ignition SUZUKI FORENZA 2008 1.G Owner's Guide

3-26
INSTRUMENT PANEL
85Z04-03E
Door Ajar LightThis light will stay on until all doors are
closed and completely latched.
If the key is in the ignition while the driver’s
door is open, you will also hear a warning
chime.
Make sure that all doors are completely
closed and this light is out before driving.Trunk Ajar LightThis light will come on when the trunk is
not completely closed.
Make sure that the trunk is completely
closed and this light is out before driving.
Daytime Running Lamps Indicator
LightThis light will come on when the Daytime
Running Lamps (DRL) are on.
See “Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)”
under “Exterior Lamps” in this section for
further information on the DRL system.Passenger Air Bag Off IndicatorThe passenger air bag off indicator
appears in the clock display located in the
center of the instrument panel.
When the ignition key is turned to ON or
START, the passenger air bag off indicator
will light for several seconds as a system
check. Then, after several more seconds, if
the words “PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF”
remain lit, it means that the passenger
sensing system has turned off the rightfront passenger’s frontal air bag and side
air bag. See “Passenger Sensing System”
in Section 1 for more on this, including
important safety information.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Warning LightThe light comes on when the tire pressure
monitoring system detects that one or
more of your tires is significantly under-
inflated. This light will also come on for a
few seconds and then go off when you turn
the ignition to ON. This indicates that the
S4U2029AN5U3005A
S5U3002AN5U1002AS
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
WARNING
If the air bag readiness light in the
instrument panel cluster ever comes
on and stays on, it means that some-
thing may be wrong with the air bag
system. If this ever happens, have the
vehicle serviced promptly, because
an adult-size person sitting in the
right front passenger’s seat may not
have the protection of the frontal air
bag and side air bag. See “Air Bag
Readiness Light” in this section.
L5U3012A
Warning Lights, Gauges and Indicators:
Audio System:

3-27INSTRUMENT PANEL
85Z04-03E
tire pressure monitoring system is func-
tioning properly.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with
a TPMS malfunction indictor 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 approximately one
minute and then remain continuously illu-
minated. This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as
the malfunction exists.In this situation, please have the system
inspected by an authorized service facility.
If you replace one or more tires and the
TPMS warning light goes off during driv-
ing, there is no problem. However, if the
warning light does not go off, or if it flashes
again when the vehicle is driven, have the
vehicle inspected by an authorized service
facility.
WARNING
Each tire, including the spare (if pro-
vided), should be checked monthly
when cold and inflated to the inflation
pressure recommended by the vehi-
cle manufacturer on the vehicle plac-
ard or tire inflation pressure label and
this manual. (If your vehicle has tires
of a different size than the size indi-
cated on the vehicle label or tire infla-
tion pressure label, you should
determine the proper tire inflation
pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your
vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that illuminates a low tire pressure
telltale when one or more of your
tires is significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pres-
sure telltale illuminates, you should
stop and check your tires as soon as
possible and inflate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a signifi-
cantly under-inflated tire causes the
tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure.
Under-inflation also reduces fuel effi-
ciency and tire tread life and may
affect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability.
(Continued)
WARNING
(Continued)
Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire mainte-
nance, and it is the driver’s responsi-
bility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has
not reached the level to trigger illumi-
nation of the TPMS low tire pressure
telltale.
WARNING
If the tire pressure monitoring system
warning light does not illuminate
when the ignition key is turned to the
“ON” position, have the system
inspected by an authorized service
facility. If the warning light flashes
while driving, check to see whether
the warning light goes off after a few
minutes of driving.
WARNING
When the malfunction indicator is
illuminated, the system may not be
able to detect or signal low tire pres-
sure as intended. TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons,
including the installation of replace-
ment or alternate tires or wheels on
the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always
check the TPMS malfunction telltale
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.
Audio System:

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INSTRUMENT PANEL
85Z04-03E
See “Tire pressure Monitoring System” in
Section 5 for more information.
Audio SystemPrecautions When the inside of the car is very cold
and the player is used soon after switch-
ing on the heater, moisture may form on
the disc or the optical parts of the player
and proper playback may not be possi-
ble. If moisture forms on the disc, wipe it
off with a soft cloth. If moisture forms on
the optical parts of the player, do not use
the player for about one hour, this will
allow the condensation to disappear nor-
mally.
 Driving on extremely bumpy roads which
cause severe vibrations may cause
sound to skip.
 This unit uses a precision mechanism.
Even in the event that trouble arises,
never open the case, disassemble the
unit, or lubricate the rotating parts.
Please bring the unit to an authorized
SUZUKI dealer.
WARNING
If the tire pressure warning light does
not come on when the ignition is
turned to the “ON” position, or
comes on and blinks for approxi-
mately one minute and then illumi-
nate continuously, while driving there
may be a problem with the tire pres-
sure monitoring system. Have your
vehicle inspected by an authorized
dealer.
WARNING
If the tire pressure warning light
comes on and stays on, reduce your
speed and avoid abrupt steering and
braking. Stop in a safe place as soon
as possible and check your tires.
 If you have a flat tire, replace it with
a spare tire. Refer to “Changing a
Flat Tire” in section 5.
 If one or more of your tires is
under-inflated, adjust the inflation
pressure in all of your tires to the
recommended inflation pressure as
soon as possible.
Be aware that driving on a signifi-
cantly under-inflated tire can cause
the tire to overheat and can lead to
tire failure, and may affect steering
control and brake effectiveness. This
could lead to an accident, resulting in
severe injury or death.
Audio System:

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INSTRUMENT PANEL
85Z04-03E
ORDER OF SOUND FUNCTIONS
84Z023
SOUND button (8):
Setting the Tone (Bass/Mid/Treble)
Press this button until “BAS” appears on
the display. Turn the volume knob to
increase or to decrease the bass. The dis-
play will show the bass level. When fin-
ished making the selection, press this
button again to select the bass level.
Press this button until “MID” appears on
the display. Turn the volume knob to
increase or to decrease the mid. The dis-
play will show the mid level. When finished
making the selection, press this button
again to select the mid level.
Press this button until “TRE” appears on
the display. Turn the volume knob to
increase or to decrease the treble. The dis-
play will show the treble level. When fin-
ished making the selection, press this
button again to select the treble level. If a
station is weak or noisy, decrease the tre-
ble. Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade)
To adjust the balance between the right
and the left speakers, press this button
until “BAL” appears on the display. Turn the
volume knob to change the balance. The
display will show the balance level. When
finished making the selection, press this
button again to select the balance level.
To adjust the fade between the front and
rear speakers, press this button until “FAD”
appears on the display. Turn the volume
knob to change the fade between the front
and rear speakers. The display will show
the fade level. When finished making the
selection, press this button again to select
the fade level.
Setting the EQ
Press this button until “EQ OFF” appears
on the display to select customized equal-
ization settings designed for classic,
dance, rock, jazz, pop, voice and techno.
Turn the volume knob until the desired
equalization setting appears on the display.
When finished making the selection, press
the SOUND button again to select the
equalization setting.
To cancel an equalization setting, press
the SOUND button until “EQ OFF” appears
on the display, turn the volume knob until
“OFF” appears on the display, then press
the SOUND button again to select the
equalization setting.
84Z024
PLAYING A CD
Insert a CD partway into the slot, label side
up. The player will pull it in and the CD
should begin playing. You can insert a CD
with the ignition off.
When the CD is inserted, “CDP” will
appear on the display. As the CD is loading
“LOADING” will appear on the display. As
each new track starts to play, the track and
track number will appear on the display.
If the ignition or radio is turned off with a
CD in the player, it will stay in the player.
When a CD is in the player and the ignition
is turned on, the radio must be turned on
before the CD will start playback. When
the ignition and radio are turned on, the
CD will start playing where it stopped, if it
was the last selected audio source.
The CD player can play the smaller 3 inch
(8 cm) single CDs with an adapter ring.
Full-size CDs and the smaller CDs are
loaded in the same manner.
If playing a CD-R, the sound quality may
be reduced due to CD-R quality, the
method of recording, the quality of the
FA D
BAL
BASS MID
EQ OFF VOL
TRE
ROCK
JAZZ
EQ OFF CLASSIC
POP VOICE TECHNO
DANCE

3-33INSTRUMENT PANEL
85Z04-03E
music that has been recorded, and the way
the CD-R has been handled. There may be
an increase in skipping, difficulty in finding
tracks, and/or difficulty in loading and
ejecting. If these problems occur, check
the bottom surface of the CD. If the surface
of the CD is damaged, such as cracked,
broken, or scratched, the CD will not play
properly. If there is no apparent damage,
try a known good CD.
Do not add any label to a CD, it could get
caught in the CD player. If a CD is
recorded on a personal computer and a
description label is needed, try labeling the
top of the recorded CD with a marking pen
instead.
If an error appears on the display, see “CD
Messages” later in this section.
RPT (Repeat) button (7):
Press this button to repeat the current
track. RPT will appear on the display.
Press this button again to turn off repeat
play.
RDM (Random) button (7):
Press this button to hear the tracks in ran-
dom, rather than sequential, order. “RDM”
will appear on the display. Press this button
again to turn off random play.
INT (Scan) button (7):
Press this button to listen to the first few
seconds of each track on each loaded CD.
“INTRO” will appear on the display. To stopscanning, press this button again. The cur-
rent track will begin to play.
TUNE (Previous/Next Track) button (4):
Press the down arrows to go to the start of
the current track or press the up arrows to
go to the next track. The track number will
appear on the display. The player will con-
tinue moving backward or forward through
the CD with each press of the up or down
arrows.
AM button (2):
Press this button to listen to the radio when
a CD is playing. The inactive CD will
remain safely inside the radio for future lis-
tening.
FM button (3):
Press this button to listen to the radio when
a CD is playing. The inactive CD will
remain safely inside the radio for future lis-
tening.
CD/AUX button (9):
Press this button to play a CD when listen-
ing to the radio. “CDP” will appear on the
display when the CD player has been
selected. The CD symbol will appear on
the display when a CD is loaded.
Press this button while a CD is playing to
pause the CD. “PAUSE” will flash on the
display. Press this button again to resume
playing the CD.
Press this button to play a CD when listen-
ing to the audio contents from other device
(AUX mode). “CDP” will appear on the dis-play when the CD player has been
selected. The CD symbol will appear on
the display when a CD is loaded.
EJECT button (10):
Press this button to eject a CD. The only
way a CD can be ejected from the player is
by pressing the eject button. The CD will
not eject when the ignition or the radio is
turned off.
Using an MP3/WMA CD
MP3/WMA Format
If you burn your own MP3/WMA disc on a
personal computer:
 Make sure the MP3/WMA files are
recorded on a CD-R disc.
 Make sure to finalize the disc when burn-
ing an MP3/WMA disc, using multiple
sessions. It is usually better to burn the
disc all at once.
 Files can be recorded with a variety of
fixed or variable bit rates. Song title, art-
ist name, and album will be available for
display by the radio when recorded using
ID3 tags version 1 and 2.
 Do not mix standard audio and MP3/
WMA files on one disc.
 Make sure each MP3/WMA file has a
“.mp3” or “.wma” extension, other file
extensions may not work.
The player will be able to read and play a
maximum of 50 folders, 5 sessions, and
999 files. Long file names and folder
names may use more disc memory space

3-34
INSTRUMENT PANEL
85Z04-03E
than necessary. To conserve space on the
disc, minimize the length of the file, and
folder names. You can also play an MP3/
WMA CD that was recorded using no file
folders. The system can support up to 8
folders in depth, but, keep the depth of the
folders to a minimum in order to keep down
the complexity and confusion in trying to
locate a particular folder during playback. If
a CD contains more than the maximum of
50 folders, 5 sessions, and 999 files the
player will let you access and navigate up
to the maximum, but all items over the
maximum will be ignored.
Root Directory
The root directory will be treated as a
folder. If the root directory has compressed
audio files, the directory will be displayed
as “ROOT”. All files contained directly
under the root directory will be accessed
prior to any other directory.
Empty Directory or Folder
If a root directory or a folder exists some-
where in the file structure that contains
only folders/subfolders and no compressed
files directly beneath them, the player will
advance to the next folder in the file struc-
ture that contains compressed audio files
and the empty folder will not be displayed
or numbered.
No Folder
When the CD contains only compressed
files, the files will be located under the root
folder. The next and previous folder func-tions will have no function on a CD that
was recorded without folders or playlists.
When displaying the name of the folder the
radio will display “ROOT”.
When the CD contains only compressed
audio files, but no folders, all files will be
located under the root folder. When the
radio displays the name of the folder the
radio will display “ROOT”.
Order of Play
Tracks will be played in the following order:
Play will begin from the first track under the
root directory. When all tracks from the root
directory have been played, play will con-
tinue from files according to their numerical
listing. After playing the last track from the
last folder, the player will begin playing
again at the first track of the first folder or
root directory.
File System and Naming
The song name in the ID3 tag will be dis-
played. If the song name is not present in
the ID3 tag, then the radio will display the
file name without the extension (such as
MP3/WMA) instead.
Track names longer than 32 characters or
4 pages will be shortened. The display will
not show parts of words on the last page of
text and the extension of the filename will
not be displayed.Playing an MP3/WMA
With the ignition on, insert a CD partway
into the slot, label side up. The player will
pull it in, then “LOADING”, and then “MP3”
or “WMA” will appear on the display. The
CD should begin playing. You can’t insert a
CD with the acc off. As each new track
starts to play, the track number, and the
song name will appear on the display.
If the ignition or radio is turned off with a
CD in the player, it will stay in the player.
When a CD is in the player and the ignition
is turned on, the radio must be turned on
before the CD will start playback. When
the ignition and radio are turned on, the
CD will start playing where it stopped, if it
was the last selected audio source.
The CD player can play the smaller 3 inch
(8 cm) single CDs with an adapter ring.
Full-size CDs and the smaller CDs are
loaded in the same manner.
If playing a CD-R, the sound quality may
be reduced due to CD-R quality, the
method of recording, the quality of the
music that has been recorded, and the way
the CD-R has been handled. There may be
an increase in skipping, difficulty in finding
tracks, and/or difficulty in loading and
ejecting. If these problems occur, check
the bottom surface of the CD. If the surface
of the CD is damaged, such as cracked,
broken, or scratched, the CD will not play
properly.

3-40
INSTRUMENT PANEL
85Z04-03E
PLAYING A CD
Insert a CD partway into the slot, label side
up. The player will pull it in and the CD
should begin playing. You can insert a CD
with the ignition off.
When the CD is inserted, “CDP” will
appear on the display. As the CD is loading
“LOADING” will appear on the display. As
each new track starts to play, the track and
track number will appear on the display.
If the ignition or radio is turned off with a
CD in the player, it will stay in the player.
When a CD is in the player and the ignition
is turned on, the radio must be turned on
before the CD will start playback. When
the ignition and radio are turned on, the
CD will start playing where it stopped, if it
was the last selected audio source.
The CD player can play the smaller 3 inch
(8 cm) single CDs with an adapter ring.
Full-size CDs and the smaller CDs are
loaded in the same manner.
If playing a CD-R, the sound quality may
be reduced due to CD-R quality, the
method of recording, the quality of the
music that has been recorded, and the way
the CD-R has been handled. There may be
increase in skipping, difficulty in finding
tracks, and/or difficulty in loading and
ejecting. If these problems occur, check
the bottom surface of the CD. If the surface
of the CD is damaged, such as cracked,
broken, or scratched, the CD will not playproperly. If there is no apparent damage,
try a known good CD.
Do not add any label to a CD, it could get
caught in the CD player. If a CD is
recorded on a personal computer and a
description label is needed, try labeling the
top of the recorded CD with a marking pen
instead.
If an error appears on the display, see “CD
Messages” later in this section.
RPT (Repeat) button (7):
Press this button to repeat the current
track. RPT will appear on the display.
Press this button again to turn off repeat
play.
RDM (Random) button (7):
Press this button to hear the tracks in ran-
dom, rather than sequential, order. “RDM”
will appear on the display. Press this button
again to turn off random play.
INT (Scan) button (7):
Press this button to listen to the first few
seconds of each track on each loaded CD.
“INTRO” will appear on the display. To stop
scanning, press this button again. The cur-
rent track will begin to play.
TUNE (Previous/Next Track) button (4):
Press the down arrows to go to the start of
the current track or press the up arrows to
go to the next track. The track number will
appear on the display. The player will con-
tinue moving backward or forward throughthe CD with each press of the up or down
arrows.
AM button (2):
Press this button to listen to the radio when
a CD is playing. The inactive CD will
remain safely inside the radio for future lis-
tening.
FM button (3):
Press this button to listen to the radio when
a CD is playing. The inactive CD will
remain safely inside the radio for future lis-
tening.
CD/AUX button (9):
Press this button to play a CD when listen-
ing to the radio. “CDP” will appear on the
display when the CD player has been
selected. The CD symbol will appear on
the display when a CD is loaded.
Press this button while a CD is playing to
pause the CD. “PAUSE” will flash on the
display. Press this button again to resume
playing the CD.
Press this button to play a CD when listen-
ing to the audio contents from other device
(AUX mode). “CDP” will appear on the dis-
play when the CD player has been
selected. The CD symbol will appear on
the display when a CD is loaded.
EJECT button (10):
Press this button to eject a CD. The only
way a CD can be ejected from the player is
by pressing the eject button. The CD will

3-41INSTRUMENT PANEL
85Z04-03E
not eject when the ignition or the radio is
turned off.
Using an MP3/WMA CD
MP3/WMA Format
If you burn your own MP3/WMA disc on a
personal computer:
 Make sure the MP3/WMA files are
recorded on a CD-R disc.
 Make sure to finalize the disc when burn-
ing an MP3/WMA disc, using multiple
sessions. It is usually better to burn the
disc all at once.
 Files can be recorded with a variety of
fixed or variable bit rates. Song title, art-
ist name, and album will be available for
display by the radio when recorded using
ID3 tags version 1 and 2.
 Do not mix standard audio and MP3/
WMA files on one disc.
 Make sure each MP3/WMA file has a
“.mp3” or “.wma” extension, other file
extensions may not work.
The player will be able to read and play a
maximum of 50 folders, 5 sessions, and
999 files. Long file names and folder
names may use more disc memory space
than necessary. To conserve space on the
disc, minimize the length of the file, and
folder names. You can also play an MP3/
WMA CD that was recorded using no file
folders. The system can support up to 8
folders in depth, but, keep the depth of the
folders to a minimum in order to keep downthe complexity and confusion in trying to
locate a particular folder during playback. If
a CD contains more than the maximum of
50 folders, 5 sessions, and 999 files the
player will let you access and navigate up
to the maximum, but all items over the
maximum will be ignored.
Root Directory
The root directory will be treated as a
folder. If the root directory has compressed
audio files, the directory will be displayed
as “ROOT”. All files contained directly
under the root directory will be accessed
prior to any other directory.
Empty Directory or Folder
If a root directory or a folder exists some-
where in the file structure that contains
only folders/subfolders and no compressed
files directly beneath them, the player will
advance to the next folder in the file struc-
ture that contains compressed audio files
and the empty folder will not be displayed
or numbered.
No Folder
When the CD contains only compressed
files, the files will be located under the root
folder. The next and previous folder func-
tions will have no function on a CD that
was recorded without folders or playlists.
When displaying the name of the folder the
radio will display “ROOT”.
When the CD contains only compressed
audio files, but no folders, all files will be
located under the root folder. When theradio displays the name of the folder the
radio will display “ROOT”.
Order of Play
Tracks will be played in the following order:
Play will begin from the first track under the
root directory. When all tracks from the root
directory have been played, play will con-
tinue from files according to their numerical
listing. After playing the last track from the
last folder, the player will begin playing
again at the first track of the first folder or
root directory.
File System and Naming
The song name in the ID3 tag will be dis-
played. If the song name is not present in
the ID3 tag, then the radio will display the
file name without the extension (such as
MP3/WMA) instead.
Track names longer than 32 characters or
4 pages will be shortened. The display will
not show parts of words on the last page of
text and the extension of the filename will
not be displayed.

3-42
INSTRUMENT PANEL
85Z04-03E
Playing an MP3/WMA
With the ignition on, insert a CD partway
into the slot, label side up. The player will
pull it in, then “LOADING”, and then “MP3”
or “WMA” will appear on the display. The
CD should begin playing. You can’t insert a
CD with the acc off. As each new track
starts to play, the track number, and the
song name will appear on the display.
If the ignition or radio is turned off with a
CD in the player, it will stay in the player.
When a CD is in the player and the ignition
is turned on, the radio must be turned on
before the CD will start playback. When
the ignition and radio are turned on, the
CD will start playing where it stopped, if it
was the last selected audio source.
The CD player can play the smaller 3 inch
(8 cm) single CDs with an adapter ring.
Full-size CDs and the smaller CDs are
loaded in the same manner.
If playing a CD-R, the sound quality may
be reduced due to CD-R quality, the
method of recording, the quality of the
music that has been recorded, and the way
the CD-R has been handled. There may be
an increase in skipping, difficulty in finding
tracks, and/or difficulty in loading and
ejecting. If these problems occur, check
the bottom surface of the CD. If the surface
of the CD is damaged, such as cracked,
broken, or scratched, the CD will not play
properly. If there is no apparent damage,
try a known good CD.Do not add any label to a CD, it could get
caught in the CD player. If a CD is
recorded on a personal computer and a
description label is needed, try labeling the
top of the recorded CD with a marking pen
instead.
If an error appears on the display, see “CD
Messages” later in this section.
All of the CD functions work the same
while playing an MP3/WMA, except for
those listed here. See “Playing a CD” ear-
lier for more information.
DIR (Directory) button (11):
Press this button to repeat the tracks in the
current directory. “DIR” will appear on the
display.
Press this button again to repeat the tracks
in all of the directories. “ALL” will appear on
the display.
Press this button again to turn off repeat
play.
SEEK (Previous/Next Folder) button (5)
(in MP3/WMA mode):
Press the up or down arrows to change the
folder. If the CD-R doesn’t have any folder,
“ROOT” will flash on display for a short
time.TUNE (Previous/Next Folder) button (4):
Press the up or down arrows to go to the
first track in the previous folder or to go to
the next folder. The player will continue
moving backward or forward through the
CD with each press of the up or down
arrows.
INFO/DISP (Information/Display) button
(12):
Press this button to display additional text
information related to the current MP3/
WMA song. A choice of additional informa-
tion such as: Song Title, Album Title, Artist,
and Bit rate may appear.
When information is not available, “No Info”
will appear on the display.
Press and hold this button to change the
display mode.
Scroll:
Press and hold the sound button [in MP3/
WMA mode]
The song title or other information of a
song will scroll on/off. The default mode is
scroll on.
Scroll mode can be changed only when
you press and hold the sound button.

4-12
DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
85Z04-03E
 Tires: They are vitally important to a
safe, trouble-free trip. Is the tread good
enough for long-distance driving? Are
the tires all inflated to the recommended
pressure?
 Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather
outlook along your route? Should you
delay your trip a short time to avoid a
major storm system?
 Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?Highway HypnosisIs there actually such a condition as “high-
way hypnosis”? Or is it just plain falling
asleep at the wheel? Call it highway hyp-
nosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch
of road with the same scenery, along with
the hum of the tires on the road, the drone
of the engine, and the rush of the wind
against the vehicle that can make you
sleepy. Don’t let it happen to you! If it does,
your vehicle can leave the road in less than
a second, and you could crash and be
injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis?
First, be aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
 Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated,
with a comfortably cool interior.
 Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road
ahead and to the sides. Check your rear-
view mirrors and your instruments fre-
quently. If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a
rest, service or parking area and take a
nap, get some exercise, or both. For
safety, treat drowsiness on the highway
as an emergency.
Hill and Mountain RoadsDriving on steep hills or mountains is differ-
ent from driving in flat or rolling terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep country, or if
you’re planning to visit there, here are
some tips that can make your trips safer
and more enjoyable.
 Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check
all fluid levels and also the brakes, tires,
cooling system and transmission. These
parts can work hard on mountain roads.
 Know how to go down hills. The most
important thing to know is this: let your
engine do some of the slowing down.Shift to a lower gear when you go down
a steep or long hill.
 Know how to go uphill. You may want to
shift down to a lower gear. The lower
gears help cool your engine and trans-
mission, and you can climb the hill bet-
ter.
 Stay in your own lane when driving on
two-lane roads in hills or mountains.
Don’t swing wide or cut across the cen-
ter of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.
WARNING
If you don’t shift down, your brakes
could get so hot that they wouldn’t
work well. You would then have poor
braking or even none going down a
hill. You could crash. Shift down to let
your engine assist your brakes on a
steep downhill slope.
WARNING
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or
with the ignition off is dangerous.
Your brakes will have to do all the
work of slowing you down. They
could get so hot that they wouldn’t
work well. You would then have poor
braking or even none going down a
hill. You could crash. Always have
your engine running and your vehicle
in gear when you go downhill.
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle: