2012 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA F1 main

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.

4-8
DRIVING TIPS
79K21-03E
WARNING
In addition to following the driving
tips in this section, it is important to
observe the following precautions for
on-road and off-road driving.
 Driver and passengers should wear
seat belts at all times.
 Do not let anyone else drive your
vehicle unless they are also aware
of the vehicle characteristics and
handling differences described in
this section.
 Avoid loaning your vehicle to any-
one unless you accompany them.
 Make sure your tires are in good
condition and always maintain the
specified tire pressure. Refer to
“Tires” in the “INSPECTION AND
MAINTENANCE” section for
details.
 Do not use tires other than those
specified by SUZUKI. Never use dif-
ferent sizes or types of tires on the
front and rear wheels. For informa-
tion regarding the specified tires,
refer to the Tire Inflation Pressure
Label located on the driver’s side
door pillar or the “SPECIFICA-
TIONS” section.
(Continued)
WARNING
(Continued)
 Never use oversized tires or special
shocks and springs to raise (jack
up) your vehicle. This will raise the
center of gravity of the vehicle and
change its handling characteris-
tics. Oversized tires may also rub
against the fender over bumps,
causing vehicle damage or tire fail-
ure.
 After driving through water, mud or
sandy ground, test the brakes while
driving at a slow speed to see if
they have maintained their normal
effectiveness. If the brakes are less
effective than normal, dry them by
repeatedly applying the brakes
while driving slowly until the
brakes have regained their normal
effectiveness.
 Do not use “4H LOCK” or “4L
LOCK” drive for normal driving.
 After extended operation in mud,
sand or water, have the brakes
inspected by your authorized
SUZUKI dealer as soon as possi-
ble.

5-3OTHER CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT
79K21-03E
Temperature selector (1)
78K047
Turn the temperature selector (1) to adjust
the temperature.Air conditioning switch (8)
79K021
The air conditioning switch (8) is used to
turn on and off the air conditioning system.
To turn on the air conditioning system,
push in the switch and “A/C” will appear on
the LCD display. To turn off the air condi-
tioning system, push in the switch again
and “A/C” will go off. Blower speed selector (2)
78K048
The blower speed selector (2) is used to
turn on the blower and to select blower
speed.
If the “AUTO” switch (7) is pushed, the
blower speed will vary automatically as the
climate control system maintains the
selected temperature.
(1)
(8)
A/C: OFF A/C: ON
(2)
Gearshift Lever: 10
Fuel Filler Cap: 5

5-4
OTHER CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT
79K21-03E
Air intake selector (3)
79K022
Push the air intake selector (3) to change
between the following modes.
If the “AUTO” switch (7) is pushed, the air
intake will vary automatically as the climate
control system maintains the selected tem-
perature.RECIRCULATED AIR (a)
When this mode is selected, outside air is
shut off and inside air is recirculated. This
mode is suitable when driving through an
area with polluted air such as a tunnel, or
when attempting to quickly cool down the
vehicle.
FRESH AIR (b)
When this mode is selected, outside air is
introduced.
“FRESH AIR” and “RECIRCULATED AIR”
are selected alternately each time the air
intake selector is pushed.
NOTE:
If you select “RECIRCULATED AIR” for an
extended period of time, the air in the vehi-
cle can become contaminated. Therefore,
you should occasionally select “FRESH
AIR”.Air flow selector (4)
79K023
Push the air flow selector (4) to change
among the following functions. The indica-
tion of the selected mode appears on the
LCD display.
If the “AUTO” switch (7) is pushed, the air
flow will vary automatically as the climate
control system maintains the selected tem-
perature.
(a) (b)
(3)
(4)
(c)
(d) (e) (f)
Fuel Filler Cap: 5
Folding Seats: 14

5-6
OTHER CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT
79K21-03E
Defrost
66J241
Temperature-controlled air comes out of
the windshield defroster outlets, the side
defroster outlets and the side outlets.
NOTE:
When the defrost switch (5) is pushed to
turn on the defroster, the air conditioning
system will come on and the “FRESH AIR”
mode will be selected automatically. In
very cold weather, however, the air condi-
tioning system will not turn on.
System Operating InstructionsAutomatic operation
78K051
You can let the climate control system work
automatically. To set the system for fully-
automatic operation, follow the procedure
below.
1) Start the engine.
2) Push the “AUTO” switch (7).
3) Set the desired temperature by turning
the temperature selector (1).
The blower speed, air intake and air flow
are controlled automatically to maintain the
set temperature.
You can use the air conditioning switch (8)
to manually turn the air conditioner on or
off according to your preference. When
you turn the air conditioning switch off, the
climate control system cannot lower theinside temperature below outside tempera-
ture.
To turn the climate control system off, push
the “OFF” switch (6).
NOTE:
If the “AUTO” on the LCD display blinks,
there is a problem in the heating system
and/or air conditioning system. You should
have the system inspected by an autho-
rized SUZUKI dealer.
NOTE:
 To find the temperature at which you are
most comfortable, start with the 22°C
(72°F) setting.
 If you turn the temperature selector (1)
until “HI” or “LO” appears on the LCD
display, the climate control system will
operate at the maximum cooling or heat-
ing and the blower will run at full speed.
 To avoid blowing cold air in cold weather
or hot air in hot weather, the system will
delay turning on the blower until warmed
or chilled air is available.
 If your vehicle has been left in the sun
with the windows closed, it will cool
faster if you open the windows briefly.
 Even under the automatic operation, you
can set individual selectors to the man-
ual mode. The manually selected func-
tions are maintained, and the other
functions remain under automatic opera-
tion.
(7)
(6)
Folding Seats: 14

5-7OTHER CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT
79K21-03E
 To return the blower speed selector (2),
air intake selector (3), and air flow selec-
tor (4) to automatic operation, push the
“AUTO” switch.
64J080
Be careful not to cover the interior temper-
ature sensor (F) located between the
steering wheel and the climate control
panel, or the solar sensor (G) located at
the top of the driver’s side dashboard.
These sensors are used by the automatic
system to regulate temperature.
Manual operation
You can manually control the climate con-
trol system. Set the selectors to the
desired positions.
64J074
NOTE:
If you need maximum defrosting:
 push the defrost switch (5) to turn on the
defroster (the air conditioning system will
come on and the “FRESH AIR” mode will
be selected automatically),
 set the blower speed selector to HIGH,
 adjust the temperature selector to the
“HI” indication on the LCD display, and
 adjust the side outlets so the air blows
on the side windows.
MaintenanceIf you do not use the air conditioner for a
long period, such as during winter, it may
not give the best performance when you
start using it again. To help maintain opti-
mum performance and durability of your air
conditioner, it needs to be run periodically.
Operate the air conditioner at least once a
month for one minute with the engine
idling. This circulates the refrigerant and oil
and helps protect the internal components.
Your air conditioner is equipped with air fil-
ters. Clean or replace them as specified in
the “Maintenance Schedule” in the
“INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE” sec-
tion. Have this job done by your SUZUKI
dealer as the lower glove box must be low-
ered for this job.
NOTE:
Your vehicle uses the air conditioning
refrigerant HFC-134a, commonly called
“R-134a”. R-134a replaced R-12 around
1993 for automotive applications. Other
refrigerants are available, including recy-
cled R-12, but only R-134a should be used
in your vehicle.
(F)
(G)
EXAMPLE
CAUTION
Using the wrong refrigerant may
damage your air conditioning sys-
tem. Use R-134a only. Do not mix or
replace the R-134a with other refrig-
erants.
Armrest: 14
Sun Visor: 5
Interior Light Switch: 7

5-14
OTHER CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT
79K21-03E
Selecting the reception band
Press the band switch button (1).
Each time the button is pressed, the recep-
tion band is switched as follows:
66J098
Seek tuning
Press the seek up button (2) or the seek
down button (3).
The unit stops searching for a station at a
frequency where a broadcast station is
available.
Manual tuning
Turn the manual tuning knob (4).
The frequency being received is displayed.Preset memory
1) Select the desired station.
2) Select the preset button (5) to which
you want to store the station and press
and hold the button for 2 seconds or
longer.
Auto store
Press and hold the auto store button (6) for
2 seconds or longer.
Six stations in total are automatically
stored to the preset buttons (5) in sequen-
tial order, starting from the lower frequen-
cies.
NOTE:
 When the auto store is performed, the
station previously stored in the memory
at the position is overwritten.
 When there are fewer than 6 stations
that can be stored even if 2 rounds of
auto store operation are performed, the
stations previously stored at the remain-
ing preset buttons (5) are not overwrit-
ten.Scan tuning
1) Press the scan button (6).
Stations are automatically sought for in
a sequential order, starting from a sta-
tion being currently received, and scan
stops for 5 seconds at a frequency
where there is a station available.
2) Press the scan button (6) again to stop
scanning at the frequency being cur-
rently received.
Receiving a stereo broadcast station
If a stereo broadcast station is received,
the stereo indicator will light.
Engine Hood: 5

5-33OTHER CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT
79K21-03E
66J121
2) Press the power on/off knob (1) while
pressing and holding the track up but-
ton (2). The “DELETE 0000” will blink
and the audio system will enter the can-
cel mode.
66J124
3) Input your PIN. The power of the audio
system will turn off and your PIN will be
deleted.
To change your PIN, first delete your
current PIN, then set a new one.
Confirming Your Personal Identifi-
cation Number (PIN)When the main power source is discon-
nected such as when you exchange your
battery, etc, you will have to confirm your
PIN to be able to use the audio system.
To confirm your PIN:
66J122
1) Turn the ignition switch to the “ACC”
position.
66J125
2) Input your PIN.
If the PIN that you input matches theregistered PIN, the power of the audio
system will turn off, and you will be able
to operate the audio system.
NOTE:
 If you input your PIN incorrectly, “----” will
be displayed and the anti-theft function
lock mode is entered. If you enter an
incorrect PIN fewer than 6 times, the
locking time will be for 15 seconds; if you
enter an incorrect PIN more than 6
times, the locking time will be for 15 min-
utes.
 If you forget your PIN and enter a wrong
PIN, you cannot perform any further
operation.
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE