2008 SUZUKI FORENZA parking brake

2-11FEATURES AND CONTROLS
85Z04-03E
How to Turn Off the System Alarm
If the system alarm is active, it can be
deactivated using the following methods:
 Press the Lock or Unlock button on the
remote keyless entry transmitter.
 Unlock the driver’s or passenger’s front
door using the key.
Otherwise, the alarm will automatically
stop after 30 seconds. The system will
then lock the doors and reactivate the
theft-deterrent system.
How to Detect a Tamper Condition
If the hazard lamps flash once when the
Lock or Unlock button on your transmitter
is pressed, that means the theft-security
system alarm was triggered while you
were away.
Daily Inspection ChecklistBefore Driving1) Make sure that windows, mirrors, lights
and reflectors are clean and unob-
structed.
2) Visually check the tires for the following
points:
– the depth of the tread groove
– abnormal wear, cracks and damage
– loose wheel nuts
– existence of foreign material such as
nails, stones, etc.
Refer to “Tires” in the “SERVICE AND
APPEARANCE CARE” section for details.
3) Look for oil or other fluid leaks.
NOTE:
It is normal for water to drip from the air
conditioning system after use.
4) Make sure the hood is fully closed and
latched.
5) Check the headlights, turn signal lights,
brake lights and horn for proper opera-
tion.
6) Lock all doors.
7) Adjust the seat and adjustable head
restraints (if equipped).
8) Check the brake pedal.
9) Adjust the mirrors.
10)Make sure that you and all passengers
have properly fastened your safety
belts.11)Make sure that all warning lights come
on as the key is turned to the “ON” or
“START” position.
12)Check all gauges.
13)Make sure that the BRAKE light turns
off when the parking brake is released.
Once a week, or each time you fill your fuel
tank, perform the following under-hood
checks:
1) Engine oil level
2) Coolant level
3) Brake fluid level
4) Power steering (if equipped) fluid level
5) Windshield washer fluid level
6) Hood latch operation
Pull the hood release handle inside the
vehicle. Make sure that you cannot
open the hood all the way without
releasing the secondary latch. Be sure
to close the hood securely after check-
ing for proper latch operation. See the
item “Lubricate Locks, Hinges & Hood
Latch” under “Chassis and Body” in the
“MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE” section
for the lubrication schedule.
WARNING
Make sure the hood is fully closed
and latched before driving. If it is not,
it can fly up unexpectedly during
driving, obstructing your view and
resulting in an accident.
Theft-Deterrent Systems:
Daily Inspection Checklist:

2-13FEATURES AND CONTROLS
85Z04-03E
Starting Your EngineAutomatic Transmission
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEU-
TRAL (N). Your engine won’t start in any
other position – that’s a safety feature. To
restart when you’re already moving, use
NEUTRAL (N) only.
Manual Transmission
The gear selector should be in NEUTRAL
and the parking brake engaged. Hold the
clutch pedal to the floor and start the
engine. Your vehicle won’t start if the clutch
pedal is not all the way down.
Starting Your Engine
1) With your foot off the accelerator pedal,
turn your ignition key to START. When
the engine starts, let go of the key. The
idle speed will go down as your engine
gets warm.2) If it doesn’t start, wait about 15 seconds
and try again to start the engine by
turning the ignition key to START. Wait
about 15 seconds between each try.
When your engine has run about 10
seconds to warm up, your vehicle is
ready to be driven. Don’t “race” your
engine when it’s cold. If the weather is
below freezing (32°F or 0°C), let the
engine run for a few minutes to warm
up.
3) If your engine still won’t start (or starts
but then stops), it could be flooded with
too much gasoline. Try pushing your
accelerator pedal all the way to the floor
and holding it there as you hold the key
in START for about three seconds. If
the vehicle starts briefly but then stops
again, do the same thing, but this time
keep the pedal down for five or six sec-
onds. This clears the extra gasoline
from the engine.
Automatic Transmission OperationIf your vehicle is equipped with an auto-
matic transmission, the shift lever is
located on the console between the seats.
Movement between certain positions
requires pushing the shift lever to the pas-
senger side while shifting. This prevents
you from changing positions unexpectedly
CAUTION
Don’t try to shift to PARK (P) if your
vehicle is moving. If you do, you
could damage the transmission. Shift
to PARK (P) only when your vehicle is
stopped.
CAUTION
Holding your key in START for longer
than 15 seconds at a time will cause
your battery to be drained much
sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor. Wait
about 15 seconds between each try
to help avoid draining your battery or
damaging your starter.
CAUTION
Your engine is designed to work with
the electronics in your vehicle. If you
add electrical parts or accessories,
you could change the way the engine
operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your SUZUKI
dealer. If you don’t, your engine
might not perform properly.
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FEATURES AND CONTROLS
85Z04-03E
by blocking the straight movement of the
shift lever when the vehicle is moving.
PARK (P):
This position locks your front wheels. It’s
the best position to use when you start
your engine because your vehicle can’t
move easily. Also, this is the only position
from which you can remove the key after
turning it to LOCK.
Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P)
before starting the engine. Your vehicle
has an automatic transmission shift lock
control system. You have to apply your reg-
ular brakes before you can shift from PARK
(P) when the ignition is in the ON position.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease
pressure on the shift lever – push the shiftlever all the way into PARK (P) – as you
maintain brake application. Then move the
shift lever into the gear you wish. See
“Shifting Out of Park (P)” on a later page in
this section.
REVERSE (R):
Use this gear to back up. In order to move
from NEUTRAL (N) to REVERSE (R), you
must press down on the shift lever while
shifting.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get
out of snow, ice or sand without damaging
your transmission, see “If You Are Stuck: In
Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in section 4.
NEUTRAL (N):
In this position, your engine doesn’t con-
nect with the wheels. To restart when
you’re already moving, use NEUTRAL (N)
only. Also, use NEUTRAL (N) when your
vehicle is being towed.AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D):
This position is for normal driving.
THIRD (3):
This position is also used for normal driv-
ing, however, it offers more power and
lower fuel economy than AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE (D). Here are some times
you might choose THIRD (3) instead of
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D):
 When driving on hilly, winding roads.
 When doing down a steep hill.
WARNING
It is dangerous to get out of your
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake
firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the
engine is running unless you have to.
If you have left the engine running,
the vehicle can move suddenly. You
or others could be injured. To be sure
your vehicle won’t move, even when
you’re on fairly level ground, always
set your parking brake and move the
shift lever to PARK (P). See “Shifting
Into Park (P)” in the Index.
CAUTION
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your
vehicle is moving forward could dam-
age your transmission. The repairs
would not be covered by your war-
ranty. Shift to REVERSE (R) only after
your vehicle is stopped.
WARNING
Shifting into a drive gear while your
engine is “racing” (running at high
speed) is dangerous. Unless your
foot is firmly on the brake pedal, your
vehicle could move very rapidly. You
could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift into a drive gear
while your engine is racing.
CAUTION
Damage to your transmission caused
by shifting into a drive gear with the
engine racing isn’t covered by your
warranty. Be sure the engine is not
racing when shifting your vehicle.
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2-17FEATURES AND CONTROLS
85Z04-03E
(2). Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal
as you press the accelerator pedal.
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5):
Shift into THIRD (3), FOURTH (4) and
FIFTH (5), the same way you do for SEC-
OND (2). Slowly let up on the clutch pedal
as you press the accelerator pedal.
To stop, let up on the accelerator pedal and
press the brake pedal. Just before the
vehicle stops, press the clutch pedal and
brake pedal, and shift to NEUTRAL.
NEUTRAL:
Use this position when you start or idle
your engine.
REVERSE (R):
To back up, press down the clutch pedal,
lift up the ring on the shift lever and shift
into REVERSE (R). Let up on the clutch
pedal slowly while pressing the accelerator
pedal.
Also, use REVERSE (R), along with the
parking brake, for parking your vehicle.Shift Speed
Parking BrakeThe parking brake lever is located between
the bucket seats.
To set the parking brake, hold the brake
pedal down and pull up on the parking
brake lever. If the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will come on.
To release the parking brake, hold the
brake pedal down. Pull the parking brakelever up until you can press the release
button. Hold the release button in as you
move the brake lever all the way down.
Winter parking tip
Under cold weather conditions, the parking
brake can freeze in the engaged position.
This is most likely to happen if the brakes
are wet.
If there is a risk that the parking brake may
freeze after driving through water deep
enough to wet brake components or after
having the vehicle washed:
1) Apply the parking brake only tempo-
rarily while you put the gear selector
lever in PARK (P) (for automatic tran-
saxle) or in first or reverse gear (for
manual transaxle).
2) Block the rear wheels with wedge
blocks.
3) Release the parking brake.
CAUTION
Shift into REVERSE (R) only after
your vehicle is stopped. Shifting into
REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving could damage your transmis-
sion. The repairs would not be cov-
ered by your warranty.
WARNING
If you skip a gear when you down-
shift, you could lose control of your
vehicle. You could injure yourself or
others. Don’t shift down more than
one gear at a time when you down-
shift.
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CAUTION
Driving with the parking brake on can
cause your rear brakes to overheat.
You may have to replace them, and
you could also damage other parts of
your vehicle. Verify that the parking
brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
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FEATURES AND CONTROLS
85Z04-03E
Shifting Into Park (P)
(Automatic Transmission)1) Hold the brake pedal down and set the
parking brake.
2) Move the shift lever into PARK (P) posi-
tion.
3) Turn the ignition key to LOCK.
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
PA R K ( 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’ve moved
the shift lever into PARK (P), hold the regu-
lar 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 wasn’t fully
locked into PARK (P).To r q u e L o c k
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t
shift your transmission into PARK (P) prop-
erly, the weight of the vehicle may put too
much force on the parking pawl in the
transmission. 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, see “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 transmission, so
you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
(Automatic Transmission)Your vehicle has a brake transmission shift
interlock system which locks the shift lever
in PARK (P) when the ignition is in the
LOCK position. You have to apply your reg-
ular brakes before you can shift from PARK
(P) when the ignition is in the ON position.
See “Automatic Transmission Operation” in
this section.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P) while
you hold the brake pedal down, try this:
1) Set the parking brake fully.
WARNING
It is dangerous to get out of your
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake
firmly set. Your vehicle can roll. Don’t
leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you
have left the engine running, the
vehicle can move suddenly. You or
others could be injured. To be sure
your vehicle won’t move, even when
you’re on fairly level ground, use the
steps that follow.
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. Don’t leave your vehicle
with the engine running.
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle:

2-19FEATURES AND CONTROLS
85Z04-03E
2) Turn the key to LOCK and remove the
key from the ignition switch.
3) Remove the hole cover from the shift
lock slot with a screwdriver
4) Insert the key into the shift lock slot and
press and hold it.
5) Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
6) Remove the key from the slot, insert it
into the ignition switch and start the
engine.
7) Apply and hold the regular brake fully
and release the parking brake.
8) Shift to the drive gear you want.
9) Have your vehicle fixed as soon as you
can.
Parking Your Vehicle
(Manual Transmission)Before leaving your vehicle, do the follow-
ing:
1) Hold the brake pedal down and firmly
apply the parking brake.
2) Fully press in the clutch pedal and
place the shift lever into the appropriate
position as stated below:
– When parking on level ground, place
the shift lever into FIRST (1) or
REVERSE (R).
– When parking downhill, place the shift
lever in REVERSE (R).
– When parking uphill, place the shift
lever in FIRST (1).
3) After shifting to the appropriate posi-
tion, turn the ignition key to LOCK,
remove the key and release the clutch.
Parking Over Things That Can Burn
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WARNING
Things that can burn could touch hot
exhaust parts under your vehicle and
ignite. Don’t park over papers,
leaves, dry grass or other things that
can burn.
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Starting and Operating Your Vehicle:

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FEATURES AND CONTROLS
85Z04-03E
Engine Exhaust Running Your Engine While You Are
Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine run-
ning. But if you ever have to, here are
some things to know.
Follow the proper steps to be sure your
vehicle won’t move. See “Shifting Into Park
(P)” or “Parking Your Vehicle (Manual
Transmission)” in this section.
WARNING
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains
the gas carbon monoxide (CO), which
you can’t see or smell. It can cause
unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:
 Your exhaust system sounds
strange or different.
 Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
 Your vehicle was damaged in a col-
lision.
 Your vehicle was damaged when
driving over high points on the
road or over road debris.
 Repairs weren’t done correctly.
 Your vehicle or exhaust system had
been modified improperly.
If you ever suspect exhaust is com-
ing into your vehicle:
 Drive it only with all the windows
down to blow out any CO; and
 Have your vehicle fixed immedi-
ately.
WARNING
Idling the engine with the climate
control system off could allow dan-
gerous exhaust into your vehicle. See
the earlier Warning under “Engine
Exhaust.”
Also, idling in a closed-in place can
let deadly carbon monoxide (CO) into
your vehicle even if the climate con-
trol fan is at the highest setting. One
place this can happen is a garage.
Exhaust – with CO – can come in eas-
ily. NEVER park in a garage with the
engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a bliz-
zard. See “Winter Driving” in the
Index.
WARNING
It is dangerous to get out of your
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) or the appropriate position
with the parking brake firmly set.
Your vehicle can roll. To determine
the appropriate position, see “Park-
ing Your Vehicle”. Don’t leave your
vehicle when the engine is running
unless you have to. If you’ve left the
engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure your vehicle won’t
move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking
brake and move the shift lever to
PARK (P) or the appropriate position
as described under “Parking Your
Ve h i cl e ” .
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle:
Mirrors:

3-9INSTRUMENT PANEL
85Z04-03E
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the
ignition, your cruise control set speed
memory is erased.Exterior LampsThe lever on the left side of the steering
column operates the exterior lamps.
The exterior lamp band has three posi-
tions:
(Headlamps):
Turn the band to this position to turn on the
headlamps, together with the following:
 Tail Lamps
 License Plate Lamp
 Instrument Panel Lights
The headlamps will turn off automatically
when the ignition switch is turned to LOCK
or ACC. (Parking Lamps):
Turn the band to this position to turn on the
parking lamps, together with the previously
listed lamps and lights.
OFF (Off):
Turn the band to this position to turn all
lamps off except the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL).
Lamps On Reminder
You will hear a warning chime when the
exterior lamp band is in the or
position and driver’s door is open.
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make
it easier for others to see the front of your
vehicle during the day. DRL can be helpful
in many different driving conditions, but
they can be especially helpful in the short
periods after dawn and before sunset.
The DRL system will make your low-beam
headlamps come on in daylight when the
following conditions are met:
 The ignition is on, and
 the exterior lamp band is in OFF or in the
parking lamp position, and
 the parking brake is released.
When the DRL system is on, the tail lamps,
side marker lamps, parking lamps and
instrument panel lights will not be illumi-
nated unless you have turned the exterior
lamps control to the parking lamp position.An indicator light on the secondary infor-
mation center will come on when the DRL
system is on. See “Daytime Running
Lamps Indicator Light” in this section.
The DRL system will turn off under the fol-
lowing conditions:
 The ignition is off, or
 the parking brakes are on, or
 the high-beam headlamps are on, or
 the low-beam headlamps are on, or
 flash-to-pass is used.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the
regular headlamp system when you need
it.
Fog Lamps
If your vehicle has this feature, use your
fog lamps for better visibility in foggy or
misty conditions.
The control for your front fog lamps is
located on the middle of the turn signal/
multifunction lever. To turn on front fog
lamps, turn the fog lamp band to ON. To
turn off the front fog lamps, turn the fog
lamp band to OFF.
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Instrument Panel Overview: