2008 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA warning

8-6
VEHICLE LOADING AND TOWING
66J22-03E
60A186
WARNING
(Continued)
 Avoid “riding” the brakes. “Riding”
the brakes could cause the brakes
to overheat, resulting in reduced
braking efficiency. Use engine
braking as much as possible.
 Because of the added trailer
weight, your engine may overheat
on hot days when going up long or
steep hills. Pay attention to your
engine temperature gauge. If it indi-
cates overheating, pull off the road
and stop in a safe place. Refer to
the “If the Engine Overheats” in
“EMERGENCY SERVICE” section
for details on how to proceed.
WARNING
When parking your vehicle and con-
nected trailer, always use the follow-
ing procedure:
1) Apply the vehicle’s brakes firmly.
2) Have another person place wheel
chocks under the wheels of the
vehicle and the trailer while you
are holding the brakes.
3) Slowly release the brakes until the
wheel chocks absorb the load.
4) Fully engage the parking brake.
5) Manual Transmission – Shift into
Reverse or first gear and turn off
the engine.
Automatic Transmission – Shift
into Park and turn off the engine.
6) If you have a 4-wheel drive vehi-
cle, make sure the transfer switch
is not in “N” (Neutral).
(Continued)
WARNING
(Continued)
When starting out after parking:
1) Push in the clutch (if equipped)
and start the engine.
2) Depress the brake pedal, shift into
gear, release the parking brake
and slowly pull away from the
chocks.
3) Stop, apply the brakes firmly and
hold the brakes while you have
another person remove the
chocks.
Trailer Towing: 5, 11, 13

8-8
VEHICLE LOADING AND TOWING
66J22-03E
Before towing
64J147
Vehicles equipped with a transfer switch
may be towed from the front with all four
wheels on the ground. Be sure to use
proper towing equipment designed for rec-
reational towing and make sure that towing
speed does not exceed 90 km/h (55 mph).To tow a vehicle equipped with a trans-
fer switch with all four wheels on the
ground:
1) Turn the ignition key to the “ON” posi-
tion.
2) Place the transmission in “N” (Neutral)
and depress the brake pedal and the
clutch pedal fully (if equipped).
3) Use the transfer switch to shift into neu-
tral.
64J218
NOTE:
First, push in and turn the switch to the
mark (1) at the left of the “N” position, and
hold the switch in this position for 5 sec-
onds until the “N” indicator blinks, then turn
the switch to the “N” position.
When you turn the transfer switch to the
“N” position, “N” indicator will come on with
the buzzer sound.
4) Make sure the “N” light on the instru-
ment cluster comes on.
5) Shift the manual transmission lever into
2nd gear or the automatic transmission
lever into “P” (Park).
6) Turn the ignition key to the “ACC” posi-
tion to unlock the steering wheel.
WARNING
When you tow your vehicle, follow
the instructions below to avoid acci-
dents and damage to your vehicle. In
addition, be sure to observe govern-
ment and local requirements regard-
ing vehicle lighting and trailer hitches
or tow bars.
WARNING
A safety chain should always be used
when you tow your vehicle.
CAUTION
Do not tow your vehicle with either
front wheels or rear wheels directly
on the ground (and the transmission
in neutral). If you do, the transmis-
sion will be damaged fatally.
(1)
Towing Your Vehicle (recreational towing): 13

9-1INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
66J22-03E
60A187S
WARNING
You should take extreme care when
working on your vehicle to prevent
accidental injury. Here are a few pre-
cautions that you should be espe-
cially careful to observe:
 To prevent damage or unintended
inflation of the air bag system, be
sure the battery is disconnected
and the ignition switch has been in
the “LOCK” position for at least 90
seconds before performing any
electrical service work on your
SUZUKI. Do not touch air bag sys-
tem components or wires. The
wires are wrapped with yellow tape
or yellow tubing, and the couplers
are yellow for easy identification.
(Continued)
WARNING
(Continued)
 Do not leave the engine running in
garages or other confined areas.
 When the engine is running, keep
hands, clothing, tools and other
objects away from the moving fan
and fan belt.
 When it is necessary to do service
work with the engine running, make
sure that the parking brake is set
fully and the transmission is in
Neutral (for manual transmission
vehicles) or Park (for automatic
transmission vehicles).
 Do not touch ignition wires or other
ignition system parts when starting
the engine or when the engine is
running, or you could receive an
electric shock.
 Be careful not to touch a hot
engine, exhaust manifold and
pipes, muffler, radiator and water
hoses.
 Do not allow smoking, sparks or
flames around gasoline or the bat-
tery. Flammable fumes are present.
 Do not get under your vehicle if it is
supported only with the portable
jack provided in your vehicle.
(Continued)
WARNING
(Continued)
 Be careful not to cause accidental
short circuits between the positive
and negative battery terminals.
 Keep used oil, engine coolant and
other fluids away from children and
pets. Dispose of used fluids prop-
erly; never pour them on the
ground, into sewers, etc.

9-2
INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
66J22-03E
NOTICE (for U.S.A.)
Maintenance, replacement or repair of
the emission control devices and sys-
tems may be performed by any automo-
bile repair establishment or individual
using any part which has been certified
under the provisions in the Clean Air
Act sec. 207. (a) (2).
Maintenance ScheduleThe following table shows the times when
you should perform regular maintenance
on your vehicle. This table shows in miles,
kilometers and months when you should
perform inspections, adjustments, lubrica-
tion and other services. These intervals
should be shortened if driving is usually
done under severe conditions (refer to
“Maintenance Recommended Under
Severe Driving Conditions”).
WARNING
SUZUKI recommends that mainte-
nance on items marked with an aster-
isk (*) be performed by your
authorized SUZUKI dealer or a quali-
fied service technician. If you are
qualified, you may perform mainte-
nance on the unmarked items by
referring to the instructions in this
section. If you are not sure whether
you can successfully complete any of
the unmarked maintenance jobs, ask
your authorized SUZUKI dealer to do
the maintenance for you.
CAUTION
Whenever it becomes necessary to
replace parts on your vehicle, it is
recommended that you use genuine
SUZUKI replacement parts or their
equivalent.
WARNING
The shock absorbers are filled with
high pressure gas. Never attempt to
disassemble it or throw it into a fire.
Avoid storing it near a heater or heat-
ing device. When scrapping the
absorber, the gas must be released
from the absorber safely. Ask your
dealer for assistance.
Maintenance Schedule: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10

9-9INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
66J22-03E
Drive BeltMake sure the drive belt tension is correct.
If the belt is too loose, insufficient battery
charging, engine overheating, poor power
steering, poor air conditioning or excessive
belt wear can result. When you press the
belt with your thumb midway between the
pulleys, there should be a deflection
according to the following chart.
The belts should also be examined to
ensure that they are not damaged.
If you need to replace or adjust the belt
have it done by your SUZUKI dealer.
52D029
Engine Oil and FilterSpecified Oil
52D083
(1) Preferred
Use engine oil with the American Petro-
leum Institute Certified For Gasoline
Engines “Starburst” symbol.
Select the appropriate oil viscosity accord-
ing to the above chart.
We highly recommend you use SAE 5W-
30 oil.
WARNING
When the engine is running, keep
hands, hair, clothing, tools, etc. away
from the moving fan and drive belts.
DEFL: 4 – 7 mm (0.16 – 0.28 in.) DEFL: 9 – 11 mm (0.35 – 0.43 in.)
PS
GE
AC
→: 100 N (22 lbs, 10 kg) press
GE: Generator
DEFL: Deflection
PS: Power steering pump
AC: Air conditioner compressor
CAUTION
Failure to use the recommended oil
can result in engine damage.C
Fo o-30
-22-20
-4-10
14 32 50 68 86 104010203040
10W-30
(1)
5W-30
Temperature
EXAMPLE
“Starburst”
Drive Belt: 1, 2
Engine Oil and Filter: 1, 2

9-11INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
66J22-03E
Changing Engine Oil and Filter
60G306
Drain the engine oil while the engine is still
warm.
1) Remove the oil filler cap.
2) Remove the engine under cover.
3) Place a drain pan under the drain plug.
4) Using a wrench, remove the drain plug
and drain out the engine oil.5) Reinstall the drain plug and gasket.
Tighten the plug with a wrench to the
specified torque.
6) Reinstall the engine under cover.
Replace the Oil Filter
60A198
1) Remove the engine under cover.
2) Using an oil filter wrench, turn the oil fil-
ter counterclockwise and remove it.
3) Using a clean rag, wipe off the mount-
ing surface on the engine where the
new filter will be seated.
4) Smear a little engine oil around the rub-
ber gasket of the new oil filter.
5) Screw on the new filter by hand until the
filter gasket contacts the mounting sur-
face.
WARNING
The engine oil temperature may be
high enough to burn your fingers
when the drain plug is loosened. Wait
until the drain plug is cool enough to
touch with your bare hands.EXAMPLE
WARNING
New and used oil and solvent can be
hazardous. Children and pets may be
harmed by swallowing new or used
oil or solvent. Repeated, prolonged
contact with used engine oil may
cause skin cancer. Brief contact with
used oil or solvent may irritate skin.
 Keep new and used oil and solvent
away from children and pets.
 Wear a long-sleeve shirt and water-
proof gloves.
 Wash with soap if oil or solvent
contacts your skin.
Tightening torque specification
35 Nm (25.3 lb-ft, 3.5 kg-m)
CAUTION
To tighten the oil filter properly, it is
important to accurately identify the
position at which the filter gasket
first contacts the mounting surface.
Engine Oil and Filter: 1, 2

9-15INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
66J22-03E
Gear Oil ReplacementTo change the gear oil in the manual trans-
mission, transfer case, extension case or
differential(s), use the following procedure:
1) Remove the oil filler plug (1).
2) Remove the drain plug (2), drain the oil
and reinstall the drain plug.
3) Pour new gear oil of the specified type
through the filler hole until the oil level
reaches the bottom of the filler hole.
4) Reinstall the filler plug.Tightening torque
Automatic Transmission
FluidSpecified FluidUse an automatic transmission fluid
SUZUKI ATF 3317 or Mobil ATF 3309.Fluid Level CheckYou must check the fluid level with the
automatic transmission fluid at normal
operating temperature.
To check the fluid level:
1) To warm up the transmission fluid, drive
the vehicle or idle the engine until the
temperature gauge indicates normal
operating temperature.
2) Then drive for ten more minutes.
WARNING
After driving the vehicle, gear oil tem-
perature may be high enough to burn
you. Wait until the oil filler plug is
cool enough to touch with your bare
hands before inspecting or replacing
gear oil.
CAUTION
When tightening these plugs, apply
sealing compound “SUZUKI Bond
No. 1215” or equivalent to the plug
threads to prevent oil leakage and
tighten them to the specified torque
shown below.
Oil Filler
PlugOil Drain
Plug
Manual
transmission23 Nm
(17.0 lb-ft)
(2.3 kg-m) 23 Nm
(17.0 lb-ft)
(2.3 kg-m)
Tr a n s f e r23 Nm
(17.0 lb-ft)
(2.3 kg-m) 23 Nm
(17.0 lb-ft)
(2.3 kg-m)
Extension
case23 Nm
(17.0 lb-ft)
(2.3 kg-m) 23 Nm
(17.0 lb-ft)
(2.3 kg-m)
Front
differential23 Nm
(17.0 lb-ft)
(2.3 kg-m) 23 Nm
(17.0 lb-ft)
(2.3 kg-m)
Rear
differential23 Nm
(17.0 lb-ft)
(2.3 kg-m) 23 Nm
(17.0 lb-ft)
(2.3 kg-m)
CAUTION
Driving with too much or too little
fluid can damage the transmission.
CAUTION
Be sure to use the specified auto-
matic transmission fluid. Using auto-
matic transmission fluid other than
SUZUKI ATF 3317 or Mobil ATF 3309
may damage the automatic transmis-
sion of your vehicle.
Automatic Transmission Fluid: 10
Engine Coolant: 1, 2

9-16
INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
66J22-03E
NOTE:
Do not check the fluid level if you have just
driven the vehicle for a long time at high
speed, if you have driven in city traffic in
hot weather, or if the vehicle has been pull-
ing a trailer. Wait until the fluid cools down
(about 30 minutes), or the fluid level indica-
tion will not be correct.
3) Park your vehicle on level ground.
4) Apply the parking brake and then start
the engine in “P” (Park). Let it idle for
two minutes and keep it running during
the fluid level check.
5) With your foot on the brake pedal, move
the gearshift lever through each gear,
pausing for about three seconds in
each range. Then move it back to the
“P” (Park) position.
52D032
The handle of the A/T fluid dipstick is col-
ored red for easy identification.
65D109
6) Remove the dipstick, clean it and push
it back in until the cap seats. Pull out
the dipstick and read the fluid level. The fluid level should be between the
two marks in the “HOT” range on the
dipstick.
7) Add just enough specified fluid through
the dipstick hole to fill the transmission
to the proper level.
Changing OilSince special procedures, materials and
tools are required to change the automatic
transmission oil, it is recommended that
you trust this job to your authorized
SUZUKI dealer.
WARNING
Be sure to depress the brake pedal
when moving the gearshift lever, or
the vehicle can move suddenly.
FULL HOT
LOW HOT
CAUTION
After checking or adding oil, be sure
to insert the dipstick securely.
Engine Coolant: 1, 2