
2-106
BEFORE DRIVING
75RM4-01E
Charging light
50G052
When the ignition switch is turned to “ON”
position or the engine switch is pressed to
change the ignition mode to ON, this light
comes on. When the engine is started, the
light goes out. The light will come on and
remain on if there is something wrong with
the battery charging system. If the light
comes on when the engine is running, the
charging system should be inspected
immediately by your SUZUKI dealer.
Driver’s seat belt reminder light /
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light (if equipped)
60G049
When the driver or front passenger does
not buckle his or her seat belt, this light will
come on and/or blink.
For details of the seat belt reminder, refer
to “Seat belts and child restraint systems”
in this section.
AIR BAG light
63J030
When the ignition switch is turned to “ON”
position or the engine switch is pressed to
change the ignition mode to ON, this light
blinks or comes on for several seconds so
you can check that t he light is working.
The light will come on and stay on if there
is a problem in the air bag system or the
seat belt pretensioner system.
WA R N I N G
If AIR BAG light does not blink or
come on briefly when the ignition
switch is turned to “ON” position or
the engine switch is pressed to
change the ignition mode to ON,
stays on for more than 10 seconds,
or comes on while driving, the air bag
system or the seat belt pretensioner
system may not work properly, which
could result in serious injury in the
event of a crash. Have both systems
inspected by an authorized SUZUKI
dealer.

2-126
BEFORE DRIVING
75RM4-01E
Windshield wipers
68PM00237
To turn the windshield wipers on, move the
lever down to one of the three operating
positions. In “INT” position, the wipers
operate intermittently. The “INT” position is
very convenient for driving in mist or light
rain. In “LO” position, the wipers operate at
a steady low speed. In “HI” position, the
wipers operate at a steady high speed. To
turn off the wipers, move the lever back to
“OFF” position.
Move the lever up and hold it to “MIST”
position, the windshield wipers will turn on
continuously at low speed.
68PM00238
If the lever is equipped with “INT TIME”
control, turn the control forward or back-
ward to adjust the int ermittent wiper opera-
tion to the desired interval.
Windshield washer
68PM00239
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 your vehicle is
equipped with “INT” position.
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
WA R N I N G
• To prevent windshield icing in cold weather, turn on the defroster to
heat the windshield before and
during 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

3-1OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
Exhaust gas warning
52D334
Daily inspection checklistBefore driving
60A187S
1) Check that windows, mirrors, lights andreflectors are clean and unobstructed.
2) Visually check the ti res 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 the “INSPECTION AND
MAINTENANCE” section for details.
3) Look for fluid and oil leakage.
WA R N I N G
Avoid breathing exhaust gases.
Exhaust gases contain carbon mon-
oxide, a potentially lethal gas that is
colorless and odorless. Since carbon
monoxide is difficult to detect by
itself, take the following precautions
to help prevent carbon monoxide
from entering your vehicle.
• Do not leave the engine running in
garages or other confined areas. (Continued)
WA R N I N G
(Continued)
• Do not park with the engine run-
ning for a long period of time, even
in an open area. If it is necessary to
sit for a short time in a parked vehi-
cle with the engine running, check
that the air intake selector is set to
FRESH AIR and the blower is at
high speed.
• Avoid operating the vehicle with the tailgate or tr unk open. If it is
necessary to do so, check that the
sunroof (if equipped) and all win-
dows are closed, and the blower is
at high speed with the air intake
selector set to FRESH AIR.
• To allow proper operation of your vehicle’s ventilation system, keep
the air inlet grill in front of the wind-
shield clear of snow, leaves or
other obstructions at all times.
• Keep the exhaust tailpipe area clear
of snow and other material to help
reduce the buildup of exhaust
gases under the vehicle. This is
particularly important when parked
in blizzard conditions.
• Have the exhaust system inspected
periodically for damage and leak-
age. Any damage or leakage
should be repaired immediately.

3-2
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
NOTE:
It is normal for water to drip from the air
conditioning system after use.
4) Check that the hood is fully closed andlatched.
5) Check the headlights, turn signal lights, brake lights and horn for proper opera-
tion.
6) Adjust the seat and head restraint.
7) Check the brake pedal and the parking brake lever.
8) Adjust the mirrors.
9) Check that you and all passengers have properly fastened your seat belts.
10)Check that all warning lights come on as the ignition switch is turned to “ON”
position or the engine switch is pressed
to change the ignition mode to ON.
11)Check all gauges.
12)Check 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) Lead-acid battery solution level
5) Windshield washer fluid level
6) Hood latch operation Pull the hood release handle inside the
vehicle. Check that you cannot open the hood all the way without releasing
the secondary latch. Close the hood
securely after checking for proper latch
operation. See the item “All latches,
hinges and locks” of “Chassis, body
and others” in “Maintenance schedule”
in the “INSPECTION AND MAINTE-
NANCE” section for lubrication sched-
ule.
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.
Engine oil consumptionIt is normal for the engine to consume
some engine oil during normal vehicle
operation.
The amount of engine oil consumption
depends on viscosity and quality of the oil
and your driving conditions.
More oil is consumed during high-speed
driving and when there is frequent acceler-
ation and deceleration. Under high loads,
your engine also will consume more oil.
A new engine also consumes more oil,
since its pistons, piston rings and cylinder
walls have not yet become conditioned.
New engines reach the normal level of oil
consumption only after approximately
5000 km (3000 miles) driving.
Oil consumption:
Max. 1.0 L per 1000 km
(1 Qt. per 600 miles)
When judging the amount of oil consump-
tion, note that the oil may become diluted
and it is difficult to judge the accurate oil
level.
As an example, if a vehicle is used for
repeated short trips, and consumes a nor-
mal amount of oil, the dipstick may not
show any drop in the oil level at all, even
after 1000 km (600 miles) or more of driv-
ing. This is because the oil gradually
becomes diluted with fuel or moisture,
WA R N I N G
Check that the hood is fully closed
and latched before d riving. If it is not,
it can fly up unexpectedly during
driving, obstructing your view and
resulting in an accident.

3-15OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
• For Auto Gear Shift vehicles, if theengine cannot be started, make sure the
gearshift lever is in “N” before restarting
the engine.
• During the engine starting procedure, messages on the information display will
help you. Refer to “Information display” in
the “BEFORE DRIVING” section for
details.
• You should turn off such loads as the headlights and air co nditioning system to
facilitate starting of the engine.
• Even if you fail to start the engine, the starter motor will stop turning automati-
cally after a short time. After the starter
motor has stopped or if there is some
problem with the system, the starter
motor will rotate only while the engine
switch is being pressed.
Stopping engine• Depress the engine switch to stop theengine after the vehicle stopped com-
pletely.
• In case of emergency, you can stop the engine by quickly pushing the engine
switch more than 3 times, or pushing
and holding the engine switch for more
than 2 seconds while the vehicle is in
motion.
NOTE:
Except in cases of emergency, do not stop
the engine while the vehicle is in motion.
The steering and braking operation will
require more effort when the engine is
stopped.
Refer to “Braking” in this section.
• If the engine remains stopped for while after it was stopped unexpectedly or was
raced before stopping, a clicking sound
may be heard from around the engine
when it is restarted. This is not a mal-
function. Always let the engine idle
before stopping it.
Starting a cold and warm engineWith your foot taken off the accelerator
pedal, crank the engine by pressing the
engine switch to change the ignition mode
to START.
After pressing the engine switch to change
the ignition mode to START, the starter
cranks the engine for about 12 seconds
before it can start the engine. If the engine
fails to start at the first attempt, wait about
15 seconds, and then try again while keep-
ing the engine switch pressed while press-
ing down the accelerator pedal 1/3 of full
capacity. Release the accelerator pedal
when the engine starts.
If the engine still does not start, try holding
the accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor while cranking. This should clear the
engine if it is flooded.
If you are unable to start the engine using
this procedure, consult your SUZUKI
dealer.
NOTICE
If you stop the engine while the vehi-
cle is in motion, the CVT may be dam-
aged.
Avoid stopping the engine while driv-
ing.
NOTICE
Do not crank the engine for more
than 12 seconds at a time.
If the engine does not start on the
first try, wait abou t 15 seconds before
trying again.

3-24
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
1) Be sure the parking brake is firmlyapplied.
2) If the engine is running, stop the
engine.
3) Make sure the key is in the “ON” or “ACC” position, or the ignition mode is
ON or ACC.
4) Remove the cover ( 1) over the button.
5) With the release button (1) pushed by
the key or the flat end rod, push the
knob button (2) and shift the gearshift
lever to the desired position.
This procedure is for emergency use only.
If repeated use of this procedure is neces-
sary, or the procedure does not work as
described, take the vehicle to your dealer
for repair. Right Hand Drive Vehicle
75RM053
Vehicles with a CVT have an electrically
operated park-lock feat
ure. If the vehicle’s
lead-acid battery is discharged, or there is
some other electrical failure, the CVT can-
not be shifted out of Park in the normal
way. Jump starting may correct the condi-
tion. If not, follow the procedure described
below. This procedure will permit shifting
the transaxle out of Park. 1) Be sure the parking brake is firmly
applied.
2) If the engine is running, stop the
engine.
3) Make sure the key is in the “ON” or “ACC” position, or the ignition mode is
ON or ACC.
4) With the release button (1) pushed, push the knob button (2) and shift the
gearshift lever to t he desired position.
This procedure is for emergency use only.
If repeated use of this procedure is neces-
sary, or the procedure does not work as
described, take the vehicle to your dealer
for repair.
(1)
(2)
EXAMPLE

3-37OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
• The audio and other electrical compo-nent can be used during the automatic
engine stop, but the air conditioner will
switch to the fan mode.
• If the vehicle is equipped with the auto- matic heating and air conditioning sys-
tem, the fan speed will be limited during
the automatic engine stop (only in the
auto control mode) to keep the cabin air-
conditioned for a longer time.
75RM281
3) Regardless of whether the vehicle has
stopped or not, depressing the clutch
pedal will restart the engine and the
ENG A-STOP indicator light (green) will
go off. While the engine is auto stopping,
depressing the clutch pedal will restart the
engine consuming fuel. Therefore, for fuel
economy, it is recommended to depress
the clutch pedal just before the vehicle
start.
• Without depressing the clutch pedal, the
engine may restart automatically if the
automatic engine restart conditions are
met.
For details, refer to the section, “Condi-
tions to restart the engine automatically”. CVT vehicles
1) While driving, the ENG A-STOP indica-
tor light (green) in the instrument clus-
ter comes on if the conditions allowing
the engine to be stopped automatically
(standby conditions) are met.
For details on the standby conditions,
refer to “Standby conditions” in this sec-
tion.
75RM233
EXAMPLE

3-38
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
2) Depress the brake pedal to deceleratewhile the gearshift lever is in the “D”
position will automatically stop the
engine before the vehicle is stopped
(approximately 13 km/h or less). At the
same time, the ENG A-STOP indicator
light (green) will remain on.
• The engine is not stopped automati-cally if all of the c onditions to stop the
engine automatically are not met,
even if the brake pedal is pressed
down to decelerate while the ENG A-
STOP indicator light (green) is on.
For details on the conditions for auto-
matically stopping the engine, refer to
“Conditions to stop the engine auto-
matically” in this section.
• To ensure safety when the engine is stopped automatically, the interior
buzzer may sound and the engine
will stall, or the engine may be
restarted.
75RM234
NOTE:
• The engine is not stopped automatically when decelerating without depressing
the brake pedal, for example, by using
engine braking.
• The engine may be stopped automati-
cally when the vehicle is stopped, even if
the engine is not stopped automatically
before stopping the vehicle (approxi-
mately 13 km/h or less).
• Electrical components, such as the navi- gation system or audio system, can be
used while the engine has been stopped
automatically, however, the air condi-
tioner switches to the ventilation posi-
tion.
• For the automatic heating and air condi-
tioning system, airflow is limited (only
under automatic operation) when the
engine is stopped aut omatically, in order
to improve the cooling and heating per-
formance.
3) When you remove your foot from the brake pedal, regardless of whether it is
before or after stopping the vehicle, the
engine is restarted and the ENG A-STOP
indicator light (green) goes off.
• The engine is restarted automatically
if the conditions to restart the engine
automatically are met, even if the
brake pedal is depressed.
For details on the conditions for auto-
matically restarting the engine, refer
to “Conditions to restart the engine
automatically” in this section.
75RM235
NOTE:
The hill hold control system is activated
when the engine is restarted automatically.
4) After driving for a while after the engine is restarted automatically, the ENG A-
STOP indicator light (green) comes on
if the conditions allowing the engine to
be stopped automatically (standby con-
ditions) are met.