engine SUZUKI RENO 2008 1.G User Guide

2-13FEATURES AND CONTROLS
85Z14-03E
lever all the way into PARK (P) – as you
maintain brake application. Then move the
shift lever into the gear you wish. See
“Shifting Out of Park (P)” on a later page in
this section.
REVERSE (R):
Use this gear to back up. In order to move
from NEUTRAL (N) to REVERSE (R), you
must press down on the shift lever while
shifting.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get
out of snow, ice or sand without damaging
your transmission, see “If You Are Stuck: In
Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in section 4.
NEUTRAL (N):
In this position, your engine doesn’t con-
nect with the wheels. To restart when
you’re already moving, use NEUTRAL (N)
only. Also, use NEUTRAL (N) when your
vehicle is being towed.AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D):
This position is for normal driving.
THIRD (3):
This position is also used for normal driv-
ing, however, it offers more power and
lower fuel economy than AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE (D). Here are some times
you might choose THIRD (3) instead of
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D):
 When driving on hilly, winding roads.
 When doing down a steep hill.SECOND (2):
This position gives you more power than
THIRD (3) but lower fuel economy. You can
use SECOND (2) on hills. It can help con-
trol your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also
want to use your brakes off and on.
FIRST (1):
This position gives you even more power
than SECOND (2) but lower fuel economy.
You can use it on very steep hills, or in
deep snow or mud. If the shift lever is put
in FIRST (1), the transmission won’t shift
into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
CAUTION
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your
vehicle is moving forward could dam-
age your transmission. The repairs
would not be covered by your war-
ranty. Shift to REVERSE (R) only after
your vehicle is stopped.
WARNING
Shifting into a drive gear while your
engine is “racing” (running at high
speed) is dangerous. Unless your
foot is firmly on the brake pedal, your
vehicle could move very rapidly. You
could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift into a drive gear
while your engine is racing.
CAUTION
Damage to your transmission caused
by shifting into a drive gear with the
engine racing isn’t covered by your
warranty. Be sure the engine is not
racing when shifting your vehicle.
CAUTION
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) at speeds
over 65 mph (105 km/h), or you can
damage your transmission. Use
THIRD (3) or AUTOMATIC OVER-
DRIVE (D) as much as possible. Don’t
shift into SECOND (2) unless you are
going slower than 65 mph (105 km/h)
or you can damage your engine.
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle:

2-14
FEATURES AND CONTROLS
85Z14-03E
Fuzzy Function
Your automatic transmission will automati-
cally select a adaptive shift pattern using
fuzzy logic.
 Economy mode is applied as often as
possible.
 Driver adaptive shift patterns are acti-
vated for a minimum time.
 “Load 1” is designed for a driving on
moderate road gradients.
 “Load 2” is active while going up steep
hills.
 “Load 3” is intended for downhill driving
for better engine braking.Emergency Operation
If the automatic transmission experiences
a malfunction, the malfunction indicator
lamp (MIL) or the HOLD mode light may
come on or may blink. In this situation,
automatic shifting can be canceled or can
default to a severe condition mode.
You should consult your SUZUKI dealer
and have the problem repaired as soon as
possible when this condition occurs.
Hold Mode
You can select this mode to drive with
some characteristics of a manual transmis-
sion. With the HOLD mode turned on, the
automatic transmission will stay in a spe-
cific gear range.
CAUTION
If your front wheels won’t turn, don’t
try to drive. This might happen if you
were stuck in very deep sand or mud
or were up against a solid object. You
could damage your transmission.
Also, if you stop when going uphill,
don’t hold your vehicle there with
only the accelerator pedal. This could
overheat and damage the transmis-
sion. Use your brakes to hold your
vehicle in position on a hill.
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Economy Medium
Load 1
Load 2
Load 3Sport
CAUTION
The first few shifts may be somewhat
rough on a new vehicle. This is nor-
mal condition and shift feel will
improve soon because the automatic
transmission control system per-
forms adaptation functions.
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle:

2-16
FEATURES AND CONTROLS
85Z14-03E
OND (2). Slowly let up on the clutch pedal
as you press the accelerator pedal.
To stop, let up on the accelerator pedal and
press the brake pedal. Just before the
vehicle stops, press the clutch pedal and
brake pedal, and shift to NEUTRAL.
NEUTRAL:
Use this position when you start or idle
your engine.
REVERSE (R):
To back up, press down the clutch pedal,
lift up the ring on the shift lever and shift
into REVERSE (R). Let up on the clutch
pedal slowly while pressing the accelerator
pedal.
Also, use REVERSE (R), along with the
parking brake, for parking your vehicle.Shift Speed
Parking BrakeThe parking brake lever is located between
the bucket seats.
To set the parking brake, hold the brake
pedal down and pull up on the parking
brake lever. If the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will come on.
To release the parking brake, hold the
brake pedal down. Pull the parking brakelever up until you can press the release
button. Hold the release button in as you
move the brake lever all the way down.
Winter parking tip
Under cold weather conditions, the parking
brake can freeze in the engaged position.
This is most likely to happen if the brakes
are wet.
If there is a risk that the parking brake may
freeze after driving through water deep
enough to wet brake components or after
having the vehicle washed:
1) Apply the parking brake only tempo-
rarily while you put the gear selector
lever in PARK (P) (for automatic tran-
saxle) or in first or reverse gear (for
manual transaxle).
2) Block the rear wheels with wedge
blocks.
3) Release the parking brake.
CAUTION
Shift into REVERSE (R) only after
your vehicle is stopped. Shifting into
REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving could damage your transmis-
sion. The repairs would not be cov-
ered by your warranty.
WARNING
If you skip a gear when you down-
shift, you could lose control of your
vehicle. You could injure yourself or
others. Don’t shift down more than
one gear at a time when you down-
shift.
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CAUTION
Driving with the parking brake on can
cause your rear brakes to overheat.
You may have to replace them, and
you could also damage other parts of
your vehicle. Verify that the parking
brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle:

2-17FEATURES AND CONTROLS
85Z14-03E
Shifting Into Park (P)
(Automatic Transmission)1) Hold the brake pedal down and set the
parking brake.
2) Move the shift lever into the PARK (P)
position.
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:

2-18
FEATURES AND CONTROLS
85Z14-03E
2) Turn the key to LOCK and remove the
key from the ignition switch.
3) Remove the hole cover from the shift
lock slot with a screwdriver
4) Insert the key into the shift lock slot and
press and hold it.
5) Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
6) Remove the key from the slot, insert it
into the ignition switch and start the
engine.
7) Apply and hold the regular brake fully
and release the parking brake.
8) Shift to the drive gear you want.
9) Have your vehicle fixed as soon as you
can.
Parking Your Vehicle
(Manual Transmission)Before leaving your vehicle, do the follow-
ing:
1) Hold the brake pedal down and firmly
apply the parking brake.
2) Fully press in the clutch pedal and
place the shift lever into the appropriate
position as stated below:
– When parking on level ground, place
the shift lever into FIRST(1) or
REVERSE(R).
– When parking downhill, place the shift
lever in REVERSE (R).
– When parking uphill, place the shift
lever in FIRST (1).
3) After shifting to the appropriate posi-
tion, turn the ignition key to LOCK,
remove the key and release the clutch.
Parking Over Things That Can Burn
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WARNING
Things that can burn could touch hot
exhaust parts under your vehicle and
ignite. Don’t park over papers,
leaves, dry grass or other things that
can burn.
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Starting and Operating Your Vehicle:

2-19FEATURES AND CONTROLS
85Z14-03E
Engine Exhaust Running Your Engine While You Are
Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine run-
ning. But if you ever have to, here are
some things to know.
Follow the proper steps to be sure your
vehicle won’t move. See “Shifting Into Park
(P)” or “Parking Your Vehicle (Manual
Transmission)” in this section.
WARNING
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains
the gas carbon monoxide (CO), which
you can’t see or smell. It can cause
unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:
 Your exhaust system sounds
strange or different.
 Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
 Your vehicle was damaged in a col-
lision.
 Your vehicle was damaged when
driving over high points on the
road or over road debris.
 Repairs weren’t done correctly.
 Your vehicle or exhaust system had
been modified improperly.
If you ever suspect exhaust is com-
ing into your vehicle:
 Drive it only with all the windows
down to blow out any CO; and
 Have your vehicle fixed immedi-
ately.
WARNING
Idling the engine with the climate
control system off could allow dan-
gerous exhaust into your vehicle. See
the earlier Warning under “Engine
Exhaust.”
Also, idling in a closed-in place can
let deadly carbon monoxide (CO) into
your vehicle even if the climate con-
trol fan is at the highest setting. One
place this can happen is a garage.
Exhaust – with CO – can come in eas-
ily. NEVER park in a garage with the
engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a bliz-
zard. See “Winter Driving” in the
Index.
WARNING
It is dangerous to get out of your
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) or the appropriate position
with the parking brake firmly set.
Your vehicle can roll. To determine
the appropriate position, see “Park-
ing Your Vehicle”. Don’t leave your
vehicle when the engine is running
unless you have to. If you’ve 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, always set your parking
brake and move the shift lever to
PARK (P) or the appropriate position
as described under “Parking Your
Ve h i cl e ” .
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle:
Mirrors:

3-14
INSTRUMENT PANEL
85Z14-03E
(Floor):
This mode directs most of the air to the
floor outlets. Some of the air will also be
directed to the windshield, instrument
panel side outlets, and rear outlets. Be
sure to keep the area under the front seats
clear to allow the flow of air to the rear
compartment.Recirculation
Press this button when driving in dusty
conditions or to avoid traffic or outside
fumes, and when quick cooling or heating
of the passenger area is required. The
indicator light will illuminate and interior air
will be recirculated.
Pressing the recirculation mode button
again will draw outside air into the passen-
ger compartment. The indicator will go out.
Your windows may fog if you use the recir-
culation mode for extended periods. If this
happens, select the defrost mode.Air Conditioning
If your vehicle has air conditioning, follow
these steps to use the system. Start the
engine and set the fan control knob to the
desired speed. The air conditioning com-
pressor does not operate when the fan
control knob is in the off position. Press the
air conditioning button to turn the air condi-
tioning system on. When this button is
pressed, the indicator light on the button
will come on to let you know the air condi-
tioning is activated.
To turn off the air conditioning, press the
button again. The indicator button will then
turn off to let you know that the air condi-
tioning is deactivated.
On hot days, open the windows to let hot
inside air escape; then close them. This
helps to reduce the time it takes for your
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Climate Controls:

3-15INSTRUMENT PANEL
85Z14-03E
vehicle to cool down. It also helps the sys-
tem to operate more efficiently.
For quick cool down on hot days, do the
following:
1) Press the recirculation button.
2) Press the A/C button.
3) Select the coolest temperature on the
temperature control knob.
4) Select the highest fan speed on the fan
control knob.
Using these settings together for long peri-
ods of time may cause the air inside of
your vehicle to become too dry. To prevent
this from happening, after the air in your
vehicle has cooled, turn off the recircula-
tion mode by pressing the button again.
The air-conditioning system removes mois-
ture from the air, so you may sometimes
notice a small amount of water dripping
underneath your vehicle while idling or
after turning off the engine. This is normal.Defogging and Defrosting
Fog on the inside of windows is a result of
high humidity (moisture) condensing on
the cool window glass. This can be mini-
mized if the climate control system is used
properly. There are two modes to clear fog
or frost from your windshield and side win-
dows. Use the defog mode to clear the
windows of fog or moisture and warm the
passengers. Use the defrost mode to
remove fog or frost from the windshield
more quickly. For best results, clear all
snow and ice from the windshield before
defrosting. Turn the air distribution knob to
select the defog or defrost mode.(Defog):
This mode directs air to the windshield,
side window outlets and floor outlets.
When you select this mode, the system
runs the air-conditioning compressor. To
defog the windows faster, turn the temper-
ature control knob clockwise to the warm-
est setting.
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Climate Controls:

3-17INSTRUMENT PANEL
85Z14-03E
Outlet AdjustmentUse the lever located in the center of each
outlet to change the direction of the airflow.
Use the thumbwheel located next to the
outlets to turn them on and off.
Operation Tips
 Clear away any ice, snow or leaves from
the air inlets at the base of the vehicle
that may block the flow of air into your
vehicle.
 Use of non-SUZUKI approved hood
deflectors may adversely affect the per-
formance of the system.
 Keep the path under the front seats clear
of objects to help circulate the air inside
of your vehicle more effectively.
Passenger Compartment Air FilterYour vehicle may be equipped with a pas-
senger compartment air filter. It is located
on the passenger side under the glove box.
The filter traps most of the pollen from air
entering the module. Like your engine’s air
cleaner/filter, it may need to be changed
periodically.
To change the passenger compartment air
filter, use the following steps:
1) Remove the four screws from the filter
cover located below the glove box.
2) Remove the filter cover.3) Remove the old passenger compart-
ment air filter.
4) Then reverse the steps to install the
new air filter.
Ensure that the new filter is inserted in
the proper orientation.
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Climate Controls:
Warning Lights, Gauges and Indicators:

3-18
INSTRUMENT PANEL
85Z14-03E
Warning Lights, Gauges and
IndicatorsThis section describes the warning lights
and gauges that may be on your vehicle.
The pictures will help you locate them.
Warning lights and gauges can signal that
something is wrong before it becomes seri-
ous enough to cause an expensive repair
or replacement. Paying attention to your
warning lights and gauges could also save
you or others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may
be or is a problem with one of your vehi-
cle’s functions. As you will see in the
details on the next few pages, some warn-
ing lights come on briefly when you start
the engine just to let you know they’re
working. If you are familiar with this sec-
tion, you should not be alarmed when this
happens.
Gauges can indicate when there may be or
is a problem with one of your vehicle’s
functions. Often gauges and warning lights
work together to let you know when there’s
a problem with your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes on
and stays on when you are driving, or
when one of the gauges shows there may
be a problem, check the gauge that tells
you what to do about it. Please follow this
manual’s advice. Waiting to do repairs can
be costly – and even dangerous. So pleaseget to know your warning lights and
gauges. They’re a big help.
Instrument Panel ClusterYour instrument panel cluster is designed
to let you know at a glance how your vehi-
cle is running. You’ll know how fast you’re
going, how much fuel you’re using and
many other things you’ll need to drive
safely and economically.
Your vehicle has this instrument panel
cluster, which includes indicator warning
lights and gauges that are explained on the
following pages.Speedometer and OdometerYour speedometer lets you see your speed
in both miles per hour (mph) and kilome-
ters per hour (km/h).
Your odometer shows how far your vehicle
has been driven, in miles.
Trip OdometerThe trip odometer can record the number
of kilometers or miles traveled for up to two
trips.
The trip odometer button is located in the
lower right area of the speedometer.
There are two independent trip odometers,
which measure the distances your vehicle
has traveled since you last reset this func-
tion.
You can switch the trip odometer display
between Trip A and Trip B by pressing the
trip odometer button.
To reset each trip meter to zero, press and
hold the trip odometer button until it resets.
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CAUTION
Keep track of your odometer reading
and check the maintenance schedule
regularly for required services.
Increased wear or damage to certain
parts can result from failure to per-
form required services at the proper
mileage intervals.
Warning Lights, Gauges and Indicators: