
3-7OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
57L20-03E
the following conditions, you may not be
able to start the engine or select the
power supply modes, and the “remote
controller outside” warning may be
given.
– The remote controller’s battery is low.
– The remote controller is affected bystrong radio signals or noise.
– The remote controller is in contact with or covered by a metallic object.
– The remote controller is in stowage like the glove box or a door pocket.
– The remote controller is in the sun
visor pocket or on the floor.
Even when the remote controller is out- side the “interior workable area”, if it is in
any of the following conditions, you may
be able to start the engine or select the
power supply mode. The “remote con-
troller outside” warning may not be given
at that time.
– The remote controller is outside the
vehicle but very close to a door.
– The remote controller is on the instru- ment panel.
Starting the EngineBefore Starting the Engine1) Make sure the parking brake is set fully.
2) Manual Transaxle – Shift to “N” (Neu- tral) and fully depress the clutch pedal.
Hold the clutch and brake pedals fully
depressed.
CVT – If the gearshift lever is not in the
“P” (Park) position, shift it to “P”. Hold
the brake pedal fully depressed.
3) The “PUSH START SWITCH” message will appear on the information display in
the instrument cluster. Push the engine
switch (1). When the engine is started,
the starter motor will automatically stop.
82K254
NOTE:
You do not need to keep the engine
switch pressed to start the engine.
The engine of a manual transaxle vehi- cle will not start unless the clutch pedal
is depressed.
CVT vehicles have a starter interlock device which is designed to keep the
starter from operating if the transaxle is
in any of the drive positions.
During the engine starting procedure,
messages on the inform ation display will
help you. Refer to “Information Display”
in the “Before Driving” section for details.
(1)
WARNING
Make sure that the parking brake is
set fully and the tr ansaxle is in Neu-
tral (or Park for vehicles with a CVT)
before attempting to start the engine.
CAUTION
Do not depress the acclerator dur-
ing the engine st arting procedure.
If the engine does not respond when you try to start it with the
engine switch or if the engine
switch repeats cycling through the
“OFF” - “ACC” - “ON” mode, the
vehicle battery may be discharged.
Check the voltage of the vehicle
battery before trying again.
Cruise Control: 7, 8

3-9OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
57L20-03E
CVT – If the gearshift lever is not in the
“P” (Park) position, shift it to “P”. Hold
the brake pedal fully depressed.
3) The PUSH START SWITCH. message
will appear on the information display in
the instrument cluster. Press the engine
switch (1).
4) Within about 10 seconds of flashing of the master warning light in the instru-
ment cluster, touch the engine switch
with the lock switch end of the remote
controller (2) for about 2 seconds.
NOTE:
If you still cannot start the engine after several attempts using the above
method, there may be a problem else-
where, such as a low battery. Contact
your SUZUKI dealer for inspection.
The immobilizer/keyless start system warning light will light for about 5 sec-
onds while the master warning light is
flashing. In addition, the information dis-
play will show a certain message during
this time. Refer to “Information Display”
in the “Before Driving” section for details.
You may customize the system to cause the interior buzzer to sound once for the
“remote controller ou t of sensing range”
warning. Please contact an authorized
SUZUKI dealer for the customization.
If the battery of the remote controller is about to be completely discharged, a
message warning this will appear on the
information display when the ignition
mode is changed to “ON” by pressing the engine switch. For details on replac-
ing the battery, refer to the “Keyless Start
System Remote Controller” section in
the “Before Driving” chapter.
Returning the ignition mode to
“LOCK” (OFF)CVT
– To ensure safety, the ignition mode
can be returned to “LOCK” (OFF) by
pressing the engine switch only when the
gearshift lever is placed in the “P” position.
NOTE:
Messages may appear on the informa- tion display in the instrument cluster
when you attempt to return the ignition
mode to “LOCK” (OFF) by pressing the
engine switch. Refer to “Information dis-
play” in the “Before Driving” section for
details.
In the case of a CVT model, the engine cannot be returned to the “LOCK” (OFF)
position if the gearshift lever is in any
other position than “P”.
Certain problems like a fault in engine
system may prevent the engine switch
from going back to the “LOCK” (OFF)
mode. If this happens, have the vehicle
inspected by an autohorized SUZUKI
dealer after doing the following:
– Lock the doors using the key to pre-
vent theft. (The request switches and
the keyless start system remote con-
troller cannot be used to lock them.) – Disconnect the negative cable from
the battery to prevent discharge.
“LOCK” (OFF) mode reminder buzzer
If the driver’s door is opened without
returning the ignition mode to “LOCK”
(OFF) by pressing the engine switch, a
buzzer sounds to warn you of this state.
If you open the driver’s door after press- ing the engine switch to change the igni-
tion mode to “ACC”, the interior buzzer
beeps intermittently.
The buzzer will stop sounding if you then push the engine switch twice, thus bring-
ing it back the ignition mode to “LOCK”
(OFF).
NOTE:
Whenever you leave the vehicle, make
sure you have returned the ignition mode
to “LOCK” (OFF) using the engine switch
and then lock the doors. Without returning
the ignition mode to “LOCK” (OFF), you
cannot use a request switch or keyless
start system remote controller to lock the
doors.

3-10
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
57L20-03E
Steering lock warning buzzer
If the steering lock fails to engage due to a
fault in the system even when you press
the engine switch to change the ignition
mode to “LOCK” (OFF), the interior buzzer
will warn you of this condition with
repeated short beeps. If this happens,
have the vehicle inspected by an autho-
rized SUZUKI dealer.
Parking Brake Lever
57L31007
(1) To set
(2) To release
(3) To release
The parking brake lever is located between
the seats. To set the parking brake, hold
the brake pedal down and pull the parking
brake lever all the way up. To release the
parking brake, hold the brake pedal down,
pull up slightly on the parking brake lever,
push the button on the end of the lever with
your thumb and lower the lever to its origi-
nal position. For CVT vehicles, always set the parking
brake before moving the gearshift lever to
the “P” (Park) position. If you park on an
incline and shift into “P” before you set the
parking brake, the weight of the vehicle
may make it difficult to
shift out of “P” when
you are ready to drive the vehicle. When
preparing to drive the vehicle, move the
gearshift lever out of the “P” position before
releasing the parking brake.
(1)
(2)
(3)
WARNING
Never drive your vehicle with the parking brake set: rear brake effec-
tiveness can be reduced from over-
heating, brake life may be
shortened or permanent brake
damage may result.
If the parking brake does not hold the vehicle securely or does not
fully release, have your vehicle
inspected immediately by an autho-
rized SUZUKI dealer.

3-12
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
57L20-03E
Accelerator Pedal (3)This pedal controls the speed of the
engine. Depressing the accelerator pedal
increases power output and speed.
Engine Block Heater
(if equipped)
57L31034
The engine block heater will help you start
the engine more easily in very cold
weather (–18°C (0°F) or below). To use the
engine block heater:
1) Turn off the engine.
2) Open the engine hood.
3) Untie the block heater cord and remove
the block heater plug cap. When the
engine block heater is not in use,
ensure the heater cord is secured to
prevent contact with any moving parts.
4) Using a heavy-duty, three-prong
grounded extension cord, plug the
female end into the block heater socket
and the male end into a normal,
grounded 110-volt AC outlet.NOTE:
Activate the heater at least four hours
before you start the engine. However, as
the heating time varies depending on the
ambient temperature and other factors,
adjust the time by observing the engine
cranking condition.
After using the block heater:
1) Unplug the extension cord and reinstall
the plug cap.
2) Tie the block heater cord back to its
original position.
WARNING
Do not “ride” the brakes by applying
them continuously or resting your
foot on the pedal. This will result in
overheating of the brakes which
could cause unpredictable braking
action, longer stopping distances or
permanent brake damage.
EXAMPLE
WARNING
To avoid serious personal injury
caused by electrical shock or fire:
Do not plug the cord into a non-
grounded outlet. Only use a prop-
erly grounded three-prong 110-volt
AC outlet.
Do not use a 2-wire (non-grounded)
extension cord.
Only use a heavy-duty, three-prong
extension cord rated for at least 15
amps.

3-13OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
57L20-03E
3) Close the engine hood securely before
starting the engine.
Using the TransaxleManual Transaxle
80J2081
Starting off
To start off, depress the clutch pedal all the
way to the floor and shift into 1st gear.
After releasing the parking brake, gradually
release the clutch. When you hear a
change in the engine’s sound, slowly press
the accelerator while continuing to gradu-
ally release the clutch.
Shifting
All forward gears are synchronized, which
provides for quiet, and easy shifting.
Always depress the clutch pedal all the
way to the floor before shifting gears. Keep
the engine speed does not rise into the red
zone of the tachometer.
80J2082
Reverse gear: with lifting up ring, shift the
gearshift lever to the right, engage gear.
CAUTION
Secure the block heater cord back to
its original position or to the routed
position. A loose cord could get
caught in the engine accessory drive
belt(s) or other moving parts.
EXAMPLE

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)

3-18
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)