2010 SUZUKI SX4 Owners Manual

2-24
BEFORE DRIVING
80J23-03E
86G064
Rear SeatsHead RestraintsHead restraints are designed to help
reduce the risk of neck injuries in the case
of an accident.
WARNING
Improperly using the seat heater can
be hazardous. An occupant can suf-
fer burns even if the heating tempera-
ture is fairly low, if the occupant is
wearing thin pants, a thin skirt or
shorts and leaves the heater on for
long periods.
Avoid using the seat heater for these
occupants:
 People who have reduced feeling in
their legs, including the elderly or
those with certain disabilities.
 Small children, or anyone with sen-
sitive skin.
 People who are asleep or under the
influence of alcohol or other drugs
which make them tired.
CAUTION
To avoid damaging the heater ele-
ment:
 Do not subject the front seats to
heavy impacts, such as children
jumping on them.
 Do not cover the seat with any
insulating materials such as blan-
kets or cushions.
WARNING
All occupants, including the driver,
should not operate a vehicle or sit in
a vehicle’s seat until the head
restraints are placed in their proper
positions in order to minimize the
risk of severe injury in the event of a
crash.
WARNING
All head restraints must be rein-
stalled to properly protect vehicle
occupants.
WARNING
 Never drive the vehicle with the
head restraints removed.
 Do not attempt to adjust the head
restraint while driving.
Seat Belts and Child Restraint Systems: 3

2-25BEFORE DRIVING
80J23-03E
NOTE:
It may be necessary to fold forward the
seatback to provide enough overhead
clearance to remove the head restraint.
Adjust the head restraint to the position
which places the center of the head
restraint closest to the top of your ears. If
this is not possible for very tall passengers,
adjust the head restraint as high as possi-
ble.Rear
80J2061
Your vehicle is equipped with three head
restraints on the rear seat.
80J2005
(1) head restraint
(2) bars
(3) release knobTo raise the rear head restraint, pull
upward on the restraint until it clicks. To
lower the restraint, push down on the
restraint while holding in the release knob
(3). If a head restraint must be removed
(for cleaning, replacement, etc.), push in
the release knob and pull the head
restraint all the way out.
When installing a child restraint system,
raise the head restraint to the most upper
position.
For SX4 SEDAN, if the distance between
the child restraint system and the anchor
bracket is too close to properly tighten the
child restraint top strap, lower the head
restraint to the lowest position and connect
the top strap to the anchor bracket by
passing it over the top of the head
restraint.EXAMPLE(1)
(3)
(2)
EXAMPLE
Seat Belts and Child Restraint Systems: 3

2-26
BEFORE DRIVING
80J23-03E
Folding Rear SeatsThe rear seats of your vehicle can be folded
forward to provide additional cargo space.
To fold the rear seats forward:
SX4
80JM026
SX4 SEDAN
80JC086
1) Hook the webbing of the outboard lap-
shoulder belts in the belt hangers.
2) Lower the adjustable head restraint
fully.SX4
80JM027
SX4 SEDAN
80JC087
EXAMPLEEXAMPLE
CAUTION
 When you move a seatback, make
sure the belt webbing is hooked in
the seat belt hangers so the seat
belts are not caught by the seat-
back, seat hinge, or seat latch. This
helps prevent damage to the belt
system.
 Make sure the belt webbing is not
twisted.
EXAMPLEEXAMPLE
Seat Belts and Child Restraint Systems: 3

2-27BEFORE DRIVING
80J23-03E
3) For SX4, pull the release lever on the
top of each split seat, and fold the seat-
backs forward.
For SX4 SEDAN, push the release but-
ton on the top of each split seat, and
fold the seatbacks forward.To return the seat to the normal position,
follow the procedure below.SX4
80J1219
SX4 SEDAN
80J1022
Raise the seatback until it locks into place.
After returning the seat, try moving the
seatback to make sure they are securely
latched.
CAUTION
After folding the rear seatback for-
ward, do not allow any foreign mate-
rial to enter the lock opening. This
may cause damage to the inside of
the lock and prevent the seatback
from being locked securely.
WARNING
Luggage or other cargo should be
stowed in the luggage compartment
with the rear seat in an upright posi-
tion, whenever possible. If you need
to carry cargo in the passenger com-
partment with the rear seat back
folded forward, be sure to secure the
cargo or it may be thrown about,
causing injury. Never pile cargo
higher than the seatbacks.
WARNING
When returning the rear seatback to
the normal position, be careful that
your finger is not caught between the
lock and the striker.
CAUTION
When returning the rear seatback to
the normal position, make sure that
there is nothing around the striker.
Any foreign materials prevent the
seatback from being locked securely.
UNLOCK
Red
LOCK
EXAMPLE
UNLOCK
Red
LOCK
EXAMPLE
Seat Belts and Child Restraint Systems: 3

2-28
BEFORE DRIVING
80J23-03E
Seat Belts and Child Restraint
Systems
65D23165D606
WARNING
Do not put your hand into the rear
seatback lock opening, or your finger
may get caught and be injured.
CAUTION
After securing the rear seatback,
make sure that it is locked securely. If
it is not, red will appear in the release
lever (SX4) or around the release but-
ton (SX4 SEDAN).
CAUTION
 When returning the rear seatback
to the normal position, do not allow
any foreign material to enter the
lock opening. This may prevent the
seatback from being locked
securely.
 When returning the rear seatback
to the normal position, be sure to
handle it carefully by hand to avoid
any damage to the lock itself. Do
not push it by using some material
or by applying excessive force.
 As the lock is designed exclusively
for securing the rear seatback, do
not use it for any other purpose.
Incorrect use of it may cause dam-
age to the inside of the lock and
prevent the seatback from being
locked securely.
WARNING
An air bag supplements, or adds to,
the frontal crash protection offered
by seat belts. The driver and all pas-
sengers must be properly restrained
by wearing seat belts at all times,
whether or not an air bag is mounted
at their seating position, to minimize
the risk of severe injury or death in
the event of a crash.
WARNING
 Never allow persons to ride in the
cargo area of a vehicle. In the event
of an accident, there is a much
greater risk of injury for persons
who are not riding in a seat with
their seat belt securely fastened.
 Seat belts should always be
adjusted as follows:
– the lap portion of the belt should
be worn low across the pelvis,
not across the waist.
– the shoulder straps should be
worn on the outside shoulder
only, and never under the arm.
– the shoulder straps should be
away from your face and neck,
but not falling off your shoulder.
(Continued)
Above the pelvis
Seat Belts and Child Restraint Systems: 3

2-29BEFORE DRIVING
80J23-03E
65D201 65D199
WARNING
(Continued)
 Seat belts should never be worn
with the straps twisted and should
be adjusted as tightly as is com-
fortable to provide the protection
for which they have been designed.
A slack belt will provide less pro-
tection than one which is snug.
(Continued)
Across the pelvis
WARNING
(Continued)
 Pregnant women should use seat
belts, although specific recommen-
dations about driving should be
made by the woman’s medical advi-
sor. Remember that the lap portion
of the belt should be worn as low
as possible across the hips, as
shown in the diagram.
 Make sure that each seat belt
buckle is inserted into the proper
buckle catch. It is possible to cross
the buckles in the rear seat.
(Continued)
as low as possible
across the hips
WARNING
(Continued)
 Do not wear your seat belt over
hard or breakable objects in your
pockets or on your clothing. If an
accident occurs, objects such as
glasses, pens, etc. under the seat
belt can cause injury.
 Never use the same seat belt on
more than one occupant and never
attach a seat belt over an infant or
child being held on an occupant’s
lap. Such seat belt use could cause
serious injury in the event of an
accident.
 Periodically inspect seat belt
assemblies for excessive wear and
damage. Seat belts should be
replaced if webbing becomes
frayed, contaminated, or damaged
in any way. It is essential to replace
the entire seat belt assembly after it
has been worn in a severe impact,
even if damage to the assembly is
not obvious.
 Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in the rear
seat, if equipped.
(Continued)
Seat Belts and Child Restraint Systems: 3

2-30
BEFORE DRIVING
80J23-03E
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
Seat Belts and Child Restraint Systems: 3

2-31BEFORE DRIVING
80J23-03E
To reduce the risk of sliding under the belt
during a collision, position the lap portion
of the belt across your lap as low on your
hips as possible and adjust it to a snug fit
by pulling the shoulder portion of the belt
upward through the latch plate. The length
of the diagonal shoulder strap adjusts itself
to allow freedom of movement.
All Seat Belts
60A036
To fasten the seat belt, sit up straight and
well back in the seat, pull the latch plate
attached to the seat belt across your body
and press it into the buckle until you hear a
“click”.
80J2008
NOTE:
The word “CENTER” is molded into the
buckle for the rear center belt. The buckles
are designed so a latch plate cannot be
inserted into the wrong buckle.EXAMPLE
Seat Belts and Child Restraint Systems: 3