2018 SUZUKI JIMNY steering

OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
ABS warning light/ brake system
warning light
See "Braking" in this section.
Hill descent control system
The hill descent control system is designed to reduce the driver's workload when going down steep, rough and/or slippery hills where the vehicle cannot decelerate enough by engine braking alone. The hill descent control system helps to control vehicle speed by automatically engaging the vehicle's brakes, as needed, so you can concentrate on steering the vehicle.
.A. WARNING
Do not rely excessively on the hill descent control system. The hill descent control system may not con­trol the vehicle speed on a hill under all load or road conditions. Always be prepa!ed to control vehicle speed by applying the brakes. Failure to pay attention and control vehicle speed using the brakes when necessary may result in loss of control or an accident.
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Hill descent control switch
(1) Hill descent control switch
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To activate the hill descent control system: 1) Shift the transfer lever into 4-wheel drive hiQh range position ("4H") or 4-wh!"el drive low '.ange position ("4L"). 2) Shift the gearsh1ft lever into a forward gear or reverse gear. 3) Push the hill descent control switch (1) when the vehicle speed is under 25 km/h (15 mph). The hill descent control indica­tor on the instrument cluster will come on and the hill descent control system will be activated.
4-wheel drive high range position When the vehicle speed exceeds about 1 o km/h (6 mph) without depressing the accelerator pedal, the hill descent control system applies the brakes automatically to maintain the vehicle speed at about 1 O km/ h (6 mph).
4-wheel drive low range position When the vehicle speed exceeds about 5 km/h (3 mph) without depressing the accelerator pedal, the hill descent control system applies the brakes automatically to maintain the vehicle speed at about 5 km/h (3 mph).
• When braking, the brake/tail lights come on and the ESP® warning light blinks. When the vehicle speed exceeds about 40 km/h (25 mph), the hill descent con­trol system stops functioning and the hill descent control indicator goes off. When the vehicle slows down below about 25 km/h (16 mph), the hill descent control system will be activated again and the hill descent control indicator will come on.

A WARNING
(Continued) After you release your foot from the brake pedal, accelerate the vehicle to move up immediately. If you release your foot from the brake pedal over 2 seconds, the hill hold control system will be canceled. If so, the vehicle may roll downward, which can result in an accident depending on the degree of slope. And, the engine may stall and the power assist for the steering and brakes will not work so steering and braking will be much harder than usual which can result in an accident or vehicle damage. If you drive on the steep slope, the gravel, the sclnow-covered road, or the muddy r I'd and the hill hold control system is activated, there may be a possibility that the wheels will be locked and then the vehicle may lose the control.
The hill hold control system activates for a maximum of about 2 seconds if your foot is moved from the brake pedal when the fol­lowing conditions are all met.
1) The gearshift lever is in a forward gear or reverse gear. 2) The parking brake is released. 3) The vehicle is on an upward incline.
NOTE: When the hill hold control system is acti­vated, the following conditions may be found, but this is not a malfunction. You may hear a sound from the engine room. As brake pedal becomes heavy, it may be difficult for you to depress it.
ESP
HILL HOLD DISABLE
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If the message shown in the above illustra­tion appears on the information display, master warning indicator light blinks and the interior buzzer beeps, there may be a problem with the hill descent control sys­tem and the hill hold control system. Have your vehicle inspected by a SUZUKI dealer.
NOTE: The hill hold control system will not acti­vate while this message is displayed.
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
How to turn off Hill hold control system When driving on a steep slope, or a slip­pery road (icy, snow-covered, muddy, etc), it is possible to deactivate the hill hold con­trol system.
To deactivate the hill hold control system: 1) Make sure that the gear shift lever is in "N" (Neutral) position for manual trans­mission vehicles and automatic trans­mission vehicles. 2) Shift the transfer lever from 4-wheel high range position ("4H") to 4-wheel low range position ("4L").
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3) When the ESP® OFF switch is pushed and held to turn off the ESP® system (other than ABS), the ESP® OFF indi­cator light comes on for the vehicles with Instrument cluster (Type A) or the message is shown on the display for the vehicles with instrument cluster (Type B) and the hill hold control sys­tem is deactivated.
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OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
A WARNING
The load-carrying capacity of your tyres is reduced at lower inflation pressures. If your tyres are even moderately under-inflated, the load on the tyres may exceed the load-car­rying capacity of the tyres, which could lead to tyre failure. The low tyre pressure warning light will not alert you to this condition, because it only comes on when one or more of your tyres becomes significantly under­inflated.
Check and adjust your tyre pressure at least once a month. Refer to "Tyres" in "INSPECTION AND MAIN­TENANCE" section.
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A WARNING
Continuing to drive with the low tyre pressure warning light on can lead to an accident, resulting in severe injury or death. If the low tyre pressure warning light comes on and stays on, reduce your speed and avoid abrupt steering and braking. Be aware that driving on a significantly under-inflated tyre can cause the tyre to overheat and can lead to tyre failure, and may affect steering control and brake effective­ness. Stop in a safe place as soon as possible and check your tyres. If you have a flat tyre, replace it with the spare tyre (if equipped). Refer to "Jacking instructions" in "EMERGENCY SERVICE" section for the tyre replacement method. Also refer to "Replacing tyres and/ or wheels" for instructions on how to restore normal operation of the TPMS after you have had a flat tyre. • If one or more of your tyres is under-inflated, adjust the inflation pressure in all of your tyres to the recommended inflation pressure as soon as possible.
The low tyre pressure warning light can come on due to normal causes such as natural air leakage and pressure changes caused by changes in temperature or atmospheric pressure. Adjusting the air pressure in the tyres to the pressure shown on the tyre information placard should cause the low tyre pressure warn­ing light to turn off.
To make the low tyre pressure warning light go off, adjust the tyre pressures when the tyres are cold, and drive the vehicle for about 10 minutes. When the adjusted tyre pressure is recog­nized, the low tyre pressure warning light will go off and the information display shows the current tyre pressure (if you select the TPMS monitor (if equipped)).

DRIVING TIPS
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A WARNING
Fasten your seat belts at all times. Even though airbags are equipped at the front seating positions, the driver and all passengers should be properly restrained at all times, using the seat belts provided. Refer to "Seat belts and child restraint systems" section for instructions on proper use of the seat belts. Never drive under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Alcohol and drugs can seriously impair your ability to drive safely, greatly increasing the risk of injury to yourself and others. You should also avoid driving when you are tyred, sick, irritated or under stress.
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Important Vehicle Design
Features to Know
A WARNING
Your multipurpose vehicle has han­dling characteristics that differ from those of a conventional passenger car. For the safety of you and your passengers, please read the follow­ing section very carefully.
Multipurpose vehicles such as your new SUZUKI have higher ground clearance and a narrower track than conventional passenger cars, to make them capable of performing in a wide variety of off-road applications. Specific design characteris­tics give them a higher center of gravity than ordinary cars. An advantage of the higher ground clearance is a better view of the road allowing you to anticipate prob­lems. They are not designed for cornering at the same speed as conventional pas­senger cars any more than low-slung sports cars are designed to perform satis­factorily under off-road conditions. If at all possible, avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers. As with other vehicles of this type, failure to operate this vehicle cor­rectly may result in loss of control or vehi­cle rollover. Multipurpose vehicles have a significantly higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles. In a rollover collision, an
unbelted person is significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt.
Important Differences Between
Your Multipurpose Vehicle and
Ordinary Passenger Cars
Higher Ground Clearance The higher ground clearance of your vehi­cle enables it to clear off-road obstacles, such as rocks and tree stumps, that ordi­nary passenger cars cannot drive over. An unavoidable result of this higher ground clearance is that the vehicle also has a higher center of gravity. Consequently, your vehicle will handle differently than a vehicle with a lower center of gravity.
Shorter Wheelbase Along with its higher ground clearance, your vehicle has a shorter wheelbase and shorter front and rear overhangs than the typical passenger car. These features combine to allow you to drive your vehicle over hillcrests without hanging up on them or damaging the frame and chassis com­ponents. The shorter wheelbase also makes the steering of your vehicle more responsive than that of vehicles with lon­ger wheelbases.

Narrower Body Width and Track Your vehicle is narrower than the average passenger car so that it can pass through tight spaces. Without the essential charac­teristics described above: higher ground clearance, shorter wheelbase, and nar­rower body width and track -your vehicle could not provide you with excellent off­road driving performance. However, it is also true that on-road driving, handling, and steering will be different from what drivers experience with a conventional passenger car.
On-Paved Road Driving
The data of accidents 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 overturn. The following driving practices may reduce the risk of rollover.
Vehicle Slides Off-Road
You can reduce the risk of this kind of roll­over accident by always keeping the vehi­cle under control. Typically, drivers lose control of vehicles, often resulting in roll­over accidents, when the driver is impaired because of alcohol or other drugs, falls asleep at the wheel or is otherwise inatten­tive, or is driving too fast for the road con­
ditions.
DRIVING TIPS
Rollovers On the Roadway
If, for any reason, your vehicle slides side­ways 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 acci­dents, 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.
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DRIVING TIPS
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 vehi­cle at a variety of speeds and in different directions. Get a feel for the greater steer­ing 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" section for instructions on proper use of the seat belts.
Don't Make Sharp Turns
As mentioned before, small multipurpose vehicles have specific design characteris­tics that allow them to perform in a wide variety of applications. These characteris­tics also change the cornering behavior relative to conventional passenger cars. Remember, small multipurpose vehicles have more responsive steering and a higher center of gravity than conventional passenger cars. If at all possible, avoid making sharp turns in your vehicle.
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Slow Down on Curves
Learn to approach curves cautiously and at a conservative speed. Do not attempt to take curves at the same speeds that you would in a vehicle with a lower center of gravity. Just as you would not drive a sports car on a trail, you should not attempt to drive your vehicle around curves like a sports car.
Slow Down and Use Caution on
Slippery Roads
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Under wet road conditions you should drive at a lower speed than on dry roads due to possible slippage of tyres during braking. When driving on icy, snow-cov­ered, or muddy roads, reduce your speed and avoid sudden acceleration, abrupt braking, or sharp steering movements. Use 4-wheel drive high range (4H) for bet­ter traction.

NOTICE
Never operate your vehicle in 114H" or 114L11 on dry pavement and, as much as possible, avoid using 114H" or 114L" on wet pavement, as this puts severe stress on the drive train, especially during tight cornering, and can d~m­age it. Also, you may have some d1ff1~ culty in steering.
Off-Road Driving
Your vehicle has specific design character­istics for off-road driving. When you leave the paved road, you will encounter driving surfaces of all kinds which may change continually as you drive. In most cases, off­road driving requires the use of 4-wheel drive.
Use Caution on Steep Inclines
Always inspect hills before you attempt to drive up them. Know what is on the other side and how you will get back down. If you have any doubt that it. is safe, do not attempt to drive over a hill. Nev".r d_nve your vehicle up an extremely steep incline. Coming down a steep hill can be trickier than getting up one. Keep the vehicle heading straight down the hill and use low gear. Do not lock the brake~. If the vehicle begins to slide, accelerate slightly to regain steering control.
DRIVING TIPS
Do not Drive Across the Side of
Hills
Driving across the side of a hill can be extremely hazardous. Most of the vehicle'.s weight will be transferred to the downhill tyres, which could result in the vehicle roll­ing sideways. Whenever possible, avoid this potential hazard. Also, 1f you have to exit your vehicle on a side-hill, always get out on the uphill side.
Wear Your Seat Belts at All Times
You and your passengers should use the seat belts at all times when driving off­road. For proper seat belt use, refer to the "Seat Belts" section in this manual.
Avoid Sudden Reactions in Mud,
Ice, or Snow
Be careful when off-road conditions are slippery. Reduce your speed and avoid sudden movements of the vehicle. Be aware that driving in deep snow or mud can cause a loss of traction and an increase in the resistance to the vehicle's forward motion. Use 4WD low gear (4L) and maintain a steady but moderate speed with a light touch on the steering wheel and brakes.
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Improving fuel economy
The following instructions will help you improve fuel economy.
Avoid excessive idling If you park your vehicle for more than one minute, 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 fast starts F~st starts away from lights or stop signs will consume fuel unnecessarily and shorten engine life. Start off slowly.
Avoid unnecessary stops Avoid unnecessary deceleration and stop­ping. Try to maintain a moderate, steady speed whenever possible. Slowing down and then accelerating again uses more fuel.
Keep a steady cruising speed Drive at a constant speed that road and traffic conditions will permit.
Keep the air cleaner clean
EXAMPLE
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If the air cleaner is clogged with dust, there will be greater intake resistance, resulting m decreased power output and increased fuel consumption.
Keep weight to a minimum The heavier the load is, the more fuel the vehicle consumes. Unload any unneces­sary luggage or cargo.
Keep tyre pressures correct Under-infiation of the tyres can waste fuel due to increased rolling resistance of the tyres. Keep your tyres infiated to the cor­rect pressure shown in the label on driver's door lock pillar.
DRIVING TIPS
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 stopping prnnt to allow for the extra stopping dis­tance. On rainy days, hydroplaning can occur. Hydroplaning is the loss of direct contact between the road surface and the vehi­cle's tyres due to a water film forming between them. Steering or braking the vehicle during 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 be affected by side winds. Therefore, reduce speed and be prepared for unex­pected buffeting, which can occur at the exits of tunnels, when passing by a cut of a hill, or when being overtaken by large vehicles, etc.
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