2008 SUZUKI RENO warning light

2-9FEATURES AND CONTROLS
85Z14-03E
– The security light (A) will flash once
every 0.8 seconds to indicate that the
theft-deterrent system is armed. The
security light is located on the driver’s
door lock.
To avoid activating the alarm by accident,
do the following:
 Lock the vehicle with the key or the man-
ual door lock after the doors are closed if
you don’t want to arm the theft-deterrent
system.
 Unlock the driver’s or passenger’s front
door with the key or use the remote key-
less entry transmitter. Pressing the
UNLOCK button on the remote keyless
entry transmitter disables the theft-deter-
rent system. Unlocking a door any other
way will activate the alarm when a door
or the trunk is opened.The theft-deterrent system will not arm
when you lock the doors using the key or
the manual door lock. It arms only when
you use the remote keyless entry transmit-
ter.
Disarming the System
To disarm the system, do the following:
 Unlock the driver’s or passenger’s front
door using the key, or
 Press the Unlock button on the transmit-
ter.
– The LED on the transmitter will flash
once.
– All of the doors will unlock.
– The hazard warning lamps will flash
twice.
– The theft-deterrent mode will deacti-
vate.
How the System Alarm is Activated
If a door or the trunk is opened without the
key or the remote keyless entry transmitter,
the horn will sound and the lamps will flash
for up to 30 seconds.
The theft-deterrent system won’t arm if you
lock the doors with the key or use the man-
ual door lock. It activates only if you use
the remote keyless entry transmitter.
If the door is not opened or if the engine is
not started within 30 seconds after disarm-
ing the system with the transmitter, all of
the doors will automatically lock and the
theft-deterrent mode will reactivate.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.
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Theft-Deterrent Systems:

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FEATURES AND CONTROLS
85Z14-03E
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 seat 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.
Starting and Operating Your
VehicleNew Vehicle Break-In
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.
CAUTION
Your vehicle doesn’t need an elabo-
rate “break-in.” But it will perform
better in the long run if you follow
these guidelines:
 Don’t drive at any one speed – fast
or slow – for the first 500 miles (805
km). Don’t make full-throttle starts.
 Avoid making hard stops for the
first 200 miles (322 km) or so. Dur-
ing this time your new brake linings
aren’t yet broken in. Hard stops
with new linings can mean prema-
ture wear and earlier replacement.
Follow this break-in guideline every
time you get new brake linings.
Daily Inspection Checklist:
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle:

2-11FEATURES AND CONTROLS
85Z14-03E
Ignition PositionsWith the key in the ignition switch, you can
turn the key to four different positions.LOCK:
This position locks your steering wheel,
ignition, automatic transmission shift lever
and automatic transmission. This is the
only position from which you can remove
the key. For easier key operation when
unlocking the steering wheel, move the
steering wheel back and forth while turning
the key to the ACC position.
ACC (ACCESSORY):
This position operates some of your elec-
trical accessories, such as the radio, but
not the ventilation fan. Press in the switch
as you turn it away from you.
ON:
This is the position to which the switch
returns after you start your engine and
release the key. The switch stays in ON
when the engine is running. But even when
the engine is not running, you can use ON
to operate your electrical accessories, and
to display some instrument panel warning
lights.
START:
This position starts the engine. When the
engine starts, release the key. The ignition
switch will return to ON for normal driving.
Do not turn the key to START if the engine
is running.
Even if the engine is not running, ACC and
ON allow you to operate electrical acces-
sories, such as the radio.
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.
WARNING
On manual transmission vehicles,
turning the key to LOCK and remov-
ing it will lock the steering column
and result in a loss of ability to steer
the vehicle. This could cause a colli-
sion. If you need to turn the engine
off while the vehicle is moving, turn
the key only to ACC. Don’t push the
key in while the vehicle is moving.
CAUTION
If your key seems stuck in LOCK and
you can’t turn it, be sure you are
using the correct key; if so, is it all
the way in? If it is, then turn the steer-
ing wheel left and right while you turn
the key hard. Turn the key only with
your hand. Using a tool to force it
could break the key or the ignition
switch. If none of these works, then
your vehicle needs service.
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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.
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle:

2-16
FEATURES AND CONTROLS
85Z14-03E
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.
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle:

INSTRUMENT PANEL
3
85Z14-03E
INSTRUMENT PANELInstrument Panel Overview ................................................ 3-1
Climate Controls ................................................................. 3-12
Warning Lights, Gauges and Indicators ........................... 3-18
Audio System ...................................................................... 3-29

3-1INSTRUMENT PANEL
85Z14-03E
Instrument Panel OverviewThe main components of your instrument panel are the following:
A. Air Outlet
B. Instrument Panel Cluster
C. Air Outlet
D. Hazard Warning Flashers Button
E. Digital ClockF. Audio System
G. Instrument Panel Brightness Control
H. Hood Release
I. Climate Control System
J. AshtrayK. Cigarette Lighter
L. Glove Box
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Instrument Panel Overview:

3-7INSTRUMENT PANEL
85Z14-03E
Setting Cruise Control
The cruise control pad is located on the
right side of the steering wheel.
1) Press the ON/OFF button to turn cruise
control on.
2) Accelerate to the speed you want.
3) Press the SET button and release it. An
indicator light on the instrument panel
cluster will come on to show you thatthe cruise control is on. See “Cruise
Control Light” in this section.
4) Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a
desired speed and then you apply the
brake pedal, or depress the clutch pedal if
you have a manual transmission. This, of
course, shuts off the cruise control. But
you do not need to reset it. Once you are
going about 24 mph (39 km/h) or more,
you can tap the RESUME button.
You will go right back up to your chosen
speed and stay there.
If you hold in the RESUME button longer,
the vehicle will keep going faster until you
release the button or apply the brake
pedal. So unless you want to go faster, do
not hold in the RESUME button.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
There are two ways to go to a higher
speed:
 Use the accelerator pedal to get to a
higher speed. Press the SET button,
then release the button and the acceler-
ator pedal. You will now cruise at the
higher speed.
 Press the RESUME button. Hold it there
until you get up to the speed you want,
and then release the button. To increase
your speed in very small amounts, tapthe RESUME button and then release it.
Each time you do this, your vehicle will
go about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster. The
accelerate feature will only work after
you turn on the cruise control by press-
ing the SET button.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed
while using cruise control:
 Press the SET button until you reach the
lower speed you want, then release it.
 To slow down in very small amounts, tap
the SET button. Each time you do this,
you will go about 1 mph (1.6 km/h)
slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your
speed. When you take your foot off the
pedal, your vehicle will slow down to the
cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on
hills depends upon your speed, load and
the steepness of the hills. When going up
steep hills, you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed.
When going downhill, you may have to
brake or shift to a lower gear to keep your
speed down. Of course, applying the brake
pedal takes you out of cruise control. Many
WARNING
If you leave your cruise control on
when you are not using cruise, you
might hit a button and go into cruise
when you do not want to. You could
be startled and even lose control.
Keep the cruise control switch off
until you want to use cruise control.
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RESUME
ACC
CRUISE
SET
COASTON-OFF
Instrument Panel Overview:

3-8
INSTRUMENT PANEL
85Z14-03E
drivers find this to be too much trouble and
do not use cruise control on steep hills.
Disengaging Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise
control:
 Step lightly on the brake pedal, or
depress the clutch pedal, if you have a
manual transmission.
 Press the ON/OFF button on the cruise
control pad.
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 taillamps,
sidemarker 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.
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Instrument Panel Overview: