2008 SUZUKI RENO trailer

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:

4-17DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
85Z14-03E
and shift to NEUTRAL (N). See “Shift-
ing Out of Park (P)” in Section 2.
5) Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-
ahead position with a clamping device
designed for towing.
6) Release the parking brake.
Loading Your VehicleIt is very important to know how much
weight your vehicle can carry. The load
capacities of your vehicle are indicated by
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR),
the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR,
front and rear), the total load capacity, the
seating capacity, and the cargo load
capacity. The GVWR and GAWR (front and
rear) are listed on the Safety Certification
Label which is located below the driver’s
side door latch striker. The total load
capacity and seating capacity are listed on
the Tire and Loading Information Label
which is located on the center pillar, near
the driver’s door latch.
The Tire and Loading Information label
also gives you the size and recommended
inflation pressure for the factory installed,
original equipment tires on your vehicle.
For more information on tires and inflation,
see “Tires” in section 5.Tire and Loading Information Label
Certification Label
The cargo load capacity can be deter-
mined as described below.
Cargo Load Capacity – Maximum weight
of cargo and luggage that the vehicle cansafely carry. Cargo load capacity is the dif-
ference between the total load capacity of
the vehicle and the total combined weight
of all vehicle occupants. Refer to “Steps for
Determining Correct Load Limit” for details
on how to determine cargo load capacity.
GVWR – Maximum permissible overall
weight of the fully loaded vehicle (including
all the occupants, accessories and cargo
plus the trailer tongue weight if towing a
trailer).
GAWR – (Front and Rear) Maximum per-
missible weight on an individual axle.
Seating Capacity – Maximum number of
occupants the vehicle is designed to carry.
NOTE:
Even though the number of occupants is
within the seating capacity, you still must
make sure that you do not exceed the total
load capacity of the vehicle.
Total Load Capacity – Maximum permissi-
ble weight a vehicle can carry including the
weight of all the occupants, accessories
and cargo.
The weight of any accessories already
installed on your vehicle at the time of pur-
chase, or that you or the dealer install after
purchase, must be subtracted from the
total load capacity to determine how much
capacity remains available for occupants
and cargo. Contact your SUZUKI dealer for
further information.
J7U4001A
TIRE
SIZE
COLD TIRE PRESSURE
FRONT
REAR
SPAREThe combined weight of occupants and carge should never exceedKg or lbs
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.
L3U4030A
Towing:

8-5
INDEX85Z14-03E
Tail/Stop Lamps and Rear Turn Signal Lamps
.................5-25
Theft-Deterrent Systems
.....................................................2-8
Tilt Wheel
..............................................................................3-3
Tire Chains ...........................................................................5-38
Tire Inflation Pressure
.........................................................5-34
Tire Inspection and Rotation
..............................................5-35
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
......................................5-32
Tire Pressure Monitoring System Warning Light
.............3-27
Tire Sidewall Labeling
.........................................................5-28
Tire Size
................................................................................5-29
Tires
......................................................................................5-28
Top Strap
..............................................................................1-20
Top Strap Anchor Location
................................................1-21
Towing
..................................................................................4-16
Towing a Trailer
...................................................................4-19
Towing Your Vehicle
...........................................................4-16
Trip Odometer
......................................................................3-18
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
.........................................3-3
UUnderbody Maintenance
.....................................................5-47
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
.............................................5-37
VVehicle Care/Appearance Materials
...................................5-47
Vehicle Identification
...........................................................5-48
Vehicle Identification Number
............................................7-1
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
...................................5-48
Vehicle Loading
...................................................................5-35
WWarning Lights, Gauges and Indicators
............................3-18
Warranties
............................................................................7-2
Weatherstrips .......................................................................5-45What Makes an Air Bag Inflate?
........................................ 1-32
What Will You See After an Air Bag Inflates?
.................. 1-32
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
................................... 5-37
Wheel Replacement
............................................................ 5-38
When It Is Time for New Tires
............................................ 5-36
When Should an Air Bag Inflate?
...................................... 1-31
When to Add Engine Oil
..................................................... 5-7
Where Are the Air Bags? .................................................... 1-29
Where to Put the Restraint ................................................. 1-20
Windows
.............................................................................. 2-7
Windshield Washer Fluid
................................................... 5-18
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.............................. 5-27
Windshield Wiper Fuses
.................................................... 5-48
Windshield Wiper/Washer Lever
....................................... 3-4
Winter Driving
..................................................................... 4-13
YYour Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
........................ 4-1