
2-36
BEFORE DRIVING
57L20-03E
Lap-Shoulder BeltEmergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
The seat belt has an emergency locking
retractor (ELR), which is designed to lock
the seat belt only during a sudden stop or
impact. It also may lock if you pull the belt
across your body very quickly. If this hap-
pens, let the belt go back to unlock it, then
pull the belt across your body more slowly.
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
The front passenger’s seat belt and the
rear seat belts have emergency locking
retractors (ELRs) that can be temporarily
converted to function as automatic locking
retractors (ALRs). The ALR mode should
be used if you need to secure a child
restraint system in the seat. Refer to the
“Child Restraint Systems” section for
details.Safety reminder
60A038
60A040
WARNING
(Continued)
Infants and small children should
never be transported unless they
are properly restrained. Restraint
systems for infants and small chil-
dren can be purchased commer-
cially and should be used. Make
sure that the system you purchase
meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards. Read and follow all the
directions provided by the manu-
facturer.
Avoid contamination of seat belt
webbing by polishes, oils, chemi-
cals and particularly battery acid.
Cleaning may safely be carried out
using mild soap and water.
For children, if the shoulder belt
irritates the neck or face, move the
child closer to the center of the
vehicle.
All seatbacks should always be in
an upright position when driving,
or seat belt effectiveness may be
reduced. Seat belts are designed to
offer maximum protection when
seatbacks are in the upright posi-
tion.
Sit up straight and
fully back
Low on hips
Low on hips
Supplemental Restraint System (advanced air bags):
3, 9, 12

2-43BEFORE DRIVING
57L20-03E
changed to “LOCK” (OFF) by pressing the
engine switch.
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder (if
equipped)
The front passenger’s seat belt reminder
will activate only when there is a passen-
ger sitting in the front seat. In some situa-
tions, however, such as when you place
heavy objects in the front seat, the seat
belt reminder can be activated as if there
were a passenger present. The front pas-
senger’s seat belt reminder works in the
same manner as the driver’s seat belt
reminder, except that it is not activated
until 10 seconds after the ignition mode is
changed to “ON” by pressing the engine
switch.
Shoulder Anchor Height Adjuster
57L21045
Adjust the shoulder anchor height so that
the shoulder belt rides on the center of the
outside shoulder. To upward, slide the
anchor up. To downward, slide the anchor
down while down the lock lever. After
adjustment, make sure that the anchor is
securely locked.
Seat Belt Inspection
65D209S
Periodically inspect the seat belts to make
sure they work properly and are not dam-
aged. Check the webbing, buckles, latch
plates, retractors, anchorages and guide
loops. Replace any seat belts which do not
work properly or are damaged.
WARNING
Be sure that the shoulder belt is posi-
tioned on the center of the outside
shoulder. The belt should be away
from your face and neck, but not fall-
ing off your shoulder. Misadjustment
of the belt could reduce the effective-
ness of the safety belt in a crash.
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE

2-46
BEFORE DRIVING
57L20-03E
Installation with Lap-Shoulder Seat
Belts (child restraint with no top
strap)A-ELR type belt
83E031
Install your child restraint system accord-
ing to the instructions provided by the child
restraint system manufacturer. If you install
the child restraint system in the front seat,
be sure to slide the seat to the rearmost
position. After making sure that the seat
belt is securely latched:
57L31032
1) If you install the child restraint system in
the rear right or left seat, remove the
head restraint (1) or raise the head
restraint upright and make it lock at the
highest position.
WARNING
Children could be endangered in a
crash if their child restraints are not
properly secured in the vehicle.
When installing a child restraint sys-
tem, be sure to follow the instruc-
tions below. Be sure to secure the
child in the restraint system accord-
ing to the manufacturer’s instruc-
tions.
WARNING
In an accident or sudden stop, the
rear seat armrest (if equipped) could
fall forward. If there is a child in a
rear-facing child restraint in the cen-
ter seating position, the falling arm-
rest could injure the child. Make sure
the armrest is back in the seat and
locked when not in use.
EXAMPLE
(1)

2-47BEFORE DRIVING
57L20-03E
A-ELR type belt
83E035
2) Pull all of the remaining webbing out of
the retractor. You will hear a click, which
means that the emergency locking
retractor (ELR) has converted to func-
tion as an automatic locking retractor
(ALR).A-ELR type belt
83E032
3) Allow the extra webbing to retract, and
pull the webbing toward the retractor to
take up any slack. Make sure that the
lap portion of the belt is tight around the
child restraint system and the shoulder
portion of the belt is positioned so that it
cannot interfere with the child’s head or
neck.A-ELR type belt
83E036
4) Make sure that the retractor has con-
ver ted to the ALR mode by trying to pull
webbing out of the retractor. If the
retractor is in the ALR mode, the belt
will be locked.
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
WARNING
If the retractor is not in the ALR
mode, the child restraint system can
move or tip over when your vehicle
turns or stops abruptly.EXAMPLE

2-55BEFORE DRIVING
57L20-03E
The front seat belt retractors and lap belt
anchorages are each provided with a pre-
tensioner. The pretensioner tightens the
seat belt so the belt fits the occupant’s
body more snugly in the event of a frontal
or side crash. The retractors will remain
locked after the pretensioners are acti-
vated. Upon activation, some noise will
occur and some smoke may be released.
These conditions are not harmful and do
not indicate a fire in the vehicle.
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
help 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” sec-
tion and the instructions and precautions
about the seat belts in this “Seat Belts and
Child Restraint Systems” section for details
on proper seat and seat belt adjustments.
Please note that the pretensioners along
with the air bags will activate only in severe
frontal or side collisions. They are not
designed to activate in rear impacts, roll-
overs or minor frontal collisions. The pre-
tensioners can be activated only once. If
the pretensioners are activated (that is, if
the air bags are activated), have the pre-tensioner system serviced by an autho-
rized 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 mode is changed to “ON” by
pressing the engine switch, stays on for
more than 10 seconds, or comes on while
driving, the pretensioner 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 engine switch
has been in the “LOCK” (OFF) mode for at
least 90 seconds before performing any
electrical service work on your SUZUKI.
Do not touch pretensioner system compo-
nents or wiring. The wires are wrapped
with yellow tape or yellow tubing, and the
couplers are yellow. When scrapping your
SUZUKI, ask an authorized SUZUKI
dealer, body repair shop or scrap yard for
assistance.
Supplemental Restraint
System (air bags)
54G022
Your vehicle has advanced front air bags
and front side air bags for the driver and
right front passenger. Your vehicle also has
side curtain air bags and rear side 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

2-66
BEFORE DRIVING
57L20-03E
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, rear side, or side
curtain air bags to inflate. If your car sus-
tains ANY front-end or side damage, have
the air bag system inspected by an autho-
rized 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.
Service on or around air bag components
or wiring must be performed only by an
authorized SUZUKI dealer. Improper ser-
vice could result in unintended air bag
deployment or could render the air bags
inoperative. Either of these two conditions
may result in severe injury.To prevent damage or unintended inflation
of the air bag system, be sure the battery
is disconnected and the engine switch has
been in the “LOCK” (OFF) mode for at
least 90 seconds before performing any
electrical service work on your SUZUKI.
Do not touch air bag system components
or wires. The wires are wrapped with yel-
low tape or yellow tubing, and the couplers
are yellow for easy identification.
Scrapping a car that has an undeployed air
bag can be hazardous. Ask your dealer,
body repair shop or scrap yard for help
with disposal.

2-70
BEFORE DRIVING
57L20-03E
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 you press
the engine switch to change the ignition
mode to “ON”. The light also comes on
under the following conditions: 1) when the
parking brake is engaged and 2) when the
fluid in the brake fluid reservoir falls below
the specified level. The light should go out
after fully releasing the parking brake, if the
fluid level in the brake fluid reservoir is
adequate.
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:
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.
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.

2-71BEFORE DRIVING
57L20-03E
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.NOTE:
Because the disc brake system is self-
adjusting, the fluid level will drop as the
brake pads become worn.
Replenishing the brake fluid reservoir is
considered normal periodic maintenance.
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light
65D529
When you press the engine switch to
change the ignition mode to “ON”, the light
comes on briefly so you can check that the
light is working. If the light stays on, or
comes on when driving, there may be
something wrong with the ABS.
If the ABS light and the brake system
warning light stay on, or come on simulta-
neously when driving, then there may be
something wrong with both the rear brake
proportioning valve function and anti-lock
function of the ABS.
If one of these happens, have the system
inspected by an authorized SUZUKI
dealer. If the ABS becomes inoperative,
the brake system will function as an ordi-
nary brake system that has no ABS.For details of the ABS, refer to “Anti-Lock
Brake System (ABS)” in the “OPERATING
YOUR VEHICLE” section.
ESP
® Warning Light
52KM133
ESP
® is a registered trademark of Daimler
AG.
This light blinks 5 times per second when
one of the ESP
® systems other than ABS
is activated. If this light blinks, drive care-
fully.
When you press the engine switch to
change the ignition mode to “ON”, the light
comes on briefly so you can check that the
light is working. If the light stays on, or
comes on when driving and remains on,
there may be something wrong with the
ESP
® systems (other than ABS). You
should have the system inspected by an
authorized SUZUKI dealer.
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
an 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 you press
the engine switch to change the
ignition mode to “ON”.
If the brake system warning light
comes on at any time during vehi-
cle operation.