3-22
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
Manual mode (models with manual
mode)
The CVT can shift gears automatically.
When using the manual mode, you can
shift gears in the same manner as conven-
tional manual transaxle.
To use the manual mode, shift the gearshift
lever from “D” to “M”.
62R0098
75RM325
(1) Manual mode indicator
(2) Gear position The information display shows the manual
mode indicator (1) and the current gear
position (2).
NOTE:
• The indicated gear position on the infor-
mation display when you shift from “D” to
“M” is the gear position that was
selected automatically when the gear-
shift lever was in “D”.
• You can change to the manual mode temporarily by pulling the shift paddle on
the steering wheel toward you when the
gearshift lever is in “D”.
Shifting in the manual mode
You can shift gears from 1st to 7th depend-
ing on driving speed.
NOTE:
• When the engine is revved, the gear is shifted up automatically to prevent dam-
age to the engine and the transaxle.
• When the driving speed becomes slow, the gear shifts down automatically, and
when the vehicle stops, the gear position
will be in 1st gear without shifting the
gearshift lever.
• If you depress the accelerator pedal a
certain amount, the gear shifts down
automatically even if the gearshift lever
is in the manual mode. NOTE:
When you change gear, sometimes the
transaxle may not shift to the desired gear
but a buzzer sounds instead. This is to
maintain good drivability and to protect the
transaxle.
Using the shift paddle
62R0144
To shift up, pull the “+” side shift paddle,
located on right side of the steering wheel,
toward you. When you release your finger
from the switch, the switch will return to the
original position.
EXAMPLE
(1)
(2)
EXAMPLE
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
3-25OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
Auto Gear ShiftAuto Gear Shift is a 5-speed forward/
reverse transaxle.
Auto Gear Shift has the basic features of
conventional manual transaxle, but clutch
operation and transaxle gear shifting are
controlled electronically.
NOTE:
When you open the driver’s door, the Auto
Gear Shift systems run automatically and
you may hear an operating noise. This
sound does not indicate malfunction.The features are as follows:
75RM255
75RM166
Depress brake pedal indicator
76MH0A047
This light will come on if you do not
depress the brake pedal in the following
situations.
• When starting the engine.
• When the engine is on and the gearshift
lever is shifted from “N” position to “D”,
“M” or “R” position.
• When the ignition switch is in the “ON” position or the ignition mode is ON, and
the engine is off, the gearshift lever is
shifted into any position.
This light will also come on if one of the
gears cannot be engaged and the system
is unable to re-try shifting when you shift
the gearshift lever from “N” position to “D”,
“M” or “R” position.
NOTICE
Do not depress both the brake pedal
and accelerator pedal simultane-
ously. This can cause damage or
overheating to the clutch.
3-26
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
Starting the engine
When starting the engine, always place the
gearshift lever in the “N” position and
depress the brake pedal firmly. The engine
cannot be started unless the gearshift
lever is in the “N” position and the brake
pedal is depressed.
If you parked vehicle with gear engaged on
last time (if you can see “1” or “R”), shift
into “N” (Neutral) and depress the brake
pedal. Hold the brake pedal while starting
the engine. You can hear buzzer in short
time.
NOTE:
If you start the engine without the gearshift
lever in the “N” position, the gear position
indicator in the instrument cluster will blink.
Clutch operation
You can select either the Drive (D) mode or
the Manual (M) mode. Since this vehicle
controls clutch operation electronically in
either mode, you do not need to operate
the clutch.Creeping function
This vehicle has a creeping function that
helps the vehicle to start smoothly by
engaging the clutch. When the gearshift
lever is in any of the positions “D”, “M” or
“R”, and you release your foot from the
brake pedal, the vehicle starts slowly with-
out depressing the accelerator pedal. The
creeping function is disabled if you
depress the brake pedal or pull up the
parking brake lever.
NOTE:
If the driver’s door is opened and/or the
parking brake lever is engaged with the
gear in the “M”, “D” or “R” position, the
creeping function will not operate.
Parking and Stopping the vehicle
Auto Gear Shift does not have a parking
position. Park the vehicle with a gear
engaged. Make sure that the gearshift
lever is “D”, “M”, or “R”.
Also, check the instrument cluster to make
sure that the transaxle is engaged in “1” or
“R” position.Drive (D) mode
When the Drive (D) mode is activated, the
most appropriate gear
position is automati-
cally selected upon operation of the accel-
erator pedal and variation of vehicle
speed.
Normal driving:
1) Start the engine as instructed in “Start- ing the engine” in this section.
2) With your foot on the brake pedal, shift the gearshift lever to the “D” position.
When the gearshift lever is shifted to
the “D” position, the gear will be shifted
to 1st.
NOTE:
• If 1st gear cannot be engaged even though the gearshift lever has been
shifted from the “N” to the “D” 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 malfunction.
• The “N” indicator will flush, the depress brake pedal indicator will come on and a
warning buzzer (long pulse sound) will
sound if any of the following cases
occur;
– If you shift the gearshift lever from the
“N” to the “D” position without depress-
ing the brake pedal
– If the system is unable to re-try shifting
You should depress the brake pedal and
shift the gearshift lever to “N” position,
then shift to “D” again.
NOTICE
A buzzer will sound continuously if
the vehicle is operated with the gear-
shift lever in-between of each shift
positions. The vehicle will become
inoperative if you continue to operate
the vehicle with the gearshift lever in-
between shift positions.
3-27OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
3) Release the parking brake and brakepedal.
4) Depress the accelerator pedal slowly. Starting off on an uphill/downhill:
Uphill
1) Apply the parking brake firmly so that
the vehicle does no t roll backwards.
2) Shift the gearshift lever to the “D” posi-
tion while depressing the brake pedal.
Make sure that the gea r position indica-
tor in the instrumental cluster displays
1st gear.
3) Release the brake pedal and depress the accelerator pedal gradually, and
when the vehicle starts to move,
release the parking brake and depress
the accelerator pedal to start off.
WA R N I N G
• While driving the vehicle, do notshift the gearshift lever to the “N”
position. The engine brake may not
work and you may get involved in
an unexpected accident. If you
return the gearshift lever from “N”
to “D” because of unintended shift-
ing, the gear position will be shifted
according to the current vehicle
speed.
• Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the
engine running. This operation pre-
vents the vehicle from moving due
to unintended activation of the
creeping function.
NOTICE
If the gearshift lever cannot shift into
any position, or the gear is changed
to “N” position au tomatically when
the vehicle speed becomes less than
10 km/h (6 mph), there may be a sys-
tematic malfunction. In this case, ask
your SUZUKI dealer to inspect the
Auto Gear Shift system as soon 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 gearshift 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 uphill slope using the creeping function.
If you perform this operation for a
certain period of time, a warning
buzzer will sound.
NOTICE
On an uphill slope, never hold the
vehicle 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 warning
buzzer will sound, and in some cases
the engine will stall. This can also
cause excessive damage to the
clutch.
3-28
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
Downhill
1) Depress the brake pedal and shift thegearshift lever to the “D” position. Make
sure that the gear is in 1st by checking
the gear position indicator.
2) Release the brake pedal and depress
the accelerator pedal slowly. Even if the
accelerator 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 use
engine 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
75RM258
Pull the gearshift lever to the “+” direction
and release it. Every time the lever is oper-
ated, the transaxle is upshifting 1 step in
the order of 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
gear. Downshifting
75RM259
Push the gearshift lever to the “–” direction
and release it. Every time the lever is oper-
ated, the transaxle is downshifted in the
order 5th
4th 3rd 2nd 1st gear.
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,
then depress 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 mal-
function.
• When driving down a hill, downshift and use the engine braking appropriately. If
necessary, continuous downshifting is
3-29OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
possible. However, if downshifting more
than 3 steps, gear shifting will take more
time.
• When the gear is shifting, a noise can be heard in some case. This is not malfunc-
tion. Starting off:
1) Start the engine as instructed in “Start-
ing the engine” in this section.
2) With your foot on the brake pedal, shift the gearshift lever to the “M” position.
When the gearshift lever is shifted to
the “M” position, the gear will be shifted
to 1st. Before starting off, always make
sure that the intended gear is engaged
by checking the gear position indicator,
then depress the accelerator pedal.
NOTE:
• If 1st gear cannot be engaged even though the gearshift lever has been
shifted from the “N” to the “M” 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 malfunction.
• The “N” indicator will flush, the depress brake pedal indicator will come on and a
warning buzzer (long pulse sound) will
sound if any of the following cases
occur;
– If you shift the gearshift lever from the “N” to the “M” position without
depressing the brake pedal
– If the system is unable to re-try shifting
You should depress the brake pedal and
shift the gearshift lever to “N” position,
then shift to “M” position again a few
seconds later.
WA R N I N G
• Be careful when accelerating, upshifting, downshifting or braking
on a slippery surface. Sudden
acceleration or engine braking
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
• 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 not
work and you may get involved in
an unexpected accident. If you
return the gearshift lever from “N”
to “M” because of unintended shift-
ing, the gear position will be shifted
according to the current vehicle
speed.
• Do not apply the parking brake
while driving. Otherwise, it could
cause a skid and you may get
involved in an unexpected acci-
dent.
NOTICE
• If the gearshift lever cannot shiftinto any position, or the gear is
changed to “N” position automati-
cally when the vehicle speed
becomes less than 10 km/h (6
mph), there may be a systematic
malfunction. In this case, ask your
SUZUKI dealer to inspect the Auto
Gear Shift system as soon as pos-
sible.
• The manual (M) mode does not
upshift even if the engine speed
reaches the rev-limit.
• The system will not allow shifting up or down to a gear that would
cause engine over-revving or
under-revving.
• If frequently driving at low speed using a high gear position, the life
cycle of the clutch may be reduced.
• Frequent downshif ting (more than
3 positions consecutively) causes
the reduction of transaxle life.
3-30
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
3) Release the parking brake and brakepedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting. Starting off on an uphill/downhill slope:
Uphill
1) Apply the parking brake firmly so that
the vehicle does no t roll backwards.
2) Shift the gearshift lever to the “M” posi-
tion while depressing the brake pedal.
Make sure that the ge ar position indica-
tor in the instrumental cluster displays
1st gear.
3) Release the brake pedal and depress the accelerator pedal gradually, and
when 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 the gearshift 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 not
depressed, 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, make
sure that reverse gear is selected by
checking the gear position indicator.
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 malfunction.
• The “N” indicator will flush, the depress brake pedal indicator will come on and a
warning buzzer (long pulse sound) will
sound if any of the following cases
occur;
– 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 and
shift the gearshift lever to “N” position,
then shift to “R” position again a few sec-
onds later.
WA R N I N G
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. These operations prevent
the vehicle from starting due to unin-
tended activation of the creeping
function.
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 oper-
ation with the gearshift lever in the
“M” or “D” position. If you perform
this operation for a certain period
of time, a warning buzzer will
sound.
• Shifting the gearshift lever to the
“M”, “D” or “R” po sition while rac-
ing the engine.
• Driving at low speed using a high
gear.
• Stopping on a slope using the creeping function. If you perform
this operation for a certain period
of time, a warning buzzer will
sound.
NOTICE
On an uphill slope, never hold the
vehicle 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 buzzer
will sound, and in some cases the
engine will stall. This can also cause
excessive damage to the clutch.