clutch SUZUKI IGNIS 2018 User Guide

3-18
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
Starting off
To start off, depress the clutch pedal all the
way to the floor and shift into 1st gear.
After releasing the parking brake, gradually
release the clutch. When you hear a
change in the engine’s sound, slowly press
the accelerator while continuing to gradu-
ally release the clutch.
Shifting
All forward gears are synchronized and
provide quiet and easy shifting. Always
depress the clutch pedal all the way to the
floor before shifting gears. Keep the
engine speed from rising into the red zone
of the tachometer (if equipped).Downshifting maximum allowable speedsK12C engine modelK12M engine model
*NOTE:
You may not accelerate to the maximum
allowable speed because of the driving sit-
uation and/or the vehicle condition.
Downshifting km/h (mph)
2nd to 1st 45 (28)
3rd to 2nd 80 (50)
4th to 3rd 130 (81)
5th to 4th 175 (109)*
Downshifting km/h (mph)
2nd to 1st 45 (28)
3rd to 2nd 85 (53)
4th to 3rd 130 (81)
5th to 4th 175 (109)*
NOTICE
Do not downshift to a lower gear at
the speed faster than the maximum
allowable speeds for the next lower
speed, or severe damage to engine
and transaxle can result.
WA R N I N G
• Reduce your speed and downshift to a lower gear before going down
a long or steep hill. A lower gear
will allow the engine to provide
braking. Avoid riding the brakes or
they may overheat, resulting in
brake failure.
• When driving on slippery roads,
slow down before downshifting.
Excessive and/or sudden changes
in engine speed may cause loss of
traction, which could cause you to
lose control.
NOTICE
Check that the vehicle is completely
stationary before you shift into
reverse.
NOTICE
• To help avoid clutch damage, donot use the clutch pedal as a foot-
rest while driving or use the clutch
to keep the vehicle stationary on a
slope. Depress the clutch fully
when shifting.
• When shifting or starting off, do not race the engine. Racing the engine
can shorten engine life and cause
negative effect to smooth shifting.

3-25OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
Auto Gear ShiftAuto Gear Shift is a 5-speed forward/
reverse transaxle.
Auto Gear Shift has the basic features of
conventional manual transaxle, but clutch
operation and transaxle gear shifting are
controlled electronically.
NOTE:
When you open the driver’s door, the Auto
Gear Shift systems run automatically and
you may hear an operating noise. This
sound does not indicate malfunction.The features are as follows:
75RM255
75RM166
Depress brake pedal indicator
76MH0A047
This light will come on if you do not
depress the brake pedal in the following
situations.
• When starting the engine.
• When the engine is on and the gearshift
lever is shifted from “N” position to “D”,
“M” or “R” position.
• When the ignition switch is in the “ON” position or the ignition mode is ON, and
the engine is off, the gearshift lever is
shifted into any position.
This light will also come on if one of the
gears cannot be engaged and the system
is unable to re-try shifting when you shift
the gearshift lever from “N” position to “D”,
“M” or “R” position.
NOTICE
Do not depress both the brake pedal
and accelerator pedal simultane-
ously. This can cause damage or
overheating to the clutch.

3-26
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
Starting the engine
When starting the engine, always place the
gearshift lever in the “N” position and
depress the brake pedal firmly. The engine
cannot be started unless the gearshift
lever is in the “N” position and the brake
pedal is depressed.
If you parked vehicle with gear engaged on
last time (if you can see “1” or “R”), shift
into “N” (Neutral) and depress the brake
pedal. Hold the brake pedal while starting
the engine. You can hear buzzer in short
time.
NOTE:
If you start the engine without the gearshift
lever in the “N” position, the gear position
indicator in the instrument cluster will blink.
Clutch operation
You can select either the Drive (D) mode or
the Manual (M) mode. Since this vehicle
controls clutch operation electronically in
either mode, you do not need to operate
the clutch.Creeping function
This vehicle has a creeping function that
helps the vehicle to start smoothly by
engaging the clutch. When the gearshift
lever is in any of the positions “D”, “M” or
“R”, and you release your foot from the
brake pedal, the vehicle starts slowly with-
out depressing the accelerator pedal. The
creeping function is disabled if you
depress the brake pedal or pull up the
parking brake lever.
NOTE:
If the driver’s door is opened and/or the
parking brake lever is engaged with the
gear in the “M”, “D” or “R” position, the
creeping function will not operate.
Parking and Stopping the vehicle
Auto Gear Shift does not have a parking
position. Park the vehicle with a gear
engaged. Make sure that the gearshift
lever is “D”, “M”, or “R”.
Also, check the instrument cluster to make
sure that the transaxle is engaged in “1” or
“R” position.Drive (D) mode
When the Drive (D) mode is activated, the
most appropriate gear
position is automati-
cally selected upon operation of the accel-
erator pedal and variation of vehicle
speed.
Normal driving:
1) Start the engine as instructed in “Start- ing the engine” in this section.
2) With your foot on the brake pedal, shift the gearshift lever to the “D” position.
When the gearshift lever is shifted to
the “D” position, the gear will be shifted
to 1st.
NOTE:
• If 1st gear cannot be engaged even though the gearshift lever has been
shifted from the “N” to the “D” position,
the system will re-try shifting automati-
cally. This will take some time, noise
may be heard from the gears, and shift-
ing gear shock may occur. However,
they do not indicate malfunction.
• The “N” indicator will flush, the depress brake pedal indicator will come on and a
warning buzzer (long pulse sound) will
sound if any of the following cases
occur;
– If you shift the gearshift lever from the
“N” to the “D” position without depress-
ing the brake pedal
– If the system is unable to re-try shifting
You should depress the brake pedal and
shift the gearshift lever to “N” position,
then shift to “D” again.
NOTICE
A buzzer will sound continuously if
the vehicle is operated with the gear-
shift lever in-between of each shift
positions. The vehicle will become
inoperative if you continue to operate
the vehicle with the gearshift lever in-
between shift positions.

3-27OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
3) Release the parking brake and brakepedal.
4) Depress the accelerator pedal slowly. Starting off on an uphill/downhill:
Uphill
1) Apply the parking brake firmly so that
the vehicle does no t roll backwards.
2) Shift the gearshift lever to the “D” posi-
tion while depressing the brake pedal.
Make sure that the gea r position indica-
tor in the instrumental cluster displays
1st gear.
3) Release the brake pedal and depress the accelerator pedal gradually, and
when the vehicle starts to move,
release the parking brake and depress
the accelerator pedal to start off.
WA R N I N G
• While driving the vehicle, do notshift the gearshift lever to the “N”
position. The engine brake may not
work and you may get involved in
an unexpected accident. If you
return the gearshift lever from “N”
to “D” because of unintended shift-
ing, the gear position will be shifted
according to the current vehicle
speed.
• Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the
engine running. This operation pre-
vents the vehicle from moving due
to unintended activation of the
creeping function.
NOTICE
If the gearshift lever cannot shift into
any position, or the gear is changed
to “N” position au tomatically when
the vehicle speed becomes less than
10 km/h (6 mph), there may be a sys-
tematic malfunction. In this case, ask
your SUZUKI dealer to inspect the
Auto Gear Shift system as soon as
possible.
NOTICE
Do not operate the system as
described below. The life cycle of the
clutch may be reduced.
• Using the accelerator pedal to hold the vehicle on an uphill slope with
the gearshift lever in the “D” or “M”
position. If you perform this opera-
tion for a certain period of time, a
warning buzzer will sound.
• Shifting the gearshift lever to the “D”, “M” or “R” position while rac-
ing the engine.
• Driving at low speed using a high
gear.
• Holding the vehicle on an uphill slope using the creeping function.
If you perform this operation for a
certain period of time, a warning
buzzer will sound.
NOTICE
On an uphill slope, never hold the
vehicle at a stop using only the accel-
erator pedal or the creeping function.
If you perform this operation for a
certain period of time, a warning
buzzer will sound, and in some cases
the engine will stall. This can also
cause excessive damage to the
clutch.

3-28
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
Downhill
1) Depress the brake pedal and shift thegearshift lever to the “D” position. Make
sure that the gear is in 1st by checking
the gear position indicator.
2) Release the brake pedal and depress
the accelerator pedal slowly. Even if the
accelerator pedal is not depressed, the
clutch will be engaged when the vehicle
speed increases.
Using engine braking:
When driving on a downhill slope, down-
shifting is recommended. So you can use
engine braking.
By placing the gearshift lever in the “M”
position, the Manual (M) mode is selected,
and you can shift to a lower gear manually.
For details of downshift operation, refer to
“Upshift and downshift” in the “Manual (M)
mode”. Manual (M) mode
The gears are not shifted automatically. To
shift the transaxle, the driver must operate
the gearshift lever to
the “+” or “–” direc-
tion. As for conventional manual transaxle
vehicles, releasing the accelerator pedal a
little may help the transaxle to shift
smoothly.
Upshift and downshift:
Upshifting
75RM258
Pull the gearshift lever to the “+” direction
and release it. Every time the lever is oper-
ated, the transaxle is upshifting 1 step in
the order of 1st  2nd  3rd  4th  5th
gear. Downshifting
75RM259
Push the gearshift lever to the “–” direction
and release it. Every time the lever is oper-
ated, the transaxle is downshifted in the
order 5th
 4th  3rd  2nd  1st gear.
The gear position is displayed on the gear
position indicator. The gear position indica-
tor shows the transaxle gear position.
Before starting off, always check the gear
position indicator to make sure that the
transaxle is engaged in 1st or reverse,
then depress the accelerator pedal.
NOTE:
• To downshift smoothly, the engine runs fast in some cases. This is done inten-
tionally by the system and is not mal-
function.
• When driving down a hill, downshift and use the engine braking appropriately. If
necessary, continuous downshifting is

3-29OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
possible. However, if downshifting more
than 3 steps, gear shifting will take more
time.
• When the gear is shifting, a noise can be heard in some case. This is not malfunc-
tion. Starting off:
1) Start the engine as instructed in “Start-
ing the engine” in this section.
2) With your foot on the brake pedal, shift the gearshift lever to the “M” position.
When the gearshift lever is shifted to
the “M” position, the gear will be shifted
to 1st. Before starting off, always make
sure that the intended gear is engaged
by checking the gear position indicator,
then depress the accelerator pedal.
NOTE:
• If 1st gear cannot be engaged even though the gearshift lever has been
shifted from the “N” to the “M” position,
the system will re-try shifting automati-
cally. This will take some time, noise
may be heard from the gears, and shift-
ing gear shock may occur. However,
they do not indicate malfunction.
• The “N” indicator will flush, the depress brake pedal indicator will come on and a
warning buzzer (long pulse sound) will
sound if any of the following cases
occur;
– If you shift the gearshift lever from the “N” to the “M” position without
depressing the brake pedal
– If the system is unable to re-try shifting
You should depress the brake pedal and
shift the gearshift lever to “N” position,
then shift to “M” position again a few
seconds later.
WA R N I N G
• Be careful when accelerating, upshifting, downshifting or braking
on a slippery surface. Sudden
acceleration or engine braking
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
• To drive down a long or steep hill,
reduce your speed and downshift.
Remember, if you ride the brakes
excessively, they may overheat and
fail.
• While driving the vehicle, do not shift the gearshift lever to “N” posi-
tion. The engine brake may not
work and you may get involved in
an unexpected accident. If you
return the gearshift lever from “N”
to “M” because of unintended shift-
ing, the gear position will be shifted
according to the current vehicle
speed.
• Do not apply the parking brake
while driving. Otherwise, it could
cause a skid and you may get
involved in an unexpected acci-
dent.
NOTICE
• If the gearshift lever cannot shiftinto any position, or the gear is
changed to “N” position automati-
cally when the vehicle speed
becomes less than 10 km/h (6
mph), there may be a systematic
malfunction. In this case, ask your
SUZUKI dealer to inspect the Auto
Gear Shift system as soon as pos-
sible.
• The manual (M) mode does not
upshift even if the engine speed
reaches the rev-limit.
• The system will not allow shifting up or down to a gear that would
cause engine over-revving or
under-revving.
• If frequently driving at low speed using a high gear position, the life
cycle of the clutch may be reduced.
• Frequent downshif ting (more than
3 positions consecutively) causes
the reduction of transaxle life.

3-30
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
3) Release the parking brake and brakepedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting. Starting off on an uphill/downhill slope:
Uphill
1) Apply the parking brake firmly so that
the vehicle does no t roll backwards.
2) Shift the gearshift lever to the “M” posi-
tion while depressing the brake pedal.
Make sure that the ge ar position indica-
tor in the instrumental cluster displays
1st gear.
3) Release the brake pedal and depress the accelerator pedal gradually, and
when the vehicle starts to move,
release the parking brake and depress
the accelerator pedal to start off.
Downhill
1) Depress the brake pedal and shift the gearshift lever to the “M” position.
Check the gear position indicator to
make sure that the gear is in 1st.
2) Release the brake pedal and depress the accelerator pedal slowly. Even
though the accelerator pedal is not
depressed, the clutch will be engaged
when the vehicle speed increases. Backing up
After the vehicle has stopped completely,
depress the brake pedal and shift the gear-
shift lever to the “R” position. Depress the
accelerator pedal slowly as when starting
off in 1st gear. Before backing up, make
sure that reverse gear is selected by
checking the gear position indicator.
NOTE:
• If reverse gear cannot be engaged even
though the gearshift lever has been
shifted from the “N” to the “R” position,
the system will re-try shifting automati-
cally. This will take some time, noise
may be heard from the gears, and shift-
ing gear shock may occur. However,
they do not indicate malfunction.
• The “N” indicator will flush, the depress brake pedal indicator will come on and a
warning buzzer (long pulse sound) will
sound if any of the following cases
occur;
– If you shift the gearshift lever from the “N” to the “R” position without depress-
ing the brake pedal
– If the system is unable to re-try shifting
You should depress the brake pedal and
shift the gearshift lever to “N” position,
then shift to “R” position again a few sec-
onds later.
WA R N I N G
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. These operations prevent
the vehicle from starting due to unin-
tended activation of the creeping
function.
NOTICE
Do not operate the system as
described below. The life cycle of the
clutch may be reduced.
• Using the accelerator pedal to hold the vehicle on an uphill slope oper-
ation with the gearshift lever in the
“M” or “D” position. If you perform
this operation for a certain period
of time, a warning buzzer will
sound.
• Shifting the gearshift lever to the
“M”, “D” or “R” po sition while rac-
ing the engine.
• Driving at low speed using a high
gear.
• Stopping on a slope using the creeping function. If you perform
this operation for a certain period
of time, a warning buzzer will
sound.
NOTICE
On an uphill slope, never hold the
vehicle at a stop using only the accel-
erator pedal or creeping function. If
you perform this operation for a cer-
tain period of time, a warning buzzer
will sound, and in some cases the
engine will stall. This can also cause
excessive damage to the clutch.

3-31OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
• The system will not allow shifting to the“R” position if the vehicle speed is over
about 3 km/h (2 mph). If the gearshift
lever is operated under this condition,
the “N” indicator in the instrument cluster
will blink. However, when the vehicle
speed drops below about 3 km/h (2
mph), the gear will be shifted to reverse.
Make sure that the vehicle has stopped
completely before shifting to the “R”
position. Stopping
The vehicle can be stopped by depressing
the brake pedal regardless of the gear
position. This is because the clutch is auto-
matically disengaged to prevent the engine
from stopping.
• If the gearshift lever is in the “D” position,
the gear will be downshifted to 1st when
the vehicle stops.
• If the gearshift lever is in the “M” posi- tion, the gear will be downshifted to 1st
when the vehicle stops.
NOTICE
On a downhill slope, never hold the
vehicle at a stop using only the accel-
erator pedal or the creeping function.
If you perform this operation for a
certain period of time, a warning
buzzer will sound, and in some cases
the engine will stall. This can also
cause excessive damage to the
clutch.
WA R N I N G
• When stopping, for example, at a
traffic light, be sure to depress the
brake pedal firmly. For your safety,
apply the parking brake, too, when
stopping on a hill.
• When racing the engine, make sure that the gear is in the “N” position
by checking the gear position indi-
cator. If the accelerator is operated
with the gear in any other position,
the vehicle may move resulting in
an unexpected accident.
• Do not leave your vehicle unat-
tended while the engine is running. (Continued)
WA R N I N G
(Continued)
• When leaving the vehicle, stop the
engine and park the vehicle with a
gear engaged. If you need to leave
the vehicle with the engine running,
apply the parking brakes firmly,
and shift the gearshift lever to the
“N” position. Otherwise, the vehi-
cle may move unexpectedly and
may cause an accident.
NOTICE
• On a slope, never hold the vehicleat a stop using only the accelerator
pedal or the creeping function. If
you perform this operation for a
certain period of time, a warning
buzzer will sound, and in some
cases the engine will stall. This can
also cause excessive damage to
the clutch.
• If the gearshift lever is operated
more than necessary, the system
may not allow operation of the
gearshift lever for a certain period
of time, and the gear may not be
shifted appropriately. Therefore, do
not operate the gearshift lever if not
necessary.

3-32
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
Parking
Unlike an automatic transaxle, Auto Gear
Shift does not have a parking position.
Park the vehicle with a gear engaged.
1) Apply the parking brake firmly.
2) While depressing the brake pedal, shift
the gearshift lever to the “R” position on
a downhill slope, and to the 1st position
in the drive (D) mode or the “M” position
in the manual (M) mode on an uphill
slope and confirm the gear position by
checking the gear position indicator.
3) Stop the engine.
NOTE:
• After the engine is stopped, the gear in the transaxle does not change even if
you shift the gearshift lever in any posi-
tion. Always shift the gearshift lever
before stop the engine.
• Check the transaxle gear position by looking at the gear position indicator,
then turn the ignition switch to “LOCK”
position or press the engine switch to
change the ignition mode to LOCK
(OFF), to stop the engine. Release the
brake pedal after a few seconds. Parking cancel
Depress the brake pedal, turn the ignition
switch to “ON” position or press the engine
switch to change the ignition mode to ON,
and shift the gearshift lever to the “N” posi-
tion. The gear will be disengaged. Warning functions
A warning buzzer will sound or the indica-
tor will blink under the f
ollowing conditions.
Warning buzzer
• The clutch is heated due to excessive load.
• The creeping function is being activated for a long period of time.
• The ignition switch is turned to the “LOCK” position or the engine switch is
pressed to change the ignition mode to
LOCK (OFF) with the gear in 2nd, 3rd,
4th or 5th. In this case, turn the ignition
switch to “ON” position or press the
engine switch to change the ignition
mode to ON, and shift the gearshift lever
in the “N” position, shift it to the “D” or
“M” or “R” position, t hen turn the ignition
switch to “LOCK” position or press the
engine switch to change the ignition
mode to LOCK (OFF).
• During a stop, the driver’s door is opened with the gearshift lever in the
“R”, “D” or “M” positi on while the engine
is running.
WA R N I N G
• If the gear is not engaged properly and completely before the ignition
switch is turned to “LOCK” posi-
tion or the engine switch is pressed
to change the ignition mode to
LOCK (OFF), the vehicle may not
be parked with the gear engaged.
Always confirm the gear position
by checking the gear position indi-
cator when parking.
• On a downhill slope, the gear
should be put in reverse, and in 1st
gear on an uphill slope. Otherwise,
the vehicle may move, and cause
an unexpected accident. If the gear
is left in the “N” position, the vehi-
cle cannot be parked with a gear
engaged.
NOTICE
In the above cases, pull over to the
side of the road and stop the engine,
and then ask your SUZUKI dealer to
inspect your vehicle. Otherwise, the
clutch disc may be damaged.

3-34
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
75RM4-01E
NOTE:
• For manual transaxle vehicle, the gear-shift indicator is not indicated when the
gear position is in “N” (Neutral).
• For manual transaxle vehicle, if you depress the clutch pedal while UP/
DOWN arrow is indicated, the indication
will disappear.
• For Auto Gear Shif t vehicle, if you
release your foot from the accelerator
pedal while UP arrow is indicated, the
indication will display the currently
selected gear position.
• The indication of gearshift indicator tim- ing may differ depending on the vehicle
condition and/or driv ing situation even in
the same vehicle speed and engine rev-
olution.
• If any of the electrical systems such as the dual camera brake support or the
ESP
® (if equipped) is working, the gear-
shift indicator will disappear temporarily. Example of the gearshift indicator
Manual transaxle
Auto Gear Shift (when using the manual mode)
Indication Description
Lower gear position is selected for the vehicle speed and/
or engine revolution. Changing to a higher gear position is
recommended.
Higher gear position is sele cted for the vehicle speed
and/or engine revolution. Chan ging to a lower gear posi-
tion is recommended.
Indication Description Lower gear position is selected for the vehicle speed and/
or engine revolution. Changing to a higher gear position is
recommended.
• In this case, shifting up 5th or upper gear position isrecommended.