Page 90 of 337
2-73BEFORE DRIVING
79K21-03E
Warning and Indicator messages
(#1) This message will disappear for a while even if the problem that caused the message to appear is not corrected.Warning and Indicator messageMaster Warning
IndicatorSound Cause and Remedy
79K070
Blinks Ding Any door (including the tailgate) is open when the vehicle
is moving.
Close all doors completely.
79K070
Off Off Any door (including the tailgate) is open when the vehicle
is stopped. (#1)
Close all doors completely.
79K071
Blinks Ding There may be a problem with the ESP
® system.
Have your vehicle inspected by an authorized SUZUKI
dealer.
79K072
Blinks Ding There may be problem with the hill descent control sys-
tem and the hill hold control system.
Have your vehicle inspected by an authorized SUZUKI
dealer.
79K073
Blinks Continuous
BeepFront position lights, license plate lights, instrument lights
and/or head lights are left on.
Turn the lighting switch to the “OFF” position.
Page 92 of 337
2-75BEFORE DRIVING
79K21-03E
Lighting Control Lever
65D61179K014
52D183
Your vehicle’s lighting system is controlled
by three main systems: the Lighting switch,
the Auto-On Headlight System (when the
lighting switch is in the “AUTO” position)
and the Daytime Running Light (D.R.L.)
system.
WARNING
To avoid possible injury, do not oper-
ate controls by reaching through the
steering wheel.
(1)
(2) (3)(4)
Page 94 of 337

2-77BEFORE DRIVING
79K21-03E
79K016
With the headlights on, push the lever for-
ward to switch to the high beams or pull
the lever toward you to switch to the low
beams. When the high beams are on, a
light on the instrument panel will come on.
To momentarily activate the high beams as
a passing signal, pull the lever slightly
toward you and release it when you have
completed the signal.
Auto-On Headlight System
66J026
The Auto-on headlight system automati-
cally turns on all lights that are operated by
the lighting control lever on the steering
column, when the following four conditions
are all met.
Conditions for Auto-on headlight system
operation:
1) It is dark around the light sensor (5).
2) The lighting control lever in the “AUTO”
position.
3) The ignition switch is in the “ON” posi-
tion.
4) The parking brake is released.
This system is operated by the signal from
the light sensor (5) on the right end of the
instrument panel. Do not cover the sensor
(5). If you do, the system will not work cor-
rectly.NOTE:
This system does not react to all types of
ambient light. As the sensor is infrared
type, it will not work correctly with ambient
lights that do not contain infrared rays.
HIGH
LOW
PASS
(5)
WARNING
It takes about 5 seconds for the light
sensor to react to a change in light-
ing conditions. To help avoid an acci-
dent due to reduced visibility, turn on
your headlights before driving into a
tunnel, parking structure or the like.
Page 95 of 337

2-78
BEFORE DRIVING
79K21-03E
Daytime Running Light (D.R.L.)
SystemThe headlights light, but are dimmer than
the low beam, when the following three
conditions are all met. Also, the D.R.L. indi-
cator light on the instrument panel comes
on.
Conditions for D.R.L. system operation:
1) The engine is running.
2) The parking brake is released.
3) The headlights are off, or the lighting
switch in the “AUTO” position and it is
light around the light sensor.
NOTE:
Be sure to turn the headlights on at night
or at any time of the day when driving or
weather conditions require the headlights
to operate at full brightness and the tail-
lights to be on.
Lights “On” reminder
A buzzer sounds to remind you to turn off
the lights if they are left on when the igni-
tion key is removed and the driver’s door is
opened.
NOTE:
The warning and indicator message and
the illumination indicator light will be shown
on the information display when this
reminder is activated.
Front Fog Light Switch
(if equipped)
64J058
The front fog light comes on when the fog
light switch is pushed in with:
the headlights are on and the beams set
to the low beam position, or
the auto-on headlight system on and the
beams set to the low beam position.
Turn Signal Control Lever
65D611
WARNING
To avoid possible injury, do not oper-
ate controls by reaching through the
steering wheel.
Page 96 of 337

2-79BEFORE DRIVING
79K21-03E
Turn Signal OperationWith the ignition switch in the “ON” posi-
tion, move the lever up or down to activate
the right or left turn signals.
79K017
Normal turn signal
Move the lever all the way upward or down-
ward to signal. When the turn is com-
pleted, the signal will cancel and the lever
will return to its normal position.
Lane change signal
Some times, such as changing lanes, the
steering wheel is not turned far enough to
cancel the turn signal. For convenience,
you can flash the turn signal by moving the
lever part way and holding it there. The
lever will return to its normal position when
you release it.
Hazard Warning Switch
64J054
Push in the hazard warning switch to acti-
vate the hazard warning lights. All turn sig-
nal lights and both turn signal indicators
will flash simultaneously. To turn off the
lights, push the switch again.
Use the hazard warning lights to warn
other traffic during emergency parking or
when your vehicle could otherwise become
a traffic hazard.
Windshield Wiper and Washer
Lever
65D611
WARNING
To avoid possible injury, do not oper-
ate controls by reaching through the
steering wheel.
Page 97 of 337

2-80
BEFORE DRIVING
79K21-03E
Windshield Wipers
63J301
To turn the windshield wipers on, move the
lever up and down to one of the four oper-
ating positions. In the “INT” position (if
equipped), the wipers operate intermit-
tently. The “INT” position is very convenient
for driving in mist or light rain. In the “LO”
position, the wipers operate at a steady
low speed. In the “HI” position, the wipers
operate at a steady high speed. To turn off
the wipers, move the lever back to the
“OFF” position.
Move the lever up and hold it to the “MIST”
position, the windshield wipers will turn on
continuously at low speed.
63J302
If the lever is equipped with the “INT TIME”
control, turn the control forward or rear-
ward to adjust the intermittent wiper opera-
tion to the desired interval.
Windshield Washer
63J303
To spray windshield washer fluid, pull the
lever toward you. The windshield wipers
will automatically turn on at low speed if
they are not already on and if the “INT”
position is equipped.
MIST
OFF
INT
LO
HI
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
WARNING
To prevent windshield icing in cold
weather, turn on the defroster to
heat the windshield before and dur-
ing windshield washer use.
Do not use radiator antifreeze in
the windshield washer reservoir. It
can severely impair visibility when
sprayed on the windshield, and can
also damage your vehicle’s paint.EXAMPLE
Page 103 of 337

3-2
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
79K21-03E
Daily Inspection ChecklistBefore Driving
60A187S
1) Make sure that windows, mirrors, lights
and reflectors are clean and unob-
structed.
2) Visually check the tires for the following
points:
– the depth of the tread groove
– abnormal wear, cracks and damage
– loose wheel nuts
– existence of foreign material such as
nails, stones, etc.
Refer to “Tires” in “INSPECTION AND
MAINTENANCE” section for details.
3) Look for fluid, oil leaks.
NOTE:
It is normal for water to drip from the air
conditioning system after use.4) Make sure the hood is fully closed and
latched.
5) Check the headlights, turn signal lights,
brake lights and horn for proper opera-
tion.
6) Lock all doors.
7) Adjust the seat and adjustable head
restraints (if equipped).
8) Check the brake pedal and the parking
brake lever.
9) Adjust the mirrors.
10)Make sure that you and all passengers
have properly fastened your seat belts.
11)Make sure that all warning lights come
on as the key is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion.
12)Check all gauges.
13)Make sure that the BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING light turns off when the
parking brake is released.
Once a week, or each time you fill your fuel
tank, perform the following under-hood
checks:
1) Engine oil level
2) Coolant level
3) Brake fluid level
4) Power steering (if equipped) fluid level
5) Windshield washer fluid level
6) Battery solution level
7) Hood latch operation
Pull the hood release handle inside the
vehicle. Make sure that you cannot
open the hood all the way without
releasing the secondary latch. Be sure
to close the hood securely after check-ing for proper latch operation. See the
item “All Latches, Hinges and Locks” of
“CHASSIS AND BODY” in the “Periodic
Maintenance Schedule” in the
“INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE”
section for lubrication schedule.
Once a month, or each time you fill your
fuel tank, check the tire pressure using a
tire pressure gauge. Also check the tire
pressure of the spare tire.
WARNING
Make sure the hood is fully closed
and latched before driving. If it is not,
it can fly up unexpectedly during
driving, obstructing your view and
resulting in an accident.
Daily Inspection Checklist: NO
Starting the Engine: 1
Page 104 of 337

3-3OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
79K21-03E
Ignition Switch
65D611
Vehicle Without Keyless Start Sys-
tem
60B041
The ignition switch has the following four
positions:
LOCK
This is the normal parking position. It is the
only position in which the key can be
removed.
It locks the ignition, and prevents normal
use of the steering wheel after the key is
removed.Manual transmission
60A055
Manual transmission vehicles
You must push in the key to turn it to the
“LOCK” position. It locks the ignition, and
prevents normal use of the steering
wheel after the key is removed.
Automatic transmission vehicles
The gearshift lever must be in the “P”
(Park) position to turn the key to the
“LOCK” position. It locks the ignition and
prevents normal use of the steering
wheel and gearshift lever.
To release the steering lock, insert the key
and turn it clockwise to one of the other
positions. If you have trouble turning the
key to unlock the steering, try turning the
steering wheel slightly to the right or left
while turning the key.
WARNING
To avoid possible injury, do not oper-
ate controls by reaching through the
steering wheel.
EXAMPLE
Push
Turn to “LOCK”
Starting the Engine: 1