Page 181 of 278
7-4
DRIVING TIPS
80J21-03E
WARNING
(Continued)
Never use oversized tires or special
shocks and springs to raise (jack
up) your vehicle. This will change
its handling characteristics. Over-
sized tires may also rub against the
fender over bumps, causing vehicle
damage or tire failure.
After driving through water, test the
brakes while driving at a slow
speed to see if they have main-
tained their normal effectiveness. If
the brakes are less effective than
normal, dry them by repeatedly
applying the brakes while driving
slowly until the brakes have
regained their normal effective-
ness.
Driving on Slippery Roads: NO
Page 190 of 278

9-1INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
80J21-03E
60A187S
WARNING
You should take extreme care when
working on your vehicle to prevent
accidental injury. Here are a few pre-
cautions that you should be espe-
cially careful to observe:
To prevent damage or unintended
inflation of the air bag system, be
sure the battery is disconnected
and the ignition switch has been in
the “LOCK” position for at least 90
seconds before performing any
electrical service work on your
SUZUKI. Do not touch air bag sys-
tem components or wires. The
wires are wrapped with yellow tape
or yellow tubing, and the couplers
are yellow for easy identification.
(Continued)
WARNING
(Continued)
Do not leave the engine running in
garages or other confined areas.
When the engine is running, keep
hands, clothing, tools and other
objects away from the moving fan
and drive belt.
When it is necessary to do service
work with the engine running, make
sure that the parking brake is set
fully and the transaxle is in Neutral
(for manual transaxle vehicles) or
Park (for automatic transaxle vehi-
cles).
Do not touch ignition wires or other
ignition system parts when starting
the engine or when the engine is
running, or you could receive an
electric shock.
Be careful not to touch a hot
engine, exhaust manifold and
pipes, muffler, radiator and water
hoses.
Do not allow smoking, sparks or
flames around gasoline or the bat-
tery. Flammable fumes are present.
Do not get under your vehicle if it is
supported only with the portable
jack provided in your vehicle.
(Continued)
WARNING
(Continued)
Be careful not to cause accidental
short circuits between the positive
and negative battery terminals.
Keep used oil, engine coolant and
other fluids away from children and
pets. Dispose of used fluids prop-
erly; never pour them on the
ground, into sewers, etc.
Page 220 of 278

9-31INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
80J21-03E
Changing WheelsSX4
80JC014
SX4 SEDAN
80JC045
To change a wheel, use the following pro-
cedure:
1) Remove the jack, tools and spare wheel
from the vehicle.
2) Loosen, but do not remove the wheel
nuts.
3) Jack up the vehicle (follow the jacking
instructions in the “EMERGENCY SER-
VICE” section in this manual).
4) Remove the wheel nuts and wheel.
5) Install the new wheel and replace the
wheel nuts with their cone shaped end
facing the wheel. Tighten each nut
snugly by hand until the wheel is
securely seated on the hub.
81A057
6) Lower the jack and fully tighten the nuts
(to the specified torque) in a crisscross
fashion with a wrench as shown in the
illustration.Snow TiresYour vehicle is equipped with all-season
tires which are designed for use in summer
and most winter conditions. For improved
traction in severe winter conditions,
SUZUKI recommends mounting radial
snow tires on all four wheels. Snow tires
must be the same size as the standard
tires. Also be sure to use the tires of the
same type and brand on all four wheels of
your vehicle.
Wheel tightening torque
85 Nm (61.5 lb-ft, 8.5 kg-m)
Tires: 6
Battery: 9
Page 239 of 278
EMERGENCY SERVICE
10
80J21-03E
60G411
EMERGENCY SERVICEJacking Instructions ........................................................... 10-1
Jump Starting Instructions ................................................ 10-3
Towing a Disabled Vehicle ................................................. 10-4
If the Starter Does Not Operate .......................................... 10-4
If the Engine is Flooded ...................................................... 10-5
If the Engine Overheats ...................................................... 10-5
If You Can Not Shift Automatic Transaxle Gearshift
Lever Out of “P” (PARK) .................................................... 10-6
Page 240 of 278
10-1EMERGENCY SERVICE
80J21-03E
Jacking InstructionsSX4
80JC014
SX4 SEDAN
80JC04575F062
1) Place the vehicle on level, hard ground.
2) Set the parking brake firmly and shift
into “P” (Park) if your vehicle has an
automatic transaxle, or shift into “R”
(Reverse) if your vehicle has a manual
transaxle.
3) Turn on the hazard warning flasher if
your vehicle is near traffic.4) Block the front and rear of the wheel
diagonally opposite of the wheel being
lifted.
5) Place the spare wheel near the wheel
being lifted as shown in the illustration
in case that the jack slips.
54G253
WARNING
Be sure to shift into “P” (Park) for
an automatic transaxle vehicle, or
into “R” (Reverse) for a manual
transaxle vehicle when you jack up
the vehicle.
Never jack up the vehicle with the
transaxle in “N” (Neutral). Other-
wise, an unstable jack may cause
an accident.
Jacking Instructions: 5
Page 241 of 278

10-2
EMERGENCY SERVICE
80J21-03E
80J085
6) Position the jack at an angle as shown
in the illustration and raise the jack by
turning the jack handle clockwise until
the jack-head groove fits around the
jacking bar beneath the vehicle body.
7) Continue to raise the jack slowly and
smoothly until the tire clears the
ground. Do not raise the vehicle more
than necessary.Front wheel
80J086
Rear wheel
80J087
front
WARNING
Use the jack only to change wheels.
Never jack up the vehicle on an
inclined surface.
Never raise the vehicle with the
jack in a location other than the
specified jacking point (shown in
the illustration) near the wheel to
be changed.
Make sure that the jack is raised at
least 51 mm (2 inches) before it
contacts the flange. Use of the jack
when it is within 51 mm (2 inches)
of being fully collapsed may result
in failure of the jack.
Never get under the vehicle when it
is supported by the jack.
Never run the engine when the
vehicle is supported by the jack
and never allow passengers to
remain in the vehicle.
Jacking Instructions: 5
Page 242 of 278

10-3EMERGENCY SERVICE
80J21-03E
Jump Starting Instructions
When jump starting your vehicle, use
the following procedure:
60A269
1) Use only a 12 volt battery to jump start
your vehicle. Position the good 12V bat-
tery close to your vehicle so that the
jumper cables will reach both batteries.
When using a battery installed on
another vehicle, DO NOT LET THE
VEHICLES TOUCH. Set the parking
brakes fully on both vehicles.2) Turn off all vehicle accessories, except
those necessary for safety reasons (for
example, headlights or hazard lights).
54G079
3) Make jumper cable connections as fol-
lows:
1. Connect one end of the first jumper
cable to the positive (+) terminal of
the discharged battery (1).
2. Connect the other end to the positive
(+) terminal of the booster battery
(2).
3. Connect one end of the second
jumper cable to the negative (–) ter-
minal of the booster battery (2).
4. Make the final connection to an
unpainted, heavy metal part (i.e.
engine hook (3)) of the engine of the
vehicle with the discharged battery
(1).
WARNING
Never attempt to jump start your
vehicle if the battery appears to be
frozen. Batteries in this condition
may explode or rupture if jump
starting is attempted.
When making jumper cable con-
nections, be certain that your
hands and the jumper cables
remain clear from pulleys, belts or
fans.
Batteries produce flammable
hydrogen gas. Keep flames and
sparks away from the battery or an
explosion may occur. Never smoke
when working near the battery.
If the booster battery you use for
jump starting is installed in another
vehicle, make sure the two vehicles
are not touching each other.
If your battery discharges repeat-
edly, for no apparent reason, have
your vehicle inspected by an autho-
rized SUZUKI dealer.
To avoid harm to yourself or dam-
age to your vehicle or battery, fol-
low the jump starting instructions
below precisely and in order. If you
are in doubt, call for qualified road
service.
CAUTION
Your vehicle should not be started by
pushing or towing. This starting
method could result in permanent
damage to the catalytic converter.
Use jumper cables to start a vehicle
with a weak or run-down battery.12V BATTERY
(1)
(3)
(2)
EXAMPLE
Jacking Instructions: 5
Page 243 of 278

10-4
EMERGENCY SERVICE
80J21-03E
4) If the booster battery you are using is
installed on another vehicle, start the
engine of the vehicle with the booster
battery. Run the engine at moderate
speed.
5) Start the engine of the vehicle with the
discharged battery.
6) Remove the jumper cables in the exact
reverse order in which you connected
them.
Towing a Disabled VehicleEmergency TowingIf your vehicle is disabled, it may be towed
by a tow truck using one of the following
methods:
1) Tow the vehicle with two wheels lifted
by the tow truck and the other two
wheels on a towing dolly.
2) Use the appropriate towing method
specified for your vehicle in the “Towing
Your Vehicle (recreational towing)” sec-
tion, but with the wheels lifted by the
tow truck instead of on a towing dolly.
Be sure to carefully follow the specific
instructions provided in the “Towing
Your Vehicle (recreational towing)” sec-
tion.
If the Starter Does Not
Operate1) Try turning the ignition switch to the
“START” position with the headlights
turned on to determine the battery con-
dition. If the headlights go excessively
dim or go off, it usually means that
either the battery has run down or bat-
tery terminal contact is poor. Recharge
the battery or correct battery terminal
contact if necessary.
2) If the headlights remain bright, check
the fuses. If the reason for failure of the
starter is not obvious, there may be a
major electrical problem. Have the vehi-
cle inspected by your authorized
SUZUKI dealer.
WARNING
Never connect the jumper cable
directly to the negative (–) terminal of
the discharged battery, or an explo-
sion may occur.
CAUTION
If vehicle damage (such as steering
or drivetrain damage, etc.) prevents
normal use of the towing procedures
for your vehicle described in the
“Towing Your Vehicle (recreational
towing)” section, have your vehicle
towed with two wheels lifted by the
tow truck and the other two wheels
on a towing dolly.
Jacking Instructions: 5
Jump Starting Instructions: 7