3-83OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
Grip control system (if equipped)When one side of the tires is slipping on
slippery road surfaces such as a snow-cov-
ered road and it is difficult to start the vehi-
cle, the grip control system controls the
driving force and brake force through the
ESP
® system, and assists you in smooth
starting.
In such cases as when both of the tires are
slipping, the system may also assist start-
ing.
NOTE:
• When both of the tires are slipping, thegrip control system may work, however,
it works especially effective when one
side of the tires is slipping.
• You may hear an operation sound when you start the engine or after the vehicle
begins to move. This means that the grip
control system is in the self-check mode.
This sound does not indicate a malfunc-
tion.
• When the grip control system is working with high engine revolutions, you may
feel changing the engine speed or vehi-
cle pulsating. This is normal. Grip control switch
75RM311
(1) Grip control switch
To activate the grip control system, push
the grip control switch. An indicator light on
the switch will be lit when the grip control
system is on. When you push the switch
again, the indicator light will go off and the
grip control system will be deactivated.
• When the vehicle is stabilized and the vehicle speed exceeds about 30 km/h
(19 mph), the grip control system stops
functioning and the indicator on the
switch goes off.
• When the ESP
® system is off, the grip
control system cannot be turned on.
WA R N I N G
Grip control system has limits and
may not function properly depending
on the driving conditions. Do not rely
excessively on the system and
always drive in a safe manner.
CAUTION
• Observe the following instruc- tions. If mishandled, the grip con-
trol system cannot work properly
and may cause a malfunction.
– Inflate the tires to the recom-mended tire inflation pressure.
– When replacing tires or wheels, use only the size and type speci-
fied in this owner’s manual.
– Do not use worn or extremely uneven tires. (Continued)
CAUTION
(Continued)– Do not modify the vehicle’s sus-
pension or brake (Altering the
vehicle heig ht, etc.).
– Do not drive with extremely dete-
riorated suspension or brake.
– Do not modify the engine (Alter- ing the muffler, etc.).
– Do not equip a limited slip differ- ential.
• The grip control system may not
work properly if tires are fitted with
tire chains.
(1)
3-84
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
How grip control system works
When the grip control switch is on and one
side of the tires is slipping, the grip control
system assists you in smooth starting by
controlling the driving force and brake
force of all wheels.
• When the ESP
® system is off, the grip
control system cannot be activated.
NOTE:
While the grip control system is working,
the ESP
® warning light blinks.
Hill hold control sys tem (if equipped)The hill hold control system is designed to
assist you in starting to move up hills.
When you start to move up a hill, the sys-
tem helps to prevent the vehicle from roll-
ing downward (for approximately 2
seconds) while you move your foot from
the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal.
The hill hold control system activates for a
maximum of about 2 seconds if your foot is
moved from the brake pedal when the fol-
lowing conditions are all met.
1) The gearshift lever is in a forward gear or reverse gear.
2) The parking brake is released.
3) For manual transaxle models, the clutch pedal is depressed.
4) The vehicle is o n an upward incline.
CAUTION
To activate the grip control system,
push the grip control switch and
check that the indicator on the switch
turns on.
WA R N I N G
• Do not rely excessively on the hill
hold control system. The hill hold
control system may not prevent the
vehicle from rolling downward on a
hill under all load or road condi-
tions. Always be prepared to
depress the brake pedal to prevent
the vehicle from rolling downward.
Failure to pay attention and
depress the brake pedal to hold the
vehicle on a hill when necessary,
may result in loss of control or an
accident.
• The hill hold control system is not designed to stop the vehicle on a
hill. (Continued)
WA R N I N G
(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.
3-85OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
On models equipped with the ENG A-
STOP system, the hill hold control system
is activated when the engine is restarted
after being stopped automatically, even if
the previous conditions are not met.
NOTE:
When the hill hold control system is acti-
vated, you may hear a sound coming from
the engine, or you may feel hardness of
the brake pedal. These are normal and do
not indicate a malfunction.
75RM224
For the instrument cluster with tachometer,
if the message shown in the above illustra-
tion appears on the information display,
there may be a problem with the hill
descent control system (if equipped) and
the hill hold control system. Have your
vehicle inspected by an authorized
SUZUKI dealer.
NOTE:
The hill hold control system will not acti-
vate while this message is displayed.
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) (if equipped)The tire pressure monitoring system is
designed to alert you when one or more of
the tires on your vehicle is significantly
under-inflated. The tire pressure monitor-
ing system (TPMS) sensor containing a
unique identification code is mounted on
each wheel. The TPMS sensors transmit
tire pressure signals to the receiver of the
tire pressure monitoring system controller.
When the inflation pressure of one or more
tires indicates signif icant under-inflation,
the low tire pressure warning light shown
below comes on.
NOTE:
The word “telltale” in this section, means
an indicator.
Low tire pressure warning light
52D305
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recom-
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure
label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different
size than the size indicated on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire inflation
pressure for those tires.)
As an added fuel efficiency feature, your
vehicle has been equipped with a tire pres-
sure monitoring system (TPMS) that illumi-
nates a low tire pressure telltale when one
or more of your tires is significantly under-
inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure
telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and
inflate them to the proper pressure.
Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire
causes the tire to overheat and can lead to
tire failure. Under-inf lation also reduces
fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may
3-86
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
affect the vehicle’s handling and stopping
ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substi-
tute for proper tire maintenance, and it is
the driver’s responsibility to maintain cor-
rect tire pressure, even if under-inflation
has not reached the level to trigger illumi-
nation of the TPMS low tire pressure tell-
tale.
WA R N I N G
Relying only on the tire pressure
monitoring system to determine
when it is necessary to add air to the
tires can result in loss of control or
an accident.
Check tire inflation pressures
monthly when the tires are cold. If
necessary, adjust them to the recom-
mended inflation pressure as speci-
fied on the vehicle’s tire information
placard and in this owner’s manual.
Refer to “Tires” in the “INSPECTION
AND MAINTENANCE” section.
WA R N I N G
Failure to take corrective action when
the low tire pressure warning light is
not working or when it comes on and
blinks while driving can lead to an
accident.
If the low tire pressure warning light
does not come on for 2 seconds after
the ignition switch is turned to “ON”
position or the engine switch is
pressed to change the ignition mode
to ON, or comes on and blinks while
driving, have your vehicle inspected
by an authorized SUZUKI dealer.
Even if the light tu rns off after blink-
ing, indicating that the monitoring
system has recovered, you should
still have the system checked by your
authorized SUZUKI dealer.
WA R N I N G
The load-carrying capacity of your
tires is reduced at lower inflation
pressures. If your tires are even mod-
erately under-inflated, the load on the
tires may exceed the load-carrying
capacity of the tires, which could lead
to tire failure. The low tire pressure
warning light will not alert you to this
condition, because it only comes on
when one or more of your tires
becomes significantly under-inflated.
Check and adjust your tire inflation
pressure at least once a month. Refer
to “Tires” in the “INSPECTION AND
MAINTENANCE” section.
3-88
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
61MM0A198
NOTE:
• The information display shows theabove warning and indicator message
when this light comes on.
• When the tire inflation pressure is
adjusted in high altitude areas, the low
tire pressure light may not turn off even
after tire inflation pressure adjustment. In
this case, adjust the inflation pressure to
a slightly higher pressure than the one
shown on the tire information placard.
• The low tire pressure warning light may turn off temporarily after coming on. This
could be due to increase of surface tem-
perature after long distance driving or
traveling to a high temperature area.
Even if the tire pressure warning light
turns off after coming on, check the infla-
tion pressure of all tires.
• To reduce the chance that the low tire pressure warning light will come on due
to normal changes in temperature and
atmospheric pressure, it is important to
check and adjust the tire pressures
when the tires are cold. If you check tires after driving, they are warm. Even if the
tire pressure seems to be good in this
condition, it could fall below the specified
pressure when tires cool down. Also, if
tires are inflated to the specified pres-
sure in a warm garage, the tire pressure
could fall below the specified one when
you drive the vehicle outside in very cold
temperature. If you adjust the tire pres-
sure in a garage that is warmer than the
outside temperature, you should add
1 kPa to the recommended cold tire
inflation pressure for every 0.8°C differ-
ence between garage temperature and
outside temperature.
TPMS malfunction indicatorYour vehicle has also been equipped with
a TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is com-
bined with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction,
the telltale will flash for about 75 seconds
and then remain continuously illuminated.
This sequence will continue upon subse-
quent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal-
function exists.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is not
reset even after the engine is turned off; it
remains in the on state until the normal
conditions are restored.
When the malfunction indicator is illumi-
nated, the system may not be able to
detect or signal low tire pressure as
intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur
for a variety of reasons, including the
installation of replacement or alternate
tires or wheels on the vehicle that prevent
the TPMS from functioning properly.
Always check the TPMS malfunction tell-
tale after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels
allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
4-5DRIVING TIPS
75RM4-01E
Tire chainsTire chains should only be used if they are
needed to increase traction or are required
by law. Check that the chains you use are
the correct size for your vehicle’s tires.
Also check that there is enough clearance
between the fenders and the chains as
installed on the tires.
Install the chains on the front tires tightly,
according to the chain manufacturer’s
instructions. Retighten the chains after
driving about 1.0 km (1/2 mile) if neces-
sary. With the chains installed, drive slowly.
Stuck vehicleIf your vehicle gets stuck in snow, mud or
sand, follow the directions below:
1) Shift the transaxle back and forthbetween a forward range (or first gear
for manual transaxle/Auto Gear Shift)
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
spinning to a minimum wheel rpm.
Remove your foot from the accelerator
while shifting.
Do not race the engine. Excessive
wheel spin will cause the tires to dig
deeper, making it more difficult to free
the vehicle.
NOTE:
If your vehicle is equipped with the ESP
®
and/or grip control system, you may have
to turn the systems off in order to spin the
wheels. 2) If your vehicle rema
ins stuck after a few
minutes of rocking, we recommend you
to consult your SUZUKI dealer or a road-
side assistance service. If a towing ser-
vice is not available in an emergency,
your vehicle may be temporarily towed by
a towing cable or chain secured to the
towing hook either on the front of the
vehicle or on the rear of the vehicle. Refer
to “Frame hooks” in the “OTHER CON-
TROLS AND EQUIPMENT” section.
NOTICE
• If you hear the chains hitting against the vehicle body while driv-
ing, stop and tighten them.
• If your vehicle is equipped with full wheel caps, remove the wheel caps
before installing the chains or the
wheel caps can be damaged by the
chain bands.
WA R N I N G
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 (25 mph)
on the speedometer. Personal injury
and/or vehicle damage may result
from spinning the wheels too fast.
NOTICE
Do not continue rocking the vehicle
for more than a few minutes. Pro-
longed rocking can cause engine
overheating or transaxle damage.
5-2
OTHER CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT
75RM4-01E
To reinstall the fuel filler cap:
1) Turn the cap clockwise until you hearseveral clicks.
2) Close the fuel filler door.
Engine hood
75RM131
To open the engine hood:
1) Pull the hood release handle located on the outboard side of the driver’s side.
This will disengage the engine hood
lock halfway.
75RM132
2) Push the under-hood release leversideways with your finger, as shown in
the illustration. While pushing the lever,
lift up the engine hood.
WA R N I N G
Fuel is extremely flammable. Do not
smoke when refueling, and check
that there are no open flames or
sparks in the area.
WA R N I N G
If you need to replace the fuel cap,
use a genuine SUZUKI cap. Use of an
improper cap can result in a malfunc-
tion of the fuel system or emission
control system. It may also result in
fuel leakage in the event of an acci-
dent.
EXAMPLE
CAUTION
The release lever can be hot enough
to burn your finger right after driving.
Touch the lever after it becomes cool
enough.
NOTICE
Check that the wiper arms are not
raised before you lift up the engine
hood to avoid damaging the wiper
arms and the engine hood.
EXAMPLE
5-3OTHER CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT
75RM4-01E
75RM133
3) While holding the hood, pull the proprod out from the holding clip, and then
insert the end of the rod into the desig-
nated hole in the hood. To close the engine hood:
1) Lift the hood up slightly and remove the
prop rod from the hole. Put the prop rod
back into the holding clip.
62R0074
2) Lower the hood to about 20 cm above
the hood latch, and then let it drop
down. Check that the hood is securely
latched after closing.
CAUTION
• The prop rod can be hot enough toburn your finger right after driving.
Touch the rod after it becomes cool
enough.
• Insert the end of the rod into the hole securely. If the rod slips out,
you may get caught in the closing
hood.
• The rod may slip out when the
hood is blown by wind. Be careful
on windy days.
EXAMPLE
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.
EXAMPLE
CAUTION
To avoid injury, check that no part of
the occupant’s body such as hands
or head is in the path of the hood
when closing it.
NOTICE
Pushing on the hood from the top
may damage it.