2008 SUZUKI RENO warning light

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If the Light Is On Steady
You also may be able to correct the emis-
sion system malfunction by considering the
following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to
fully install the cap. See “Filling Your Tank”
in section 5. The diagnostic system can
determine if the fuel cap has been left off
or is improperly installed. A loose or miss-
ing fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into
the atmosphere. A few driving trips with the
cap properly installed should turn the light
off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of
water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet.
The condition will usually be corrected
when the electrical system dries out. A few
driving trips should turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with qual-
ity fuel. See “Gasoline Octane” in section
5. Poor fuel quality will cause your engine
not to run as efficiently as designed. You
may notice stalling after start-up, stalling
when you put the vehicle into gear, misfir-
ing, hesitation on acceleration or stumbling
on acceleration. (These conditions may go
away once the engine is warmed up.) This
will be detected by the system and cause
the light to turn on.If you experience one or more of these
conditions, change the fuel brand you use.
It will require at least one full tank of the
proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the
light turn off, your SUZUKI dealer can
check the vehicle. Your SUZUKI dealer has
the proper test equipment and diagnostic
tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs
Some state/provincial and local govern-
ments have or may begin programs to
inspect the emission control equipment on
your vehicle. Failure to pass this inspection
could prevent you from getting a vehicle
registration.
Here are some things you need to know to
help your vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if
the Check Engine light is on or is not work-
ing properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if
the OBD (on-board diagnostic) system
determines that critical emission control
systems have not been completely diag-
nosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This
can happen if you have recently replaced
your battery or if your battery has run
down. The diagnostic system is designed
to evaluate critical emission control sys-tems during normal driving. This may take
several days of routine driving. If you have
done this and your vehicle still does not
pass the inspection for lack of OBD system
readiness, your SUZUKI dealer can pre-
pare the vehicle for inspection.
Oil Pressure LightIf you have a low engine oil pressure prob-
lem, this light will stay on after you start
your engine, or come on when you are
driving. This indicates that your engine is
not receiving enough oil.
The engine could be low on oil, or could
have some other oil problem. Have it fixed
immediately.
The oil light could also come on in three
other situations:
 When the ignition is on but the engine is
not running, the light will come on as a
check to show you it is working. The light
will go out after you start the engine. If it
doesn’t come on with the ignition on, you
may have a problem with the fuse or
bulb. Have it fixed right away.
Warning Lights, Gauges and Indicators:

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 If you’re idling at a stop sign, the light
may blink on and then off.
 If you make a hard stop, the light may
come on for a moment. This is normal.
Fog Lamp LightIf your vehicle has this feature, the fog
lamps indicator light will come on when the
fog lamps are in use.
The light will go out when the fog lamps
are turned off.
See “Fog Lamps” under Exterior Lamps in
this section for more information.Cruise Control LightIf your vehicle has this feature, this light will
come on briefly when the ignition is turned
on.
The CRUISE light comes on whenever the
cruise control is set. See “Cruise Control”
in this section. The light will turn off when
the cruise control is turned off.
Highbeam On LightThis light comes on whenever the high-
beam headlamps are on.
See “Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer”
under “Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever” in
this section for additional information.Fuel GaugeYour fuel gauge tells you approximately
how much fuel you have left, when the igni-
tion is on. When the indicator nears empty,
the low fuel warning light will come on. You
WARNING
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure
is low. If you do, your engine can
become so hot that it catches fire.
You or others could be burned. Check
your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
CAUTION
Operating your engine with the low
oil pressure light on can result in
severe engine damage which is not
covered by your warranty.
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still have a little fuel left, but you should get
more soon. See “Low Fuel Warning Light”
in this section for more information.
Here are four things that some owners ask
about. None of these show a problem with
your fuel gauge:
 At the service station, the gas pump
shuts off before the gauge reads full.
 It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up
than the gauge indicated. For example,
the gauge may have indicated the tank
was half full, but it actually took a little
more or less than half the tank’s capacity
to fill the tank.
 The indicator moves a little when you
turn a corner or speed up.
 The gauge goes back to empty when
you turn off the ignition.
For your fuel tank capacity, see “Capacities
and Specifications” in section 5.
Low Fuel Warning LightThis light will come on when the fuel tank is
low on fuel.
To turn it off, add fuel to the fuel tank. See
“Filling Your Tank” in section 5.Door Ajar LightThis light will stay on until all doors are
closed and completely latched.
If the key is in the ignition while the driver’s
door is open, you will also hear a warning
chime.
Make sure that all doors are completely
closed and this light is out before driving.
Daytime Running Lamps Indicator
LightThis light will come on when the Daytime
Running Lamps (DRL) are on.
See “Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)”
under “Exterior Lamps” in this section for
further information on the DRL system.Passenger Air Bag Off IndicatorThe passenger air bag off indicator
appears in the clock display located in the
center of the instrument panel.
When the ignition key is turned to ON or
START, the passenger air bag off indicator
will light for several seconds as a system
check. Then, after several more seconds, if
the words “PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF”
remain lit, it means that the passenger
sensing system has turned off the right
S4U2029A
S5U3002AN5U1002AS
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
Warning Lights, Gauges and Indicators:
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front passenger’s frontal air bag and side
air bag. See “Passenger Sensing System”
in Section 1 for more on this, including
important safety information.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Warning LightThe light comes on when the tire pressure
monitoring system detects that one or
more of your tires is significantly under-
inflated. This light will also come on for a
few seconds and then go off when you turn
the ignition to ON. This indicates that the
tire pressure monitoring system is func-
tioning properly.
WARNING
If the air bag readiness light in the
instrument panel cluster ever comes
on and stays on, it means that some-
thing may be wrong with the air bag
system. If this ever happens, have the
vehicle serviced promptly, because
an adult-size person sitting in the
right front passenger’s seat may not
have the protection of the frontal air
bag and side air bag. See “Air Bag
Readiness Light” in this section.
WARNING
Each tire, including the spare (if pro-
vided), should be checked monthly
when cold and inflated to the inflation
pressure recommended by the vehi-
cle manufacturer on the vehicle plac-
ard or tire inflation pressure label and
this manual. (If your vehicle has tires
of a different size than the size indi-
cated on the vehicle label or tire infla-
tion pressure label, you should
determine the proper tire inflation
pressure for those tires.)
(Continued)
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WARNING
(Continued)
As an added safety feature, your
vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that illuminates a low tire pressure
telltale when one or more of your
tires is significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pres-
sure telltale illuminates, you should
stop and check your tires as soon as
possible and inflate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a signifi-
cantly under-inflated tire causes the
tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure.
Under-inflation also reduces fuel effi-
ciency and tire tread life and may
affect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire mainte-
nance, and it is the driver’s responsi-
bility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has
not reached the level to trigger illumi-
nation of the TPMS low tire pressure
telltale.
(Continued)
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Your vehicle has also been equipped with
a TPMS malfunction indictor to indicate
when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is com-
bined with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction,
the telltale will flash for approximately one
minute and then remain continuously illu-
minated. This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as
the malfunction exists.In this situation, please have the system
inspected by an authorized service facility.
If you replace one or more tires and the
TPMS warning light goes off during driv-
ing, there is no problem. However, if the
warning light does not go off, or if it flashes
again when the vehicle is driven, have the
vehicle inspected by an authorized service
facility.
WARNING
(Continued)
If the tire pressure monitoring system
warning light does not illuminate
when the ignition key is turned to the
“ON” position, have the system
inspected by an authorized service
facility. If the warning light flashes
while driving, check to see whether
the warning light goes off after a few
minutes of driving.
WARNING
When the malfunction indicator is
illuminated, the system may not be
able to detect or signal low tire pres-
sure as intended. TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons,
including the installation of replace-
ment or alternate tires or wheels on
the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always
check the TPMS malfunction telltale
after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that
the replacement or alternate tires and
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to
function properly.
WARNING
If the tire pressure warning light does
not come on when the ignition is
turned to the “ON” position, or
comes on and blinks for approxi-
mately one minute and then illumi-
nate continuously, while driving there
may be a problem with the tire pres-
sure monitoring system. Have your
vehicle inspected by an authorized
dealer.
WARNING
If the tire pressure warning light
comes on and stays on, reduce your
speed and avoid abrupt steering and
braking. Stop in a safe place as soon
as possible and check your tires.
 If you have a flat tire, replace it with
a spare tire. Refer to “Changing a
Flat Tire” in section 5.
 If one or more of your tires is
under-inflated, adjust the inflation
pressure in all of your tires to the
recommended inflation pressure as
soon as possible.
Be aware that driving on a signifi-
cantly under-inflated tire can cause
the tire to overheat and can lead to
tire failure, and may affect steering
control and brake effectiveness. This
could lead to an accident, resulting in
severe injury or death.
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Sometimes, as when you’re driving on
snow or ice, it’s easy to ask more of those
control systems than the tires and road
can provide. That means you can lose con-
trol of your vehicle.BrakingBraking action involves perception time
and reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the
brake pedal. That’s perception time. Then
you have to bring up your foot and do it.
That’s reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a
second. But that’s only an average. It might
be less with one driver and as long as two
or three seconds or more with another.
Age, physical condition, alertness, coordi-
nation and eyesight all play a part. So do
alcohol, drugs and frustration. But even in3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving at 60
mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emer-
gency, so keeping enough space between
your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances
vary greatly with the surface of the road
(whether it’s pavement or gravel) the condi-
tion of the road (wet, dry, icy) tire tread the
condition of your brakes the weight of the
vehicle and the amount of brake force
applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some peo-
ple drive in spurts – heavy acceleration fol-
lowed by heavy braking – rather than
keeping pace with traffic. This is a mistake.
Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear
out much faster if you do a lot of heavy
braking. If you keep pace with the traffic
and allow realistic following distances, you
will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer
brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driv-
ing, brake normally but don’t pump your
brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder
to push down. If your engine stops, you will
still have some power brake assist. But you
will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop
and the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
(if equipped)
ABS is an advanced electronic braking
system that will help prevent a braking
skid.
When you start your engine and begin to
drive away, your anti-lock brake system will
check itself. You may hear a momentary
motor or clicking noise while this test is
going on, and you may even notice that
your brake pedal moves a little. This is nor-
mal.
If there’s a problem with the anti-lock brake
system, this warning light will stay on. See
“Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light” in
section 3.
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SteeringPower Steering
If you lose power steering assist because
the engine stops or the system is not func-
tioning, you can steer but it will take much
more effort.
Speed Sensitive Power Steering
System
This system continuously adjusts the effort
you feel when steering at all vehicle
speeds. It provides ease when parking, yet
a firm, solid feel at highway speeds.
If your vehicle has this system, it varies the
amount of effort required to steer the vehi-
cle in relation to the speed of the vehicle.
The amount of steering effort required is
less at slower speeds to make the vehicle
more maneuverable and easier to park. At
faster speeds, the steering effort increases
to provide a sport-like feel to the steering.
This provides maximum control and stabil-
ity.
This warning light will stay on, or come on
while you are driving, if there’s a problem
with the SSPS system.When this warning light is on, your vehicle
will seem harder to steer than normal
when parking or driving slowly. You will still
have power steering, but steering will be
stiffer than normal at slow speeds. See
your SUZUKI dealer for service.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reason-
able speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents
mentioned on the news happen on curves.
Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us
is subject to the same laws of physics
when driving on curves. The traction of the
tires against the road surface makes it pos-
sible for the vehicle to change its path
when you turn the front wheels. If there’s
no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle
going in the same direction. If you’ve ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll
understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve
depends on the condition of your tires and
the road surface, the angle at which the
curve is banked, and your speed. While
you’re in a curve, speed is the one factor
you can control.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp
curve. Then you suddenly apply the
brakes. Both control systems – steeringand braking – have to do their work where
the tires meet the road. Unless you have
four-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding the
hard braking can demand too much of
those places. You can lose control.
The same thing can happen if you’re steer-
ing through a sharp curve and you sud-
denly accelerate. Those two control
systems – steering and acceleration – can
overwhelm those places where the tires
meet the road and make you lose control.
What should you do if this ever happens?
Ease up on the brake or accelerator pedal,
steer the vehicle the way you want it to go,
and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that
you should adjust your speed. Of course,
the posted speeds are based on good
weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you’ll want to go
slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you
approach a curve, do it before you enter
the curve, while your front wheels are
straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive”
through the curve. Maintain a reasonable,
steady speed. Wait to accelerate until you
are out of the curve, and then accelerate
gently into the straightaway.
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steer the way you want the vehicle to go. If
you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be
ready for a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water,
snow, ice, gravel or other material is on the
road. For safety, you’ll want to slow down
and adjust your driving to these conditions.
It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be
longer and vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced
traction, try your best to avoid sudden
steering, acceleration or braking (including
engine braking by shifting to a lower gear).
Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is
slippery until your vehicle is skidding.
Learn to recognize warning clues – such
as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a “mirrored surface” –
and slow down when you have any doubt.
If you have the anti-lock braking system,
remember: It helps avoid only the braking
skid. If you do not have anti-lock, then in a
braking skid (where the wheels are no
longer rolling), release enough pressure
on the brakes to get the wheels rolling
again. This restores steering control. Push
the brake pedal down steadily when you
have to stop suddenly. As long as the
wheels are rolling, you will have steering
control.
Driving at NightNight driving is more dangerous than day
driving. One reason is that some drivers
are likely to be impaired – by alcohol or
drugs, with night vision problems, or by
fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
 Drive defensively.
 Don’t drink and drive.
 Adjust your inside rearview mirror to
reduce the glare from headlamps behind
you.
 Since you can’t see as well, you may
need to slow down and keep more space
between you and other vehicles.
 Slow down, especially on higher speed
roads. Your headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
 In remote areas, watch for animals. If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe
place and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the
daytime. But as we get older these differ-
ences increase. A 50-year-old driver may
require at least twice as much light to see
the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect
your night vision. For example, if you
spend the day in bright sunshine you are
wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting to night. But if
you’re driving, don’t wear sunglasses at
night. They may cut down on glare from
headlamps, but they also make a lot of
things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by
approaching headlamps. It can take a sec-
ond or two, or even several seconds, for
your eyes to readjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare (as from a
driver who doesn’t lower the high beams,
or a vehicle with misaimed headlamps),
slow down a little. Avoid staring directly
into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on
your vehicle clean – inside and out. Glare
at night is made much worse by dirt on the
glass. Even the inside of the glass can
build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass
makes lights dazzle and flash more than
clean glass would, making the pupils of
your eyes contract repeatedly.
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle: