4-4
DRIVING TIPS
79K21-03E
Keep the air cleaner clean
60A183S
If the air cleaner is clogged with dust, there
will be greater intake resistance, resulting
in decreased power output and increased
fuel consumption.
Keep weight to a minimum
The heavier the load, the more fuel the
vehicle consumes. Take out any luggage
or cargo when it is not necessary.
Keep tire pressure correct
Underinflation of the tires can waste fuel
due to increased running resistance of the
tires. Keep your tires inflated to the correct
pressure shown on the label located below
the driver’s side door latch striker.
On-Pavement DrivingGovernment data show that most rollover
accidents for multi-purpose vehicles are
caused when a driver loses control of the
vehicle and leaves the paved portion of the
roadway striking a ditch, curb or other off-
road object that causes the vehicle to over-
turn. The following driving practices may
reduce the risk of rollover.
Vehicle Slides Off-Road
You can reduce the risk of this kind of roll-
over accident by always keeping the vehi-
cle under control. Typically, drivers lose
control of vehicles, often resulting in roll-
over accidents, when the driver is impaired
because of alcohol or other drugs, falls
asleep at the wheel or is otherwise inatten-
tive, or is driving too fast for the road condi-
tions.
Rollovers On the Roadway
If, for any reason, your vehicle slides side-
ways or spins out of control at highway
speeds, while on the paved portion of the
roadway, the risk of rollover is greatly
increased. This condition can be created
when two or more wheels drop off onto the
shoulder and you steer sharply in an
attempt to reenter the roadway. To reduce
the risk of rollover in these circumstances,
if conditions permit, you should hold the
steering wheel firmly and slow down
before pulling back into the travel lanes
with controlled steering movements.All Types of Rollover Accidents
As with many kinds of automobile acci-
dents, rollovers can be greatly reduced by
doing what all prudent drivers should do,
i.e., don’t drink and drive, don’t drive when
tired and don’t do anything behind the
wheel that could cause a loss of attention
to the driving task.
Additional guidelines are set out below for
your on-road driving.
Know Your Vehicle
Take time to familiarize yourself with the
unique handling characteristics of your
vehicle by first driving around in an area
away from traffic. Practice turning the vehi-
cle at a variety of speeds and in different
directions. Get a feel for the greater steer-
ing response that your vehicle has over a
conventional car.
Wear Your Seat Belts at All Times
The driver and all passengers should be
properly restrained at all times, using the
seat belts provided. Refer to the “Seat
Belts and Child Restraint Systems” section
for instructions on proper use of the seat
belts.
EXAMPLE
Off-Road Driving: NO
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.
6-3VEHICLE LOADING AND TOWING
79K21-03E
Tires
MirrorsCheck to see if your vehicle’s mirrors meet
federal, state and local requirements for
mirrors used on towing vehicles. If they do
not, you must install required mirrors
before you tow.Vehicle/Trailer Weight LimitsBefore towing, you must make sure that
gross trailer weight, gross combined
weight, trailer tongue weight, gross vehicle
weight and gross axle weight (front and
rear) are within specified limits as
described below. You can measure vehicle
and trailer weights using a vehicle scale
and can measure tongue weight using a
bathroom scale.Gross Trailer Weight
60A378
Gross Trailer Weight is the weight of the
trailer plus all cargo in it (measured with
the trailer disconnected from the towing
vehicle). Gross trailer weight must never
exceed 1360 kg (3000 pounds).
If you intend to tow a trailer having a gross
trailer weight greater than 450 kg (1000
pounds), the trailer must be equipped with
trailer brakes.Gross Combined Weight
60A381
Gross Combined Weight is the weight of
the fully loaded vehicle (including all the
occupants, accessories and cargo) plus
the weight of the fully loaded trailer. Gross
combined weight must never exceed:
2.4 L – 3460 kg (7628 pounds)
3.2 L – 3530 kg (7782 pounds)
WARNING
When towing a trailer, it is very
important for your vehicle and trailer
to have properly inflated tires. Your
vehicle’s tires should be inflated to
the recommended pressures listed
on your vehicle’s Tire Inflation Pres-
sure label. Inflate trailer tires accord-
ing to the specifications provided by
the trailer manufacturer.
Trailer Towing: 5, 11, 13
7-25INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
79K21-03E
TiresFor safe operation of your vehicle, it is
important that the tires be the correct
type and size, in good condition, and
properly inflated. Be sure to follow the
requirements and recommendations in
this section.Tire Sidewall LabelingUseful information about a tire is
molded into its sidewall. The example
below shows a typical passenger car
tire.
Typical Passenger Car Tire Sidewall
67D027
A. Tire Manufacturer
The name of the tire manufacturer
is shown here.B. Tire Name/Model
The tire name or model is shown
here.
C. Tire Size
The tire size code is a combina-
tion of letters and numbers used
to define a particular tire’s width,
height, aspect ratio, construction
type, and service description. See
the “Tire Size” explanation later in
this section for more details.
D. U.S. DOT Tire Identification Num-
ber
The Department of Transportation
(DOT) marking indicates that the
tire is in compliance with the U.S.
Department of Transportation
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
The letters and numbers following
the DOT marking is the Tire Iden-
tification Number (TIN). The TIN
identifies the tire manufacturer
and plant, tire size, and date the
tire was manufactured.
E. Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG)
Tire manufacturers are required to
grade tires based on three perfor-
mance factors: treadwear, traction
and temperature resistance.
Refer to the “Uniform Tire Quality
Grading” section for more details.F. Load Rating
Load rating is the maximum
weight a tire is designed to sup-
port in normal service.
G. Max Inflation Pressure
Max inflation pressure is the max-
imum inflation pressure a tire is
designed for.
H. Tire Ply Material
These tire markings describe the
type of cord and number of plies
in the sidewall and under the
tread.
I. Load Index and Speed Rating
The two- or three-digit number is
the tire’s load index, the maximum
load a tire can carry at the speed
indicated by its speed symbol at
the maximum inflation pressure.
The higher the number is, the
greater the load carrying capacity.
The letter symbol denotes the
speed at which a tire is designed
to be driven for extended periods
of time. (Ratings are listed below.)
AH B
G
E
FD
J I
C
EXAMPLE
Tires: 6
7-27INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
79K21-03E Tire Inflation Pressure
Tire inflation pressure should be
checked when the tire is cold. “Cold
tire inflation pressure” is the pressure
in a tire that has been driven less than
1 mile (1.6 km) or has been standing
for three hours or more.
54G307
The front, rear and spare tire pressure
specifications for your vehicle are
shown below and are listed on the Tire
and Loading Information Label, which
is located on the driver’s door lock pil-
lar. The Tire and Loading Information
Label contains the following informa-
tion:
Seating Capacity
Maximum Allowed Combined
Weight of Occupants and Cargo
Original Tire Size Recommended Cold Tire Inflation
Pressure of Original Tires
NOTE:
The tire inflation pressure will change
due to changes in atmospheric pres-
sure, temperature or tire temperature
when driving. To reduce the chance
that the low tire pressure warning light
will come on due to normal changes in
temperature and atmospheric pres-
sure, it is important to check and
adjust the tire pressures when the tires
are cold. Tires that appear to be at the
specified pressure when checked after
driving, when the tires are warm, could
have pressure below the specification
when the tires cool down. Also, tires
that are inflated to the specified pres-
sure in a warm garage may have pres-
sure below the specification when the
vehicle is driven outside in very coldtemperature. If you adjust the tire
pressure in a garage that is warmer
than the outside temperature, you
should add 1 psi to the recommended
cold tire inflation pressure for every
10°F difference between garage tem-
perature and outside temperature.
Measuring air pressure
Use the following steps to achieve
proper tire inflation:
1) Identify the recommended tire pres-
sure on the vehicle’s Tire and Load-
ing Information Label or in the
owner’s manual.
2) Remove the valve cap from the tire
valve stem.
3) Using a reliable pressure gauge,
measure the tire inflation pressure
by pressing the tire gauge firmly
onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. Remember that
inflation pressures should be
checked when the tires are “cold”,
meaning before they have been
driven one mile or after sitting for
three hours or more allowing the
tire to cool to ambient air tempera-
ture.
4) If the air pressure is too high, slowly
release the air by pressing on the
tire valve stem with the edge of the
Recommended Cold Tire Inflation
Pressures
Front Tires230 kPa
33 psi
Rear Tires230 kPa
33 psi
Spare230 kPa
33 psi
Tires: 6
7-28
INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
79K21-03E
tire gauge until you reach the cor-
rect pressure.
5) If the air pressure is too low, fill the
tire with air at a service station until
it reaches the recommended pres-
sure.
6) Make sure all tires have the same
air pressure (unless the owner’s
manual indicates otherwise).
Tire InspectionInspect your vehicle’s tires at least
once a month by performing the fol-
lowing checks:
1) Measure the air pressure with a tire
gauge. Adjust the pressure if nec-
essary. Remember to check the
spare tire, too. Refer to the “Mea-
suring Air Pressure” section.
54G136
(1) Tread wear indicator
(2) Indicator location mark
2) Check that the depth of the tread
groove is more than 1.6 mm (0.06
in.). To help you check this, the tires
have molded-in tread wear indica-
tors in the grooves. When the indi-
cators appear on the tread surface,
the remaining depth of the tread is
WARNING
Air pressures should be
checked when the tires are cold
or you may get inaccurate read-
ings.
Check the inflation pressure
from time to time while inflating
the tire gradually, until the spec-
ified pressure is obtained.
(Continued)
WARNING
(Continued) Never underinflate or overin-
flate the tires.
Underinflation can cause
unusual handling characteris-
tics or can cause the rim to slip
on the tire bead, resulting in an
accident or damage to the tire
or rim.
Underinflation can also cause
tires to overheat, leading to tire
failure.
Overinflation can cause the tire
to burst, resulting in personal
injury.
Overinflation can also cause
unusual handling characteris-
tics which may result in an acci-
dent.
Tires: 6
7-31INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
79K21-03E Tire Rotation
4-tire rotation
65D459
To avoid uneven wear of your tires and
to prolong their life, rotate the tires as
illustrated. Tires should be rotated as
recommended in the periodic mainte-
nance schedule. After rotation, adjust
front and rear tire pressures to the
specification listed on your vehicle’s
Tire and Loading Information Label.
WARNING
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the
parts to which it is fastened, can
make wheel nuts become loose
after a time. The wheel could
come off and cause an accident.
When you change a wheel,
remove any rust or dirt from
places where the wheel attaches
to the vehicle. In an emergency,
you can use a cloth or a paper
towel to do this; but be sure to
use a scraper or wire brush later,
if you need to, to get all the rust
or dirt off.
WARNING
Vehicle equipped with P225/
65R17 tires have a spare wheel
and tire that are a different size
than the wheels and tires on the
vehicle. The spare wheel and tire
on these vehicles are intended for
temporary emergency use only.
The wheel is painted yellow to
remind you that the wheel and
tire are for temporary use only.
Continuous use of this spare can
result in tire failure and loss of
control. Always observe these
precautions when using this
spare:
Be aware that your vehicle will
handle differently with this tem-
porary spare.
Do not exceed 80 km/h (50 mph)
speed.
Replace the temporary spare
with a standard tire and wheel
as soon as possible.
Do not operate your vehicle in
“4H LOCK” or “4L LOCK” with
this temporary spare.
(Continued)
Tires: 6
7-32
INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
79K21-03E Snow Tires
Your vehicle is equipped with all-sea-
son tires which are designed for use in
summer and most winter conditions.
For improved traction in severe winter
conditions, SUZUKI recommends
mounting radial snow tires on all four
wheels. Snow tires must be the same
size as the standard tires. Also be sure
to use the tires of the same type and
brand on all four wheels of your vehi-
cle.
GLOSSARY OF TIRE TERMI-
NOLOGYAccessory Weight – the combined
weight (in excess of those standard
items which may be replaced) of auto-
matic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power
seats, radio, and heater, to the extent
that these items are available as fac-
tory-installed equipment (whether
installed or not).
Cold Tire Inflation Pressure – the pres-
sure in a tire that has been driven less
than 1 mile or has been standing for
three hours or more.
Curb Weight – the weight of a motor
vehicle with standard equipment
including the maximum capacity of
fuel, oil, and coolant, and, if so
equipped, air conditioning and addi-
tional weight optional engine.
Intended Outboard Sidewall – (1) the
sidewall that contains a whitewall,
bears white lettering or bears manu-
facturer, brand, and/or model name
molding that is higher or deeper than
the same molding on the other side-
wall of the tire, or (2) the outward fac-
ing sidewall of an asymmetrical tire
that has a particular side that mustalways face outward when mounted
on a vehicle.
Maximum Inflation Pressure – the
maximum cold inflation pressure a tire
is designed to support in normal ser-
vice.
Maximum Loaded Vehicle Weight –
the sum of curb weight, accessory
weight, vehicle capacity weight (total
load capacity), and production options
weight.
Normal Occupant Weight – 68 kilo-
grams times the number of occupants
specified in the second column of
Table 1 (shown below).
Occupant distribution – distribution of
occupants in a vehicle as specified in
the third column of Table 1 (shown
below).
Production Options Weight – the com-
bined weight of those installed regular
production options weighing over 2.3
kilograms in excess of those standard
items which they replace, not previ-
ously considered in curb weight or
accessory weight, including heavy
duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and special trim.
WARNING
(Continued) Do not use tire chains on the
spare tire. If you must use tire
chains, rearrange the wheels so
standard tires and wheels are
fitted to the rear axle.
Replace the spare tire with a
new one as soon as the tread
wear indicator appears.
When replacing the spare tire,
use a replacement tire with the
exact same size and construc-
tion.
Battery: 9
Fuses: 7