2013 SUZUKI ALTO check engine

3-6
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
53MH0-74E
Pedal
Manual Transaxle
80J2121
Auto Gear Shift
53M05009
Clutch Pedal (1)
(For manual transaxle)
The clutch pedal is used to disengage the
drive to the wheels when starting the
engine, stopping, or shifting the gearshift
lever. Depressing the pedal disengages
the clutch.
Brake Pedal (2)
Your MARUTI SUZUKI vehicle is equipped
with front disc brakes and rear drum
brakes. Depressing the brake pedal
applies both sets of brakes.
You may hear occasional brake squeal
when you apply the brakes. This is a nor-
mal condition caused by environmental
factors such as cold, wet, snow, etc.
Accelerator Pedal (3)
This pedal controls the speed of the
engine. Depressing the accelerator pedal
increases power output and speed.
(2)(1)
(3)
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
WA R N I N G
Do not drive with your foot resting on
the clutch pedal. It could result in
excessive clutch wear, clutch dam-
age, or unexpected loss of engine
braking.
WA R N I N G
If brake squeal is excessive and
occurs each time the brakes are
applied, you should have the brakes
checked by your MARUTI SUZUKI
dealer.
WA R N I N G
Do not “ride” the brakes by applying
them continuously or resting your
foot on the brake pedal. This will
result in overheating of the brakes
which could cause unpredictable
braking action, longer stopping dis-
tances, or permanent brake damage.

3-11
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
53MH0-74E
Starting off on an uphill/downhill:
Uphill1) Apply the parking brake firmly so that the
vehicle does not roll backwards.
2) Shift the gearshift lever to the “D” posi-
tion while depressing the brake pedal.
Make sure that the gear position indica-
tor in the instrumental cluster displays
1st gear.
3) Release the brake pedal and depress
the accelerator pedal gradually, and
when the vehicle starts to move, release
the parking brake and depress the accel-
erator pedal to start off.
Downhill
1) Depress the brake pedal and shift the
gearshift lever to the “D” position. Make
sure that the gear is in 1st by checking
the gear position indicator.
2) Release the brake pedal and depress
the accelerator pedal slowly. Even if the
accelerator pedal is not depressed, theclutch will be engaged when the vehicle
speed increases.
Using engine braking:
When driving on a downhill slope, down-
shifting is recommended. So you can use
engine braking.
By placing the gearshift lever in the “M”
position, the Manual (M) mode is selected,
and you can shift to a lower gear manually.
For details of downshift operation, refer to
“Upshift and downshift” in the “Manual (M)
mode”.
Manual (M) mode
The gears are not shifted automatically. To
shift the transaxle, the driver must operate
the gearshift lever to the “+” or “–” direc-
tion. As for conventional manual transaxle
vehicles, releasing the accelerator pedal a
little may help the transaxle to shift
smoothly.
Upshift and downshift:
Upshifting
76MH0A058
Pull the gearshift lever to the “+” direction
and release it. Every time the lever is oper-
ated, the transaxle is upshifting 1 step in
the order of 1st  2nd  3rd  4th  5th
gear.
76MH0A059
NOTICE
On an uphill slope, never hold the
vehicle at a stop using only the accel-
erator pedal or the creeping function.
If you perform this operation for a
certain period of time, a warning
buzzer will sound, and in some cases
the engine will stall. This can also
cause excessive damage to the
clutch.
R
N
D -
M
+

3-12
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
53MH0-74E
Downshifting
76MH0A060
Push the gearshift lever to the “–” direction
and release it. Every time the lever is oper-
ated, the transaxle is downshifted in the
order 5th  4th  3rd  2nd  1st gear.
76MH0A061
The gear position is displayed on the gear
position indicator. The gear position indica-
tor shows the transaxle gear position.
Before starting off, always check the gear
position indicator to make sure that the
transaxle is engaged in 1st or reverse, then
depress the accelerator pedal.
NOTE:
• To downshift smoothly, the engine runs
fast in some cases. This is done inten-
tionally by the system and is not a mal-
function.
• When driving down a hill, downshift and
use the engine braking appropriately. If
necessary, continuous downshifting is
possible. However, if downshifting more
than 3 steps, gear shifting will take more
time.
• When the gear is shifting, a noise can be
heard in some case. This is not a mal-
function.
R
N
D -
M
+
WA R N I N G
• Be careful when accelerating,
upshifting, downshifting or braking
on a slippery surface. Sudden
acceleration or engine braking
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
• To drive down a long or steep hill,
reduce your speed and downshift.
Remember, if you ride the brakes
excessively, they may overheat and
fail.
• While driving the vehicle, do not
shift the gearshift lever to “N” posi-
tion. The engine brake may not
work and you may get involved in
an unexpected accident. If you
return the gearshift lever from “N”
to “M” because of unintended shift-
ing, the gear position will be shifted
according to the current vehicle
speed.
• Do not apply the parking brake
while driving. Otherwise, it could
cause a skid and you may get
involved in an unexpected acci-
dent.

3-13
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
53MH0-74E
Starting off:
1) Start the engine as instructed in “Start-
ing the engine” in this section.
2) With your foot on the brake pedal, shift
the gearshift lever to the “M” position.
When the gearshift lever is shifted to
the “M” position, the gear will be shifted
to 1st. Before starting off, always make
sure that the intended gear is engaged
by checking the gear position indicator,
then depress the accelerator pedal.NOTE:
• If 1st gear cannot be engaged even
though the gearshift lever has been
shifted from the “N” to the “M” position,
the system will re-try shifting automati-
cally. This will take some time, noise
may be heard from the gears, and shift-
ing gear shock may occur. However,
they do not indicate a malfunction.
• The “N” indicator will flash, the depress
brake pedal indicator will come on and a
warning buzzer (long pulse sound) will
sound if any of the following cases
occur;
– If you shift the gearshift lever from the
“N” to the “M” position without
depressing the brake pedal
– If the system is unable to re-try shifting
You should depress the brake pedal and
shift the gearshift lever to “N” position,
then shift to “M” position again a few
seconds later.
3) Release the parking brake and brake
pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.
NOTICE
• If the gearshift lever cannot shift
into any position, or the gear is
changed to “N” position automati-
cally when the vehicle speed
becomes less than 10 km/, there
may be a system malfunction. In
this case, ask your MARUTI SUZUKI
dealer to inspect the Auto Gear Shift
system as soon as possible.
• The manual (M) mode does not
upshift even if the engine speed
reaches the rev-limit.
• The system will not allow shifting up
or down to a gear that would cause
engine over-revving or under-rev-
ving.
• If frequently driving at low speed
using a high gear position, the life
cycle of the clutch may be reduced.
• Frequent downshifting (more than 3
positions consecutively) causes the
reduction of transaxle life.
WA R N I N G
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal or pull up the parking lever
while stopped with the engine run-
ning. These operations prevent the
vehicle from starting due to unin-
tended activation of the creeping
function.
NOTICE
Do not operate the system as
described below. The life cycle of the
clutch may be reduced.
• Using the accelerator pedal to hold
the vehicle on an uphill slope oper-
ation with the gearshift lever in the
“M” or “D” position. If you perform
this operation for a certain period
of time, a warning buzzer will
sound.
• Shifting the gearshift lever to the
“M”, “D” or “R” position while rac-
ing the engine.
• Driving at low speed using a high
gear.
• Stopping on a slope using the
creeping function. If you perform
this operation for a certain period
of time, a warning buzzer will
sound.
NOTICE
Operate your Automated Manual
Transaxle vehicle with one foot only.
driving your automated manual
transaxle vehicle with accelerator
and brake pedals depressed together
will cause overheating of the clutch.

3-14
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
53MH0-74E
Starting off on an uphill/downhill
slope:
Uphill
1) Apply the parking brake firmly so that
the vehicle does not roll backwards.
2) Shift the gearshift lever to the “M” posi-
tion while depressing the brake pedal.
Make sure that the gear position indica-
tor in the instrumental cluster displays
1st gear.
3) Release the brake pedal and depress
the accelerator pedal gradually, and
when the vehicle starts to move,
release the parking brake and depress
the accelerator pedal to start off.
Downhill
1) Depress the brake pedal and shift the
gearshift lever to the “M” position.
Check the gear position indicator to
make sure that the gear is in 1st.
2) Release the brake pedal and depress
the accelerator pedal slowly. Even
though the accelerator pedal is notdepressed, the clutch will be engaged
when the vehicle speed increases.
Backing up
After the vehicle has stopped completely,
depress the brake pedal and shift the gear-
shift lever to the “R” position. Depress the
accelerator pedal slowly as when starting
off in 1st gear. Before backing up, make
sure that reverse gear is selected by
checking the gear position indicator.
76MH0A062
NOTE:
• If reverse gear cannot be engaged even
though the gearshift lever has been
shifted from the “N” to the “R” position,
the system will re-try shifting automati-
cally. This will take some time, noise
may be heard from the gears, and shift-
ing gear shock may occur. However,
they do not indicate a malfunction.
• The “N” indicator will flash, the depress
brake pedal indicator will come on and a
warning buzzer (long pulse sound) will
sound if any of the following cases
occur;
– If you shift the gearshift lever from the
“N” to the “R” position without depress-
ing the brake pedal
– If the system is unable to re-try shiftingYou should depress the brake pedal and
shift the gearshift lever to “N” position,
then shift to “R” position again a few sec-
onds later.
• The system will not allow shifting to the
“R” position if the vehicle speed is over
about 3 km/h. If the gearshift lever is
operated under this condition, the “N”
indicator in the instrument cluster will
blink. However, when the vehicle speed
drops below about 3 km/h, the gear will
be shifted to reverse. Make sure that the
vehicle has stopped completely before
shifting to the “R” position.
Stopping
The vehicle can be stopped by depressing
the brake pedal regardless of the gear
position. This is because the clutch is auto-
matically disengaged to prevent the engine
from stopping.
If the gearshift lever is in the “D” position,
the gear will be downshifted to 1st when
the vehicle stops.
NOTICE
On an uphill slope, never hold the
vehicle at a stop using only the accel-
erator pedal or creeping function. If
you perform this operation for a cer-
tain period of time, a warning buzzer
will sound, and in some cases the
engine will stall. This can also cause
excessive damage to the clutch.
NOTICE
On a downhill slope, never hold the
vehicle at a stop using only the accel-
erator pedal or the creeping function.
If you perform this operation for a
certain period of time, a warning
buzzer will sound, and in some cases
the engine will stall. This can also
cause excessive damage to the
clutch.

3-15
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
53MH0-74E
If the gearshift lever is in the “M” posi-
tion, the gear will be downshifted to 1st
when the vehicle stops.
Parking
Unlike an automatic transaxle, Automated
manual transaxle does not have a parking
position. The vehicle can be parked with
the gearshift lever in any position.
1) Apply the parking brake firmly and turn
the ignition “ON” position.
2) While depressing the brake pedal, shift
the gearshift lever to the “R” position on
a downhill slope, and to the 1st position
in the drive (D) mode or the “M(1)” posi-
tion in the manual (M) mode on an
uphill slope and confirm the gear posi-
tion by checking the gear position indi-
cator.3) turn the ignition switch to “LOCK” posi-
tion.
NOTE:
• After the ignition switch is turn to “ACC”
or “LOCK” position is stopped, the gear
in the transaxle does not change even if
you shift the gearshift lever in any posi-
tion. Always shift the gearshift lever
before stop the engine.
• Check the transaxle gear position by
looking at the gear position indicator,
then turn the ignition switch off to stop
the engine. Release the brake pedal
after a few seconds.
WA R N I N G
• When stopping, for example, at a
traffic light, be sure to depress the
brake pedal firmly. For your safety,
apply the parking brake, too, when
stopping on a hill.
• When racing the engine, make sure
that the gear is in the “N” position
by checking the gear position indi-
cator. If the accelerator is operated
with the gear in any other position,
the vehicle may move resulting in
an unexpected accident.
• Do not leave your vehicle unat-
tended while the engine is running.
• When leaving the vehicle, stop the
engine and park the vehicle with a
gear engaged. If you need to leave
the vehicle with the engine running,
apply the parking brakes firmly,
and shift the gearshift lever to the
“N” position. Otherwise, the vehi-
cle may move unexpectedly and
may cause an accident.
NOTICE
• On a slope, never hold the vehicle
at a stop using only the accelerator
pedal or the creeping function. If
you perform this operation for a
certain period of time, a warning
buzzer will sound, and in some
cases the engine will stall. This can
also cause excessive damage to
the clutch.
• If the gearshift lever is operated
more than necessary, the system
may not allow operation of the
gearshift lever for a certain period
of time, and the gear may not be
shifted appropriately. Therefore, do
not operate the gearshift lever if not
necessary.
WA R N I N G
• If the gear is not engaged properly
and completely before the ignition
switch is turned off, the vehicle
may not be parked with the gear
engaged. Always confirm the gear
position by checking the gear posi-
tion indicator when parking.
• On a downhill slope, the gear
should be put in reverse, and in 1st
gear on an uphill slope. Otherwise,
the vehicle may move, and cause
an unexpected accident. If the gear
is left in the “N” position, the vehi-
cle cannot be parked with a gear
engaged.

4-7
DRIVING TIPS
53MH0-74E
72F08015
9) Do not attempt sharp handling during
high speed driving. You may lose your
control over your vehicle.
10)When overtaking or changing lanes
while driving at a high speed, keep
ample vehicle-to-vehicle distance.
Braking
72F08011
1) Use the parking brake when parking
your vehicle and shift the gear shift
lever into the first gear or reverse gear
position for the sake of safety.
2) Don’t use hand-braking unless unavoid-
able. It causes the vehicle to skid and a
collision may occur. It is especially dan-
gerous when the tyres are worn out as
they skid more.
72F08012
Use foot brake in three stages
1. Warn the vehicle behind you
2. Gradually apply the brake.
3. Bring the vehicle to a halt.
3) When driving downhill, try not to apply
the brake but use the engine brake
effectively. Overuse of the foot-brake
may result in reduction of brake effec-
tiveness.
Long distance driving
1) Be sure to perform safety checks before
starting a trip.
2) Take rest at certain intervals to prevent
an accident which may occur due to
feeling sleepy or tired.

7-11
INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
53MH0-74E
SAE 0W-20 (1) is the best choice for good
fuel economy, and good starting in cold
weather.
Oil Level Check
68KH066
It is important to keep the engine oil at the
correct level for proper lubrication of your
vehicle’s engine. Check the oil level with
the vehicle on a level surface. The oil level
indication may be inaccurate if the vehicle
is on a slope. The oil level should be
checked either before starting the engine
or at least 5 minutes after stopping the
engine.
Pull out the oil dipstick, wipe oil off with a
clean cloth, insert the dipstick all the way
into the engine, then remove it again. The
oil on the stick should be between the
upper and lower limits shown on the stick.
If the oil level indication is near the lowerlimit, add enough oil to raise the level to the
upper limit.
Refilling
53M-09-007
Remove the oil filler cap and pour oil slowly
through the filler hole to bring the oil level
to the upper limit on the dipstick. Be careful
not to overfill. Too much oil is almost as
bad as too little oil. After refilling, start the
engine and allow it to idle for about a min-
ute. Stop the engine, wait about 5 minutes
and check the oil level again.
Changing Engine Oil and Filter
Drain the engine oil while the engine is still
warm.
1) Remove the oil filler cap.
2) Place a drain pan under the drain plug.
3) Using a wrench, remove the drain plug
and drain out the engine oil.
ALTO 800
53MH0701
Tightening torque for drain plug (1):
49 Nm (4.9 kg-m, 36.0 lb-ft)
EXAMPLE
NOTICE
Failure to check the oil level regularly
could lead to serious engine trouble
due to insufficient oil.
EXAMPLE
CAUTION
The engine oil temperature may be
high enough to burn your fingers
when the drain plug is loosened. Wait
until the drain plug is cool enough to
touch with your bare hands.
(1)EXAMPLE