3-28
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
79K21-03E
Cancellation of the Cruise ControlThe “SET” indicator light will go off and the
cruise control will be canceled temporarily
with following procedures:
Push the “CANCEL” switch (2).
Depress the brake pedal.
For manual transmission, depress the
clutch pedal.
For 4-Speed automatic transmission
vehicle, shift the gearshift lever into “2”
or “L” position.
For 5-Speed automatic transmission
vehicle, shift the gearshift lever into “3”,
“2”, or “L” position.
The vehicle speed falls more than 20
km/h (12.5 mph) below the set speed.
Any time the vehicle speed falls below
40 km/h (25 mph).
When the vehicle skids and ESP
® (if
equipped) is activated.
To resume the previously set speed, push
the “RES/ACC” switch (4) and turn on the
“SET” indicator light. Besides, the vehicle
speed has to be above 45 km/h (28 mph)
when the vehicle is not in the above condi-
tions.
To turn off the cruise control system, push
the “ON/OFF” switch (1) and make sure
the “CRUISE” indicator light is off.
Also, if the malfunction indicator light in the
instrument cluster comes on or blinks, the
cruise control system will be turned off.NOTE:
If you turn off the cruise control system, the
previously set speed in the memory is
cleared. Reset your cruising speed again.
Braking
60G165
The distance needed to bring any vehicle
to a halt increases with the speed of the
vehicle. The braking distance needed, for
example, at 60 km/h (37 mph) will be
approximately 4 times greater than the
braking distance needed at 30 km/h (19
mph). Start to brake the vehicle when there
is plenty of distance between your vehicle
and the stopping point, and slow down
gradually.
4-6
DRIVING TIPS
79K21-03E
Off-Road DrivingYour vehicle has specific design character-
istics for off-road driving. When you leave
the pavement, you will encounter driving
surfaces of all kinds which may change
continually as you drive. In most cases, off-
road driving requires the use of 4-wheel
drive. If your vehicle is a 2-wheel drive
vehicle, you should limit your off-road driv-
ing only to hard, flat, nonslippery surfaces.
2-wheel drive vehicles have far less trac-
tion on off-road surfaces than 4-wheel
drive vehicles. It is important when driving
off-road to follow the guidelines below.
Use Caution on Steep Inclines
Always inspect hills before you attempt to
drive up them. Know what is on the other
side and how you will get back down. If you
have any doubt that it is safe, do not
attempt to drive over a hill. Never drive
your vehicle up an extremely steep incline.
Coming down a steep hill can be trickier
than getting up one. Keep the vehicle
heading straight down the hill and use low
gear. Do not lock the brakes. If the vehicle
begins to slide, accelerate slightly to regain
steering control.Do Not Turn on or Drive Across the Side
of Hills
Turning on or driving across the side of a
hill can be extremely hazardous. Most of
the vehicle’s weight will be transferred to
the downhill tires, which could result in the
vehicle rolling sideways. Whenever possi-
ble, avoid this potential hazard. Also, if you
have to exit your vehicle on a side-hill,
always get out on the uphill side.
Wear Your Seat Belts at All Times
You and your passengers should use the
seat belts at all times when driving off-
road. For proper seat belt use, refer to the
“Seat Belts and Child Restraint Systems”
section in this manual.
Avoid Sudden Reactions in Mud, Ice or
Snow
Be careful when off-road conditions are
slick. Reduce your speed and avoid sud-
den movements of the vehicle. If your vehi-
cle is a 2-wheel drive vehicle, do not drive
in deep snow or mud. If your vehicle is a 4-
wheel drive vehicle, be aware that driving
in deep snow or mud can cause a loss of
traction and an increase in the resistance
to the vehicle’s forward motion. Use 4WD
low gear (4L) and maintain a steady but
moderate speed with a light touch on the
steering wheel and brakes.Do not drive in the field covered with
grown grass
If you drive in the field covered with grass,
it may cause unexpected accident or vehi-
cle damage by getting caught in grown
grass.
If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck
If your vehicle gets stuck in snow, mud or
sand, follow the directions below:
1) (For vehicles equipped with transfer
switch) Turn the transfer switch to “4H
LOCK” or “4L LOCK”.
2) Shift the transmission back and forth
between a forward range (or first gear
for manual transmission) and reverse.
This will create a rocking motion which
may give you enough momentum to
free the vehicle. Press gently on the
accelerator to keep wheel spin to a min-
imum. Remove your foot from the
accelerator while shifting.
Do not race the engine. Excessive
wheel spin will cause the tires to dig
deeper, making it more difficult to free
the vehicle.
3) If your vehicle remains stuck after a few
minutes of rocking, get another vehicle
to pull you out.
5-80
OTHER CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT
79K21-03E
HomeLink
® (if equipped)
66J092
HomeLink
® and the HomeLink
® house are
registered trademarks of Johnson
Controls, Inc.
The HomeLink
® Wireless Control System
provides a convenient way to replace up to
three hand-held radio-frequency (RF)
transmitters used to activate devices such
as gate operators, garage door openers,
entry door locks, security systems, even
home lighting. Additional HomeLink
® infor-
mation can be found on the Internet at
www.homelink.com
or by calling 1-800-
355-3515.
Before programming HomeLink
® to a
garage door opener or gate operator, make
sure that people and objects are out of the
way of the device to prevent potential harm
or damage. When programming a garage
door opener, it is advised to park outside of
the garage. Do not use HomeLink® with
any garage door opener that lacks safety
stop and reverse features as required by
U.S. federal safety standards (this includesany garage door opener model manufac-
tured before April 1, 1982). A garage door
that cannot detect an object – signaling the
door to stop and reverse – does not meet
current U.S. federal safety standards. For
more information, contact HomeLink
® at
www.homelink.com
or by calling 1-800-
355-3515.
Retain the original transmitter of the RF
device you are programming for use in
other vehicles as well as for future
HomeLink
® programming. It is also sug-
gested that upon the sale of the vehicle,
the programmed HomeLink
® buttons be
erased for security purposes. Refer to
“Programming HomeLink
®” (step 1) only)
or, for assistance, contact HomeLink
® at
www.homelink.com
or by calling 1-800-
355-3515.
Programming HomeLink
®
NOTE:
Some vehicles may require the ignition
switch to be turned to the second (or
“accessories”) position or the “on” position
for programming and/or operation of
HomeLink
®. It is also recommended that a
new battery be placed in the hand-held
transmitter of the device being pro-
grammed to HomeLink
® for quicker train-
ing and accurate transmission of the radio-
frequency signal. Do not repeat “Program-
ming HomeLink
®” – step 1) to train addi-
tional devices to a second or thirdHomeLink
® button. Begin with “Program-
ming HomeLink
®” – step 2).
66J050
1) Press and hold the two outer
HomeLink
® buttons (buttons one and
three) – releasing only when the indica-
tor light begins to flash (after 20 sec-
onds). Do not hold the buttons for
longer than 30 seconds and do not
repeat step 1) to program a second
and/or third hand-held transmitter to the
remaining two HomeLink
® buttons.
2) Position the end of your hand-held
transmitter 5–14 cm (1–3 inches) away
from the HomeLink
® button you wish to
program while keeping the indicator
light in view.
3) Simultaneously press and hold both the
chosen HomeLink® and hand-held
transmitter buttons. Do not release the
buttons until step 4) has been com-
pleted.
5-82
OTHER CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT
79K21-03E
Gate Operator / Canadian Program-
mingCanadian radio-frequency laws require
transmitter signals to “time-out” (or quit)
after several seconds of transmission –
which may not be long enough for
HomeLink
® to pick up the signal during
programming. Similar to this Canadian law,
some U.S. gate operators are designed to
“time-out” in the same manner.
If you live in Canada or you are having diffi-
culties programming a gate operator by
using the Programming procedures
(regardless of where you live), replace
“Programming HomeLink
®” step 3) with
the following:
NOTE:
If programming a garage door opener or
gate operator, it is advised to unplug the
device during the “cycling” process to pre-
vent possible overheating.
3) Continue to press and hold the
HomeLink
® button while you press and
release – every two seconds (“cycle”)
your hand-held transmitter until the fre-
quency signal has successfully been
accepted by HomeLink
®. (The indicator
light will flash slowly and then rapidly.)
Proceed with “Programming HomeLink
®”
step 4) to complete.
Using HomeLink
®
To operate, simply press and release the
programmed HomeLink
® button. Activation
will now occur for the trained device (i.e.
garage door opener, gate operator, secu-
rity system, entry door lock, home/office
lighting, etc.). For convenience, the hand-
held transmitter of the device may also be
used at any time. In the event that there
are still programming difficulties or ques-
tions, contact HomeLink
® at
www.homelink.com
or 1-800-355-3515.
Erasing HomeLink
® Buttons
To erase programming from the three but-
tons (individual buttons cannot be erased
but can be “reprogrammed” as outlined
below), follow the step noted:
Press and hold the two outer HomeLink
®
buttons until the indicator light begins to
flash-after 20 seconds. Release both but-
tons. Do not hold for longer that 30 sec-
onds. HomeLink
® is now in the train (or
learning) mode and can be programmed at
any time beginning with “Programming
HomeLink
®” – step 2).
Reprogramming a Single
HomeLink
® Button
To program a device to HomeLink
® using a
HomeLink
® button previously trained, fol-
low these steps:
1) Press and hold the desired HomeLink
®
button. DO NOT release the button.
2) The indicator light will begin to flash
after 20 seconds. Without releasing the
HomeLink
® button, proceed with “Pro-
gramming HomeLink
®” – step 2).
For questions or comments, contact
HomeLink
® at www.homelink.com
or 1-
800-355-3515.
6-2
VEHICLE LOADING AND TOWING
79K21-03E
Trailer TowingYou can use your SUZUKI to tow a trailer,
but you should always observe the require-
ments and recommendations in this sec-
tion. If you intend to tow a trailer, it is
essential to select a trailer and trailer tow-
ing equipment which are compatible. A
reputable trailer dealer can help you.
For Automatic transmission vehicles, shift
into “3” (Low 2) or “L” (Low 1) (if necessary)
and frequently monitor the coolant temper-
ature gauge when towing up a steep hill. If
the gauge indicates overheating, park the
vehicle in a safe place and let the enginecool down. Refer to “If the Engine Over-
heats” section for details on how to deal
with overheating.
HitchesUse only a trailer hitch bracket that is
designed to bolt to the frame of your vehi-
cle, and a hitch that is designed to bolt to
this bracket. We recommend that you use
a genuine SUZUKI trailer hitch bracket and
trailer hitch (available as options), or equiv-
alent.Safety ChainsAlways attach safety chains between your
vehicle and trailer. Cross safety chains
under the tongue of the trailer so that the
tongue will not drop to the road if the trailer
becomes separated from the hitch. Follow
the manufacturer’s recommendation for
attaching safety chains. Always leave just
enough slack to permit full turning. Never
allow safety chains to drag on the road.
Trailer LightsMake sure your trailer is equipped with
lights which meet federal, state and local
requirements. Always check for the proper
operation of all trailer lights before you
start to tow.Brakes CAUTION
Trailer towing puts additional stress
on the engine, drive train and brakes
of your vehicle. Never tow a trailer
during the first 960 km (600 miles) of
vehicle operation.
CAUTION
Because towing a trailer puts addi-
tional stress on your vehicle, more
frequent maintenance will be
required than under normal driving
conditions. Follow the schedule for
Maintenance Recommended Under
Severe Driving Conditions or perform
more frequent maintenance as nec-
essary.
CAUTION
Towing in “D” range up a steep hill
can cause coolant overheating which
may result in engine/automatic trans-
mission damage.
WARNING
Never use a bumper hitch or a hitch
which attaches to the axle of your
vehicle.
WARNING
Never attach safety chains to the
bumper of your vehicle. Secure con-
nections so that they can’t come
loose.
WARNING
Never splice trailer lights directly into
your vehicle’s electrical system, or
electrical system damage may occur.
WARNING
If trailer brakes are used, you should
follow all instructions provided by the
manufacturer. Never tap into the
brake system of your vehicle.
Trailer Towing: 5, 11, 13
6-8
VEHICLE LOADING AND TOWING
79K21-03E
Before towing
64J147
Vehicles equipped with a transfer switch
may be towed from the front with all four
wheels on the ground. Be sure to use
proper towing equipment designed for rec-
reational towing and make sure that towing
speed does not exceed 90 km/h (55 mph).To tow a vehicle equipped with a trans-
fer switch with all four wheels on the
ground:
1) Turn the ignition key to the “ON” posi-
tion.
2) Place the transmission in “N” (Neutral)
and depress the brake pedal and the
clutch pedal fully (if equipped).
3) Use the transfer switch to shift into neu-
tral.
64J218
NOTE:
First, push in and turn the switch to the
mark (1) at the left of the “N” position, and
hold the switch in this position for 5 sec-
onds until the “N” indicator blinks, then turn
the switch to the “N” position.
When you turn the transfer switch to the
“N” position, “N” indicator will come on with
the buzzer sound.
4) Make sure the “N” light on the instru-
ment cluster comes on.
5) Shift the manual transmission lever into
2nd gear or the automatic transmission
lever into “P” (Park).
6) Turn the ignition key to the “ACC” posi-
tion to unlock the steering wheel.
WARNING
When you tow your vehicle, follow
the instructions below to avoid acci-
dents and damage to your vehicle. In
addition, be sure to observe govern-
ment and local requirements regard-
ing vehicle lighting and trailer hitches
or tow bars.
WARNING
A safety chain should always be used
when you tow your vehicle.
CAUTION
Do not tow your vehicle with either
front wheels or rear wheels directly
on the ground (and the transmission
in neutral). If you do, the transmis-
sion will be damaged fatally.
(1)
Towing Your Vehicle (recreational towing): 13
INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
7
79K21-03E
60G410
INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCEMaintenance Schedule ....................................................... 7-2
Periodic Maintenance Schedule ........................................ 7-3
Maintenance Recommended under Severe Driving
Conditions ........................................................................... 7-7
Drive Belt ............................................................................. 7-9
Engine Oil and Filter ........................................................... 7-10
Engine Coolant .................................................................... 7-13
Air Cleaner ........................................................................... 7-16
Spark Plugs ......................................................................... 7-16
Gear Oil ................................................................................ 7-17
Clutch Pedal ........................................................................ 7-20
Automatic Transmission Fluid ........................................... 7-20
Brakes .................................................................................. 7-22
Steering Wheel .................................................................... 7-24
Tires ...................................................................................... 7-25
Battery .................................................................................. 7-36
Fuses .................................................................................... 7-36
Headlight Aiming ................................................................. 7-39
Bulb Replacement ............................................................... 7-40
Wiper Blades ....................................................................... 7-46
Windshield Washer Fluid ................................................... 7-49
Air Conditioning System .................................................... 7-49
7-24
INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
79K21-03E
Parking Brake Lever
60A226
Check the parking brake for proper adjust-
ment by counting the number of clicks
made by the ratchet teeth as you slowly
pull up on the parking brake lever to the
point of full engagement. The parking
brake lever should stop between the speci-
fied ratchet teeth and the rear wheels
should be securely locked. If the parking
brake is not properly adjusted or the
brakes drag after the lever has been fully
released, have the parking brake inspected
and/or adjusted by your SUZUKI dealer.
Steering Wheel
78K080
Check the play of the steering wheel by
gently turning it from left to right and mea-
suring the distance that it moves before
you feel slight resistance. The play should
be between the specified values. Check
that the steering wheel turns easily and
smoothly without rattling by turning it all the
way to the right and to the left while driving
very slowly in an open area. If the amount
of free play is outside the specification or
you find anything else to be wrong, an
inspection must be performed by your
SUZUKI dealer.
Power Steering (if equipped)
64J155
(1) UPPER
(2) LOWER
Check the steering box case, vane pump
and hose connections for leaks or damage.Power Steering FluidCheck the fluid level by looking at the res-
ervoir in the engine compartment when the
fluid is cold (about room temperature).
Check that the fluid level is between the (1)
and (2) lines. If the fluid level is near the (2)
line, fill it up to the (1) line with an auto-
matic transmission fluid equivalent to ATF
DEXRON
®-II (Esso JWS 2326) or
DEXRON®-III. Do not overfill. Ratchet tooth specification “b”
5th – 7th
200 N (44 lbs, 20 kg)
“b”
EXAMPLE
Steering wheel play “c”
0 – 30 mm (0.0 – 1.2 in.)
“c”
EXAMPLE
(1)
(2)
Tires: 6