4176G-74EWARNING AND INDICATOR LIGHTSBrake fluid level warning/Parking Brake
Indicator light
This light operates under three different type
of operations :
1) The light comes on briefly when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON” postion.
2) The light comes on when the parking
brake is engaged with the ignition switch in
the “ON” position.
3) The light comes on when the fluid in the
brake fluid reservoir falls below the
adequate level.
The light should go out after starting the
engine and fully releasing the parking brake,
if the fluid level in the brake fluid resevoir
is adequate.
If the light does not go off or comes on
whilst your driving, it may mean that there
is something wrong with the vehicle's
braking system. If this happens, you should:1) Pull off the road and stop carefully.
Remember that stopping distance may
be longer, you may have to push harder
on the pedal, and the pedal may go
down farther than normal.
2) Test the brakes by carefully starting and stopping at the side of the road.
3) If you determine that it is safe, drive
carefully at low speed to the nearest
dealer for repairs. or
4) Have the vehicle towed to the nearest
dealer for repairs.
INSTRUMENT PANEL
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5-4
NOTE:
Because the disc brake system is self
adjusting, the fluid level will drop as thebrake pads become worn.Replenishing the brake fluid reservoir is
considered normal periodic maintenance.
76G-05-005
If any of the following conditions occur,
you should immediately ask your
MARUTI SUZUKI dealer to inspect the
brake system.
If the brake fluid level warning light does not go out after the engine has
been started and the parking brake
has been fully released.
If the brake fluid level warning light does not come on when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position
with the parking brake applied.
If the brake fluid level warning light
comes on at any time during vehicle
operation.
42
76G-74E
INSTRUMENT PANEL
If you operate the engine with thislight on, severe engine damage can
result.
Do not rely on the Oil Pressure Light to indicate the need to add oil.
Be sure to periodically check the
engine oil level (see section
"INSPECTION & MANINTENANCE").
5-5
CAUTION
Charging Light
This light comes on when the ignition switch
is turned on, and goes out when the engine
is started. 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 MARUTI SUZUKI
dealer.
Do not continue driving long with the
charging light ON as this will drain the
battery 'dead'.
CAUTION
76G-05-007 76G-05-008
EXAMPLE
Oil Pressure Light
This light comes on when the ignition switch
is turned on, and goes out when the engine
is started. The light will come on and
remain on if there is insufficient oil pressure.
If the light comes on when driving, pull off
the road as soon as you can and stop the
engine. Check the oil level and add oil if
necessary (see section "INSPECTION &
MAINTENANCE"). If there is enough oil, the
lubrication system should be inspected by
your MARUTI SUZUKI dealer before you
drive the vehicle again.
76G-05-006
5976G-74EPEDALS
6-2
Clutch Pedal 11 11
1
The clutch pedal is used to disengage the
drive to the wheels when starting the
engine, stopping, or shifting the transmission
lever. Depressing the pedal disengages the
clutch.
Do not drive with your foot resting on
the clutch pedal. It could result in
excessive clutch wear, clutch damage,
or unexpected loss of engine braking. Brake Pedal
22 22
2
Your MARUTI SUZUKI vehicle is equipped
with front disc brakes and rear drum brakes.
Depressing the brake pedal applies both
sets of brakes.
You may hear occasional brake squeal
when you apply the brakes. This is a
normal condition caused by environmental
factors such as cold, wet, snow, etc.
If brake squeal is excessive and
occurs each time the brakes are
applied, you should have the brakes
checked by your MARUTI SUZUKI
dealer.
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CAUTION
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OTHER CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENTDo not “ride” the brakes by applying
them continuously or resting your foot
on the pedal. This will result in
overheating of the brakes which could
cause unpredictable braking action,
longer stopping distances, or
permanent brake damage.
Accelerator Pedal 33 33
3
This pedal controls the speed of the
engine. Depressing the accelerator pedal
increases power output and speed.
76G-06-003
7176G-74E
Before starting the engine:
1) Make sure the parking brake is appliedfully.
2) Manual Transmission - Shift into “N” (neutral) and depress the clutch pedal all
the way to the floor. Hold it while starting
the engine.
Make sure that the parking brake is
applied fully and the transmission is
in Neutral before attempting to start
the engine.
Stop turning the starter immediately after the engine has started or the
starter system can be damaged.
Do not crank the engine for more than 15 seconds at a time. If the
engine doesn’t start on the first try,
wait about 15 seconds before trying
again.
7-2
STARTING THE ENGINE
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OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
Once a week, or each time you fill your fuel
tank, perform the following under-bonnet
checks:
1) Engine oil level.
2) Coolant level.
3) Brake fluid level.
4) Windscreen washer fluid level.
5) Battery solution level.
6) Bonnet latch operation.
Pull the bonnet release handle inside the
vehicle. Make sure that you can not
open the hood all the way without
releasing the secondary latch. Be sure
to close the hood securely after checking
for proper operation. See "All Latches,
Hinges & Locks" of "PERIODIC
MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE" in the
"INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE"
section for lubrication schedule.
Make sure the bonnet is fully closed
and latched before driving. If it is not,
it can fly up unexpectedly during
driving, obstructing your view and
resulting in an accident.
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Starting a Cold Engine
Engine which is started after 6 hours should
be treated as cold engine.
For Electronic fuel injection models
With your foot off the accelerator pedal,
crank the engine by turning the ignition
key to “START”. Release the key when
the engine starts.
If the engine does not start after 15 seconds of cranking, wait about 15
seconds, then press down the
accelerator pedal to 1/3 of its travel and
try cranking the engine again. Release
the key and 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.
Starting a Warm Engine
For Electronic fuel injection models:
Use the same procedure as for “Starting a
Cold Engine”.
CAUTION
7376G-74E
7-4
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
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The distance needed to bring any vehicle
to a halt increases with the speed of the
vehicle. The braking distance needed, for
example, at 60 km/h will be approximately
4 times greater than the braking distance
needed at 30 km/h. Start to brake the
vehicle when there is plenty of distance
between your vehicle and the stopping
point, and slow down gradually.
If water gets into the brake drums, brake
performance may become poor and
unpredictable. After driving through water
or washing the underside of the vehicle,
test the brakes while driving at a slow
speed to see if they have maintained their
normal effectiveness. If the brakes are
less effective than normal, dry them by
repeatedly applying the brakes while
driving slowly until the brakes have
regained their normal effectiveness.Servo assisted brakes
Your vehicle has servo assisted brakes
which works with the assistance of engine
vacuum.Do not switch off the engine while vehicle
is in motion, for example, while driving
down a hill as this will cause loss of
vacuum assistance leading to reduction of
braking efficiency substantially.If servo assistance is lost due to a stalled
engine or other failures, the system is still
fully operational on reserve power and you
can bring the vehicle to a complete stop by
pressing the brake pedal once and holding
it down. The reserve power is partly used
up each time you depress the brake pedal.
Apply smooth and constant pressure to the
pedal. Do not pump the pedal.
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76G-07-004
To avoid shock loads on the driveline and
consequent driveline breakage, it is strongly
recommended not to exceed the following
speeds when downshifting:-
GEAR MAXIMUM SPEED
2nd to 1st 9 km/h
3rd to 2nd 33 km/h
4th to 3rd 49 km/h
5th to 4th Any Speed OK
ALTO
ALTO K10
GEAR MAXIMUM SPEED
2nd to 1st 10 km/h
3rd to 2nd 37 km/h
4th to 3rd 55 km/h
5th to 4th Any Speed OK
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76G-74E
7-5OPERATING YOUR VEHICLERUNNING-IN
The future performance and reliability
of the engine depends on the care
and restraint exercised during its early
life. It is especially important to
observe the following precautions
during the initial 1000 km of vehicle
operation.
After starting, do not race theengine. Warm it up gradually.
Avoid prolonged vehicle operation at a constant speed. Moving parts will
bed in better if you vary your speed.
Do not exceed 100 km/h.
Start off from a stop slowly. Avoid full throttle starts.
If possible, avoid hard braking, especially during the first 300 km
of driving.
Do not drive slowly with the transmission in a high gear.
Drive the vehicle at moderate engine speeds.
CAUTION
Even without reserve power in the
brake system, you can still stop the
vehicle by pressing the brake pedal
harder than normally required.
However, the stopping distance may
be longer.
On loose surface where the wheels
can easily loose traction (such as
gravel, etc.), the stopping distance
required for your vehicle may be
greater than for a comparable vehicle
with a conventional brake system.
Allow for extra stopping distance
when driving on loose surfaces.
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CATALYTIC CONVERTERThe purpose of the catalytic converter
installed on your vehicle is to convert
exhaust pollutants to harmless water vapour,
carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. Use of leaded
fuel in vehicles equipped with catalytic
converters is prohibited, because lead
deactivates the pollutant-reducing compo-
nents of the catalyst system.
It is very important to keep the engine
properly tuned. Engine misfiring, which can
result from an improperly tuned engine, may
cause overheating of the catalyst. This may
result in permanent heat damage to the
catalyst and other vehicle components.
76G-07-005
7576G-74E
7-6
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
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.
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To minimize the possibility of catalyst
or other vehicle damage:
Maintain the engine in the proper
operating condition.
In the event of an engine
malfunction, particularly one
involving engine misfire or other
apparent loss of performance, have
the vehicle serviced promptly.
Do not turn off the engine or interrupt the ignition when the
transmission 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 diagnostic
testing.
Do not idle the vehicle for
prolonged periods if idling seems
rough or there are other
malfunctions.
Do not allow the fuel tank to get
near the empty level.
CAUTION
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, allow the engine to idle for some
time.
Avoid “fast” starts:
Fast 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 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.
76G-07-006
7976G-74ESnow Chains
If you must use snow chains to increase tyre
traction, observe the following precautions:
Use cable type chains.
Choose a safe place away from traffic to install the chains.
When installing the chains carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Install the chains on the front tyres.
With the chains on, drive only at slow and moderate speeds.
If the chain hits the vehicle body while
driving, stop at a safe place and
retighten it as soon as possible.
If snow and/or ice on the road disappear, remove the chains as soon
as possible.
If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck If your vehicle gets stuck in snow, mud,
or sand, follow the directions below:
1) Change back and forth between a forward range (or first gear for manual
transmission) 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 spin to a minimum.
Remove your foot from the accelerator
while changing gear.
Do not race the engine. Excessive wheel
spin will cause the tyres to dig deeper,
making it more difficult to free the
vehicle. 2) If your vehicle remains stuck after a few
minutes of rocking, get another vehicle
to pull you out.
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.
Personal injury and/or vehicle damage
may result from spinning the wheels
too fast.
Do not continue rocking the vehicle
for more than a few minutes.
Prolonged rocking can cause engine
overheating or transmission damage. Make sure your tyres are in good
condition and always maintain the
specified tyre pressure. Refer to
“TYRES” in the “INSPECTION AND
MAINTENANCE” section for details.
Do not use tyres other than those specified by MARUTI SUZUKI. Never
use different sizes or types of tyres
on the front and rear wheels. For
information regarding the specified
tyres, refer to the “SPECI-
FICATIONS” section.
Never use oversized tyres or special
shock absorbers and springs to
raise (jack up) your vehicle. This will
change the handling characteristics.
After driving through water, test the
brakes while driving at a slow speed
to see if they have maintained their
normal effectiveness. If the brakes
are less effective than normal, dry
them by repeatedly applying the
brakes while driving slowly until the
brakes have regained their normal
effectiveness.
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8-2
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DRIVING TIPS AND SAFE DRIVING
DRIVING ON WET ROADS
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 electrical
components.
If stuck in deep water, do not start till water level drops.
Water is incompressible substance, water inside engine is harmful to the
engine.
CAUTION