2008 SUZUKI RENO light

4-11DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
85Z14-03E
time and energy. See the next part,
“Freeway Driving.”
 Treat a green light as a warning signal. A
traffic light is there because the corner is
busy enough to need it. When a light
turns green, and just before you start to
move, check both ways for vehicles that
have not cleared the intersection or may
be running the red light.Freeway DrivingMile for mile, freeways (also called thru-
ways, parkways, expressways, turnpikes or
superhighways) are the safest of all roads.
But they have their own special rules.
The most important advice on freeway
driving is: Keep up with traffic and keep to
the right. Drive at the same speed most of
the other drivers are driving. Too-fast or
too-slow driving breaks a smooth trafficflow. Treat the left lane on a freeway as a
passing lane.
At the entrance, there is usually a ramp
that leads to the freeway. If you have a
clear view of the freeway as you drive
along the entrance ramp, you should begin
to check traffic. Try to determine where you
expect to blend with the flow. Try to merge
into the gap at close to the prevailing
speed. Switch on your turn signal, check
your mirrors and glance over your shoulder
as often as necessary. Try to blend
smoothly with the traffic flow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your
speed to the posted limit or to the prevail-
ing rate if it’s slower. Stay in the right lane
unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors.
Then use your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance
quickly over your shoulder to make sure
there isn’t another vehicle in your “blind”
spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway,
make certain you allow a reasonable fol-
lowing distance.
Expect to move slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move
to the proper lane well in advance. If you
miss your exit, do not, under any circum-
stances, stop and back up. Drive on to the
next exit.The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes
quite sharply. The exit speed is usually
posted. Reduce your speed according to
your speedometer, not to your sense of
motion. After driving for any distance at
higher speeds, you may tend to think you
are going slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long TripMake sure you’re ready. Try to be well
rested. If you must start when you’re not
fresh – such as after a day’s work – don’t
plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing
and shoes you can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you
keep it serviced and maintained, it’s ready
to go. If it needs service, have it done
before starting out. Of course, you’ll find
experienced and able service experts in
SUZUKI dealerships all across North
America. They’ll be ready and willing to
help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check
before a trip:
 Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reser-
voir full? Are all windows clean inside
and outside?
 Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
 Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you
checked all levels?
 Lamps: Are they all working? Are the
lenses clean?
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle:

4-13DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
85Z14-03E
 As you go over the top of a hill, be alert.
There could be something in your lane,
like a stalled car or an accident.
 You may see highway signs on moun-
tains that warn of special problems.
Examples are long grades, passing or
no-passing zones, a falling rocks area or
winding roads. Be alert to these and take
appropriate action.Winter DrivingHere are some tips for winter driving:
 Have your vehicle in good shape for win-
ter.
 You may want to put winter emergency
supplies in your trunk.Include an ice scraper, a small brush or
broom, a supply of windshield washer fluid,
a rag, some winter outer clothing, a small
shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth and a cou-
ple of reflective warning triangles. And, if
you will be driving under severe conditions,
include a small bag of sand, a piece of old
carpet or a couple of burlap bags to help
provide traction. Be sure you properly
secure these items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your
tires meet the road probably have good
traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between
your tires and the road, you can have a
very slippery situation. You’ll have a lot
less traction or “grip” and will need to be
very careful.Very cold snow or ice can be slick and hard
to drive on. But wet ice can be even more
trouble because it may offer the least trac-
tion of all. You can get wet ice when it’s
about freezing (32°F; 0°C) and freezing
rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving on
wet ice until salt and sand crews can get
there.
Whatever the condition – smooth ice,
packed, blowing or loose snow – drive with
caution.
Accelerate gently. Try not to break the frag-
ile traction. If you accelerate too fast, the
drive wheels will spin and polish the sur-
face under the tires even more.
Unless you have an anti-lock braking sys-
tem, you’ll want to brake very gently, too. (If
you do have anti-lock, see “Braking” in this
section. This system improves your vehi-
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle:

4-15DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
85Z14-03E
Run your engine only as long as you must.
This saves fuel. When you run the engine,
make it go a little faster than just idle. That
is, push the accelerator slightly. This uses
less fuel for the heat that you get and it
keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle,
and possibly for signaling later on with your
headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the
window almost all the way to preserve the
heat. Start the engine again and repeat
this only when you feel really uncomfort-
able from the cold. But do it as little as pos-
sible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can.
To help keep warm, you can get out of the
vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exer-
cises every half hour or so until help
comes.
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or
Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is
stuck, you will need to spin the wheels, but
you don’t want to spin your wheels too fast.
The method known as “rocking” can help
you get out when you’re stuck, but you
must use caution.For information about using tire chains on
your vehicle, see “Tire Chains” in section 5.Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and
right. That will clear the area around your
front wheels. Then shift back and forth
between REVERSE (R) and a forward
gear (or with a manual transmission,
between FIRST (1) or SECOND (2) and
REVERSE (R)), spinning the wheels as lit-
tle as possible. Release the accelerator
pedal while you shift, and press lightly on
the accelerator pedal when the transmis-
sion is in gear. By slowly spinning your
wheels in the forward and reverse direc-
tions, you will cause a rocking motion that
may free your vehicle. If that doesn’t get
you out after a few tries, you may need to
be towed out. If you do need to be towed
out, see “Towing Your Vehicle” in the fol-
lowing section.
WARNING
If you let your tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you or
others could be injured. And, the
transmission or other parts of the
vehicle can overheat. That could
cause an engine compartment fire or
other damage. When you’re stuck,
spin the wheels as little as possible.
Don’t spin the wheels above 35 mph
(55 km/h) as shown on the speedom-
eter.
CAUTION
Spinning your wheels can destroy
parts of your vehicle as well as the
tires. If you spin the wheels too fast
while shifting your transmission back
and forth, you can destroy your trans-
mission. See “Rocking Your Vehicle
To Get It Out.”
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle:

4-16
DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
85Z14-03E
TowingTowing Your VehicleConsult your SUZUKI dealer or a profes-
sional towing service if you need to have
your disabled vehicle towed.
If you want to tow your vehicle behind
another vehicle for recreational purposes
(such as behind a motorhome), see the fol-
lowing section, “Recreational Vehicle Tow-
ing”.Recreational Vehicle TowingRecreational vehicle towing means towing
your vehicle behind another vehicle – such
as behind a motorhome. The two most
common types of recreational vehicle tow-
ing are known as “dinghy towing” (towing
your vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground) and “dolly towing” (towing your
vehicle with two wheels on the ground and
two wheels up on a device known as a
“dolly”).
With the proper preparation and equip-
ment, many vehicles can be towed in these
ways. See the following sections, “Dinghy
Towing” and “Dolly Towing”.Here are some important things to con-
sider before you do recreational vehicle
towing:
 What’s the towing capacity of the towing
vehicle? Be sure you read the tow vehi-
cle manufacturer’s recommendations.
 How far will you tow? Some vehicles
have restrictions on how far and how
long they can tow.
 Do you have the proper towing equip-
ment? See your SUZUKI dealer or traile-
ring professional for additional advice
and equipment recommendations.
 Is your vehicle ready to be towed? Just
as you would prepare your vehicle for a
long trip, you’ll want to make sure your
vehicle is prepared to be towed. See
“Before Leaving on a Long Trip” in this
section.
Dinghy Towing
Your vehicle was not designed to be towed
with all four wheels on the ground. If your
vehicle must be towed, you should use a
dolly. See “Dolly Towing” that follows for
more information.Dolly Towing
Your vehicle can be towed using a dolly. To
tow your vehicle using a dolly, follow these
steps:
1) Put the front wheels on the dolly.
2) Put the vehicle in PARK(P) for auto-
matic transaxle and NEUTRAL (N) for
manual transaxle.
3) Set the parking brake and then remove
the ignition key.
4) For a vehicle with an automatic tran-
saxle, remove the hole cover from the
shift lock release slot, insert the key,
WARNING
Always use a safety chain when tow-
ing your vehicle and be sure to
observe federal, state, and local
requirement for trailer hitches, tow
bars, lights, etc.
CAUTION
Towing your vehicle with all four
wheels on the ground will damage
drivetrain components. The repairs
would not be covered by your war-
ranty.
CAUTION
Do not tow the vehicle from the rear
with the front wheels on the road.
This could cause severe transmis-
sion damage.
Towing:

4-19DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
85Z14-03E
Determining Compatibility of Tire and
Vehicle Load Limits
The tires on your vehicle, when they are
inflated to the recommended tire inflation
pressure, have a load-carrying capacity
that is greater than the load that will be onthe tires when the vehicle is at its GVWR
or GAWR limit. Never use replacement
tires that have a load-carrying capacity
less than the original tires on your vehicle.
Tire load-carrying capacity information is
molded into the tire sidewall typically
shown as “Max. Load”. Use of replacement
tires with a lower load-carrying capacity
than the original tires, or failure to keep the
tires inflated to recommended tire pres-
sure, may reduce the GVWR or GAWR
limit of your vehicle.
NOTE:
Use of replacement tires with a higher
load-carrying capacity than the original
tires, or using a tire inflation pressure
higher than the recommended tire inflation
pressure, will not increase the GVWR or
GAWR limit of your vehicle.
Towing a TrailerDo not use your vehicle to tow a trailer. The
vehicle is not designed or intended for
such use. Towing a trailer can adversely
affect handling, durability and fuel econ-
omy.
WARNING
Things you put inside your vehicle
can strike and injure people in a sud-
den stop or turn, or in a crash.
 Put things in the trunk or rear area
of your vehicle. In a trunk, put them
as far forward as you can. Try to
spread the weight evenly. If you
have fold-down rear seats, you’ll
find four anchors on the back wall
of your trunk. You can use these
anchors to tie down lighter loads.
They’re not strong enough for
heavy things, however, so put them
as far forward as you can in the
trunk or rear area.
 Never stack heavier things, like
suitcases, inside the vehicle so that
some of them are above the tops of
the seats.
 Don’t leave an unsecured child
restraint in your vehicle.
 When you carry something inside
the vehicle, secure it whenever you
can.
 Don’t leave a seat folded down
unless you need to.
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Towing:

5-3SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
85Z14-03E
To open the fuel filler door, pull up on the
fuel filler door release lever located on the
floor to the left of the driver’s seat.
The fuel cap is located on the passenger’s
side of your vehicle.While refueling, hang the tethered cap
inside the fuel door.
To remove the fuel cap, turn it slowly to the
left (counterclockwise).
Be careful not to spill fuel. Don’t top off or
overfill your tank, and wait a few seconds
after you’ve finished pumping before you
remove the nozzle. Clean fuel from painted
surfaces as soon as possible. See “Clean-
ing the Outside of Your Vehicle” in this sec-
tion.
When you put the fuel cap back on, turn it
to the right (clockwise) until you hear a
clicking sound. Make sure you fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can deter-
mine if the fuel cap has been left off or is
improperly installed. This would allow fuel
to evaporate into the atmosphere. See
“Malfunction Indicator Lamp” in section 3.
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WARNING
If you spill fuel and then something
ignites it, you could be badly burned.
Fuel can spray out on you if you open
the fuel cap too quickly. This spray
can happen if your tank is nearly full,
and is more likely in hot weather.
Open the fuel cap slowly and wait for
any “hiss” noise to stop. Then
unscrew the cap all the way.
WARNING
If a fire starts while you’re refueling,
don’t remove the nozzle. Shut off the
flow of fuel by shutting off the pump
or by notifying the station attendant.
Leave the area immediately.
CAUTION
If you need a new fuel cap, be sure to
get a genuine SUZUKI cap or its
equivalent. Your SUZUKI dealer can
get one for you. If you get the
improper type, it may not fit properly.
This may cause your malfunction
indicator lamp to light and may dam-
age your fuel tank and emissions
system. See “Malfunction Indicator
Lamp” in the Index.
Fuel:

5-7SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
85Z14-03E
Engine OilIf the oil pressure light appears on the
instrument cluster, it means you need to
check your engine oil level right away.
For more information, see “Oil Pressure
Light” in section 3.
You should check your engine oil level reg-
ularly; this is an added reminder.
Checking Engine Oil
It’s a good idea to check your engine oil
every time you get fuel. In order to get an
accurate reading, the oil must be warm
and the vehicle must be on level ground.Use the engine oil dipstick to check the oil
level. The dipstick’s handle will be a yellow
ring. See “Engine Compartment Overview”
in this section for the location of the engine
oil dipstick.
Turn off the engine and give the oil several
minutes to drain back into the oil pan. If
you don’t, the oil dipstick might not show
the actual level.
Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a
paper towel or cloth, then push it back in all
the way. Remove it again, keeping the tip
down and check the level.
When to Add Engine OilIf the oil is at or below the MIN mark, then
you’ll need to add at least one quart of oil.
But you must use the right kind. This sec-
tion explains what kind of oil to use. For
engine oil crankcase capacity, see “Capac-
ities and Specifications” in this section.
CAUTION
Don’t add too much oil. If your engine
has so much oil that the oil level gets
above the upper mark that shows the
proper operating range, your engine
could be damaged.
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Checking Things Under the Hood:

5-10
SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
85Z14-03E
km) or 3 months. If necessary, clean or
replace it.
How to Inspect the Engine Air Cleaner/
Filter
To inspect the air cleaner/filter, remove the
filter from the vehicle and lightly shake the
filter to release loose dust and dirt. If the fil-
ter remains “caked” with dirt, a new filter is
required.
To inspect or replace the filter, do the fol-
lowing:
1) Remove the four screws on the cover.
2) Lift off the cover.
3) Check or replace the engine air
cleaner/filter. See “Normal Mainte-
nance Replacement Parts” in this sec-
tion for replacement part numbers.
4) Reinstall the filter, put the cover back on
tightly, and tighten the screws.
Automatic Transmission FluidTo ensure proper functioning, efficiency,
and durability of the automatic transmis-
sion, be sure to keep the transmission fluid
at the proper level. Too much or too little
fluid can cause problems.
The fluid level must be checked with the
engine running and the selector lever in P
(Park). The vehicle must be up to normal
operating temperature and parked on level
ground.
The normal operating temperature for the
fluid will be reached after driving about 10
minutes.
Checking Automatic Transmission Fluid
Level
If the fluid is contaminated or discolored,
change the automatic transmission fluid.
A decrease in the fluid level indicates a
leak in the automatic transmission. If
noted, contact your SUZUKI dealer for
repair as soon as possible.1) Start the engine.
2) Warm up the engine until the tempera-
ture of the automatic transmission fluid
reaches approximately 40°C (104°F).
3) Move the selector lever from “P” to “1”
and return to “P”. Wait for a few sec-
onds at each select position until the
selected gears are fully engaged.
WARNING
Operating the engine with the air
cleaner/filter off can cause you or
others to be burned. The air cleaner
not only cleans the air, it helps to
stop flame if the engine backfires. If it
isn’t there and the engine backfires,
you could be burned. Don’t drive with
it off, and be careful working on the
engine with the air cleaner/filter off.
CAUTION
If the air cleaner/filter is off, a backfire
can cause a damaging engine fire.
And, dirt can easily get into your
engine, which will damage it. Always
have the air cleaner/filter in place
when you’re driving.
WARNING
This work requires special skill and
equipment. Before attempting to do
the work, be sure you are fully
acquainted with doing this job.
Have your SUZUKI dealer do this
work if you are not confident you can
complete the task safely.
Otherwise, you could be injured or
could damage the vehicle.
Checking Things Under the Hood: