3-24
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
74LH0-74E
Parking
Unlike an automatic transaxle, Auto Gear
Shift does not have a parking position. The
vehicle can be parked with the gearshift
lever at “D” or “R” position. Remember,
even though the transaxle is in gear, you
must set the parking brake firmly
1) Apply the parking brake and the brake
pedal firmly.
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) Stop the engine completely.
4) In the case of uphill/downhill slope,
release the parking brake and brake
pedal slowly in order to check the gear
is engaged.
5) After check the vehicle stopped by the
gear engaged, Apply the parking brake
and the brake pedal firmly again.
6) Get out of the vehicle and put chocks
under the wheels.
When you return to your vehicle, you must
remember to remove the wheel chocks.
NOTE:
After the engine is stopped or ignition
switch is OFF, the gear in the transaxle
does not change even if you shift the
gearshift lever in any position. Always
shift the gearshift lever before turn igni-
tion switch OFF.
Check the transaxle gear position by
looking at the gear position indicator,
then turn the ignition switch off to stop
the engine.
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. Remember, even
though the transaxle is in gear, you
must set the parking brake firmly. If
you need to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, apply the park-
ing brakes firmly, and shift the
gearshift lever to the “N” position
and confirm the neutral position by
checking the gear position indica-
tor. However basically don’t leave
the vehicle with the engine running.
Otherwise, the vehicle 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.
3-25OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
74LH0-74E
Parking cancel
Depress the brake pedal, turn the ignition
switch to the “ON” position, and shift the
gearshift lever to the “N” position. The gear
will be disengaged.
Warning functions
A warning buzzer will sound or the indica-
tor will blink under the following conditions.Warning buzzer
The clutch is heated due to excessive
load.
The creeping function is being activated
for a long period of time.
The ignition switch is turned to the
“LOCK” position with the gear in 2nd,
3rd, 4th or 5th. In this case, turn the igni-
tion switch to the “ON” position and shift
the gearshift lever in the “N” position,
shift it to the “D” or “M” or “R” position,
then turn the ignition switch to “LOCK”.
During a stop, the driver’s door is
opened with the gearshift lever in the
“R”, “D” or “M” position while the engine
is running.
“N” indicator blinking
When the gear indicator lamp blinks “N”,
you should depress the brake pedal and
shift the gearshift lever to “N” position.
“1st” indicator blinking
When the gear indicator lamp blinks “1st”,
you should depress the brake pedal and
shift the gearshift lever to “N” position, then
shift to “D” or “M” position again a few sec-
onds later.“R” indicator blinking
When the gear indicator lamp blinks “R”,
you should depress the brake pedal and
shift the gearshift lever to “N” position, then
shift to “R” position again a few seconds
later.
Parking Sensors (if equipped) The parking sensor system uses ultra-
sonic sensors to detect obstacles near
the rear bumpers. If obstacles are
sensed while you are parking or moving
the vehicle slowly, the system warns you
by sounding a buzzer.
The system emits an ultrasonic wave
and the relevant sensor detects the
return of the wave reflected by an obsta-
cle. The system measures the time
taken by the ultrasonic wave to reach the
obstacle and return from it, from which it
determines the obstacle’s position.
The parking sensor function can be used
when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” or the engine switch is pressed to
change the ignition mode to “ON”, the
gearshift lever is in the “R” position and
the parking sensor switch is in the “ON”
position. This function is helpful in the
following cases: pulling over to the curb;
parallel-parking the vehicle; steering the
vehicle into a garage; driving along an
alley; and moving slowly in a place with
obstacles.
WARNING
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.
Remember, even though the
transaxle is in gear, you must set
the parking brake firmly.
On a downhill slope, the gear
should be put in reverse, and in 1st
gear on an uphill slope. In the case
of uphill/downhill slope, after check
the vehicle stopped by the gear
engaged, put chocks under the
wheels. Otherwise, the vehicle may
move, and cause an unexpected
accident. If the gear is left in the
“N” position, the vehicle cannot be
parked with a gear engaged.
NOTICE
In the above cases, pull over to the
side of the road and stop the engine,
and then ask your MARUTI SUZUKI
dealer to inspect your vehicle. Other-
wise, the clutch disc may be dam-
aged.
3-28
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
74LH0-74E
NOTE: Thin poles or obstacles lower than the sen-
sors may become undetectable as the
vehicle moves closer to them even if they
have been detected from longer distances.
The system may calculate the distance to
a road sign or similar obstacle to be shorter
than the actual dist
ance.How to Use the Parking SensorParking sensor switch
79MH0309
(1) Parking sensor switch
(2) Indicator
Turn the ignition switch to the “ON” posi-
tion or press the engine switch to changethe ignition mode to “ON” with the park-
ing sensor switch in the “ON” position.
Push the switch again and it stays in; this
is the OFF position. The indicator in the
switch goes out and the parking sensor
is deactivated.
NOTE:
If you push the parking sensor switch
from the “OFF” to “ON” position when
the ignition switch is turned to “ON” posi-
tion or the engine switch is pressed to
change the ignition mode to “ON”, the
inside buzzer sounds.
When the gearshift lever is shifted to the
“R” (Reverse) position with the system
ON, a buzzer will sound once.
Obstacle Indication by Parking Sen-
sorUpon detecting an obstacle, the parking
sensor causes an interior buzzer to sound.
A buzzer located behind the rear seat
sounds when a sensor at the rear
detects an obstacle.
Warnings when obstacles are detected
by corner sensors
Warnings when obstacles are detected
by center sensors
WA R N I N G
(Continued)
– Tall objects with a large upper
part like a road sign.
– Low-profile objects such as curb-
stones.
– Sound-absorbing objects such
as cotton and snow.
(2)
(1)
Switch position StateEXAMPLE
ON
When the indica-
tor light is on and
all necessary con-
ditions are met,
system becomes
ready for opera-
tion.
EXAMPLE
OFF
The system does
not operate. Push
the switch to turn
off the indicator if
you do not wish to
use the parking
sensor.
Distance
(approx.)Buzzer
45 – 60 cm
(18 – 24 in.)Short beeps at short
intervals
35 – 45 cm
(14 – 18 in.)Short beeps at very
short intervals
Less than 35 cm
(14 in.)Continuous beep
Distance
(approx.)Buzzer
60 – 150 cm
(24 – 59 in.)Short beeps at long
intervals
45 – 60 cm
(18 – 24 in.)Short beeps at short
intervals
35 – 45 cm
(14 – 18 in.)Short beeps at very
short intervals
Less than 35 cm
(14 in.)Continuous beep
4-2
DRIVING TIPS
67LH3-74E
74LHM0403
Improving Fuel EconomyThe following instructions will help you
improve fuel economy.
Avoid excessive idling
If you are to wait for more than a minute
while you are parked, stop the engine and
start it again later. When warming up a
cold engine, do not allow the engine to idle
or apply full throttle until the engine has
reached operating temperature. Allow the
engine to warm up by driving.
Avoid sudden acceleration
Sudden acceleration starting from rest or
while driving will consume fuel unneces-
sarily and shorten engine life. Start off
slowly.
Avoid unnecessary stops
Avoid unnecessary deceleration and stop-
ping. Try to maintain a slow, steady speed
whenever possible. Slowing down and
then accelerating again uses more fuel.
Keep a steady cruising speed
Keep as constant a speed as road and
traffic conditions will permit.
NOTICE
To minimize the possibility of catalyst
or other vehicle damage:
Maintain the engine in the properoperating condition.
In the event of an engine malfunc- tion, particularly one involving
engine misfire or other apparent
loss of performance, have the vehi-
cle serviced promptly.
Do not turn off the engine or inter- rupt the ignition when the transaxle
is in gear and the vehicle is in
motion.
Do not try to start the engine by pushing or towing the vehicle, or
coasting down a hill.
Do not idle the engine with any spark plug wires disconnected or
removed, such as during diagnos-
tic testing.
Do not idle the vehicle for pro-
longed periods if idling seems
rough or there are other malfunc-
tions.
Do not allow the fuel tank to get near the empty level.
Avoid driving your vehicle at
excessively high engine speeds, in
or around the red zone of the
tachometer (if equipped).
WA R N I N G
Be careful where you park and drive;
the catalytic converter and other
exhaust components can get very
hot. As with any vehicle, do not park
or operate this vehicle in areas where
combustible materials such as dry
grass or leaves can come in contact
with a hot exhaust system.EXAMPLE
4-7DRIVING TIPS
67LH3-74E
74LHM0411
9) Do not attempt sharp handling duringhigh 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
74LHM0412
1) Use the parking brake firmly when park-
ing your vehicle and shift the gear shift
lever into the first gear or reverse gear
position for the sake of safety and con-
firm the gear position by checking the
gear position indicator before turn igni-
tion switch OFF. Remember, even
though the transaxle is in gear, you
must see the gear, you must set the
parking brake firmly.
2) Don’t use hand-braking unless unavoidable. It causes the vehicle to skid and a collision may occur. It is
especially dangerous when the tyres
are worn out as they skid more.
74LHM0413
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 driving1) Be sure to perform safety checks
before starting a trip.
2) Take rest at regular intervals to prevent accidents which may occur due to feel-
ing sleepy or tired.
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
5-3OTHER CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT
74LH0-74E
Temperature-controlled air comes out of
the floor outlets and cooler air comes out
of the center and side outlets. When the
temperature selector (1) is in the fully
COLD position or fully HOT position, how-
ever, the air from the floor outlets and the
air from the center and side outlets will be
the same temperature.
Heat (c)
74LHT0506
Temperature-controlled air comes out of
the floor outlets and the side outlets, also
comes out of the windshield defroster out-
lets and the side demister outlets slightly.
Heat & defrost (d)
74LHT0507
Temperature-controlled air comes out of
the floor outlets, the windshield defroster
outlets, the side demister outlets and the
side outlets.Defrost (e)
74LHT0508
Temperature-controlled air comes out of
the windshield defroster outlets, the side
demister outlets and the side outlets.
Air intake selector (4)
68LM511
This selector is used to select the following
modes.
Fresh Air (f)
When this mode is selected, the indicator
light will go off and outside air is used.
Recirculated Air (g)
When this mode is selected, the indicator
light will come on, outside air is shut out
and inside air is recirculated. This mode is
suitable when driving through dusty or pol-
luted air such as in a tunnel, or when
attempting to quickly cool down the inte-
rior.“FRESH AIR” and “RECIRCULATED AIR”
are switched 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 conditioning switch (5)
To turn on the air conditioning system,
push in the “A/C” switch and set the blower
speed selector to a position other than
“OFF”. With this “A/C” switch operation, a
indicator light will come on when the air
conditioning system is on. To turn off the
air conditioning system, push the “A/C”
switch again.
During operation of the air conditioner, you
may notice slight changes in engine
speed. These changes are normal, the
system is designed so that the compressor
turns on or off to maintain the desired tem-
perature.
Less operation of the compressor results
in better fuel economy.
System Operating InstructionsNatural ventilation
Select “VENTILATION” and “FRESH AIR”,
the temperature selector to the desired
temperature position, and the blower
(f) (g)
Gearshift Lever: 10
Fuel Filler Cap: 5
5-4
OTHER CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT
74LH0-74E
speed selector to “OFF”. Fresh air will flow
through the vehicle during driving.
Forced ventilation
The control settings are the same as for
natural ventilation except you set the
blower speed selector to a position other
than “OFF”.
Normal heating (using outside air)
Select “HEAT” and “FRESH AIR”, the tem-
perature selector to the desired tempera-
ture position and the blower speed selector
to the desired blower speed position. Set-
ting the blower speed selector to a higher
blower speed position increases heating
efficiency.
Quick heating (using recirculated air)
The control settings are the same as for
normal heating except you select “RECIR-
CULATED AIR”. If you use this heating
method for an extended period of time, the
air in the vehicle can become contami-
nated and the windows can become misty.
Therefore, use this method only for quick
heating and change to the normal heating
method as soon as possible.
Cool face/warm feet
Select “BI-LEVEL” and “FRESH AIR”, the
temperature selector to the desired tem-
perature position, and the blower speed
selector to the desired blower speed posi-
tion. Unless the temperature selector is in
the fully COLD position or fully HOT posi-
tion, the air that comes out of the centerand side outlets will be cooler than the air
that comes out of the floor outlets.
Normal cooling
Turn on the “A/C” switch, set the air flow
selector to “VENTILATION”, the tempera-
ture selector to the desired temperature
position and the blower speed selector to
the desired blower speed position. Setting
the blower speed selector to a higher
blower speed position increases cooling
efficiency.
You can switch the air intake selector to
either “FRESH AIR” or “RECIRCULATED
AIR” as you desire. Choosing “RECIRCU-
LATED AIR” increases cooling efficiency.
Quick cooling (using recirculated air)
The control settings are the same as for
normal cooling except you select “RECIR-
CULATED AIR” and the highest blower
speed.
NOTE:
If you select “RECIRCULATED AIR” for
an extended period of time, the air in the
vehicle can become contaminated.
Therefore, you should occasionally
select “FRESH AIR”.
If your vehicle has been left in the sun
with the windows closed, it will cool
faster if you open the windows briefly
while you operate the air conditioner with
the air intake selector at “FRESH AIR”
and the blower at high speed.Dehumidifying
Turn on the “A/C” switch, set the air flow
selector to a desired air flow selector posi-
tion, and select “FRESH AIR”, the tem-
perature selector to the desired
temperature position, and the blower
speed selector to the desired blower speed
position.
NOTE:
Because the air conditioner dehumidifies
the air, turning it on will help keep the win-
dows clear, even when blowing heated air
using the “DEMIST” or “HEAT & DEMIST”
functions.
74LHT0509
NOTE:
If you need maximum defrosting:
select “DEFROST” and “FRESH AIR”,
turn on the “A/C” switch,
set the blower speed selector to HIGH,EXAMPLE
Fuel Filler Cap: 5
Folding Rear Seat: 3
5-5OTHER CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT
74LH0-74E
adjust the temperature selector to the
HOT end, 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.
NOTE:
Your vehicle uses the air conditioning
refrigerant HFC-134a, commonly called
“R-134a”. Only R-134a should be used in
your vehicle.
Automatic Heating and Air
Conditioning System
(Climate Control) (if equipped)Description of Controls
71LST0504
(1) Temperature selector
(2) Blower speed selector
(3) Air intake selector
(4) Air flow selector
(5) Defrost switch
(6) Air conditioning switch
(7) “OFF” switch
(8) “AUTO” switch
(9) DisplayTemperature selector (1)
68LM514
Turn the temperature selector (1) to adjust
the temperature.
You can set the temperature between
18C and 32
C. The selected temperature
in shown in the display.
Blower speed selector (2)
68LM515
The blower speed selector (2) is used to
turn on the blower and to select blower
speed. The selected blower speed is
shown is the display.
If the “AUTO” switch (8) is pushed, the
blower speed will vary automatically as the
climate control system maintains the
selected temperature.
NOTICE
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.
(1) (2)(9)
(3) (6) (7) (8) (4) (5)
(1)(2)
Folding Rear Seat: 3