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OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
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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 displays1st gear. 3) Release the brake pedal and depress the accelerator pedal gradually, andwhen the vehicle starts to move, releasethe 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 checkingthe gear position indicator. 2) Release the brake pedal and depress the accelerator pedal slowly. Even if theaccelerator pedal is not depressed, the clutch will be engaged when the vehicle speed increases.
Using engine braking: When driving on a downhill slope, down- shifting is recommended. So you can useengine 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
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NOTICE
If the gearshift lever cannot shift into any position, or the gear is changedto “N” position automatically when the vehicle speed becomes less than 10 km/h (6 mph), there may be a sys-tematic malfunction. In this case, ask your MARUTI SUZUKI dealer to inspect the Auto Gear Shift system assoon as possible.
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 with the gearshift lever in the “D” or “M”position. If you perform this opera- tion for a certain period of time, a warning buzzer will sound.• Shifting the gearsh ift lever to the “D”, “M” or “R” position while rac- ing the engine.• Driving at low speed using a high gear. • Holding the vehicle on an uphillslope using the creeping function. If you perform this operation for a certain period of time, a warningbuzzer will sound.
NOTICE
On an uphill slope, never hold thevehicle 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 warningbuzzer will sound, and in some cases the engine will stall. This can also cause excessive damage to theclutch.R
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3-13
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
76MH1-74E
76MH1-74E
Starting off on an uphill/downhill slope:
Uphill 1) Apply the parking brake firmly so that the vehicle does not roll backwards. 2) Shift the gearshift lever to the “M” posi-tion while depressing the brake pedal. Make sure that the gear position indica- tor in the instrument al cluster displays 1st gear. 3) Release the brake pedal and depress the accelerator pedal gradually, andwhen the vehicle starts to move, release the parking brake and depress the accelerator pedal to start off.
Downhill 1) Depress the brake pedal and shift thegearshift lever to the “M” position. Check the gear position indicator to make sure that the gear is in 1st.2) Release the brake pedal and depress the accelerator pedal slowly. Even though the accelerator pedal is notdepressed, the clutch will be engaged when the vehicle speed increases.
Backing up After the vehicle has stopped completely, depress the brake pedal and shift the gear-shift lever to the “R” position. Depress the accelerator pedal slowly as when starting off in 1st gear. Before backing up, makesure that reverse gear is selected by checking the gear position indicator.
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NOTE: • If reverse gear cannot be engaged even though the gearshift lever has been shifted from the “N” to the “R” 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 depressbrake pedal indicator will come on and a warning buzzer (long pulse sound) will sound if any of the following casesoccur; – If you shift the gearshift lever from the “N” to the “R” position without depress-ing the brake pedal – If the system is unable to re-try shifting You should depress the brake pedal andshift the gearshift lever to “N” position,
then shift to “R” position again a few sec- onds later. • The system will not allow shifting to the“R” position if the vehicle speed is over about 3 km/h (2 mph). If the gearshift lever is operated under this condition,the “N” indicator in the instrument cluster will blink. However, when the vehicle speed drops below about 3 km/h (2mph), the gear will be shifted to reverse. Make sure that the vehicle has stopped completely before shifting to the “R”position.
Stopping The vehicle can be stopped by depressing the brake pedal regardless of the gearposition. This is because the clutch is auto- matically disengaged to prevent the engine from stopping. If the gearshift lever is in the “D” position, the gear will be downshifted to 1st when the vehicle stops.
NOTICE
On an uphill slope, never hold thevehicle at a stop using only the accel-erator pedal or creeping function. If you perform this operation for a cer- tain period of time, a warning buzzerwill sound, and in some cases the engine will stall. This can also cause excessive damage to the clutch.
NOTICE
On a downhill slope, never hold thevehicle at a stop using only the accel- erator pedal or the creeping function. If you perform this operation for acertain period of time, a warning buzzer will sound, and in some cases the engine will stall. This can alsocause excessive damage to the clutch.
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3-14
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
76MH1-74E
76MH1-74E
If the gearshift lever is in the “M” posi- tion, the gear will be downshifted to 1st when the vehicle stops.
Parking Unlike an automatic transaxle, Auto GearShift does not have a parking position. The vehicle can be parked with the gearshift lever in any position.1) Apply the parking brake firmly. 2) While depressing the brake pedal, shift the gearshift lever to the “R” position ona downhill slope, and to the 1st position in the drive (D) mode or the “M(1)” posi- tion in the manual (M) mode on anuphill slope and confirm the gear posi- tion by checking the gear position indi- cator.3) Stop the engine.
NOTE: • After the engine is stopped, the gear in the transaxle does not change even ifyou shift the gearshift lever in any posi- tion. Always shift the gearshift lever before stop the engine.• Check the transaxle gear position by looking at the gear position indicator, then turn the ignition switch off to stopthe engine. Release the brake pedal after a few seconds. The gearshift lever will be locked in the position it was inwhen the ignition switch was turned off.
Parking cancel Depress the brake pedal, turn the ignition switch to the “ON” position, and shift thegearshift lever to the “N” position. The gear will be disengaged.
WA R N I N G
• When stopping, for example, at a traffic light, be su re 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 inan 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. If you need to leavethe vehicle with the engine running, apply the parking brakes firmly, and shift the gearshift lever to the“N” position. Otherwise, the vehi- cle may move unexpectedly and may cause an accident.
NOTICE
• On a slope, never hold the vehicleat a stop using only the acceleratorpedal or the creeping function. If you perform this operation for a certain period of time, a warningbuzzer will sound, and in some cases the engine will stall. This can also cause excessive damage tothe clutch. • If the gearshift lever is operated more than necessary, the systemmay not allow operation of the gearshift lever for a certain period of time, and the gear may not beshifted appropriately. Therefore, do not operate the gearshift lever if not necessary.
WA R N I N G
• If the gear is not engaged properlyand completely be fore the ignition switch is turned off, the vehicle may not be parked with the gearengaged. Always confirm the gear position by checking the gear posi- tion indicator when parking.• On a downhill slope, the gear should be put in reverse, and in 1st gear on an uphill slope. Otherwise,the vehicle may move, and cause an unexpected accident. If the gear is left in the “N” position, the vehi-cle cannot be parked with a gear engaged.
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DRIVING TIPS
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Keep weight to a minimum The heavier the load, the more fuel the vehicle consumes. Take out any luggageor cargo when it is not necessary.
Keep tire pressures correct Underinflation of the tires can waste fuel due to increased running resistance of the tires. Keep your tires inflated to the correctpressure shown on the label on the driver’s side door or the driver’s door lock pillar.
Highway Driving
When driving at highway speeds, pay attention to the following: Stopping distance progressively increases with vehicle speed. Apply the brakes far enough ahead of the stoppingpoint to allow for the extra stopping dis- tance. On rainy days, “Hydroplaning” can occur.“Hydroplaning” is the loss of direct con- tact between the road surface and the vehicle’s tires due to a water film formingbetween them. Steering or braking the vehicle while “Hydroplaning” can be very difficult, and loss of control can occur.Keep speed down when the road surface is wet. At high speeds, the vehicle may beaffected by side winds. Therefore, reduce speed and be prepared for unex- pected buffeting, which can occur at theexits of tunnels, when passing by a cut of a hill, or when being overtaken by large vehicles, etc.
Driving on Hills
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When climbing steep hills, the vehiclemay begin to slow down and show a lackof power. If this happens, you should shift to a lower gear so that the engine will again be operating in its normalpower range. Shift rapidly to prevent the vehicle from losing momentum. When driving down a hill, the engineshould be used for braking by shifting into a lower gear.
Driving on Slippery Roads
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Under wet road conditions you should drive at a lower speed than on dry roadsdue to possible slippage of tires during braking. When driving on icy, snow-cov- ered, or muddy roads, reduce your speedand avoid sudden acceleration, abrupt braking, or sharp steering movements.
Tire Chains (if equipped)Tire chains should only be used if they are needed to increase traction or are required by law. Make sure that the chains you use
WA R N I N G
Try not to hold the brake pedal down too long or too often while goingdown a steep or long hill. This could cause the brakes to overheat, result- ing in reduced braking efficiency.Failure to take this precaution could result in loss of vehicle control.
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NOTICE
When descending a down hill, NEVER turn the igni tion key to the “LOCK” position. Emission control system damage may result.
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