
3-5OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
74LH0-74E
Manual transaxle – Provided you have the
keyless push start system remote control-
ler with you, the engine automatically
starts when you press the engine switch to
select this ignition mode after shifting to
“N” (Neutral) and depressing the brake and
clutch pedals.
Auto Gear Shift – Provided you have the
keyless push start system remote control-
ler with you, the engine automatically
starts when you press the engine switch to
select this ignition mode after placing the
gearshift lever in the “N” position and
depressing the brake pedal.
NOTE:
You do not need to keep the engine switch
pressed to start the engine.
NOTE:
The steering lock may not be released if
some load is acting on the steering
wheel. If this happens, turn the steering
wheel to the right or left to relieve it from
the load before you press the engineswitch again to change to the desired
ignition mode.
In the presence of strong radio signals or
noise, you may not be able to change
the ignition mode to “ACC” or “ON” or to
start the engine using the engine switch.
Keyless Push Start System
(if equipped)Provided the keyless push start system
remote controller is within the “interior work-
able area” (refer to the related explanation
in this section), you can use the engine
switch for starting the engine and selecting
an ignition mode (“ACC” or “ON”). In addi-
tion, the following functions can be used: Keyless entry function. Refer to “Keyless
Push Start System Remote Controller” in the
“BEFORE DRIVING” section for details. Locking and unlocking doors using a
request switch. Refer to “Keyless Push
Start System Remote Controller” in the
“BEFORE DRIVING” section for details.
Immobilizer (anti-theft) function. Refer to
“Immobilizer System” in the “BEFORE
DRIVING” section for details.
Engine Switch IlluminationThe engine switch is illuminated (lit) in the
following situations:
When the engine is off and the driver’s
door is open, or for 15 seconds after the
driver’s door is closed. The illumination
will fade out after the 15 seconds past.
When the engine is off and the position
lights are on. The illumination will go out
when the position lights are turned off.
When the engine is on and the position
lights and/or the headlights are on. The
illumination will go out when the head-
lights are turned off.
82K253
NOTE:
To save the battery, the illumination will be
automatically turned off when both of the
following conditions are simultaneously
met:
The headlights and position lights are
turned off.
A period of 15 minutes has elapsed after
opening the driver’s door.
NOTICE
Do not leave the engine switch in the
“ACC” or “ON” mode when the
engine is not running. Avoid using
the radio or other electric accesso-
ries for a long time when the engine
switch is in the “ACC” or “ON” mode
when the engine is not running, oth-
erwise the battery may discharge.
Using the Transaxle: 10

4-5DRIVING TIPS
67LH3-74E
If Your Vehicle Gets StuckIf your vehicle gets stuck in snow, mud, or
sand, follow the directions below:
1) Shift the transaxle back and forthbetween a forward range (or first gear
for manual transaxle) and reverse. This
will create a rocking motion which may
give you enough momentum to free the
vehicle. Press gently on the accelerator
to keep wheel spinning to a minimum
wheel rpm. Remove your foot from the
accelerator while shifting.
Do not race the engine. Excessive
wheel spin will cause the tires to dig
deeper, making it more difficult to free
the vehicle.
2) If your vehicle remains stuck after a few
minutes of rocking, we recommend you
to consult your authorised Maruti
Suzuki workshop or a roadside assis-
tance service. If a towing service is not
available in an emergency, your vehicle
may be temporarily towed by a towing
cable or chain secured to the towing
hook either on the front of the vehicle or
on the rear of the vehicle. Refer to
“Frame Hooks” in the “OTHER CON-
TROLS AND EQUIPMENT” section.
Driving on Wet Roads
WA R N I N G
Do not allow anyone to stand near
the vehicle when you are rocking it,
and do not spin the wheels faster
than an indicated 40 km/h on the
speedometer. Perso nal injury and/or
vehicle damage may result from spin-
ning the wheels too fast.
NOTICE
Do not continue rocking the vehicle
for more than a few minutes. Pro-
longed rocking can cause engine
overheating or transaxle damage.
NOTICE
When driving on wet roads, avoid driving through large amount of
standing water on the road. Large
amount of water entering the
engine compartment may cause
damage to the engine and or elec-
trical components.
If stuck in deep water, do not start the engine.
Water is incompressible substance, water inside engine is harmful to
the engine.
WA R N I N G
In addition to following the driving
tips in this section, it is important to
observe the following precautions.
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 MARUTI SUZUKI.
Never use different sizes or types
of tires on the front and rear
wheels. For information regarding
the specified tires, refer to the Tire
Information Label located on the
driver’s door lock pillar.
Never use oversized tires or spe- cial shock absorbers and springs
to raise (jack up) your vehicle. This
will change the handling character-
istics. Oversized tires may also rub
against the vehicle body over
bumps, causing vehicle damage or
tire failure.
After driving through water, test the brakes while driving at a slow
speed to see if they have main-
tained their normal effectiveness. If
they are less effective than normal,
dry them by repeatedly applying
the brakes while driving slowly
until the brakes have regained their
normal effectiveness.

7-4
INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
74LH0-74E
4-3.
Transmission Oil (Manual / Auto Gear Shift)
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
Replace at 1,60,000 km or 10 years whichever comes first
4-4. Automatic Transmission Fluid (Level, Leakage) Replace at 1,65,000 km or 11years whichever comes first
4-5.
Hose, Automatic Transmission Fluid
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
Drive shaft
5-1.
Drive shaft boot (boot damage)
-
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
BRAKE
6-1.
Brake Fluid (Level, Leakage)
I
I
I
R
I
R
I
R
I
R
6-2. Brake pedal (pedal - carpet clearance) I I I I I I I I I I
6-3.
Parking brake lever and cable (Play, damage)
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
6-4. Brake disc and pad (Wear) – I I I I I I I I I
6-5.
Brake drum and shoes (Wear)
–
–
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
6-6.Master cylinder, wheel cylinder, caliper piston
(Fluid leakage, boot/seal damage)IIIIIIIIII
6-7.
Brake hoses and pipes (Fluid leakage, damage)
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
WHEEL
7-1.
Tires (air pressure, abnormal wear, crack and rotation)
I
I&O
I&O
I&O
I&O
I&O
I&O
I&O
I&O
I&O
7-2. Wheels (Damage) I I I I I I I I I I
7-3.
Front/Rear wheel bearing (Loose, damage)
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
FRONT / REAR SUSPENSION
8-1.
Suspension strut (Oil leakage, damage)
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
8-2. Suspension arms / Knuckle support (Loose, damage) – I I I I I I I I I
8-3.
Rear spring (Damage)
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
8-4. Shock absorbers (Oil leakage, damage) I I I I I I I I I I
8-5.
All bolts and nuts (Loose)
–
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
8-6. Suspension arms and torsion rods – I I I I I I I I I
STEERING
9-1. Steering wheel (Play, loose) I I I I I I I I I IInterval: This interval should be judged by odometer reading
or months, whichever comes first.
FREE INSPECTION
PERIODIC MAINTENANCE AT COST
km (x1000)
1
5
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
months
1
6
12
24
36
48
60
72
84
96
Drive Belt: 1, 2
Engine Oil and Filter: 1, 2

7-18
INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
74LH0-74E
Check that the steering wheel turns easily
and smoothly without rattling by turning it
all the way to the right and to the left while
driving very slowly in an open area. If the
amount of free play is outside the specifi-
cation or you find anything else to be
wrong, an inspection must be performed
by your MARUTI SUZUKI dealer.Tires
74LHT0704
The front and rear tire pressure specifica-
tions for your vehicle are listed on the Tire
Information Label. Both the front and rear
tires should have the specified tire pres-
sure.Tire InspectionInspect your vehicle’s tires at least once a
month by performing the following checks:
1) Measure the air pressure with a tire
gauge. Adjust the pressure if neces-
sary. Remember to check the spare
tire, too.
54G136
(1) Tread wear indicator
(2) Indicator location mark2) 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 indicators in the
grooves. When the indicators appear
on the tread surface, the remaining
depth of the tread is 1.6 mm (0.06 in.)
or less and the tire should be replaced.
3) Check for abnormal wear, cracks and
damage. Any tires with cracks or other
damage should be replaced. If any tires
show abnormal wear, have them
inspected by your MARUTI SUZUKI
dealer.
4) Check for loose wheel nuts.
5) Check that there are no nails, stones or
other objects sticking into the tires.
EXAMPLE
WA R N I N G
Air pressures should be checked
when the tires are cold or you may
get inaccurate readings.
Check the inflation pressure from
time to time while inflating the tire
gradually, until the specified pres-
sure is obtained.
Never underinflate or overinflate
the tires.
Underinflation can cause unusual
handling characteristics or can
cause the rim to slip on the tire
bead, resulting in an accident or
damage to the tire or rim.
Overinflation can cause the tire to
burst, resulting in personal injury.
Overinflation can also cause
unusual handling characteristics
which may result in an accident.EXAMPLE
CAUTION
Hitting curbs and running over rocks
can damage tires and affect wheel
alignment. Be sure to have tires and
wheel alignment checked periodi-
cally by your MARUTI SUZUKI dealer.
Brakes: 6

8-4
EMERGENCY SERVICE
74LH0-74E
Changing WheelsTo change a wheel, use the following pro-
cedure:
1) Clear all passengers and luggage from
the vehicle.
NOTE:
The Jack and tools are located under the
spare wheel.
2) Remove the jack, tools and spare wheel
from the vehicle.
3) Loosen, but do not remove the wheel
nuts.
4) Jack up the vehicle (follow the jacking
instructions in this section).
5) Remove the wheel nuts and wheel.
6) Before installing the new wheel, clean
any mud or dirt off from the surface of
the wheel and hub with a clean cloth.
Clean the hub carefully; it may be hot
from driving.
7) Install the new wheel and replace the
wheel nuts with their cone shaped end
facing the wheel. Tighten each nuts
snugly by hand until the wheel is
securely seated on the hub.
54G116
Tightening torque for wheel nuts
85 Nm (8.5 kg-m, 61.5 lb-ft)
8) Lower the jack and fully tighten the nuts
in a crisscross fashion with a wrench as
shown in the illustration.
WARNING
Use the jack only to change wheels
on level, hard ground.
Never jack up the vehicle on an
inclined surface.
Never raise the vehicle with the
jack in a location other than the
specified jacking point (shown in
the illustration) near the wheel to
be changed.
Especially, do not raise the vehicle
with a jack at a part of the torsion
beam which is located under the
vehicle body, between rear wheels.
Make sure that the jack is raised at
least 51 mm (2 inches) before it
contacts the suspension arm boss.
Use of the jack when it is within 51
mm (2 inches) of being fully col-
lapsed may result in failure of the
jack.
Never get under the vehicle when it
is supported by the jack.
Never run the engine when the
vehicle is supported by the jack
and never allow passengers to
remain in the vehicle.
WARNING
Be sure to shift into “R” (Reverse)
when you jack up the vehicle.
Never jack up the vehicle with the
Transmission in “N” (Neutral). Oth-
erwise, unstable jack may cause an
accident.
WARNING
Use MARUTI genuine wheel nuts and
tighten them to the specified torque
as soon as possible after changing
wheels. Incorrect wheel nuts or
improperly tightened wheel nuts may
come loose or fall off, which can
result in an accident. If you do not
have a torque wrench, have the wheel
nuts torque checked by an autho-
rized MARUTI SUZUKI dealer.EXAMPLE