
2-49BEFORE DRIVING
80J23-03E
63J030
If the AIR BAG light on the instrument clus-
ter does not blink or come on 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 properly. Have the air bag system
inspected by an authorized SUZUKI dealer
as soon as possible.
Front Air Bags
80JS026
80J2009
The driver’s front air bag is located behind
the center pad of the steering wheel and
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 covers to identify
the location of the air bags.
Frontal collision range
60G032
Front air bags are designed to inflate only
in severe frontal collisions.
EXAMPLEEXAMPLE 

2-50
BEFORE DRIVING
80J23-03E
Front air bags will not inflate
65D236
Front air bags will probably not inflate
65D237
Front air bags are not designed to inflate in
rear impacts, side impacts, rollovers or
minor frontal collisions, since they would
offer no protection in those types of acci-
dents. Remember, since air bags deploy
only one time during an accident, seat
belts are needed to restrain occupants
from further movements during the acci-
dent.
Therefore, an air bag is NOT a substitute
for seat belts. To maximize your protection,
ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEAT BELTS. Be
aware that no system can prevent all pos-
sible injuries that may occur in an accident.
Your vehicle has “dual stage” front air
bags, which adjust the air bag inflation
force according to crash severity, driver’s
seat fore/aft position and whether or not
the front passenger’s seat belt is fastened.
Also, your vehicle has a front passenger
sensing system, which turns off the front
passenger’s front air bag and seat belt pre-
tensioner under certain conditions.
Side Air Bags and Side Curtain Air 
Bags
68KM090
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.
EXAMPLE 

2-52
BEFORE DRIVING
80J23-03E
Side air bags and side curtain air bags
will not inflate
54G027
Side air bags and side curtain air bags
will probably not inflate
54G028
Side air bags and side curtain air bags are
not designed to inflate in frontal or rear col-
lisions, rollovers or minor side collisions,
since they would offer no protection in
those types of accidents. Only the side air
bag and side curtain air bag on the side of
the vehicle that is struck will inflate.
Remember, since an air bag deploys only
one time during an accident, seat belts are
needed to restrain occupants from further
movements during the accident.
Therefore, an air bag is NOT a substitute
for seat belts. To maximize your protection,
ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEAT BELTS. Be
aware that no system can prevent all pos-
sible injuries that may occur in an accident.
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. 

2-53BEFORE DRIVING
80J23-03E
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.
Front Passenger Sensing SystemThe front passenger sensing system will
turn off the front passenger’s front air bag
and seat belt pretensioner under certain
conditions. This system works using a sen-
sor mat that is part of the front passenger’s
seat. The front passenger sensing system
is designed to detect whether an occupant
is present in the seat and, if an occupant is
present, to determine whether the front
passenger’s front air bag and seat belt pre-
tensioner should be enabled or disabled
(turned off).
NOTE:
The front passenger’s side air bag and the
side curtain air bag are not controlled by
the front passenger sensing system.
80J2019
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. 

2-56
BEFORE DRIVING
80J23-03E
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. 

2-57BEFORE DRIVING
80J23-03E
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.
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.  

2-64
BEFORE DRIVING
80J23-03E
Oil Pressure Light
50G051
This light comes on when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position, and
goes out when the engine is started. The
light will come on and remain on if there is
insufficient oil pressure. If the light comes
on when driving, pull off the road as soon
as you can and stop the engine. Check the
oil level and add oil if necessary. If there is
enough oil, the lubrication system should
be inspected by your SUZUKI dealer
before you drive the vehicle again.
Charging Light
50G052
This light comes on when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position, and
goes out when the engine is started. The
light will come on and remain on if there is
something wrong with the battery charging
system. If the light comes on when the
engine is running, the charging system
should be inspected immediately by your
SUZUKI dealer.
Driver’s Seat Belt Reminder Light
60G049
If the driver’s seat belt is unbuckled when
the ignition switch is turned to the “ON”
position, this light will come on and then
blink. When the light comes on, a buzzer
will also sound intermittently for about 6
seconds. The reminder will repeat several
times under certain conditions until the
driver’s seat belt is buckled. After repeating
several times, the reminder will be can-
celed even if the driver’s seat belt remains
unbuckled.
For details about the seat belt reminder,
refer to “Seat Belts and Child Restraint
Systems” in this section.
CAUTION
 If you operate the engine with this
light on, severe engine damage can
result.
 Do not rely on the Oil Pressure
Light to indicate the need to add
oil. Be sure to periodically check
the engine oil level.
WARNING
It is absolutely essential that the
driver and passengers wear their seat
belts at all times. Persons who are
not wearing seat belts have a much
greater risk of injury if an accident
occurs. Make a regular habit of buck-
ling your seat belt before putting the
key in the ignition. 

4-1DRIVING TIPS
80J23-03E
52D078S
Break-In Catalytic Converter
68KM085
The purpose of the catalytic converter is to
minimize the amount of harmful pollutants
in your vehicle’s exhaust. Use of leaded
fuel in vehicles equipped with catalytic
converters is prohibited by federal law,
because lead deactivates the pollutant-
reducing components of the catalyst sys-
tem.
The converter is designed to last the life of
the vehicle under normal usage and when
unleaded fuel is used. No special mainte-
nance is required on the converter. How-
ever, it is very important to keep the engine
properly tuned. Engine misfiring, which
can result from an improperly tuned
engine, may cause overheating of the cat-
alyst. This may result in permanent heat
damage to the catalyst and other vehicle
components.
WARNING
 Wear Your Seat Belts at All Times.
Even though air bags are equipped
at the front seating positions, the
driver and all passengers should
be properly restrained at all times,
using the seat belts provided. Refer
to the “Seat Belts and Child
Restraint Systems” section for
instructions on proper use of the
seat belts.
 Never drive while under the influ-
ence of alcohol or other drugs.
Alcohol and drugs can seriously
impair your ability to drive safely,
greatly increasing the risk of injury
to yourself and others. You should
also avoid driving when you are
tired, sick, irritated or under stress.
CAUTION
The future performance and reliabil-
ity of the engine depends on the care
and restraint exercised during its
early life. It is especially important to
observe the following precautions
during the initial 960 km (600 miles)
of vehicle operation.
 After starting, do not race the
engine. Warm it up gradually.
 Avoid prolonged vehicle operation
at a constant speed. Moving parts
will break in better if you vary your
speed.
 Start off from a stop slowly. Avoid
full throttle starts.
 Avoid hard stopping, especially
during the first 320 km (200 miles)
of driving.
 Do not drive slowly with the tran-
saxle in a high gear.
 Drive the vehicle at moderate
engine speeds.
Instrument Panel: 3, 8