2008 SUZUKI SX4 Spec

2-40
BEFORE DRIVING
80J21-03E
The driver and all passengers must be
properly restrained by wearing seat belts
at all times, whether or not a pretensioner
is equipped at their seating position, to
minimize the risk of severe injury or death
in the event of a crash. Sit fully back in the
seat; sit up straight; do not lean forward or
sideways. Adjust the belt so the lap portion
of the belt is worn low across the pelvis,
not across the waist. Please refer to the
“Seat Adjustment” section and the instruc-
tions and precautions about the seat belts
in this “Seat Belts and Child Restraint Sys-
tems” section for details on proper seat
and seat belt adjustments.
Please note that the pretensioners along
with the front air bags will activate only in
severe frontal collisions. They are not
designed to activate in rear impacts, side
impacts, rollovers or minor frontal colli-
sions. The pretensioners can be activated
only once. If the pretensioners are acti-
vated (that is, if the front air bags are acti-
vated), have the pretensioner system
serviced by an authorized SUZUKI dealer
as soon as possible.
If the AIR BAG light on the instrument clus-
ter does not blink or come on briefly when
the ignition switch is turned to the “ON”
position, stays on for more than 10 sec-
onds, or comes on while driving, the pre-
tensioner system or the air bag system
may not work properly. Have both systems
inspected by an authorized SUZUKI dealer
as soon as possible.Service on or around the pretensioner sys-
tem components or wiring must be per-
formed only by an authorized SUZUKI
dealer who is specially trained. Improper
service could result in unintended activa-
tion of pretensioners or could render the
pretensioner inoperative. Either of these
two conditions may result in personal
injury.
To prevent damage or unintended activa-
tion of the pretensioners, be sure the bat-
tery is disconnected and the ignition switch
has been in the “LOCK” position for at least
90 seconds before performing any electri-
cal service work on your SUZUKI. Do not
touch pretensioner system components or
wiring. The wires are wrapped with yellow
tape or yellow tubing, and the couplers are
yellow. When scrapping your SUZUKI, ask
your SUZUKI dealer, body repair shop or
scrap yard for assistance.
Supplemental Restraint
System (air bags)
54G022
Your vehicle has advanced front air bags
and side air bags for the driver and right
front passenger. Your vehicle also has side
curtain air bags.
WARNING
This section of the owner’s manual
describes the protection provided by
your SUZUKI’s SUPPLEMENTAL
RESTRAINT SYSTEM (air bags).
Please read and follow ALL these
instructions carefully to minimize
your risk of severe injury or death in
the event of a collision.EXAMPLE
Supplemental Restraint System (advanced air bags):
3, 9, 12

2-42
BEFORE DRIVING
80J21-03E
63J030
If the AIR BAG light on the instrument clus-
ter does not blink when the ignition switch
is first turned to the “ON” position, or the
AIR BAG light stays on, or comes on while
driving, the air bag system (or the seat belt
pretensioner system) may not work prop-
erly. Have the air bag system inspected by
an authorized SUZUKI dealer as soon as
possible.
Front Air Bags
80JS026
79J059
The driver’s front air bag is located behind
the center pad of the steering wheel. The
words “SRS AIRBAG” are molded into the
air bag cover to identify the location of theair bag. The front passenger’s front air bag
is located behind the passenger’s side of
the dashboard. The words “SRS AIRBAG”
are molded into the air bag cover to identify
the location of the air bag.
Frontal collision range
60G032
Front air bags are designed to inflate only
in severe frontal collisions.
EXAMPLEEXAMPLE
Supplemental Restraint System (advanced air bags):
3, 9, 12

2-45BEFORE DRIVING
80J21-03E
Driver’s Seat Position SensorThe driver’s seat is equipped with a seat
position sensor to monitor the driver seat
fore/aft position. The seat position sensor
provides information which is used to
judge if the driver’s front air bag should
deploy at reduced power or at full power.
When the seat position sensor has a prob-
lem, the AIR BAG light on the instrument
cluster will turn on. If this happens, deploy-
ment of the driver’s front air bag will not
include consideration of seat fore/aft posi-
tion. Have the air bag system inspected by
an authorized SUZUKI dealer as soon as
possible.
Front Passenger’s Seat Belt Buckle
SensorThe front passenger’s seat belt buckle is
equipped with a sensor to monitor whether
or not the front passenger’s seat belt is fas-
tened. The front passenger’s seat belt
buckle sensor provides information which
is used to judge if the front passenger’s air
bag should deploy at reduced power or at
full power.
WARNING
An air bag supplements, or adds to,
the crash protection offered by seat
belts. The driver and all passengers
must be properly restrained by wear-
ing seat belts at all times, whether or
not air bags are mounted at their
seating position, to minimize the risk
of severe injury or death in the event
of a crash.
WARNING
If the AIR BAG light in the instrument
cluster ever comes on and stays on,
it means that something may be
wrong with the air bag system. If this
ever happens, have the vehicle ser-
viced immediately, because the air
bags may not offer the protection for
which they were designed.
CAUTION
Do not put any cargo or metal objects
under the seat. The seat position sen-
sor may not work properly or may be
damaged if it is covered with some-
thing.
WARNING
When the buckle sensor has a prob-
lem, the AIR BAG light on the instru-
ment cluster will turn on. If this
happens, deployment of the front
passenger’s air bag will not include
consideration of whether the front
passenger’s seat belt is fastened or
not. Have the air bag system
inspected by an authorized SUZUKI
dealer as soon as possible.

2-47BEFORE DRIVING
80J21-03E
65D607
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in rear
seating positions than in front seating posi-
tions. Whenever possible, SUZUKI recom-
mends you install child restraints in the
rear seat.
The front passenger sensing system is
designed to enable the front passenger’sfront air bag when the system senses a
properly-seated adult in the front passen-
ger’s seat. When the passenger sensing
system has allowed the air bag to be
enabled, the “PASS AIR BAG OFF” indica-
tor will remain off to remind you that the air
bag is active.
If a person of adult size is sitting in the
front passenger’s seat and the “PASS AIR
BAG OFF” indicator comes on, it could be
because that person isn’t sitting properly in
the seat. If this happens, unfasten the seat
belts, sit upright in the center of the seat
with the seatback nearly vertical and your
legs outstretched, and refasten the seat
belt.
52D258
When seated as shown in the above illus-
tration, the front passenger sensing sys-
tem senses a properly-seated occupant
and enables the air bag.When using a seat belt extender, follow the
instructions in the “Seat Belt Extender”
section.
WARNING
Do not install a rear-facing child
restraint in the front passenger’s
seat. If the passenger’s front air bag
inflates, a child in a rear-facing child
restraint could be seriously injured.
The back of a rear-facing child
restraint would be too close to the
inflating air bag.
WARNING
Do not place any heavy objects on
the front passenger’s seat. The pres-
sure sensors in the sensor mat could
be damaged and the front passenger
sensing system may not work prop-
erly.
WARNING
The front passenger sensing system
may not work properly in the follow-
ing situations:
 The occupant is sitting near the
dashboard or is not sitting in the
proper position.
 Objects placed under the seat are
pushing up on the seat cushion.
WARNING
If the “PASS AIR BAG OFF” indicator
on the instrument panel turns on
even though there is no occupant or
an adult occupant in the front pas-
senger’s seat, it means that some-
thing may be wrong with the
passenger sensing system. Have the
system inspected by an authorized
SUZUKI dealer as soon as possible.

2-48
BEFORE DRIVING
80J21-03E
How the System WorksIn a frontal collision, the crash sensors will
detect rapid deceleration and send a signal
to the controller. If the controller judges
that the deceleration represents a severe
frontal crash, the controller will trigger the
inflators. The controller also judges:
 Whether the front air bags should deploy
at reduced power or at full power accord-
ing to crash severity.
 Whether the air bags should deploy at
reduced power or at full power according
to crash severity, driver’s seat fore/aft
position and whether or not the front
passenger’s seat belt is fastened.
 Whether the front passenger’s front air
bag should deploy or not based on clas-
sification of the occupant of the front
passenger’s seat.
Since your vehicle is equipped with side air
bags, and side curtain air bags, crash sen-
sors will detect a side collision, and if the
controller judges that the side collision is
severe enough, it will trigger the side air
bag and side curtain air bag inflators.
The inflators inflate the appropriate air
bags with nitrogen or argon gas. The
inflated air bags provide a cushion for your
head (front air bags and side curtain air
bags only) and upper body. The air bag
inflates and deflates so quickly that you
may not even realize that it has activated.
The air bag will neither hinder your view
nor make it harder to exit the vehicle.Air bags must inflate quickly and forcefully
in order to reduce the chance of serious or
fatal injuries. However, an unavoidable
consequence of the quick inflation is that
the air bag may irritate bare skin, such as
the facial area against a front air bag. Also,
upon inflation, a loud noise will occur and
some powder and smoke will be released.
These conditions are not harmful and do
not indicate a fire in the car. Be aware,
however, that some air bag components
may be hot for a while after inflation.
A seat belt helps keep you in the proper
position for maximum protection when an
air bag inflates. Adjust your seat as far
back as possible while still maintaining
control of the vehicle. Sit fully back in your
seat; sit up straight; do not lean over the
steering wheel or dashboard. Front occu-
pants should not lean on or sleep against
the door. Please refer to the “Seat Adjust-
ment” section and the “Seat Belts and
Child Restraint Systems” section in the
“BEFORE DRIVING” section for details on
proper seat and seat belt adjustments.
WARNING
 Do not spill any liquids on the seat.
Liquids can damage the sensors
under the front seat.
 Have the driver’s seat position sen-
sor and the front passenger’s sen-
sor mat inspected by your dealer
after a collision.
 Do not replace the front seats. If
you replace them, the air bags and
front passenger sensing system
may not work properly.
 Do not use a seat cover. If you use
a seat cover, the front passenger
sensing system may not work prop-
erly.

2-49BEFORE DRIVING
80J21-03E
65D610
54G582
Note that even though your vehicle may be
moderately damaged in a collision, the col-
lision may not have been severe enough to
trigger the front, side, or side curtain air
bags to inflate. If your car sustains ANY
front-end or side damage, have the air bag
system inspected by an authorized
SUZUKI dealer to ensure it is in proper
working order.
Your vehicle is equipped with a diagnostic
module which records information about
the air bag system if the air bags deploy in
a crash. The module records information
about overall system status, which sensors
activated the deployment, and whether the
front seat belts were in use.Servicing the Air Bag SystemIf the air bags inflate, have the air bags and
related components replaced by an autho-
rized SUZUKI dealer as soon as possible.
If your vehicle ever gets in deep water and
the driver’s floor is submerged, the air bag
controller could be damaged. If this hap-
pens, have the air bag system inspected
by the SUZUKI dealer as soon as possible.
Special procedures are required for servic-
ing or replacing an air bag. For that reason,
only an authorized SUZUKI dealer should
be allowed to service or replace your air
bags. Please remind anyone who services
your SUZUKI that it has air bags.
WARNING
 The driver should not lean over the
steering wheel. The front passen-
ger should not rest his or her body
against the dashboard, or other-
wise get too close to the dash-
board. For vehicles with side air
bags and side curtain air bags,
occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door. In these sit-
uations, the out-of-position occu-
pant would be too close to an
inflating air bag, and may suffer
severe injury.
 Do not attach any objects to, or
place any objects over, the steering
wheel or dashboard. Do not place
any objects between the air bag
and the driver or front passenger.
These objects may interfere with air
bag operation or may be propelled
by the air bag in the event of a
crash. Either of these conditions
may cause severe injury.
 For vehicles with side air bags, do
not place seat covers on the front
seats, because seat covers could
restrict the air bag’s inflation. Also,
do not place any cup holders or
other objects on the door, as these
objects could be propelled by the
air bag in the event of a crash.
Either of these conditions may
cause severe injury.

4-3INSTRUMENT PANEL
80J21-03E
Warning and Indicator LightsLow Tire Pressure Warning Light
52D305
As an added safety feature, your vehicle
has been equipped with a tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS) that uses a low
tire pressure warning light to inform you
when one or more of your tires is signifi-
cantly under-inflated.
When the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position, this light comes on briefly so
you can check that the light is working.
When the low tire pressure warning light is
lit, one or more of your tires is significantly
under-inflated. You should stop and check
your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure as indicated
on the vehicle’s tire information placard.
Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire
causes the tire to overheat and can lead to
tire failure. Under-inflation also reduces
fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle’s handling and stopping
ability. Each tire, including the spare,
should be checked at least once a month
when cold and set to the recommendedinflation pressure as specified in the vehi-
cle placard and owner’s manual.
The low tire pressure warning light is also
used to inform you of a TPMS malfunction.
When the system detects a malfunction,
this light will flash for approximately one
minute and then remain continuously illu-
minated. This sequence will be repeated
approximately ten minutes after subse-
quent the ignition switch is turned on as
long as the malfunction exists.
NOTE:
The low tire pressure warning light may not
come on immediately if you have a sudden
loss of air pressure.
WARNING
If the low tire pressure warning light
does not come on when the ignition
is turned to the “ON” position, or
comes on and blinks while driving
there may be a problem with the tire
pressure monitoring system. Have
your vehicle inspected by an autho-
rized SUZUKI dealer. Even if the light
turns off after blinking, indicating
that monitoring system has recov-
ered, make sure to have an autho-
rized SUZUKI dealer check the
system.
WARNING
The load rating of your tires is
reduced at lower inflation pressures.
If your tires become even moderately
under-inflated, the vehicle load may
exceed the load rating of the tires,
which can lead to tire failure. The low
tire pressure warning light will not
alert you of this condition. The warn-
ing light will only come on when one
or more of your tires become signifi-
cantly under-inflated. Check and
adjust your tire inflation pressure at
least once a month. Refer to “Tires”
in the “INSPECTION AND MAINTE-
NANCE” section.
WARNING
If the low 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
the spare tire. Refer to “Jacking
Instructions” in the “EMERGENCY
SERVICE” section. Refer to
“Replacing Tires and/or Wheels”
for instructions on how to restore
normal operation of the tire pres-
sure monitoring system after you
have had a flat tire.
(Continued)
Warning and Indicator Lights: 8

4-4
INSTRUMENT PANEL
80J21-03E
Refer to “Tire Pressure Monitoring System”
in the “OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE” sec-
tion for additional details on the tire pres-
sure monitoring system. Refer to “Tires” in
the “INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE”
section for information on maintaining
proper tire pressure.
Brake System Warning Light
65D477
This light comes on briefly when the igni-
tion switch is turned to the “ON” position.
The light also comes on under the follow-
ing conditions: 1) when the parking brake
is engaged and 2) when the fluid in the
brake fluid reservoir falls below the speci-
fied level. The light should go out after fully
releasing the parking brake, if the fluid
level in the brake fluid reservoir is ade-
quate.
If this light and the ABS warning light stay
on, or come on simultaneously when driv-
ing, then there may be something wrong
with both the rear brake proportioning
valve function and anti-lock function of the
ABS.
If the brake system warning light comes on
while you are driving the vehicle, it may
mean that there is something wrong with
the vehicle’s brake system. If this happens,
you should:
1) Pull off the road and stop carefully.2) Test the brakes by carefully starting and
stopping on the shoulder of the road.
3) If you determine that it is safe, drive
cautiously at low speed to the nearest
dealer for repairs,
or
4) Have the vehicle towed to the nearest
dealer for repairs.
WARNING
(Continued)
 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.
WARNING
Remember that stopping distance
may be longer, you may have to push
harder on the pedal, and the pedal
may go down farther than normal.
WARNING
If any of the following conditions
occur, you should immediately ask
your SUZUKI dealer to inspect the
brake system.
 If the brake system warning light
does not go out after the parking
brake has been fully released.
 If the brake system warning light
does not come on when the igni-
tion switch is turned to the “ON”
position.
 If the brake system warning light
comes on at any time during vehi-
cle operation.
Warning and Indicator Lights: 8