0-2
85Z14-03E
IMPORTANT
WARNING/CAUTION/NOTE
Please read this manual and follow its
instructions carefully. To emphasize spe-
cial information, the symbol and the
words WARNING, CAUTION and NOTE
have special meanings. Pay special atten-
tion to the messages highlighted by these
signal words:
NOTE:
Indicates special infor mation to make
maintenance easier or instructions clearer.
75F135
The circle with a slash in this manual
means “Don’t do this” or “Don’t let this hap-
pen”.
MODIFICATION WARNING
WARNING
Indicates a potential hazard that
could result in death or injury.
CAUTION
Indicates a potential hazard that
could result in vehicle damage.
WARNING
Do not modify this vehicle. Modifica-
tion could adversely affect safety,
handling, performance or durability
and may violate governmental regula-
tions. In addition, damage or perfor-
mance problems resulting from
modification may not be covered
under warranty.
CAUTION
Improper installation of mobile com-
munication equipment such as cellu-
lar telephones or CB (Citizen’s Band)
radios may cause electronic interfer-
ence with your vehicle’s ignition sys-
tem, resulting in vehicle performance
problems. Consult your SUZUKI
dealer or qualified service technician
for advice on installing such mobile
communication equipment.
0-3
85Z14-03E
Vehicle SymbolsYour vehicle has components and labels that use symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on your vehicle, are shown along with the text
describing the operation or information relating to a specific component, control, message, gauge or indicator.
If you need help figuring out a specific name of a component, gauge or indicator, reference the following topics:
Seats and Restraint Systems in Section
1
Features and Controls in Section 2
Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3 Climate Controls in Section 3
Warning Lights, Gauges and Indicators
in Section 3
Audio System(s) in Section 3 Engine Compartment Overview in Sec-
tion 5
These are some examples of vehicle symbols you may find on your vehicle:
WARNING
POSSIBLE
INJURY
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDINGFASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
POWER
WINDOWDOOR LOCK
UNLOCK DO NOT INSTALL
A REAR-FACING
CHILD RESTRAINT
IN THIS SEATING
POSITION AIR BAGMALFUNCTION
INDICATOR
LAMPENGINE
COOLANT
TEMP
FUEL
OWNER'S
MANUAL BATTERY
CHARGING
SYSTEM
BRAKE
COOLANT
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
BRAKES TURN
SIGNALS
HAZARD
WARNING
FLASHER
HIGHBEAM
ON
LIGHT
FOG
LAMPS
SULFURIC
BATTERY
ACID CAN
CAUSE
BLINDNESS
OR SEVERE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS OR
FLAMES
FLUSH EYES
IMMEDIATELY
WITH WATER
L3U0002CS
DOOR
AJAR
LIGHT
POWER
STEERING
FLUID
FUEL
FILLER
EMERGENCY
TRUNK
RELEASEINSTRUMENT
PANEL
BRIGHTNESS
TRUNK
AJAR
LIGHT
HOOD
RELEASEDAYTIME
RUNNING
LAMPS
TRACTION
CONTROL
SYSTEM
ACTIVE LIGHTWASHER
FLUID
TIRE
PRESSURE
WARNING
LIGHT
CRUISE
CONTROL
LIGHT
HOLD MODE
ACTIVE
LIGHT
SPEED
SENSITIVE
POWER
STEERING
WARNING
LIGHT
1-5SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
85Z14-03E
Safety BeltsSafety Belt: They are for EveryoneThis section of the manual tells you how to
use safety belts properly. It also tells you
some things you should not do with safety
belts.
Your vehicle has a light that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up. See “Safety Belt
Reminder Light” in section 3.
In most states and in all Canadian prov-
inces, the law says to wear safety belts.
Here’s why: They work.
You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If
you do have a crash, you don’t know if it
will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes
can be so serious that even buckled up, a
person wouldn’t survive. But most crashes
are in between. In many of them, people
who buckle up can survive and sometimes
walk away. Without belts they could have
been badly hurt or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in
vehicles, the facts are clear. In most
crashes buckling up does matter ... a lot!
WARNING
Do not stack luggage or other
cargo higher than the front seats.
Do not allow passengers to sit on
the folded seatbacks while the
vehicle is in motion.
Unrestrained luggage or passen-
gers on a folded seatback can be
thrown about or ejected from the
vehicle in a sudden stop or acci-
dent.
Serious injuries or death can result.
WARNING
Don’t let anyone ride where he or she
can’t wear a safety belt properly. If
you are in a crash and you’re not
wearing a safety belt, your injuries
can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle or be
ejected from it. You can be severely
injured or killed. In the same crash,
you might not be, if you are buckled
up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers’
belts are fastened properly too.
WARNING
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a
cargo area, inside or outside of a
vehicle. In a collision, people riding
in these areas are more likely to be
severely injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of
your vehicle that is not equipped with
seats and safety belts. Be sure every-
one in your vehicle is in a seat and is
using a safety belt properly.
S4U1008A
Rear Seats:
Safety Belts:
1-25SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
85Z14-03E
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat PositionYour vehicle has a right front passenger air
bag. A rear seat is a safer place to secure
a child restraint. See “Where to Put the
Restraint” in this section.
In addition, your vehicle has a passenger
sensing system. The passenger sensing
system is designed to turn off the right
front passenger’s frontal and side air bag
when an infant or a small child is detected.
See “Passenger Sensing System” and
“Manual Seats” in this section for more
information on this including important
safety information.If you need to secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the right front seat position,
move the seat as far back as it will go
before securing the forward-facing child
restraint. See “Manual Seats” in this sec-
tion.
If you need to secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the right front seat, you will be
using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the
child restraint, even if the child restraint is
equipped with the LATCH system. Be sure
to follow the instructions that came with the
child restraint. Secure the child in the child
restraint when and as the instructions say.1) Your vehicle has a right front passen-
ger’s frontal air bag. See “Passenger
Sensing System” in this section. Always
secure a rear-facing child restraint in
the rear seat, even if the air bag is off. If
your child restraint is forward-facing,
move the seat as far back as it will go
before securing the child restraint in this
seat. See “Manual Seats” in this sec-
tion.
When the passenger sensing system
has turned off the right front passen-
ger’s frontal and side air bag, the pas-
senger air bag off indicator should light.
See “Passenger Sensing System” in
this section.
A thick layer of additional material such
as a blanket, or aftermarket equipment
such as seat covers heaters or mas-
sagers, located between the seat cush-
ion and the child restraint or small
occupant, can affect how the passenger
sensing system operates. Remove any
additional material from the seat cush-
ion before installing/securing the child
restraint or small occupant.
2) Put the child restraint on the seat.
3) Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap
and shoulder portions of the vehicle’s
safety belt through or around the
restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
L3U1068A
WARNING
A child in a rear-facing child restraint
can be severely injured or killed if the
right front passenger’s frontal air bag
inflates. This is because the back of
the rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating air bag.
Even though the passenger sensing
system is designed to turn off the
passenger’s frontal air bag under cer-
tain conditions, no system is fail-
safe, and no one can guarantee that
an air bag will not deploy under some
unusual circumstance, even though it
is turned off. Always secure a rear-
facing child restraint in the rear seat,
even if the air bag is off.
Child Restraints:
1-29SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
85Z14-03E
There is an air bag readiness light on the
instrument panel, which shows the air bag
symbol.
The air bag readiness system checks the
air bag electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. See “Air Bag Readiness Light” in
section 3 for more information.
Where Are the Air Bags?The driver’s frontal air bag is in the middle
of the steering wheel.
The right front passenger’s frontal air bag
is in the instrument panel on the passen-
ger’s side.The side impact air bag is in the side of the
front seatback closest to the door.
S4U1015A
L3U1063AL3U1064A
WARNING
Don’t put anything between an occu-
pant and an air bag, and don’t attach
or put anything on the steering wheel
hub or on or near any other air bag
covering. If something is between an
occupant and an air bag, the bag
might not inflate properly or it might
force the object into that person
causing severe injury or even death.
The path of an inflating air bag must
be kept clear. Don’t use seat covers
on the front seats.
N6U1001A
Supplemental Restraint System:
1-30
SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
85Z14-03E
Passenger Sensing SystemYour vehicle has a passenger sensing sys-
tem for the right front passenger position.
The passenger air bag off indicator will be
visible when you turn your ignition key to
ON or START. The words “PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF” will be visible in the clock
display located in the center of the instru-
ment panel during the system check.
When the system check is complete, the
words “PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF”
should go out unless the passenger sens-
ing system has turned off the front passen-
ger’s frontal and side air bags. See
“Passenger Air bag Off Indicator” in Sec-
tion 3.
The passenger sensing system will turn off
the right front passenger’s frontal air bag
and side air bag under certain conditions.
The driver’s frontal air bag and side air bag
are not part of the passenger sensing sys-
tem. The passenger sensing system works
with sensors that are part of the right front
passenger’s seat cushion. The sensors are
designed to detect the presence of a prop-
erly-seated occupant and determine if the
passenger’s frontal air bag and side air
bag should be enabled (may inflate) or not.The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the right front passen-
ger’s frontal air bag and side air bag when
the weight on the front seat is 25.6 kg (56.4
lbs) or less. The air bag should be turned
off in the following situations.
the right front passenger seat is unoccu-
pied.
the system determines that an infant or a
small child is present in the right front
passenger seat.
a right front passenger takes his/her
weight off of the seat for a period of time. there is a critical problem with the air bag
system or the passenger sensing sys-
tem.
When the passenger sensing system has
turned off the passenger’s frontal air bag
and side air bag, the passenger air bag off
indicator in the clock display will light and
stay lit to remind you that the air bags are
off. See “Passenger Air Bag Off Indicator”
in Section 3.
Accident statistics show that children are
safer if they are restrained in the rear
rather than the front seat. We recommend
that child restraints be secured in the rear
seat.
For some children who have outgrown
child restraints and for very small adults,
the passenger sensing system may or may
not turn off the right front passenger’s fron-
tal air bag and side air bag, depending
upon the person’s seating posture and
body build. Everyone in your vehicle who
has outgrown child restraints should wear
a safety belt properly – whether or not
there is an air bag for that person.
If a person of adult-size is sitting in the
right front passenger’s seat, but the pas-
senger air bag off indicator is lit, it could be
because that person is not sitting properly
in the seat. If this happens, do one of the
following:
Turn the vehicle off and ask the person
to place the seatback in the fully upright
N5U1002AS
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
WARNING
A child in a rear-facing child restraint
can be severely injured or killed if the
right front passenger’s frontal air bag
inflates. This is because the back of
the rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating air bag.
Even though the passenger sensing
system is designed to turn off the
passenger’s frontal air bag and side
air bag under certain conditions, no
system is fail-safe, and no one can
guarantee that an air bag will not
deploy under some unusual circum-
stance, even though it is turned off.
Always secure a rear-facing child
restraint in the rear seat, even if the
air bags are off.
Supplemental Restraint System:
1-31SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
85Z14-03E
position, then sit upright in the seat, cen-
tered on the seat cushion, with the per-
son’s legs comfortably extended. Restart
the vehicle and have the person remain
in this position for about three minutes.
This will allow the system to detect that
person and then enable the passenger’s
air bag.
With the vehicle parked, ask the right
front passenger to get out of the seat for
more than three seconds, place the
seatback in the fully upright position, and
then sit upright in the seat, centered on
the seat cushion, with the person’s legs
comfortably extended. Have the person
remain in this position for about three
minutes. This will allow the system to
detect that person and then enable the
passenger’s air bag.
Adding Equipment to Your Air Bag-
Equipped VehicleQuestion: Because I have a disability, I
have to get my vehicle modified. How
can I find out whether this will affect my
advanced air bag system?
Answer: Changing or moving any parts of
the front seats, safety belts, the air bag
sensing and diagnostic module can affect
the operation of the advanced air bag sys-
tem. If it is necessary to modify the
advanced air bag system to accommodate
a person with disabilities, owners in the
continental United States can call Ameri-
can Suzuki toll-free at 1-800-934-0934, or
write to:
American Suzuki Motor Corporation
Automotive Customer Relations
3251 East Imperial Highway
Brea, CA 92821-6795
When Should an Air Bag Inflate?The driver’s and right front passenger’s
frontal air bags are designed to inflate in
moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal
crashes. But they are designed to inflate
only if the impact speed is above the sys-
tem’s designed “threshold level.”
If the front of your vehicle goes straight into
a wall that doesn’t move or deform, the
threshold level is about 9 to 14 mph (14.5
to 23 km/h). The threshold level can vary,
however, with specific vehicle design, so
that it can be somewhat above or below
this range.
If your vehicle strikes something that will
move or deform, such as a parked car, the
threshold level will be higher. The driver’s
and right front passenger’s frontal air bags
are not designed to inflate in rollovers, rear
impacts, or in many side impacts because
inflation would not help the occupant.
A side impact air bag is designed to inflate
in moderate to severe side crashes involv-
ing the door. A side impact air bag will
inflate if the crash severity is above the
system’s designed “threshold level”. The
threshold level can vary with specific vehi-
cle design. A side impact air bag is not
designed to inflate in frontal or near-frontal
impacts, rollovers or rear impacts, because
inflation would not help the occupant.
In any particular crash, no one can say
whether an air bag should have inflated
simply because of the damage to a vehicle
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 air bags.
See “Air Bag Readiness Light” in
Section 3 for more on this, including
important safety information.
WARNING
A thick layer of additional material
such as a blanket, or aftermarket
equipment such as seat covers, seat
heaters and seat massagers can
affect how well the passenger sens-
ing system operates. Remove any
additional material from the seat
cushion before allowing a passenger
to use the front passenger’s seat, and
do not use aftermarket equipment
such as seat covers.
Supplemental Restraint System:
1-33SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
85Z14-03E
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash
sensing and diagnostic module, which
records information about the air bag
system. The module records information
about the readiness of the system, when
the system commands air bag inflation.
Let only qualified technicians work on
your air bag system. Improper service
can mean that your air bag system won’t
work properly. See your SUZUKI dealer
for ser vice.Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped
Ve hicleAir bags affect how your vehicle should be
serviced. There are air bag system parts in
several places around your vehicle. You
don’t want the system to inflate while
someone is working on your vehicle. Your
SUZUKI dealer and the service manualhave information about servicing your vehi-
cle and the air bag system.
The air bag systems in your vehicle do not
need regular maintenance.
Restraint System CheckChecking Your Restraint SystemsNow and then, make sure the safety belt
reminder light and all your belts, buckles,
latch plates, retractors and anchorages are
working properly. Look for any other loose
or damaged safety belt system parts. If you
see anything that might keep a safety belt
system from doing its job, have it repaired.
Torn or frayed safety belts may not protect
you in a crash. They can rip apart under
impact forces. If a belt is torn or frayed, get
a new one right away.
Also look for any opened or broken air bag
covers, and have them repaired or
replaced. (The air bag system does not
need regular maintenance.)
CAUTION
If you damage the covering for the
driver’s or the right front passenger’s
frontal air bag, or the covering on the
front seatback for a side air bag, the
bag may not work properly. You may
have to replace the air bag module in
the steering wheel, both the air bag
module and the instrument panel for
the right front passenger’s air bag, or
both the air bag module and seatback
for the side impact air bag. Do not
open or break the air bag coverings.
WARNING
For up to 10 seconds after the igni-
tion key is turned off and the battery
is disconnected, an air bag can still
inflate during improper service. You
can be injured if you are close to an
air bag when it inflates. Avoid yellow
connectors. They are probably part of
the air bag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and make
sure the person performing work for
you is qualified to do so.
Supplemental Restraint System:
Restraint System Check: