First, be aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
 Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated,
with a comfortably cool interior.
 Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road
ahead and to the sides. Check your rear-
view mirrors and your instruments fre-
quently. If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a
rest, service or parking area and take a
nap, get some exercise, or both. For
safety, treat drowsiness on the highway
as an emergency.
Hill and Mountain RoadsDriving on steep hills or mountains is differ-
ent from driving in flat or rolling terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep country, or if
you’re planning to visit there, here are
some tips that can make your trips safer
and more enjoyable.
 Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check
all fluid levels and also the brakes, tires,
cooling system and transmission. These
parts can work hard on mountain roads.
 Know how to go down hills. The most
important thing to know is this: let your
engine do some of the slowing down.Shift to a lower gear when you go down
a steep or long hill.
 Know how to go uphill. You may want to
shift down to a lower gear. The lower
gears help cool your engine and trans-
mission, and you can climb the hill bet-
ter.
 Stay in your own lane when driving on
two-lane roads in hills or mountains.
Don’t swing wide or cut across the cen-
ter of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.
WARNING
If you don’t shift down, your brakes
could get so hot that they wouldn’t
work well. You would then have poor
braking or even none going down a
hill. You could crash. Shift down to let
your engine assist your brakes on a
steep downhill slope.
WARNING
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or
with the ignition off is dangerous.
Your brakes will have to do all the
work of slowing you down. They
could get so hot that they wouldn’t
work well. You would then have poor
braking or even none going down a
hill. You could crash. Always have
your engine running and your vehicle
in gear when you go downhill.
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle:

4-17DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
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and shift to NEUTRAL (N). See “Shift-
ing Out of Park (P)” in Section 2.
5) Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-
ahead position with a clamping device
designed for towing.
6) Release the parking brake.
Loading Your VehicleIt is very important to know how much
weight your vehicle can carry. The load
capacities of your vehicle are indicated by
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR),
the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR,
front and rear), the total load capacity, the
seating capacity, and the cargo load
capacity. The GVWR and GAWR (front and
rear) are listed on the Safety Certification
Label which is located below the driver’s
side door latch striker. The total load
capacity and seating capacity are listed on
the Tire and Loading Information Label
which is located on the center pillar, near
the driver’s door latch.
The Tire and Loading Information label
also gives you the size and recommended
inflation pressure for the factory installed,
original equipment tires on your vehicle.
For more information on tires and inflation,
see “Tires” in section 5.Tire and Loading Information Label
Certification Label
The cargo load capacity can be deter-
mined as described below.
Cargo Load Capacity – Maximum weight
of cargo and luggage that the vehicle cansafely carry. Cargo load capacity is the dif-
ference between the total load capacity of
the vehicle and the total combined weight
of all vehicle occupants. Refer to “Steps for
Determining Correct Load Limit” for details
on how to determine cargo load capacity.
GVWR – Maximum permissible overall
weight of the fully loaded vehicle (including
all the occupants, accessories and cargo
plus the trailer tongue weight if towing a
trailer).
GAWR – (Front and Rear) Maximum per-
missible weight on an individual axle.
Seating Capacity – Maximum number of
occupants the vehicle is designed to carry.
NOTE:
Even though the number of occupants is
within the seating capacity, you still must
make sure that you do not exceed the total
load capacity of the vehicle.
Total Load Capacity – Maximum permissi-
ble weight a vehicle can carry including the
weight of all the occupants, accessories
and cargo.
The weight of any accessories already
installed on your vehicle at the time of pur-
chase, or that you or the dealer install after
purchase, must be subtracted from the
total load capacity to determine how much
capacity remains available for occupants
and cargo. Contact your SUZUKI dealer for
further information.
J7U4001A
TIRE
SIZE
COLD TIRE PRESSURE
FRONT
REAR
SPAREThe combined weight of occupants and carge should never exceedKg or lbs
Towing:

4-19DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
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Determining Compatibility of Tire and
Vehicle Load Limits
The tires on your vehicle, when they are
inflated to the recommended tire inflation
pressure, have a load-carrying capacity
that is greater than the load that will be onthe tires when the vehicle is at its GVWR
or GAWR limit. Never use replacement
tires that have a load-carrying capacity
less than the original tires on your vehicle.
Tire load-carrying capacity information is
molded into the tire sidewall typically
shown as “Max. Load”. Use of replacement
tires with a lower load-carrying capacity
than the original tires, or failure to keep the
tires inflated to recommended tire pres-
sure, may reduce the GVWR or GAWR
limit of your vehicle.
NOTE:
Use of replacement tires with a higher
load-carrying capacity than the original
tires, or using a tire inflation pressure
higher than the recommended tire inflation
pressure, will not increase the GVWR or
GAWR limit of your vehicle.
Towing a TrailerDo not use your vehicle to tow a trailer. The
vehicle is not designed or intended for
such use. Towing a trailer can adversely
affect handling, durability and fuel econ-
omy.
WARNING
Things you put inside your vehicle
can strike and injure people in a sud-
den stop or turn, or in a crash.
 Put things in the trunk or rear area
of your vehicle. In a trunk, put them
as far forward as you can. Try to
spread the weight evenly. If you
have fold-down rear seats, you’ll
find four anchors on the back wall
of your trunk. You can use these
anchors to tie down lighter loads.
They’re not strong enough for
heavy things, however, so put them
as far forward as you can in the
trunk or rear area.
 Never stack heavier things, like
suitcases, inside the vehicle so that
some of them are above the tops of
the seats.
 Don’t leave an unsecured child
restraint in your vehicle.
 When you carry something inside
the vehicle, secure it whenever you
can.
 Don’t leave a seat folded down
unless you need to.
L3U4030A
Towing:

SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
5
85Z04-03E
SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CAREService ................................................................................. 5-1
Fuel ....................................................................................... 5-1
Checking Things Under the Hood ..................................... 5-4
Headlamp Aiming ................................................................ 5-23
Bulb Replacement ............................................................... 5-23
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement .............................. 5-28
Tires ...................................................................................... 5-28
Tire Pressure Monitoring System ...................................... 5-33
Appearance Care ................................................................. 5-45
Vehicle Identification .......................................................... 5-49
Electrical System ................................................................ 5-49
Capacities and Specifications ........................................... 5-54

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SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
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Windshield Wiper Blade
ReplacementWindshield wiper blades should be
inspected at least twice a year for wear or
cracking. If the wiper blades become brittle
or damaged, or make streaks when wiping,
replace the wiper blades for optimum driv-
ing visibility. Replacement blades come in
different types and are removed in different
ways.
Here’s how to remove the Shepherd’s
Hook type:
1) Pull the windshield wiper arm away
from the windshield.
2) Press the retaining clip (A) and pull the
wiper blade off the arm.
3) Install a new blade by reversing the
steps 1 and 2.
TiresYour new vehicle comes with high-quality
tires made by a leading tire manufacturer.
If you ever have questions about your tire
warranty and where to obtain service, see
your SUZUKI Warranty booklet for details.
For additional information refer to the tire
manufacturer’s booklet included with your
vehicle’s Owner’s Manual.
Tire Sidewall LabelingUseful information about a tire is molded
into its sidewall. The examples below show
a typical passenger car tire and a spare
tire sidewall.
Passenger Car Tire Example
A. Tire Size
The tire size is a combination of let-
ters and numbers used to define a
particular tire’s width, height, aspect
ratio, construction type and service
description. See the “Tire Size” illus-
WARNING
Poorly maintained and improperly
used tires are dangerous.
 Overloading your tires can cause
overheating as a result of too much
friction. You could have an air-out
and a serious accident. See “Load-
ing Your Vehicle” in the Index.
 Under inflated tires pose the same
danger as overloaded tires. The
resulting accident could cause
serious injury. Check all tires fre-
quently to maintain the recom-
mended pressure. Tire pressure
should be checked when your tires
are cold.
 Overi nflated tires are more likely to
be cut, punctured or broken by a
sudden impact – such as when you
hit a pothole. Keep tires at the rec-
ommended pressure.
(Continued)
WARNING
(Continued)
 Worn, old tires can cause acci-
dents. If your tread is badly worn,
or if your tires have been damaged,
replace them.
Tires:

5-29SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
85Z04-03E
tration later in this section for more
detail.
B. Department of Transportation (DOT)
Code
The Department of Transportation
(DOT) code indicates that the tire is in
compliance with the U.S. Department
of Transportation Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards.
C. Tire Identification Number (TIN)
The letters and numbers following the
DOT code are the Tire Identification
Number (TIN). The TIN shows the
manufacturer and plant code, tire size
and the date the tire was manufac-
tured. The TIN is molded on to both
sides of the tire, although only one
side may have the date of manufac-
ture.
D. Tire Ply Material
The type of cord and number of plies
in the sidewall and under the tread.
E. Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG)
Tire manufacturers are required to
grade tires based on three perfor-
mance factors: treadwear, traction
and temperature resistance.
F. Maximum Cold Inflation Load Limit
Maximum load that can be carried
and the maximum pressure needed to
support that load.
G. Load Index and Speed Rating
The two- or three-digit number is the
tire’s load index, the maximum load a
tire can carry at the speed indicated
by its speed symbol at the maximuminflation pressure. The higher the
number is, the greater the load carry-
ing capacity. The letter symbol
denotes the speed at which a tire is
designed to be driven for extended
periods of time. (Ratings are listed
below.)
*The letters ZR may be used on tires with a
maximum speed capability over 149 mph
and will always be used on tires with a
maximum speed capability over 186 mph.Compact Spare Tire Example
A. Temporary Use Only Marking
The compact spare tire should not be
driven at speeds over 50 mph (80 km/
h). The compact spare tire is for
emergency use when a regular road
tire has lost air and gone flat. See
“Compact Spare Tire” and “If a Tire
Goes Flat” in this section.
B. Tire Ply Material
The type of cord and number of plies
in the sidewall and under the tread.
C. Tire Identification Number (TIN)
The Tire Identification Number (TIN)
shows the manufacturer and plant
code, tire size, and date the tire was
manufactured. The TIN is molded
onto both sides of the tire, although
only one side may have the date of
manufacture.
D. Maximum Cold Inflation Load Limit
Maximum load that can be carried Letter Rating Speed Rating
Q 99 mph
R106 mph
S112 mph
T118 mph
U124 mph
H130 mph
V149 mph
W 168 mph*
Y 186 mph*
Tires:

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SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
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and the maximum pressure needed to
support that load. See “Compact
Spare Tire” in this section and “Load-
ing Your Vehicle” in section 4.
E. Tire Inflation Pressure
The temporary use tire or compact
spare tire should be inflated to 60 psi
(420 kPa). For more information on
tire pressure and inflation, see “Tire
Inflation Pressure” in this section.
F. T i r e S i z e
A combination of letters and numbers
defining a tire’s width, height, aspect
ratio, construction type and service
description. The letter “T” as the first
character in the tire size means the
tire is for temporary use only.
Tire Size
The following illustration shows an exam-
ple of a typical passenger car tire size.
A. Tire Type
This letter code indicates the primary
intended use of the tire. The “P” as
the first character in the tire size
means a passenger vehicle tire engi-
neered to standards set by the U.S.
Tire and Rim Association.
B. Tire Width
The three-digit number indicates the
tire section width in millimeters from
sidewall to sidewall.
C. Aspect Ratio
A two-digit number that indicates the
tire height-to-width measurements.
For example, if the tire size aspect
ratio is “70”, as shown in item “C” of
the illustration, it would mean that thetire’s sidewall is 70% 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 construc-
tion, the letter “D” means diagonal or
bias ply construction; and the letter
“B” means belted-bias ply construc-
tion.
E. Rim Diameter
Diameter of the wheel in inches.
F. Service Description
These characters represent the load
range and the speed rating of a tire.
The load range represents the load
carrying capacity a tire is certified to
carry. The speed rating is the maxi-
mum speed a tire is certified to carry
a load. Speed ratings range from “A”
to “Z”.
WARNING
Your SUZUKI is equipped with tires
which are all the same type and size.
This is important to ensure proper
steering and handling of the vehicle.
Never mix tires of different size or
type on the four wheels of your vehi-
cle. Mixing tires could cause you to
lose control while driving which may
lead to an accident. The size and type
of tires used should be only those
approved by SUZUKI Motor Corpora-
tion as standard or optional equip-
ment for your vehicle.
Tires: