SUZUKI FORENZA 2008 1.G Owners Manual

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2) Then keep turning the pressure cap
slowly, and remove it.
3) Fill the coolant surge tank with the
proper mixture to the MAX mark on the
coolant surge tank. Wait about five min-
utes, then check to see if the level is
below the MAX mark. If the level is
below the MAX mark, add additional
coolant to bring the level up to the MAX
mark. Repeat this procedure until the
level remains constant at the MAX mark
for at least five minutes.
4) With the coolant surge tank pressure
cap off, start the engine and let it run
until you can feel the upper radiator
hose getting hot. Watch out for the
engine cooling fan.
By this time, the coolant level inside the
coolant surge tank may be lower. If thelevel is lower than the MAX mark, add
more of the proper mixture to the cool-
ant surge tank until the level reaches
the MAX mark.
5) Then replace the pressure cap. Be sure
the pressure cap is hand-tight and fully
seated. See your SUZUKI dealer, if
necessary.
Power Steering FluidThe power steering fluid reservoir is
located toward the front of the engine com-
partment on the driver’s side of the vehicle.
See “Engine Compartment Overview” in
this section for more information on loca-
tion.
When to Check Power Steering Fluid
It is not necessary to regularly check
power steering fluid unless you suspect
there is a leak in the system or you hear an
unusual noise. A fluid loss in this system
could indicate a problem. Have the system
inspected and repaired.How to Check Power Steering Fluid
Turn the key off and then check the fluid
level. The level should be between the MIN
and MAX marks on the reservoir. If the
level is below the MIN mark, add power
steering fluid.
What to Use
To determine what kind of fluid to use, see
“Recommended Fluids and Lubricants” in
section 6. Always use the proper fluid. Fail-
ure to use the proper fluid can cause leaks
and can damage hoses and seals.
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Windshield Washer FluidThe windshield washer fluid reservoir is
located in the front of the engine compart-
ment on the driver’s side. See “Engine
Compartment Overview” in this section for
more information on location.
What to Use
When you need windshield washer fluid,
be sure to read the manufacturer’s instruc-
tions before use. If you will be operating
your vehicle in an area where the tempera-
ture may fall below freezing, use a fluid
that has sufficient protection against freez-
ing.Adding Washer Fluid
Open the cap with the washer symbol on it.
Add washer fluid until the tank is full.
BrakesBrake Fluid
Your brake master cylinder reservoir is
located near the back of the engine com-
partment on the driver’s side of the vehicle.
It is filled with DOT-3 brake fluid. See
“Engine Compartment Overview” in this
section for the location of the reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake
fluid level in the reservoir might go down.
The first is that the brake fluid goes down
to an acceptable level during normal brake
lining wear.
When new linings are put in, the fluid level
goes back up. The other reason is that fluid
is leaking out of the brake system. If it is,
you should have your brake system fixed,
since a leak means that sooner or later
your brakes won’t work well, or won’t work
at all.
So, it isn’t a good idea to “top off ” your
brake fluid. Adding brake fluid won’t correct
a leak. If you add fluid when your linings
are worn, then you’ll have too much fluid
when you get new brake linings. You
should add (or remove) brake fluid, as nec-
essary, only when work is done on the
brake hydraulic system.
CAUTION
 When using concentrated washer
fluid, follow the manufacturer’s
instructions for adding water.
 Don’t mix water with ready-to-use
washer fluid. Water can cause the
solution to freeze and damage your
washer fluid tank and other parts of
the washer system. Also, water
doesn’t clean as well as washer
fluid.
 Fill your washer fluid tank only
three-quarters full when it’s very
cold. This allows for expansion if
freezing occurs, which could dam-
age the tank if it is completely full.
 Don’t use engine coolant (anti-
freeze) in your windshield washer.
It can damage your washer system
and paint.
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When your brake fluid falls to a low level,
your brake warning light will come on. See
“Brake System Warning Light” in section 3.
What to Add
When you do need brake fluid, use only
DOT-3 brake fluid. Use new brake fluid
from a sealed container only. See “Recom-
mended Fluids and Lubricants” in section
6.
Always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap
and the area around the cap before remov-
ing it. This will help keep dirt from entering
the reservoir.Brake Wear
Your vehicle has front and rear disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indica-
tors that make a high-pitched warning
sound when the brake pads are worn and
new pads are needed. The sound may
come and go or be heard all the time your
vehicle is moving (except when you are
pushing on the brake pedal firmly).Some driving conditions or climates may
cause a brake squeal when the brakes are
first applied or lightly applied. This does
not mean something is wrong with your
brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary
to help prevent brake pulsation. When tires
are rotated, inspect brake pads for wear
and evenly tighten wheel nuts in the proper
sequence to SUZUKI torque specifica-
tions.
Brake linings should always be replaced as
complete axle sets.
See “Brake System Inspection” in section
6.
WARNING
If you have too much brake fluid, it
can spill on the engine. The fluid will
burn if the engine is hot enough. You
or others could be burned, and your
vehicle could be damaged.
WARNING
With the wrong kind of fluid in your
brake system, your brakes may not
work well, or they may not even work
at all. This could cause a crash.
Always use the proper brake fluid.
CAUTION
 Using the wrong fluid can badly
damage brake system parts. For
example, just a few drops of min-
eral-based oil, such as engine oil,
in your brake system can damage
brake system parts so badly that
they’ll have to be replaced. Don’t let
someone put in the wrong kind of
fluid.
 If you spill brake fluid on your vehi-
cle’s painted surfaces, the paint fin-
ish can be damaged. Be careful not
to spill brake fluid on your vehicle.
If you do, wash it off immediately.
See “Appearance Care” in the
Index.
WARNING
The brake wear warning sound
means that soon your brakes won’t
work well. That could lead to an acci-
dent. When you hear the brake wear
warning sound, have your vehicle
serviced.
CAUTION
Continuing to drive with worn-out
brake pads could result in costly
brake repair.
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Brake Pedal Travel
See your SUZUKI dealer if the brake pedal
does not return to normal height, or if there
is a rapid increase in pedal travel. This
could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a moderate brake
stop, your disc brakes adjust for wear. If
you rarely make a moderate or heavier
stop, then your brakes might not adjust
correctly. If you drive in that way, then –
very carefully – make a few moderate
brake stops about every 1,000 miles
(1,600 km), so your brakes will adjust prop-
erly.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is com-
plex. Its many parts have to be of top qual-
ity and work well together if the vehicle is
to have really good braking. When you
replace parts of your braking system – for
example, when your brake linings wear
down and you need new ones put in – be
sure you get new approved SUZUKI
replacement parts. If you don’t, your
brakes may no longer work properly. For
example, if someone puts in brake linings
that are wrong for your vehicle, the balance
between your front and rear brakes can
change – for the worse. The braking per-
formance you’ve come to expect can
change in many other ways if someone
puts in the wrong replacement brake parts.
BatteryYour new vehicle comes with a mainte-
nance free battery. When it’s time for a new
battery, get one that has the replacement
number shown on the original battery’s
label. See “Engine Compartment Over-
view” in this section for battery location.
Vehicle Stor ag e
If you’re not going to drive your vehicle for
25 days or more, remove the black, nega-
tive (–) cable from the battery. This will
help keep your battery from running down.
Contact your SUZUKI dealer to learn how
to prepare your vehicle for longer storage
periods.
Jump StartingIf your battery has run down, you may want
to use another vehicle and some jumper
cables to start your vehicle. Be sure to fol-
low the steps below to do it safely.
1) Check the other vehicle. It must have a
12-volt battery with a negative ground
system.
WARNING
Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead
compounds, chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer
and reproductive harm. Wash hands
after handling.
WARNING
Batteries have acid that can burn you
and gas that can explode. You can be
badly hurt if you aren’t careful. See
the next section, “Jump Starting”, for
tips on working around a battery
without getting hurt.
WARNING
Batteries can hurt you. They can be
dangerous because:
 They contain acid that can burn
you.
 They contain gas that can explode
or ignite.
 They contain enough electricity to
burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps
exactly, some or all of these things
can hurt you.
CAUTION
Ignoring the following steps could
result in costly damage to your vehi-
cle that wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by push-
ing or pulling it won’t work, and it
could damage your vehicle.
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2) Get the vehicles close enough so the
jumper cables can reach, but be sure
the vehicles aren’t touching each other.
If they are, it could cause a ground con-
nection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be
able to start your vehicle, and the bad
grounding could damage the electrical
systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles
rolling, set the parking brake firmly on
both vehicles involved in the jump start
procedure. Put an automatic transmis-
sion in PARK (P) or a manual transmis-
sion in NEUTRAL before setting the
parking brake.3) Turn off the ignition on both vehicles.
Unplug unnecessary accessories
plugged into the cigarette lighter or in
the accessory power outlet. Turn off the
radio and all lamps that aren’t needed.
This will avoid sparks and help save
both batteries. And it could save your
radio!
4) Open the hoods and locate the batter-
ies. Find the positive (+) and negative
(–) terminal locations on each vehicle.
Your vehicle’s positive (+) terminal is
located under a red tethered cap on the
battery. The negative (–) terminal is
located under a black tethered cap on
the battery. See “Engine Compartment
Overview” in this section for more infor-
mation on location. Flip the caps up to
access the positive (+) and negative (–)
terminals.
5) Check that the jumper cables don’t
have loose or missing insulation. If they
do, you could get a shock. The vehicles
could be damaged, too.
Before you connect the cables, here are
some basic things you should know.
Positive (+) will go to positive (+) or to a
remote positive (+) terminal if the vehi-
cle has one. Negative (–) will go to a
heavy, unpainted metal engine part or
to a remote negative (–) terminal if the
vehicle with the dead battery has one.
Don’t connect positive (+) to negative
(–) or you’ll get a short that would dam-
CAUTION
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt sys-
tem with a negative ground, both
vehicles can be damaged. Only use
vehicles with 12-volt systems with
negative grounds to jump start your
vehicle.
CAUTION
If you leave your radio or other acces-
sories on during the jump starting
procedure, they could be damaged.
The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty. Always turn off your
radio and other accessories when
jump starting your vehicle.
WARNING
An electric fan under the hood can
start up and injure you even when the
engine is not running. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
WARNING
Using a match near a battery can
cause battery gas to explode. People
have been hurt doing this, and some
have been blinded. Use a flashlight if
you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough
water. You don’t need to add water to
the battery installed in your new vehi-
cle. But if a battery has filler caps, be
sure the right amount of fluid is
there. If it is low, add water to take
care of that first. If you don’t, explo-
sive gas could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can
burn you. Don’t get it on you. If you
accidentally get it in your eyes or on
your skin, flush the place with water
and get medical help immediately.
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age the battery and maybe other parts,
too. And don’t connect the negative (–)
cable to the negative (–) terminal on the
dead battery because this can cause
sparks.
6) Connect the red positive (+) cable to
the positive (+) terminal of the dead
battery. Use a remote positive (+) termi-
nal if the vehicle has one.7) Don’t let the other end touch metal.
Connect it to the positive (+) terminal of
the good battery. Use a remote positive
(+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
8) Now connect the black negative (–)
cable to the negative (–) terminal of the
good battery. Use a remote negative (–)
terminal if the vehicle has one.
Don’t let the other end touch anything
until the next step. The other end of the
negative (–) cable doesn’t go to the
dead battery. It goes to a heavy,
unpainted metal engine part or to a
remote negative (–) terminal on the
vehicle with the dead battery.
9) Connect the other end of the negative
(–) cable at least 18 inches (45 cm)
away from the dead battery, but not
near engine parts that move. The elec-trical connection is just as good there,
and the chance of sparks getting back
to the battery is much less.
10)Now start the vehicle with the good bat-
tery and run the engine for a while.
11)Try to start the vehicle that had the
dead battery. If it won’t start after a few
tries, it probably needs service.
WARNING
An electric fan under the hood can
start up and injure you even when the
engine is not running. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
CAUTION
Damage to your vehicle may result
from electrical shorting if jumper
cables are removed incorrectly. To
prevent electrical shorting, take care
that the cables don’t touch each
other or any other metal. The repairs
wouldn’t be covered by your war-
ranty.
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Jumper Cable Removal
A. Heavy, Unpainted Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
To disconnect the jumper cables from both
vehicles, do the following:
1) Disconnect the black negative (–) cable
from the vehicle that had the dead bat-
tery.
2) Disconnect the black negative (–) cable
from the vehicle with the good battery.
3) Disconnect the red positive (+) cable
from the vehicle with the good battery.
4) Disconnect the red positive (+) cable
from the other vehicle.
5) Return the terminal cover to its original
position.
Headlamp AimingIf your vehicle is damaged in an accident,
the headlamp aim may be affected. Aim
adjustment of the low beam may be neces-
sary if it is difficult to see lane markers, for
horizontal aim, or if oncoming drivers flash
their high beams at you, for vertical aim. If
you believe your headlamps need to be re-
aimed, we recommend that you take your
vehicle to the dealer for service. However,
it is possible for you to re-aim your head-
lamps by following the procedure in the
service manual for your vehicle.
Bulb ReplacementFor the type of bulb to use, see “Replace-
ment Bulbs” in this section. For any bulb
changing procedure not listed in this sec-
tion, contact your SUZUKI dealer.Halogen Bulbs
CAUTION
To make sure your headlamps are
aimed properly, read all the instruc-
tions before beginning. Failure to fol-
low these instructions could cause
damage to headlamp parts.
WARNING
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas
inside and can burst if you drop or
scratch the bulb. You or others could
be injured. Be sure to read and follow
the instructions on the bulb package.
Headlamp Aiming:
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HeadlampsTo replace a headlamp bulb:
1) Open the hood.
2) Remove the two bolts and one nut
shown in the illustration that retain the
headlamp assembly.
3) Disconnect the wiring harness connec-
tor from the rear of the bulb.
4) Remove the headlamp cap by turning it
counterclockwise.
5) Release the spring that retains the bulb.
6) Remove the old bulb.
7) Install the new bulb. See “Replacement
Bulbs” in this section for the proper
bulb.
8) Install the bulb retaining spring.
9) Install the wiring harness connector to
the bulb and replace the headlamp cap
by turning it clockwise.10)Reverse the steps 1 and 2 to reinstall
the headlamp assembly. Then, check
the lamps.
Front Turn Signal LampsTo replace a front turn signal lamp bulb:
1) Open the hood.
2) Remove the two bolts and one nut and
remove the headlamp assembly.
3) Turn the front turn signal bulb socket
counterclockwise.
4) Pull the front turn signal bulb socket out
of the lamp housing.
5) Press the bulb inward and turn it coun-
terclockwise to remove it from the bulb
socket.
6) Install the new bulb into the bulb socket
by pressing it in and turning it clock-
wise. See “Replacement Bulbs” in this
section for the proper bulb.7) Install the socket into the lamp housing
by turning it clockwise.
8) Reverse the steps 1 and 2 to reinstall
the headlamp assembly. Then, check
the lamps.
Front Side marker LampsTo replace a front sidemarker lamp bulb:
1) Open the hood.
2) Rotate the front side marker bulb socket
counterclockwise.
3) Pull the front side marker bulb socket
out of the front bumper.
4) Pull the old bulb straight out of the bulb
socket.
5) Push a new bulb straight into the
socket.
6) Reverse the steps 1 through 4 to rein-
stall the bulb socket.
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Front Fog LampsTo replace a front fog lamp bulb:
1) Disconnect the wiring harness connec-
tor from the front fog lamp bulb.
2) Rotate the front fog lamp bulb counter-
clockwise and remove it.
3) Replace the bulb. See “Replacement
Bulbs” in this section for the proper
bulb.
4) Connect the wiring harness connector
to the front fog lamp bulb.
Center High-Mounted Stop Lamp
(Sedan)To replace a center high-mounted stop
lamp bulb:
1) Open the trunk lid.
2) Remove the two screws which are
recessed on the underside of the hood.
3) Disconnect the wiring harness connec-
tor before removing the lamp housing.
4) Remove the lamp housing.
5) Remove the two screws and the reflec-
tor assembly.
6) Remove the bulb by pulling it straight
out of the bulb socket.
7) Install the new bulb. See “Replacement
Bulbs” in this section for the proper
bulb.
8) Reverse the steps 1 through 5 to rein-
stall the lamp housing.
Center High-Mounted Stop Lamp
(Wagon)To replace a center high-mounted stop
lamp bulb:
1) Open the lift gate.
2) Remove the two screws and the lift gate
trim cover.
3) Remove the bulb socket from the lamp
housing.
4) Remove the bulb by pulling it straight
out of the bulb socket.
5) Install the appropriate bulb into the
socket. See “Replacement Bulbs” in
this section.
6) Replace the lamp housing and trim in
reverse order.
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Bulb Replacement:

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Luggage Compartment LampTo replace a luggage compartment lamp
bulb:
1) Use a flat screwdriver to pry the lamp
assembly from the lamp assembly
holder.
2) Replace the bulb. See “Replacement
Bulbs” in this section for the proper
bulb.
3) Reinstall the lamp assembly.
Tail/Stop Lamps, Turn Signal Lamps
and Backup Lamps (Sedan)To replace a tail/stop lamp bulb, a rear turn
signal lamp bulb, or a rear backup lamp
bulb:
1) Open the trunk.
2) Open the trim cover.
3) Remove the bulb socket by turning it
counterclockwise.
4) Remove the bulb from the socket by
pressing the bulb and turning it counter-
clockwise.
5) Install the appropriate bulb into the
socket. See “Replacement Bulbs” in
this section.
6) Replace the bulb socket into the lamp
housing. Turn the bulb socket clockwise
to secure it.
7) Replace the trim cover.
8) Close the trunk.
Tail/Stop Lamps, Turn Signal Lamps
and Backup Lamps (Wagon)To replace a tail/stop lamp bulb, a rear turn
signal lamp bulb, or a rear backup lamp
bulb:
1) Open the lift gate.
2) Remove the two screws shown in the
illustration and the lamp assembly.
3) Remove the bulb socket from the lamp
housing by turning the bulb socket
counterclockwise.
4) Remove the bulb from the socket by
pressing the bulb and turning it counter-
clockwise.
5) Install the appropriate bulb into the
socket. See “Replacement Bulbs” in
this section.
6) Replace the bulb socket into the lamp
housing.
N5U5004A
Bulb Replacement: