2008 SUZUKI FORENZA tow

5-39SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
85Z04-03E
See “Changing a Flat Tire” in this section
for more information.
Used Replacement Wheels
Tire Chains
If a Tire Goes FlatIt’s a unusual for a tire to “blowout” while
you’re driving, especially if you maintain
your tire properly. If air goes out of a tire,
it’s much more likely to leak out slowly. But
if you should ever have a “blowout”, here
are a few tips about what to expect and
what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a
drag that pulls the vehicle toward that side.
Take your foot off the accelerator pedal
and grip the steering wheel firmly. Steer to
maintain lane position, and then gently
brake to a stop well out of the traffic lane.A rear blowout, particularly on a curve,
acts much like a skid and may require the
same correction you’d use in a skid. In any
rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under
control by steering the way you want the
vehicle to go. It may be very bumpy and
noisy, but you can still steer. Gently brake
to a stop, well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how
to use your jacking equipment to change a
flat tire safely.
Changing a Flat TireIf a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and
wheel damage by driving slowly to a level
place. Turn on your hazard warning flash-
ers.
CAUTION
The wrong wheel can also cause
problems with bearing life, brake
cooling, speedometer or odometer
calibration, headlamp aim, bumper
height, vehicle ground clearance and
tire or tire chain clearance to the
body and chassis.
WARNING
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle
is dangerous. You can’t know how it’s
been used or how far it’s been driven.
It could fail suddenly and cause a
crash. If you have to replace a wheel,
use a new SUZUKI original equip-
ment wheel.
CAUTION
Use tire chains only where legal and
only when you must. Use only SAE
class “S” type chains that are the
proper size for your tires. Install them
on the front tires and tighten them as
tightly as possible with the ends
securely fastened. Drive slowly and
follow the chain manufacturer’s
instructions. If you can hear the
chains contacting your vehicle, stop
and retighten them. If the contact
continues, slow down until it stops.
Driving too fast or spinning the
wheels with chains on will damage
your vehicle.
WARNING
Lifting a vehicle and getting under it
to do maintenance or repairs is dan-
gerous without the appropriate safety
equipment and training. The jack pro-
vided with your vehicle is designed
only for changing a flat tire. If it is
used for anything else, you or others
could be badly injured or killed if the
vehicle slips off the jack. Use the jack
provided with your vehicle only for
changing a flat tire.
Tires:

5-42
SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
85Z04-03E
4) Insert the jack handle and the wheel
wrench into the jack.
5) Raise the vehicle by turning the jack
handle clockwise. Raise the vehicle far
enough off the ground so there is
enough room for the compact spare tire
to fit underneath the wheel well.
6) Remove all of the wheel nuts by turning
them counterclockwise.
7) Remove the flat tire.8) Remove any rust or dirt from the wheel
bolts, mounting surfaces and spare
wheel.9) Place the compact spare tire on the
wheel-mounting surface.
10)Reinstall the wheel nuts with the
rounded end of the nuts toward the
wheel. Tighten each wheel nut by turn-
ing it clockwise with your hand until the
wheel is held against the hub.
11)Lower the vehicle by turning the wheel
handle counterclockwise. Lower the
jack completely.
12)Tighten the wheel nuts firmly in a criss-
cross sequence as shown.
WARNING
Raising your vehicle with the jack
improperly positioned can damage
the vehicle and even make the vehi-
cle fall. To help avoid personal injury
and vehicle damage, be sure to fit the
jack lift head into the proper location
before raising the vehicle.
WARNING
Rust or dirt on the wheel, or on the
parts to which it is fastened, can
make the wheel nuts become loose
after a time. The wheel could come
off and cause an accident. When you
change a wheel, remove any rust or
dirt from the places where the wheel
attaches to the vehicle. In an emer-
gency, you can use a cloth or a paper
towel to do this, but be sure to use a
scraper or wire brush later, if you
need to, to get all the rust or dirt off.
WARNING
Never use oil or grease on studs or
nuts. If you do, the nuts might come
loose. Your wheel could fall off, caus-
ing a serious accident.
Tires:

5-45SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
85Z04-03E
Appearance CareRemember, cleaning products can be haz-
ardous. Some are toxic. Others can burst
into flames if you strike a match or get
them on a hot part of the vehicle. Some
are dangerous if you breathe their fumes in
a closed space. When you use anything
from a container to clean your vehicle, be
sure to follow the manufacturer’s warnings
and instructions. And always open your
doors or windows when you are cleaning
the inside.
Never use these to clean your vehicle:
 Gasoline
 Benzene
 Naphtha
 Carbon Tetrachloride
 Acetone
 Paint Thinner
 Turpentine
 Lacquer Thinner
 Nail Polish Remover
They can all be hazardous – some more
than others – and they can all damage
your vehicle, too.
Do not use any of these unless this manual
says you can. In many uses, these will
damage your vehicle:
 Alcohol
 Laundry Soap
Bleach
 Reducing Agents
Cleaning the Inside of Your VehicleUse a vacuum cleaner often to get rid of
dust and loose dirt. Wipe vinyl, leather,
plastic and painted surfaces with a clean,
damp cloth.
Cleaning Fabric/Carpet
Your SUZUKI dealer has cleaners for the
cleaning of fabric and carpet. They will
clean normal spots and stains very well.
You can get SUZUKI approved cleaning
products from your SUZUKI dealer. See
“Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials” later
in this section.
Here are some cleaning tips:
 Always read the instructions on the
cleaner label.
 Clean up stains as soon as you can –
before they set.
 Carefully scrape off any excess stain.
 Use a clean cloth or sponge, and change
to a clean area often. A soft brush may
be used if stains are stubborn.
 If a ring forms on fabric after spot clean-
ing, clean the entire area immediately or
it will set.Using Cleaner on Fabric
1) Vacuum and brush the area to remove
any loose dirt.
2) Always clean a whole trim panel or sec-
tion. Mask surrounding trim along stitch
or welt lines.
3) Follow the directions on the container
label.
4) Apply cleaner with a clean sponge.
Don’t saturate the material and don’t
rub it roughly.
5) As soon as you’ve cleaned the section,
use a sponge to remove any excess
cleaner.
6) Wipe cleaned area with a clean, water-
dampened towel or cloth.
7) Wipe with a clean cloth and let dry.
Specific Fabric Cleaning Problems
Stains caused by such things as catsup,
coffee (black), egg, fruit, fruit juice, milk,
soft drinks, vomit, urine and blood can be
removed as follows:
1) Carefully scrape off excess stain, then
sponge the soiled area with cool water.
2) If a stain remains, follow the cleaner
instructions described earlier.
3) If an odor lingers after cleaning vomit or
urine, treat the area with a water/baking
soda solution: 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of bak-
ing soda to 1 cup (250 ml) of lukewarm
water.
4) Let dry.
Appearance Care:

5-47SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
85Z04-03E
SUZUKI dealer. See “Vehicle Care/
Appearance Materials” later in this section.
Don’t use cleaning agents that are petro-
leum based, or that contain acid or abra-
sives. All cleaning agents should be
flushed promptly and not allowed to dry on
the surface, or they could stain. Dry the fin-
ish with a soft, clean chamois or an all-cot-
ton towel to avoid surface scratches and
water spotting.
High pressure car washes may cause
water to enter your vehicle.
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses
Use only lukewarm or cold water, a soft
cloth and a car washing soap to clean
exterior lamps and lenses. Follow instruc-
tions under Washing Your Vehicle.
Finish Care
Occasional waxing or mild polishing of
your vehicle by hand may be necessary to
remove residue from the paint finish. You
can get SUZUKI-approved cleaning prod-
ucts from your SUZUKI dealer. See “Vehi-
cle Care/Appearance Materials” later in
this section.
Your vehicle has a “basecoat/clear coat”
paint finish. The clear coat gives more
depth and gloss to the colored basecoat.
Always use waxes and polishes that are
non-abrasive and made for a basecoat/
clear coat paint finish.Foreign materials such as calcium chloride
and other salts, ice melting agents, road oil
and tar, tree sap, bird droppings, chemicals
from industrial chimneys, etc., can damage
your vehicle’s finish if they remain on
painted surfaces. Wash the vehicle as
soon as possible. If necessary, use non-
abrasive cleaners that are marked safe for
painted surfaces to remove foreign matter.
Exterior painted surfaces are subject to
aging, weather and chemical fallout that
can take their toll over a period of years.
You can help to keep the paint finish look-
ing new by keeping your vehicle garaged
or covered whenever possible.
Cleaning Windshield and Wiper Blades
If the windshield is not clear after using the
windshield washer, or if the wiper blade
chatters when running, wax, sap or other
material may be on the blade or wind-
shield.
Clean the outside of the windshield with a
full-strength glass cleaning liquid. The
windshield is clean if beads do not form
when you rinse it with water.Grime from the windshield will stick to the
wiper blades and affect their performance.
Clean the blades by wiping vigorously with
a cloth soaked in full-strength windshield
washer solvent. Then rinse the blades with
water.
Check the wiper blades and clean them as
necessary; replace blades that look worn.
Cleaning Aluminum Wheels
Keep your wheels clean using a soft clean
cloth with mild soap and water. Rinse with
clean water. After rinsing thoroughly, dry
with a soft clean towel. A wax may then be
applied.
The surface of these wheels is similar to
the painted surface of your vehicle. Don’t
use strong soaps, chemicals, abrasive pol-
ishes, abrasive cleaners, cleaners with
acid, or abrasive cleaning brushes on them
because you could damage the surface.
Do not use chrome polish on aluminum
wheels.
Don’t take your vehicle through an auto-
matic car wash that has silicone carbide
tire cleaning brushes. These brushes can
also damage the surface of these wheels.
Cleaning Tires
To clean your tires, use a stiff brush with
tire cleaner.
CAUTION
Machine compounding or aggressive
polishing on a basecoat/clearcoat
paint finish may dull the finish or
leave swirl marks.
Appearance Care:
Vehicle Identification:
Electrical System:

8-4INDEX
85Z04-03E
Passenger Air Bag Off Indicator
........................................3-26
Passenger Compartment Air Filter ....................................3-17
Passenger Sensing System
................................................1-31
Power Door Locks
...............................................................2-5
Power Steering Fluid ...........................................................5-17
Power Windows
...................................................................2-9
Power Windows and Other Power Options
.......................5-50
QQuestions and Answers About Safety Belts
.....................1-7
RRadio with Six-Disc CD (Double Display, MP3/WMA)
(AGH-5400)
...........................................................................3-37
Rear Center Seat Belt (Sedan only)
...................................1-13
Rear Door Security Locks
...................................................2-5
Rear Seat Armrest
...............................................................2-23
Rear Seat Passengers
.........................................................1-11
Rear Seats
............................................................................1-4
Rear Sidemarker Lamps
.....................................................5-27
Rear Window and Outside Rearview Mirror Defogger
.....3-16
Rear Window Washer/Wiper
...............................................3-7
Reclining Seatbacks
............................................................1-2
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
..............................6-10
Recreational Vehicle Towing
..............................................4-16
Remote Keyless Entry System ...........................................2-1
Remote Keyless Entry System Operation
.........................2-2
Replacement Bulbs
.............................................................5-27
Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash
.............1-35
Reporting Safety Defects
....................................................7-4
Restraint System Check .....................................................1-34
Right Front Passenger Position
.........................................1-11
Roof Rack (Wagon only)
.....................................................2-25Running Your Engine While You Are Parked
................... 2-20
SSafety Belt: They are for Everyone .................................... 1-5
Safety Belt Extender
........................................................... 1-15
Safety Belt Pretensioner System
....................................... 1-14
Safety Belt Reminder Light
................................................ 3-19
Safety Belt Reminder Tone ................................................ 3-19
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
.................................... 1-10
Safety Belts
......................................................................... 1-5
Safety Certification Label
................................................... 7-2
Scheduled Maintenance Services
..................................... 6-2
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the LATCH
System
................................................................................. 1-24
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat Position
......... 1-25
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat
Position
................................................................................ 1-26
Securing a Child Restraint with Top Strap
....................... 1-22
Selecting the Right Condition
............................................ 6-1
Service
................................................................................. 5-1
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
........................ 1-34
Sheet Metal Damage
........................................................... 5-48
Shifting Into Park (P) .......................................................... 2-18
Shifting Out of Park (P) ...................................................... 2-18
Side Storage Box (Wagon only)
........................................ 2-24
Spare Tire
............................................................................ 5-44
Specifications
...................................................................... 5-54
Speed Sensitive Power Steering (SSPS) Warning
Light
..................................................................................... 3-22
Speedometer and Odometer
.............................................. 3-18
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
................................ 2-12
Starting Your Engine
.......................................................... 2-13

8-5
INDEX85Z04-03E
Steering
................................................................................4-5
STEERING WHEEL REMOTE OPERATION
............. 3-36
, 3-44
Storage Areas
......................................................................2-22
Sun Visors
............................................................................2-9
Sunglasses Storage Compartment
....................................2-23
Sunroof
.................................................................................2-26
Supplemental Restraint System (air bags)
.......................1-27
TTachometer
..........................................................................3-19
Tail/Stop Lamps, Turn Signal Lamps and Backup
Lamps (Sedan) .....................................................................5-26
Tail/Stop Lamps, Turn Signal Lamps and Backup
Lamps (Wagon) ....................................................................5-26
Theft-Deterrent Systems
.....................................................2-10
Tilt Wheel
..............................................................................3-4
Tire Chains ...........................................................................5-39
Tire Inflation Pressure
.........................................................5-35
Tire Inspection and Rotation
..............................................5-35
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
......................................5-33
Tire Pressure Monitoring System Warning Light
.............3-26
Tire Sidewall Labeling
.........................................................5-28
Tire Size
................................................................................5-30
Tires
......................................................................................5-28
Top Strap
..............................................................................1-21
Top Strap Anchor Location
................................................1-22
Towing
..................................................................................4-16
Towing a Trailer
...................................................................4-19
Towing Your Vehicle
...........................................................4-16
Trip Odometer
......................................................................3-19
Trunk (Sedan) ......................................................................2-6
Trunk Ajar Light ...................................................................3-26Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
........................................ 3-4
UUnder Floor Bins (Wagon only)
......................................... 2-24
Underbody Maintenance
.................................................... 5-48
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
............................................. 5-37
VVehicle Care/Appearance Materials
.................................. 5-48
Vehicle Identification
.......................................................... 5-49
Vehicle Identification Number
........................................... 7-1
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
.................................. 5-49
Vehicle Loading
.................................................................. 5-36
WWarning Lights, Gauges and Indicators
........................... 3-18
Warranties
........................................................................... 7-2
Weatherstrips ...................................................................... 5-46
What Makes an Air Bag Inflate?
........................................ 1-33
What Will You See After an Air Bag Inflates?
.................. 1-33
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
................................... 5-38
Wheel Replacement
............................................................ 5-38
When It Is Time for New Tires
............................................ 5-36
When Should an Air Bag Inflate?
...................................... 1-32
When to Add Engine Oil
..................................................... 5-7
Where Are the Air Bags? .................................................... 1-30
Where to Put the Restraint ................................................. 1-20
Windows
.............................................................................. 2-8
Windshield Washer Fluid
................................................... 5-18
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.............................. 5-28
Windshield Wiper Fuses
.................................................... 5-49
Windshield Wiper/Washer Lever
....................................... 3-5
Winter Driving
..................................................................... 4-13