2013 SUZUKI ALTO stop start

2-30
BEFORE DRIVING
53MH0-74E
Warning and Indicator Lights
Brake System Warning Light
53M-04-072
Three different types of operations exist
depending on the vehicle’s specification.
1) The light comes on briefly when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON”
position.
2) The light comes on when the parking
brake is engaged with the ignition
switch in the “ON” position.
3) The light comes on when under either
or both of above two conditions.
The light also comes on when the fluid in
the brake fluid reservoir falls below the
specified level.
The light should go out after starting the
engine and fully releasing the parking
brake, if the fluid level in the brake fluid res-
ervoir is adequate.
The light also comes on together with the
ABS warning light when the rear brake
force control function (proportioning valve
function) of the ABS system fails.
If the brake system warning light comes on
while you are driving the vehicle, it maymean that there is something wrong with
the vehicle’s brake system. If this happens,
you should:
1) Pull off the road and stop carefully.
2) Test the brakes by carefully starting and
stopping at the side of the road.
– If you determine that it is safe, drive
carefully at low speed to the nearest
dealer for repairs, or
– Have the vehicle towed to the nearest
dealer for repairs.
NOTE:
Because the disc brake system is self-
adjusting, the fluid level will drop as the
brake pads become worn. Replenishing
the brake fluid reservoir is considered nor-
mal periodic maintenance.
Seat Belt Warning Light
(if equipped)
53M-04-073
WA R N I N G
Remember that stopping distance
may be longer, you may have to push
harder on the pedal, and the pedal
may go down farther than normal.
WA R N I N G
If any of the following conditions
occur, you should immediately ask
your MARUTI SUZUKI dealer to
inspect the brake system.
• If the brake system warning light
does not go out after the engine
has been started and the parking
brake has been fully released.
• If the brake system warning light
does not come on when the igni-
tion switch is turned to the “ON”
position.
• If the brake system warning light
comes on at any time during vehi-
cle operation.

2-31
BEFORE DRIVING
53MH0-74E
If the driver’s seat belt is unbuckled when
the ignition switch is turned to the “ON”
position, this light will blink until the driver’s
seat belt is buckled.
For details about the seat belt reminder,
refer to “Seat Belts and Child Restraint
Systems” in this section.
“AIR BAG” Light (if equipped)
53M-04-074
This light blinks or comes on for several
seconds when the ignition switch is turned
to the “ON” position so you can check if the
light is working.
The light will come on and stay on if there
is a problem in the air bag system.
Malfunction Indicator Light
53M-04-075
Your vehicle has a computer-controlled
emission control system. A malfunction
indicator light is provided on the instrument
panel to indicate when it is necessary to
have the emission control system serviced.
The malfunction indicator light comes on
when the ignition switch is turned to “ON”
position to let you know the light is working
and goes out when the engine is started.
If the malfunction indicator light comes on
when the engine is running, there is a
damage with the emission control system.
Bring the vehicle to your MARUTI SUZUKI
dealer to have the damage fixed.
Also, if the light comes on, there may be
something wrong with the transaxle sys-
tem. Have the system inspected by MAR-
UTI SUZUKI authorized dealer.Transaxle Warning Light
(if equipped)
53M-04-076
This light comes on briefly when the igni-
tion switch is turned to the “ON” position or
the engine switch is pressed to change the
ignition mode to “ON” so you can check the
light is working.
If this light comes on when the engine is
running, there is the problem with the auto-
matic transaxle system. Ask your MARUTI
SUZUKI dealer to have the system
inspected.
NOTE:
If the automated manual transaxle system
temperature becomes too high, this light
will blink. Stop the vehicle in a safe place
and let the system cool down.
WA R N I N G
If the “AIR BAG” light does not blink
or come on briefly when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position,
stays on for more than 10 seconds,
or comes on while driving, the air bag
system may not work properly. Have
both systems inspected by an
MARUT SUZUKI authorized dealer.
NOTICE
Continuing to drive the vehicle when
the malfunction indicator light is on
can cause permanent damage to the
vehicle’s emission control system,
and can affect fuel economy and
driveability.

2-32
BEFORE DRIVING
53MH0-74E
Electric Power Steering Light
(if equipped)
53M-04-077
This light comes on when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position, and
goes out when the engine is started.
If this light comes on while driving, the
power steering system may not work prop-
erly. Have the system inspected by your
MARUTI SUZUKI dealer.
NOTE:
If the power steering system does not work
properly, you will feel heavier to steer but
you still will be able to steer.
Oil Pressure Light
53M-04-078
This light comes on when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position, and
goes out when the engine is started. Thelight 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 sys-
tem should be inspected by your MARUTI
SUZUKI dealer before you drive the vehi-
cle again.
Charging Light
53M-04-079
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
MARUTI SUZUKI dealer.
High Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Light
53M-04-080
When the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position, this light comes on briefly so
you can check that the light is working. If
this light blinks while driving, it means the
engine is running hot. Avoid driving condi-
tions that may lead to actual overheating. If
NOTICE
• 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.

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.

3-7
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
53MH0-74E
Starting the Engine
Before Starting the Engine
76MH021
1) Make sure the parking brake is set fully.
2) Shift into “N” (Neutral) and depress the
clutch pedal all the way to the floor.
Hold the clutch pedal while starting the
engine.
Automated manual transaxle – Shift
into “N” (Neutral) and depress the brake
pedal. Hold the brake pedal while start-
ing the engine.
Starting a Cold and Warm Engine
With your foot off the accelerator pedal,
crank the engine by turning the ignition key
to “START”. Release the key when the
engine starts.
If the engine does not start after 15 sec-
onds of cranking, wait about 15 seconds,
then press down the accelerator pedal to
1/3 of its travel and try cranking the engine
again. Release the key and accelerator
pedal when the engine starts.
If the engine still does not start, try holding
the accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor while cranking. This should clear the
engine if it is flooded.
Using the Transaxle
Manual Transaxle
53MH0303
Starting off
To start off, depress the clutch pedal all the
way to the floor and shift into 1st gear.
After releasing the parking brake, gradually
release the clutch. When you hear a
change in the engine’s sound, slowly press
the accelerator while continuing to gradu-
ally release the clutch.
Shifting
All forward gears are synchronized, which
provides for quiet and easy shifting. Always
push in the clutch pedal fully before shifting
gears.
WA R N I N G
Make sure that the parking brake is
set fully and the transaxle is in Neu-
tral before attempting to start the
engine.
NOTICE
• Stop turning the starter immedi-
ately after the engine has started or
the starter system may be dam-
aged.
• Do not crank the engine for more
than 15 seconds at a time. If the
engine doesn’t start on the first try,
wait about 15 seconds before try-
ing again.

3-9
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
53MH0-74E
76MH0A055
Depress brake pedal indicator
(if equipped)
76MH0A047
This light will come on if you do not
depress the brake pedal in the following
situations.
When starting the engine.
When the engine is on and the gearshift
lever is shifted from “N” position to “D”,
“M” or “R” position.
When the ignition switch is in the “ON”
position and the engine is off, the gear-
shift lever is shifted into any position.Starting the engine
When starting the engine, always place the
gearshift lever in the “N” position and
depress the brake pedal firmly. The engine
cannot be started unless the gearshift
lever is in the “N” position and the brake
pedal is depressed.
76MH0A056
Clutch operation
You can select either the Drive (D) mode or
the Manual (M) mode. Since this vehicle
controls clutch operation electronically in
either mode, you do not need to operate
the clutch.
Creeping function
This vehicle has a creeping function that
helps the vehicle to start smoothly by
engaging the clutch. When the gearshift
lever is in any of the positions “D”, “M” or
“R”, and you release your foot from the
brake pedal, the vehicle starts slowly with-
out depressing the accelerator pedal. The
creeping function is disabled if you depress
the brake pedal or pull up the parking
brake lever.NOTE:
If the driver’s door is opened and/or the
parking brake lever is engaged with the
gear in the “M”, “D” or “R” position, the
creeping function will not operate.
Parking and Stopping the vehicle
Automated manual transaxle does not
have a parking position. The vehicle can
be parked with the gearshift lever in any
position. When stopping the vehicle, the
gear will be shifted to 1st.
Drive (D) mode
When the Drive (D) mode is activated, the
most appropriate gear position is automati-
cally selected upon operation of the accel-
erator pedal and variation of vehicle speed.
Normal driving:
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 “D” position.
When the gearshift lever is shifted to
the “D” position, the gear will be shifted
to 1st.
R
N
D -
M
+
R
N
D -
M
+
EXAMPLE
NOTICE
A buzzer will sound continuously if
the vehicle is operated with the gear-
shift lever in-between of each shift
positions. The vehicle will become
inoperative if you continue to operate
the vehicle with the gearshift lever in
between shift positions.

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
+

3-13
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.