weight SUZUKI FORENZA 2008 1.G Owners Manual

1-18
SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
85Z04-03E
Question: What are the different types
of add-on child restraints?
Answer: Add-on child restraints, which are
purchased by the vehicle’s owner, are
available in four basic types. Selection of a
particular restraint should take into consid-
eration not only the child’s weight, height
and age but also whether or not the
restraint will be compatible with the motor
vehicle in which it will be used.
For most basic types of child restraints,
there are many different models available.
When purchasing a child restraint, be sure
it is designed to be used in a motor vehicle.
If it is, the restraint will have a label saying
that it meets federal motor vehicle safety
standards.
The restraint manufacturer’s instructions
that come with the restraint, state the
weight and height limitations for a particu-
lar child restraint. In addition, there are
many kinds of restraints available for chil-
dren with special needs.
WARNING
Children who are up against, or very
close to, any air bag when it inflates
can be severely injured or killed. Air
bags plus lap-shoulder belts offer
outstanding protection for adults and
older children, but not for young chil-
dren and infants. Neither the vehi-
cle’s safety belt system nor its air bag
system is designed for them. Young
children and infants need the protec-
tion that a child restraint system can
provide.
L3U1040B
WARNING
Newborn infants need complete sup-
port, including support for the head
and neck. This is necessary because
a newborn infant’s neck is weak and
its head weighs so much compared
with the rest of its body. In a crash,
an infant in a rear-facing seat settles
into the restraint, so the crash forces
can be distributed across the stron-
gest part of an infant’s body, the back
and shoulders. Infants always should
be secured in appropriate infant
restraints.
WARNING
The body structure of a young child
is quite unlike that of an adult or
older child, for whom the safety belts
are designed. A young child’s hip
bones are still so small that the vehi-
cle’s regular safety belt may not
remain low on the hip bones, as it
should. Instead, it may settle up
around the child’s abdomen. In a
crash, the belt would apply force on a
body area that’s unprotected by any
bony structure. This alone could
cause serious or fatal injuries. Young
children always should be secured in
appropriate child restraints.
Child Restraints:

1-31SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
85Z04-03E
Passenger Sensing SystemYour vehicle has a passenger sensing sys-
tem for the right front passenger position.
The passenger air bag off indicator will be
visible when you turn your ignition key to
ON or START. The words “PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF” will be visible in the clock
display located in the center of the instru-
ment panel during the system check.
When the system check is complete, the
words “PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF”
should go out unless the passenger sens-
ing system has turned off the front passen-
ger’s frontal and side air bags. See
“Passenger Air bag Off Indicator” in Sec-
tion 3.
The passenger sensing system will turn off
the right front passenger’s frontal air bag
and side air bag under certain conditions.
The driver’s frontal air bag and side air bag
are not part of the passenger sensing sys-
tem. The passenger sensing system works
with sensors that are part of the right front
passenger’s seat cushion. The sensors are
designed to detect the presence of a prop-
erly-seated occupant and determine if the
passenger’s frontal air bag and side air
bag should be enabled (may inflate) or not.The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the right front passen-
ger’s frontal air bag and side air bag when
the weight on the front seat is 25.6 kg (56.4
lbs) or less. The air bag should be turned
off in the following situations.
 the right front passenger seat is unoccu-
pied.
 the system determines that an infant or a
small child is present in the right front
passenger seat.
 a right front passenger takes his/her
weight off of the seat for a period of time. there is a critical problem with the air bag
system or the passenger sensing sys-
tem.
When the passenger sensing system has
turned off the passenger’s frontal air bag
and side air bag, the passenger air bag off
indicator in the clock display will light and
stay lit to remind you that the air bags are
off. See “Passenger Air Bag Off Indicator”
in Section 3.
Accident statistics show that children are
safer if they are restrained in the rear
rather than the front seat. We recommend
that child restraints be secured in the rear
seat.
For some children who have outgrown
child restraints and for very small adults,
the passenger sensing system may or may
not turn off the right front passenger’s fron-
tal air bag and side air bag, depending
upon the person’s seating posture and
body build. Everyone in your vehicle who
has outgrown child restraints should wear
a safety belt properly – whether or not
there is an air bag for that person.
If a person of adult-size is sitting in the
right front passenger’s seat, but the pas-
senger air bag off indicator is lit, it could be
because that person is not sitting properly
in the seat. If this happens, do one of the
following:
 Turn the vehicle off and ask the person
to place the seatback in the fully upright
N5U1002AS
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
WARNING
A child in a rear-facing child restraint
can be severely injured or killed if the
right front passenger’s frontal air bag
inflates. This is because the back of
the rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating air bag.
Even though the passenger sensing
system is designed to turn off the
passenger’s frontal air bag and side
air bag under certain conditions, no
system is fail-safe, and no one can
guarantee that an air bag will not
deploy under some unusual circum-
stance, even though it is turned off.
Always secure a rear-facing child
restraint in the rear seat, even if the
air bags are off.
Supplemental Restraint System:

2-18
FEATURES AND CONTROLS
85Z04-03E
Shifting Into Park (P)
(Automatic Transmission)1) Hold the brake pedal down and set the
parking brake.
2) Move the shift lever into PARK (P) posi-
tion.
3) Turn the ignition key to LOCK.
4) Remove the key and take it with you. If
you can leave your vehicle with the igni-
tion key in your hand, your vehicle is in
PA R K ( P ) .Leaving Your Vehicle with the Engine
Running
If you have to leave your vehicle with the
engine running, be sure your vehicle is in
PARK (P) and your parking brake is firmly
set before you leave it. After you’ve moved
the shift lever into PARK (P), hold the regu-
lar brake pedal down. Then, see if you can
move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pushing the button. If you can,
it means that the shift lever wasn’t fully
locked into PARK (P).To r q u e L o c k
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t
shift your transmission into PARK (P) prop-
erly, the weight of the vehicle may put too
much force on the parking pawl in the
transmission. You may find it difficult to pull
the shift lever out of PARK (P). This is
called “torque lock.” To prevent torque lock,
set the parking brake and then shift into
PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat. To find out how, see “Shifting
Into Park (P)” in this section.
When you are ready to drive, move the
shift lever out of PARK (P) before you
release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to
have another vehicle push yours a little
uphill to take some of the pressure from
the parking pawl in the transmission, so
you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
(Automatic Transmission)Your vehicle has a brake transmission shift
interlock system which locks the shift lever
in PARK (P) when the ignition is in the
LOCK position. You have to apply your reg-
ular brakes before you can shift from PARK
(P) when the ignition is in the ON position.
See “Automatic Transmission Operation” in
this section.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P) while
you hold the brake pedal down, try this:
1) Set the parking brake fully.
WARNING
It is dangerous to get out of your
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake
firmly set. Your vehicle can roll. Don’t
leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you
have left the engine running, the
vehicle can move suddenly. You or
others could be injured. To be sure
your vehicle won’t move, even when
you’re on fairly level ground, use the
steps that follow.
WARNING
It can be dangerous to leave your
vehicle with the engine running. Your
vehicle could move suddenly if the
shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set.
And, if you leave the vehicle with the
engine running, it could overheat and
even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle
with the engine running.
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle:

2-26
FEATURES AND CONTROLS
85Z04-03E
windshield glass to avoid causing breaks in
the resistive material heating element
which can adversely affect radio and
defogger performance. See your SUZUKI
dealer for details.
SunroofIf your vehicle has this feature, the switch
is located between the map lamp buttons.
The sunroof will only operate when the
ignition is in the ON position. The sunroof
can be opened to a vent position or it can
be opened all the way.
You must manually open and close the
sunroof cover.
To open the sunroof to the vent position,
push the front part of the switch. To return
the sunroof to its original position, push the
rear part of the switch and hold it until the
sunroof reaches the desired position.
To fully open the sunroof, push the rear
part of the switch. The sunroof will open
automatically until you push either the front
or the rear part of the switch again. To
close the sunroof, push the front part of theswitch and hold it until the sunroof is
closed. The sunroof will stop if the switch is
released during operation.
In both the vent and fully open positions,
the air flow can be adjusted for driving
comfort by pushing and holding the switch
until the sunroof moves to the desired posi-
tion.
The sunroof glass panel cannot be opened
or closed if your vehicle has an electrical
failure.
N4U2024A
WARNING
 Never allow any part of your body
such as hands or head to stick out
of the sunroof opening while the
vehicle is moving.
 Be sure there are no hands or other
obstructions in the path of the sun-
roof when you close the sunroof.
 Always remove the ignition key
when leaving the vehicle even if for
a short time. Also do not leave chil-
dren alone in a parked vehicle.
Unattended children could use the
sunroof switches and get trapped
by the sunroof.
 Do not put your body weight on the
roof around the sunroof such as by
sitting on it.
 When leaving the vehicle unat-
tended, close the sunroof fully.
Sunroof:

4-1DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
85Z04-03E
Your Driving, the Road, and
Your VehicleDefensive DrivingThe best advice anyone can give about
driving is: Drive defensively.
Please start by using a very important
safety device in your vehicle: Your safety
belt. Buckle up. See “Safety Belts: They
Are for Everyone” in section 1.
Defensive driving really means “be ready
for anything.” On city streets, rural roads or
freeways, it means “always expect the
unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers
are going to be careless and make mis-
takes. Anticipate what they might do. Be
ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions are about the most
preventable of accidents. Yet they are com-
mon. Allow enough following distance. It’s
the best defensive driving maneuver, in
both city and rural driving. You never know
when the vehicle in front of you is going to
brake or turn suddenly.
Defensive driving requires that a driver
concentrate on the driving task. Anything
that distracts from the driving task – such
as concentrating on a cellular telephone
call, reading, or reaching for something on
the floor – makes proper defensive driving
more difficult and can even cause a colli-
sion, with resulting injury. Ask a passengerto help do things like this, or pull off the
road in a safe place to do them yourself.
These simple defensive driving tech-
niques could save your life.
Drunken DrivingDeath and injury associated with drinking
and driving is a national tragedy. It’s the
number one contributor to the highway
death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects four things that everyone
needs to drive a vehicle:
 Judgment
 Muscular Coordination
 Vision
 Attentiveness.
Police records show that almost half of all
motor vehicle-related deaths involve alco-
hol. In most cases, these deaths are the
result of someone who was drinking and
driving. In recent years, more than 16,000
annual motor vehicle-related deaths have
been associated with the use of alcohol,
with more than 300,000 people injured.
Many adults – by some estimates, nearly
half the adult population – choose never to
drink alcohol, so they never drive after
drinking. For persons under 21, it is
against the law in every U.S. state to drink
alcohol. There are good medical, psycho-
logical and developmental reasons for
these laws.The obvious way to eliminate the leading
highway safety problem is for people never
to drink alcohol and then drive. But what if
people do? How much is “too much” if
someone plans to drive? It’s a lot less than
many might think. Although it depends on
each person and situation, here is some
general information on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of
someone who is drinking depends upon
four things:
 The amount of alcohol consumed
 The drinker’s body weight
 The amount of food that is consumed
before and during drinking
 The length of time it has taken the
drinker to consume the alcohol.
According to the American Medical Associ-
ation, a 180 lb (82 kg) person who drinks
three 12 ounce (355 ml) bottles of beer in
an hour will end up with a BAC of about
0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same BAC by drinking three 4 ounce (120
ml) glasses of wine or three mixed drinks if
each had 1-1/2 ounces (45 ml) of liquors
like whiskey, gin or vodka.
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle:

4-2
DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
85Z04-03E
It’s the amount of alcohol that counts. For
example, if the same person drank three
double martinis (3 ounces or 90 ml of
liquor each) within an hour, the person’s
BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A per-
son who consumes food just before or dur-
ing drinking will have a somewhat lower
BAC level.
There is a gender difference, too. Women
generally have a lower relative percentage
of body water than men. Since alcohol is
carried in body water, this means that a
woman generally will reach a higher BAC
level than a man of her same body weight
will when each has the same number of
drinks.
The law in an increasing number of U.S.
states, and throughout Canada, sets the
legal limit at 0.08 percent. In some other
countries, the limit is even lower. For exam-ple, it is 0.05 percent in both France and
Germany. The BAC limit for all commercial
drivers in the United States is 0.04 percent.
The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after
three to six drinks (in one hour). Of course,
as we’ve seen, it depends on how much
alcohol is in the drinks, and how quickly the
person drinks them.
But the ability to drive is affected well
below a BAC of 0.10 percent. Research
shows that the driving skills of many peo-
ple are impaired at a BAC approaching
0.05 percent, and that the effects are
worse at night. All drivers are impaired at
BAC levels above 0.05 percent. Statistics
show that the chance of being in a collision
increases sharply for drivers who have a
BAC of 0.05 percent or above. A driver with
a BAC level of 0.06 percent has doubled
his or her chance of having a collision. At a
BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance of
this driver having a collision is 12 times
greater; at a level of 0.15 percent, the
chance is 25 times greater!
The body takes about an hour to rid itself
of the alcohol in one drink. No amount of
coffee or number of cold showers will
speed that up. “I’ll be careful” isn’t the right
answer. What if there’s an emergency, a
need to take sudden action, as when a
child darts into the street? A person with
even a moderate BAC might not be able to
react quickly enough to avoid the collision.There’s something else about drinking and
driving that many people don’t know. Medi-
cal research shows that alcohol in a per-
son’s system can make crash injuries
worse, especially injuries to the brain, spi-
nal cord or heart. This means that when
anyone who has been drinking – driver or
passenger – is in a crash, that person’s
chance of being killed or permanently dis-
abled is higher than if the person had not
been drinking.
Control of a VehicleYou have three systems that make your
vehicle go where you want it to go. They
are the brakes, the steering and the accel-
erator. All three systems have to do their
work at the places where the tires meet the
road.
WARNING
Drinking and then driving is very dan-
gerous. Your reflexes, perceptions,
attentiveness and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount of
alcohol. You can have a serious – or
even fatal – collision if you drive after
drinking. Please don’t drink and drive
or ride with a driver who has been
drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if
you’re with a group, designate a
driver who will not drink.
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle:

4-3DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
85Z04-03E
Sometimes, as when you’re driving on
snow or ice, it’s easy to ask more of those
control systems than the tires and road
can provide. That means you can lose con-
trol of your vehicle.BrakingBraking action involves perception time
and reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the
brake pedal. That’s perception time. Then
you have to bring up your foot and do it.
That’s reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a
second. But that’s only an average. It might
be less with one driver and as long as two
or three seconds or more with another.
Age, physical condition, alertness, coordi-
nation and eyesight all play a part. So do
alcohol, drugs and frustration. But even in3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving at 60
mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emer-
gency, so keeping enough space between
your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances
vary greatly with the surface of the road
(whether it’s pavement or gravel) the condi-
tion of the road (wet, dry, icy) tire tread the
condition of your brakes the weight of the
vehicle and the amount of brake force
applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some peo-
ple drive in spurts – heavy acceleration fol-
lowed by heavy braking – rather than
keeping pace with traffic. This is a mistake.
Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear
out much faster if you do a lot of heavy
braking. If you keep pace with the traffic
and allow realistic following distances, you
will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer
brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driv-
ing, brake normally but don’t pump your
brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder
to push down. If your engine stops, you will
still have some power brake assist. But you
will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop
and the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
(if equipped)ABS is an advanced electronic braking
system that will help prevent a braking
skid.
When you start your engine and begin to
drive away, your anti-lock brake system will
check itself. You may hear a momentary
motor or clicking noise while this test is
going on, and you may even notice that
your brake pedal moves a little. This is nor-
mal.
If there’s a problem with the anti-lock brake
system, this warning light will stay on. See
“Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light” in
section 3.
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle:

4-17DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
85Z04-03E
and shift to NEUTRAL (N). See “Shift-
ing Out of Park (P)” in Section 2.
5) Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-
ahead position with a clamping device
designed for towing.
6) Release the parking brake.
Loading Your VehicleIt is very important to know how much
weight your vehicle can carry. The load
capacities of your vehicle are indicated by
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR),
the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR,
front and rear), the total load capacity, the
seating capacity, and the cargo load
capacity. The GVWR and GAWR (front and
rear) are listed on the Safety Certification
Label which is located below the driver’s
side door latch striker. The total load
capacity and seating capacity are listed on
the Tire and Loading Information Label
which is located on the center pillar, near
the driver’s door latch.
The Tire and Loading Information label
also gives you the size and recommended
inflation pressure for the factory installed,
original equipment tires on your vehicle.
For more information on tires and inflation,
see “Tires” in section 5.Tire and Loading Information Label
Certification Label
The cargo load capacity can be deter-
mined as described below.
Cargo Load Capacity – Maximum weight
of cargo and luggage that the vehicle cansafely carry. Cargo load capacity is the dif-
ference between the total load capacity of
the vehicle and the total combined weight
of all vehicle occupants. Refer to “Steps for
Determining Correct Load Limit” for details
on how to determine cargo load capacity.
GVWR – Maximum permissible overall
weight of the fully loaded vehicle (including
all the occupants, accessories and cargo
plus the trailer tongue weight if towing a
trailer).
GAWR – (Front and Rear) Maximum per-
missible weight on an individual axle.
Seating Capacity – Maximum number of
occupants the vehicle is designed to carry.
NOTE:
Even though the number of occupants is
within the seating capacity, you still must
make sure that you do not exceed the total
load capacity of the vehicle.
Total Load Capacity – Maximum permissi-
ble weight a vehicle can carry including the
weight of all the occupants, accessories
and cargo.
The weight of any accessories already
installed on your vehicle at the time of pur-
chase, or that you or the dealer install after
purchase, must be subtracted from the
total load capacity to determine how much
capacity remains available for occupants
and cargo. Contact your SUZUKI dealer for
further information.
J7U4001A
TIRE
SIZE
COLD TIRE PRESSURE
FRONT
REAR
SPAREThe combined weight of occupants and carge should never exceedKg or lbs
Towing:

4-18
DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
85Z04-03E
Actual weight of the loaded vehicle and
actual loads at the front and rear axles can
only be determined by weighing the vehicle
using a vehicle scale. To measure the
weight and load, try taking your vehicle to
a highway weighing station, shipping com-
pany or inspection station for trucks, etc.
Compare these weights to the GVWR and
GAWR (front and rear) listed on the Safety
Certification Label. If the gross vehicle
weight or the load on either axle exceeds
these ratings, you must remove enough
weight to bring the load down to the rated
capacity.
Steps for Determining Correct Load
Limit
1) Locate the statement “The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX pounds” on your
vehicle placard.
2) Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
3) Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from XXX kilo-
grams or XXX pounds.
4) The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the “XXX”
amounts equals 1,400 lbs and there will
be five 150 lb passengers in your vehi-
cle, the amount of available cargo and
luggage load capacity is 650 lbs (1,400
– 750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs).5) Determine the combined weight of lug-
gage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in Step 4.
Vehicle Loading Example
As an example, suppose that the Tire and
Loading Information label on your vehicle
indicates that your vehicle’s total load
capacity is 950 lbs. If you were to drive
your vehicle with one passenger, and the
total combined weight of you and your pas-
senger was 350 lbs, then the cargo and
luggage capacity of your vehicle would be
600 lbs (950 – 350 = 600 lbs).
If you later added 2 more passengers, hav-
ing a combined weight of 325 lbs, the
cargo and luggage capacity of your vehicle
would be reduced from 600 lbs to 275 lbs
(600 – 325 = 275 lbs). As you can see, as
the number and combined weight of vehi-
cle occupants increase, the vehicle’s cargo
and luggage capacity decreases. Do not
carry more than 123 lbs (56 kg) in your
trunk.If you put things inside your vehicle – like
suitcases, tools, packages, or anything
else – they will go as fast as the vehicle
goes. If you have to stop or turn quickly, or
if there is a crash, they’ll keep going.
WARNING
Never overload your vehicle. Over-
loading your vehicle can cause dam-
age to your tires and lead to poor
steering and braking which can result
in an accident. The gross vehicle
weight (sum of the weights of the
loaded vehicle, driver and passen-
gers) must never exceed the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) listed
on the Safety Certification Label. In
addition, never distribute a load so
that the weight on either the front or
rear axle exceeds the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR) listed on the
Safety Certification Label.
Towing:

4-19DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
85Z04-03E
Determining Compatibility of Tire and
Vehicle Load Limits
The tires on your vehicle, when they are
inflated to the recommended tire inflation
pressure, have a load-carrying capacity
that is greater than the load that will be onthe tires when the vehicle is at its GVWR
or GAWR limit. Never use replacement
tires that have a load-carrying capacity
less than the original tires on your vehicle.
Tire load-carrying capacity information is
molded into the tire sidewall typically
shown as “Max. Load”. Use of replacement
tires with a lower load-carrying capacity
than the original tires, or failure to keep the
tires inflated to recommended tire pres-
sure, may reduce the GVWR or GAWR
limit of your vehicle.
NOTE:
Use of replacement tires with a higher
load-carrying capacity than the original
tires, or using a tire inflation pressure
higher than the recommended tire inflation
pressure, will not increase the GVWR or
GAWR limit of your vehicle.
Towing a TrailerDo not use your vehicle to tow a trailer. The
vehicle is not designed or intended for
such use. Towing a trailer can adversely
affect handling, durability and fuel econ-
omy.
WARNING
Things you put inside your vehicle
can strike and injure people in a sud-
den stop or turn, or in a crash.
 Put things in the trunk or rear area
of your vehicle. In a trunk, put them
as far forward as you can. Try to
spread the weight evenly. If you
have fold-down rear seats, you’ll
find four anchors on the back wall
of your trunk. You can use these
anchors to tie down lighter loads.
They’re not strong enough for
heavy things, however, so put them
as far forward as you can in the
trunk or rear area.
 Never stack heavier things, like
suitcases, inside the vehicle so that
some of them are above the tops of
the seats.
 Don’t leave an unsecured child
restraint in your vehicle.
 When you carry something inside
the vehicle, secure it whenever you
can.
 Don’t leave a seat folded down
unless you need to.
L3U4030A
Towing: