OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
76MH1-74E
76MH1-74E
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLEExhaust Gas Warning ......................................................... 3-1
Daily Inspection Checklist .................................................. 3-1
Engine Oil Consumption .................................................... 3-2
Ignition Switch ..................................................................... 3-3
Parking Brake Lever ........................................................... 3-4
Pedal ..................................................................................... 3-5
Starting the Engine ............................................................. 3-6
Using the Transaxle ..... ....................................................... 3-7
Braking ................................................................................. 3-15
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3-1
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
76MH1-74E
76MH1-74E
Exhaust Gas Warning
52D334
Daily Inspection Checklist
Before Driving
60A187S
1) Make sure that windows, mirrors, lights, and reflectors are clean and unob-structed. 2) Visually check the tires 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 “INSPECTION ANDMAINTENANCE” section for details. 3) Look for fluid and oil leaks.
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 carbonmonoxide is difficult to detect by itself, be sure to take the following precautions to help prevent carbonmonoxide 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, make sure the air intake selector is set to “FRESH AIR” and the fan is at highspeed. • Avoid operating the vehicle with the tailgate or trunk open. If it isnecessary to operate the vehicle with the tailgate or trunk open, make sure the sunroof (if equipped)and all windows 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 grille in front of thewindshield clear of snow, leaves, or other obstructions at all times. • Keep the exhaust tailpipe area clearof snow and other material to help reduce the buildup of exhaust gases under the vehicle. This isparticularly important when parked in blizzard conditions. • Have the exhaust system inspectedperiodically for damage and leaks. Any damage or leaks should be repaired immediately.
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3-2
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
76MH1-74E
76MH1-74E
NOTE: It is normal for water to drip from the air conditioning system after use.
4) Make sure the hood is fully closed and latched.5) Check the headlights, turn signal lights, brake lights and horn for proper opera- tion.6) Adjust the seat and head restraint (if equipped). 7) Check the brake pedal and the parkingbrake lever. 8) Adjust the mirrors. 9) Make sure that you and all passengershave properly fastened your seat belts. 10)Make sure that all warning lights come on as the key is turned to the “ON” posi-tion. 11)Check all gauges. 12)Make sure that the BRAKE SYSTEMWARNING 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 level3) Brake fluid level 4) Windshield washer fluid level 5) Battery solution level6) Hood latch operation Pull the hood release handle inside the vehicle. Make sure that you cannotopen the hood all the way without
releasing the secondary latch. Be sure to close the hood securely after check- ing for proper latch operation. See “Alllatches, hinges & locks” of “CHASSIS AND BODY” in the “Periodic Mainte- nance Schedule” in the “INSPECTIONAND MAINTENANCE” section for lubri- cation schedule.
Once a month, or each time you fill your fuel tank, check the tire pressure using a tire pressure gauge. Also check the tirepressure of the spare tire.
Engine Oil Consumption
It is normal for the engine to consume some engine oil during normal vehicle operation.
The amount of engine oil consumed depends on the viscosity of the oil, thequality of the oil and the conditions the vehicle is driven under. More oil is consumed during high-speeddriving 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 5000km (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 make it difficult to accurately judge thetrue 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 is gradually becoming diluted with fuel or moisture, making it appear that the oil level has notchanged. You should also be aware that the diluting ingredients evaporate out when the vehicleis subsequently driven at high speeds, such as on an expressway, making it appear that oil is excessively consumedafter high-speed driving.
WA R N I N G
Make sure the hood is fully closed and latched before driv ing. If it is not, it can fly up unexpectedly duringdriving, obstructing your view and resulting in an accident.
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3-4
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
76MH1-74E
76MH1-74E
Parking Brake Lever
62J100
(1) To set (2) To release(3) To release
The parking brake lever is located between the seats. To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down and pull the parking brake lever all the way up. To release theparking brake, hold the brake pedal down, pull up slightly on the parking brake lever, push the button on the end of the lever withyour thumb, and lower the lever to its origi- nal position.
WA R N I N G
(Continued) • Always remove the ignition keywhen leaving the vehicle even if only for a short time. Also do not leave children alone in a parkedvehicle. Unattended children could cause accidental movement of the vehicle or could tamper with powerwindows or power sunroof. They also could suffer from heat stroke in warm or hot weather. Thesecould result in severe injury or even death.
NOTICE
• Do not use the starter motor for more than 12 seconds at a time.For diesel engine model, do not use the starter motor for more than 30 seconds at a time. If the enginedoes not start, wait 15 seconds before trying again. If the engine does not start after severalattempts, check the fuel and igni- tion systems or consult your MAR- UTI SUZUKI dealer.• Do not leave the ignition switch in the “ON” position if the engine is not running as the battery will dis-charge.
(2)
(3)
(1)EXAMPLE
WA R N I N G
• Never drive your vehicle with theparking brake on: rear brake effec-tiveness can be reduced from over- heating, brake life may be shortened, or permanent brakedamage may result. • If the parking brake does not hold the vehicle securely or does notfully release, have your vehicle inspected immediately by an autho- rized MARUTI SUZUKI dealer.
WA R N I N G
Always set the pa rking brake fully before leaving your vehicle or it may move, causing injury or damage. When parking, make sure the gear-shift lever is in reverse or first gear. Remember, even though the transaxle is in gear, you must set theparking brake fully.
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3-5
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
76MH1-74E
76MH1-74E
NOTE: (For Auto Gear Shift Model)For details on how to use the gearshift lever to park the vehicle, refer to “Parking” in “Auto Gear Shift” in this section.
Parking Brake Reminder Buzzer (if
equipped)A buzzer sounds intermittently to remind you to release the parking brake if youstart the vehicle without releasing the park- ing brake. Make sure that the parking brake is fully released and the brake sys-tem warning light turns off.
Pedal
Manual transaxle
80J2121
Auto Gear Shift
80J2122
Clutch Pedal (1)
(For manual transaxle)The clutch pedal is used to disengage the drive to the wheels when starting theengine, stopping, or shifting the gearshift lever. Depressing the pedal disengages the clutch.
Brake Pedal (2)Your MARUTI SUZUKI vehicle is equipped with front disc brakes and rear drum brakes. Depressing the brake pedalapplies both sets of brakes.
You may hear occasional brake squeal when you apply the brakes. This is a nor- mal condition caused by environmental factors such as co ld, wet, snow, etc.
WA R N I N G
When parking the vehicle in extremely cold weather, the followingprocedure should be used: 1) Set the parking brake. 2) Manual transaxl e - turn off the engine, then shift into reverse or first gear. Auto Gear Shift – shift into reverseor first gear and check the gear position indicato r in the instru- ment cluster to ma ke sure that the transaxle is engaged in 1st or reverse, then turn off the engine. 3) Get out of the vehicle and putchocks under the wheels. 4) Release the parking brake. When you return to your vehicle,you must remember to first set the parking brake, then remove the wheel chocks.
(2)(1)
(3)
EXAMPLE
(3)
(2)
EXAMPLE
WA R N I N G
Do not drive with your foot resting onthe clutch pedal. It could result inexcessive clutch wear, clutch dam- age, or unexpected loss of engine braking.
WA R N I N G
If brake squeal is excessive andoccurs each time the brakes areapplied, you should have the brakes checked by your MARUTI SUZUKI dealer.
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3-10
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
76MH1-74E
76MH1-74E
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
76MH0A058
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
N
D
-
M
+
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3-11
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
76MH1-74E
76MH1-74E
Pull the gearshift lever to the “+” direction and release it. Every time the lever is oper- ated, the transaxle is upshifting 1 step inthe order of 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th gear.
76MH0A059
Downshifting
76MH0A060
Push the gearshift lever to the “–” directionand release it. Every time the lever is oper- ated, the transaxle is downshifted in theorder 5th 4th 3rd 2nd 1st gear.
76MH0A061
The gear position is displayed on the gear position indicator. The gear position indica- tor shows the transaxle gear position.Before starting off, always check the gear position indicator to make sure that the transaxle is engaged in 1st or reverse, thendepress the accelerator pedal.
NOTE: • To downshift smoothly, the engine runs fast in some cases. This is done inten- tionally by the system and is not a mal-function. • When driving down a hill, downshift and use the engine braking appropriately. Ifnecessary, continuous downshifting is possible. However, if downshifting more than 3 steps, gear shifting will take moretime. • When the gear is shifting, a noise can be heard in some case. This is not a mal-function.
R
N
D
-
M
+
WA R N I N G
• Be careful when accelerating,upshifting, downshifting or brakingon a slippery surface. Sudden acceleration or engine braking could cause the vehicle to spin orskid. • To drive down a long or steep hill, reduce your speed and downshift.Remember, if you ride the brakes excessively, they may overheat and fail.• While driving the vehicle, do not shift the gearshift lever to “N” posi- tion. The engine brake may notwork and you may get involved in an unexpected accident. If you return the gearshif t lever from “N” to “M” because of unintended shift- ing, the gear position will be shifted according to the current vehiclespeed. • Do not apply the parking brake while driving. Otherwise, it couldcause a skid and you may get involved in an unexpected acci- dent.
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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.
76MH0A062
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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