2010 SUZUKI KIZASHI Owners Manual

3-14
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
57L20-03E
Downshifting maximum allowable
speedsFor J24B engine
*NOTE:
You may not accelerate to the maximum
allowable speed because of the driving sit-
uation and/or the vehicle condition.Downshifting Km/h (mph)
2nd to 1st 50 (31)
3rd to 2nd 90 (56)
4th to 3rd 135 (84)
5th to 4th 185 (115)*
6th to 5th 225 (140)*
CAUTION
When downshifting to a lower gear,
make sure not to operate with the
speed faster than the maximum
allowable speeds for the next lower
gear, or severe engine damage can
result.
WARNING
 Reduce your speed and downshift
to a lower gear before going down
a long or steep hill. Downshifting
will allow the engine to provide
braking. Avoid riding the brakes or
they may overheat, resulting in
brake failure.
 When driving on slippery roads, be
sure to slow down before down-
shifting. Large and sudden
changes in engine speed may
cause loss of traction, which could
cause you to lose control.
 Make sure that the vehicle is com-
pletely stopped before you shift
into reverse.
CAUTION
 To help avoid clutch damage, do
not use the clutch pedal as a foot-
rest while driving or use the clutch
to keep the vehicle stationary on a
slope. Depress the clutch fully
when shifting.
 When shifting or starting off, do not
race the engine. Racing the engine
can shorten engine life and affect
smooth shifting.

3-15OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
57L20-03E
Continuously Variable Transaxle
(CVT)
57L31008
Gearshift lever
57L31009
The gearshift lever has a lock mechanism
to help prevent accidental shifting. To shift
the gearshift lever:
57L31010
NOTE:
 Always shift the gearshift lever without
pushing in the lock button (1) except
when you shift from “P” to “R”, from “N”
to “R” or from “R” to “P”. If you always
push in the lock button (1) when shifting
the gearshift lever, you could shift into
“P” or “R” by mistake.
 If driver’s or passenger’s knee hits the
gearshift lever while driving, the lever
could move and the gear could be
changed unexpectedly.
WARNING
Always depress the brake pedal
before shifting from “P” (Park) (or
“N” (Neutral) if the vehicle is station-
ary) to a forward or reverse gear, to
help prevent the vehicle from moving
unexpectedly when you shift.
Shift with the lock button (1)
pushed in and the brake pedal
depressed.
Shift with the lock button (1)
pushed in.
Shift without the lock button (1)
pushed in.
(1)

3-16
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
57L20-03E
Use the gearshift lever positions as follows:
P (Park)
Use this position to lock the transaxle
when the vehicle is parked or when start-
ing the engine. Shift into Park only when
the vehicle is completely stationary.
R (Reverse)
Use this position to reverse the vehicle
from stop. Make sure that vehicle is com-
pletely stationary before shifting into
Reverse.
N (Neutral)
Use this position for starting the engine if
the engine stalls and you need to restart it
while the vehicle is moving. You may also
shift into Neutral and depress the brake
pedal to hold the vehicle stationary during
idling.D (Drive)
Use this position for all normal driving.
With the gearshift lever in “D” range you
can get an automatic downshift by press-
ing the accelerator pedal. The higher the
vehicle speed is, the more you need to
press the accelerator pedal to get a down-
shift.
M (manual mode)
Use this position for driving in the manual
mode.
Refer to “Manual mode” later in this section
for details on how to use the manual mode.Manual mode
The CVT can shift gears automatically.
When using the manual mode, you can
shift gears in the same manner as conven-
tional manual transaxle.
To use the manual mode, shift the gearshift
lever from “D” to “M”.
57L31011
57L31012
(1) Manual mode indicator
(2) Gear position
The information display shows the manual
mode indicator (1) and the current gear
position (2).
CAUTION
Do not shift the gearshift lever into
“R” while moving forward, or the
transaxle may be damaged. If you
shift into “R” when the vehicle speed
is over 6mph (10km/h), the transaxle
will not shift into reverse.
CAUTION
Be sure to take the following precau-
tions to help avoid damage to the
CVT:
 Make sure that the vehicle is com-
pletely stationary before shifting
into “P” or “R”.
 Do not shift from “P” or “N” to “R”,
“D” or “M” when the engine is run-
ning above idle speed.
 Do not rev the engine with the tran-
saxle in a drive position (“R”, “D”
or “M”) and the front wheels not
moving.
 Do not use the accelerator to hold
the vehicle on a hill. Use the vehi-
cle’s brakes.
(1)(2)

3-17OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
57L20-03E
NOTE:
 The indicated gear position on the infor-
mation display when you shift from “D” to
“M” is the gear position that was selected
automatically when the gearshift lever
was in “D”.
 You can change to the manual mode
temporarily by pulling the shift paddle (if
equipped) on the steering wheel toward
you when the gearshift lever is in “D”.
Shifting in the manual mode
You can shift gears from 1st to 6th depend-
ing on driving speed.
NOTE:
 If the CVT fluid becomes hot such as
when driving uphill, the transaxle will
automatically shift up in order to protect
itself and the engine regardless of your
gear shifting operation.
 When the driving speed becomes slow,
the gear shifts down automatically, and
when the vehicle stops, the gear position
will be in 1st gear without shifting the
gearshift lever.
 If you depress the accelerator pedal a
certain amount, the gear shifts down
automatically even if the gearshift lever
is in the manual mode.NOTE:
When you change gear, sometimes the
transaxle may not shift to the desired gear
but a buzzer sounds instead. This is to
maintain good drivability and to protect the
transaxle.
Using the gearshift lever
57L31013
(1) “+” side (shift up)
(2) “–” side (shift down)
To shift up, pull the gearshift lever to the “+”
side (rearward). When you remove your
hand from the gearshift lever, the lever will
return to the “M” position automatically.
To shift down, push the gearshift lever to
the “–” side (forward). When you remove
your hand from the gearshift lever, the
lever will return to the “M” position auto-
matically.NOTE:
To shift gears continuously, remove your
hand from the gearshift lever, then shift the
lever again. You cannot shift gears continu-
ously while holding the lever in the “+” or
“–” position.
Using the shift paddle (if equipped)
57L40010
To shift up, pull the “+” side shift paddle,
located on right side of the steering wheel,
toward you. When you remove your finger
from the switch, the switch will return to the
original position.
(2)
(1)

3-18
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
57L20-03E
57L40011
To shift down, pull the “–” side shift paddle,
located on left side of the steering wheel,
toward you. When you remove your finger
from the switch, the switch will return to the
original position.
NOTE:
 To shift gears continuously, remove your
finger from the shift paddle, then pull the
shift paddle again. You cannot shift
gears continuously while holding the
shift paddle toward you.
 When you pull the both “+” and “–” shift
paddle simultaneously, the gear may not
shift.Canceling the manual mode
To cancel the manual mode, shift the gear-
shift lever from “M” to “D”.
Temporary manual mode
Pull the shift paddle (if equipped) toward
you when driving with the gearshift lever in
the “D” position. The information display
shows the manual mode indicator (1) and
the current gear position (2).
57L31012
(1) Manual mode indicator
(2) Gear position
The temporary manual mode will be can-
celed automatically in the following situa-
tions.
 When you press and hold the accelera-
tor pedal for a certain period of time with-
out shifting gears.
 When driving speed becomes slow.If You Cannot Shift CVT Gearshift Lever
Out of “P” (PARK)
57L31015
Vehicles with a CVT have an electrically
operated park-lock feature. If the vehicle’s
battery is discharged, or there is some
other electrical failure, the CVT cannot be
shifted out of Park in the normal way. Jump
starting may correct the condition. If not,
follow the procedure described below. This
procedure will permit changing the tran-
saxle out of Park.
1) Be sure the parking brake is firmly
applied.
2) If the engine is running, stop the
engine.
3) Remove the cover (1) over the button.
4) With pushing the release button by the
key or the flat end rod, shift the gear-
shift lever to the desired position.
(1)(2)
(1)

3-19OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
57L20-03E
This procedure is for emergency use only.
If repeated use of this procedure is neces-
sary, or the procedure does not work as
described, take the vehicle to your dealer
for repair.
Using the 2WD/i-AWD
(intelligent All Wheel Drive)
Switch (if equipped)
57L31016
This i-AWD system enables you to select
the driving mode according to driving con-
ditions by operating the 2WD/i-AWD
switch.Driving Modes2WD
If you drive on a dry, paved road, select
this mode to save fuel.
In this mode, the engine torque transmitted
to the rear wheels is limited to the mini-
mum. (As a result, the vehicle runs in a
quasi-front-wheel-drive condition.)i-AWD
This mode is for all normal driving.
In almost all road surface conditions, the
system keeps distributing engine torque to
the rear wheels in the most suitable pro-
portion for varying conditions under auto-
matic control.
In the i-AWD mode, the i-AWD controller
monitors the driver’s vehicle control opera-
tions and conditions of the vehicle. Based
on the sensed conditions, the controller
electronically controls the power coupling
so that optimum torque is distributed to the
rear wheels. This function improves driving
stability and driving performance on rough
roads and stabilizes driving performance
even on snow-covered up-hill roads or the
like.
During constant speed driving, torque dis-
tribution to the rear wheels is reduced
almost to the front-wheel-drive condition,
thus improving fuel consumption.

3-20
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
57L20-03E
2WD/i-AWD Switch OperationOperate the 2WD/i-AWD switch according
to the appropriate procedure described
below:
How to turn on 2WD/i-AWD switch
2WD/i-AWD switch will activate when the
engine switch is pressed to change the
ignition mode to “ON”.
From 2WD to i-AWD
Push the 2WD/i-AWD switch in, and the “i-
AWD” indicator will come on.
57L30044
From i-AWD to 2WD
Push the “2WD/i-AWD” switch so that it
releases, and the “i-AWD” indicator will
turn off.
NOTE:
 The 2WD/i-AWD switch can be operated
when the vehicle is either stopped or
moving.
 Make sure that the front wheels are in
the straight ahead position when operat-
ing the 2WD/i-AWD switch.
 While making turns or accelerating and
decelerating, operating the 2WD/i-AWD
switch or pressing the engine switch tochange the ignition mode to “ACC” or
“LOCK” in the “i-AWD” mode may cause
a shock, but this is not a system mal-
function.
 When you operate your vehicle under
conditions that involve wheel spin, such
as driving off-road in the sand or water
or when a wheel has run off the road, the
difference in the amount of revolution
between front wheels and rear wheels
increases (wheels run idle). If this state
continues, the oil temperature of the
driving system parts increases.
The “i-AWD” warning light warns of this
condition by blinking. At the same time,
the information display on the instrument
cluster shows this message: “AWD SYS-
TEM HIGH TEMP AWD IS OFF”.
57L30042
When the “i-AWD” warning light comes
on after you have operated your vehicle
in the i-AWD mode continuously, park
the vehicle at a safe place and run the
engine idle. After some time, the “i-AWD”
indicator light turns on again and the
driving mode returns to the “i-AWD”
mode.
CAUTION
 Note that i-AWD vehicles are not
all-around vehicles. Be sure to
observe the following instructions
when driving your vehicle.
– Do not drive through water such
as by crossing a river.
– Do not drive continuously in
places such as sand and mud
where front wheels tend to race.
– When any wheel is in the air for
such reason as running off the
road, do not race it needlessly.
 If the “i-AWD” warning light comes
on or blinks when driving, there
may be something wrong with the i-
AWD system. Have the system
inspected by an authorized SUZUKI
dealer.
 The information display shows the
“AWD SYSTEM HIGH TEMP AWD IS
OFF” message whenever the “i-
AWD” warning light comes on or
blinks.

3-21OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
57L20-03E
Cruise Control (if equipped)
57L31017
The cruise control system allows you to
maintain a steady speed without keeping
your foot on the accelerator pedal. The
controls for operating the cruise control
system are on the steering wheel.
You can use the cruise control system with
the following conditions:
 For manual transaxle vehicle, the gear
position is in 4th, 5th or 6th.
 For a CVT vehicle, the select lever is in
“D” position or the gear is in 3rd, 4th, 5th
or 6th with the lever in the “M” position.
 The vehicle speed is about 25 mph (40
km/h) or higher.
57L40013
(1) “CRUISE” switch
(2) “CANCEL” switch
(3) “RES +/SET –” switch
CAUTION
Unevenly worn tires can cause prob-
lems with operation of the 2WD/i-
AWD switch. Be sure to rotate the
tires according to the maintenance
schedule. Refer to “Tires” and “Main-
tenance Schedule” in the “INSPEC-
TION AND MAINTENANCE” section
for proper tire rotation procedures.
WARNING
To help avoid loss of vehicle control,
do not use the cruise control system
when driving in heavy traffic, on slip-
pery or winding roads, or on steep
downgrades.
(3)
(2) (1)