steering SUZUKI RENO 2008 1.G Owner's Manual

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Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be
more effective than braking. For example,
you come over a hill and find a truck
stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly
pulls out from nowhere, or a child darts out
from between parked cars and stops right
in front of you. You can avoid these prob-
lems by braking – if you can stop in time.
But sometimes you can’t; there isn’t room.
That’s the time for evasive action – steer-
ing around the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emer-
gencies like these. First apply your brakes
but, unless you have anti-lock, not enough
to lock your wheels.
See “Braking” in this section. It is better to
remove as much speed as you can from a
possible collision. Then steer around the
problem, to the left or right depending on
the space available.An emergency like this requires close
attention and a quick decision. If you are
holding the steering wheel at the recom-
mended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly with-
out removing either hand. But you have to
act fast, steer quickly, and just as quickly
straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations
are always possible is a good reason to
practice defensive driving at all times and
wear safety belts properly.
Off-Road RecoveryYou may find that your right wheels have
dropped off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while you’re driving.If the level of the shoulder is only slightly
below the pavement, recovery should be
fairly easy. Ease off the accelerator and
then, if there is nothing in the way, steer so
that your vehicle straddles the edge of the
pavement. You can turn the steering wheel
up to one-quarter turn until the right front
tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn
your steering wheel to go straight down the
roadway.
Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass
another on a two-lane highway waits for
just the right moment, accelerates, moves
around the vehicle ahead, then goes back
into the right lane again. A simple maneu-
ver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle
on a two-lane highway is a potentially dan-
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gerous move, since the passing vehicle
occupies the same lane as oncoming traf-
fic for several seconds. A miscalculation,
an error in judgment, or a brief surrender to
frustration or anger can suddenly put the
passing driver face to face with the worst of
all traffic accidents – the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
 “Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to
the sides and to crossroads for situa-
tions that might affect your passing pat-
terns. If you have any doubt whatsoever
about making a successful pass, wait for
a better time.
 Watch for traffic signs, pavement mark-
ings and lines. If you can see a sign up
ahead that might indicate a turn or an
intersection, delay your pass. A broken
center line usually indicates it’s all right
to pass (providing the road ahead is
clear). Never cross a solid line on your
side of the lane or a double solid line,
even if the road seems empty of
approaching traffic.
 Do not get too close to the vehicle you
want to pass while you’re awaiting an
opportunity. For one thing, following too
closely reduces your area of vision,
especially if you’re following a larger
vehicle. Also, you won’t have adequate
space if the vehicle ahead suddenly
slows or stops. Keep back a reasonable
distance.
 When it looks like a chance to pass is
coming up, start to accelerate but stay inthe right lane and don’t get too close.
Time your move so you will be increas-
ing speed as the time comes to move
into the other lane. If the way is clear to
pass, you will have a “running start” that
more than makes up for the distance you
would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to can-
cel your pass, you need only slow down
and drop back again and wait for another
opportunity.
 If other vehicles are lined up to pass a
slow vehicle, wait your turn. But take
care that someone isn’t trying to pass
you as you pull out to pass the slow vehi-
cle. Remember to glance over your
shoulder and check the blind spot.
 Check your mirrors, glance over your
shoulder, and start your left lane change
signal before moving out of the right lane
to pass. When you are far enough ahead
of the passed vehicle to see its front in
your inside mirror, activate your right
lane change signal and move back into
the right lane. (Remember that your right
outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away
from you than it really is.)
 Try not to pass more than one vehicle at
a time on two-lane roads. Reconsider
before passing the next vehicle.
 Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle
too rapidly. Even though the brake lamps
are not flashing, it may be slowing down
or starting to turn. If you’re being passed, make it easy for
the following driver to get ahead of you.
Perhaps you can ease a little to the right.
Loss of ControlLet’s review what driving experts say about
what happens when the three control sys-
tems (brakes, steering and acceleration)
don’t have enough friction where the tires
meet the road to do what the driver has
asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep try-
ing to steer and constantly seek an escape
route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the
vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid most skids
by taking reasonable care suited to exist-
ing conditions, and by not “overdriving”
those conditions. But skids are always pos-
sible.
The three types of skids correspond to
your vehicle’s three control systems. In the
braking skid, your wheels aren’t rolling. In
the steering or cornering skid, too much
speed or steering in a curve causes tires to
slip and lose cornering force. And in the
acceleration skid, too much throttle causes
the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing
your foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your
foot off the accelerator pedal and quickly
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steer the way you want the vehicle to go. If
you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be
ready for a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water,
snow, ice, gravel or other material is on the
road. For safety, you’ll want to slow down
and adjust your driving to these conditions.
It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be
longer and vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced
traction, try your best to avoid sudden
steering, acceleration or braking (including
engine braking by shifting to a lower gear).
Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is
slippery until your vehicle is skidding.
Learn to recognize warning clues – such
as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a “mirrored surface” –
and slow down when you have any doubt.
If you have the anti-lock braking system,
remember: It helps avoid only the braking
skid. If you do not have anti-lock, then in a
braking skid (where the wheels are no
longer rolling), release enough pressure
on the brakes to get the wheels rolling
again. This restores steering control. Push
the brake pedal down steadily when you
have to stop suddenly. As long as the
wheels are rolling, you will have steering
control.
Driving at NightNight driving is more dangerous than day
driving. One reason is that some drivers
are likely to be impaired – by alcohol or
drugs, with night vision problems, or by
fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
 Drive defensively.
 Don’t drink and drive.
 Adjust your inside rearview mirror to
reduce the glare from headlamps behind
you.
 Since you can’t see as well, you may
need to slow down and keep more space
between you and other vehicles.
 Slow down, especially on higher speed
roads. Your headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
 In remote areas, watch for animals. If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe
place and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the
daytime. But as we get older these differ-
ences increase. A 50-year-old driver may
require at least twice as much light to see
the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect
your night vision. For example, if you
spend the day in bright sunshine you are
wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting to night. But if
you’re driving, don’t wear sunglasses at
night. They may cut down on glare from
headlamps, but they also make a lot of
things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by
approaching headlamps. It can take a sec-
ond or two, or even several seconds, for
your eyes to readjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare (as from a
driver who doesn’t lower the high beams,
or a vehicle with misaimed headlamps),
slow down a little. Avoid staring directly
into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on
your vehicle clean – inside and out. Glare
at night is made much worse by dirt on the
glass. Even the inside of the glass can
build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass
makes lights dazzle and flash more than
clean glass would, making the pupils of
your eyes contract repeatedly.
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cle’s stability when you make a hard stop
on a slippery road.) Whether you have an
anti-lock braking system or not, you’ll want
to begin stopping sooner than you would
on dry pavement. Without anti-lock brakes,
if you feel your vehicle begin to slide, let up
on the brakes a little. Push the brake pedal
down steadily to get the most traction you
can.
Remember, unless you have anti-lock, if
you brake so hard that your wheels stop
rolling, you’ll just slide. Brake so your
wheels always keep rolling and you can
still steer.
 Whatever your braking system, allow
greater following distance on any slip-
pery road.
 Watch for slippery spots. The road might
be fine until you hit a spot that’s covered
with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice
patches may appear in shaded areas
where the sun can’t reach: around
clumps of trees, behind buildings or
under bridges. Sometimes the surface of
a curve or an overpass may remain icy
when the surrounding roads are clear. If
you see a patch of ice ahead of you,
brake before you are on it. Try not to
brake while you’re actually on the ice,
and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you
could be in a serious situation. You should
probably stay with your vehicle unless you
know for sure that you are near help and
you can hike through the snow. Here are
some things to do to summon help and
keep yourself and your passengers safe:
 Turn on your hazard flashers.
 Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert
police that you’ve been stopped by the
snow.
 Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket
around you. If you have no blankets or
extra clothing, make body insulators
from newspapers, burlap bags, rags,
floor mats – anything you can wrap
around yourself or tuck under your cloth-
ing to keep warm.You can run the engine to keep warm, but
be careful.
WARNING
Snow can trap exhaust gases under
your vehicle. This can cause deadly
CO (carbon monoxide) gas to get
inside. CO could overcome you and
kill you. You can’t see it or smell it, so
you might not know it is in your vehi-
cle. Clear away snow from around the
base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe.
And check around again from time to
time to be sure snow doesn’t collect
there.
Open a window just a little on the
side of the vehicle that’s away from
the wind. This will help keep CO out.
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Run your engine only as long as you must.
This saves fuel. When you run the engine,
make it go a little faster than just idle. That
is, push the accelerator slightly. This uses
less fuel for the heat that you get and it
keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle,
and possibly for signaling later on with your
headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the
window almost all the way to preserve the
heat. Start the engine again and repeat
this only when you feel really uncomfort-
able from the cold. But do it as little as pos-
sible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can.
To help keep warm, you can get out of the
vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exer-
cises every half hour or so until help
comes.
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or
Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is
stuck, you will need to spin the wheels, but
you don’t want to spin your wheels too fast.
The method known as “rocking” can help
you get out when you’re stuck, but you
must use caution.For information about using tire chains on
your vehicle, see “Tire Chains” in section 5.Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and
right. That will clear the area around your
front wheels. Then shift back and forth
between REVERSE (R) and a forward
gear (or with a manual transmission,
between FIRST (1) or SECOND (2) and
REVERSE (R)), spinning the wheels as lit-
tle as possible. Release the accelerator
pedal while you shift, and press lightly on
the accelerator pedal when the transmis-
sion is in gear. By slowly spinning your
wheels in the forward and reverse direc-
tions, you will cause a rocking motion that
may free your vehicle. If that doesn’t get
you out after a few tries, you may need to
be towed out. If you do need to be towed
out, see “Towing Your Vehicle” in the fol-
lowing section.
WARNING
If you let your tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you or
others could be injured. And, the
transmission or other parts of the
vehicle can overheat. That could
cause an engine compartment fire or
other damage. When you’re stuck,
spin the wheels as little as possible.
Don’t spin the wheels above 35 mph
(55 km/h) as shown on the speedom-
eter.
CAUTION
Spinning your wheels can destroy
parts of your vehicle as well as the
tires. If you spin the wheels too fast
while shifting your transmission back
and forth, you can destroy your trans-
mission. See “Rocking Your Vehicle
To Get It Out.”
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4-17DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
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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
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DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
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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. 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.
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Engine Compartment OverviewWhen you open the hood on the engine, you’ll see the following:
A. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
B. Engine Oil Filler Cap
C. Brake/Clutch Fluid Reservoir
D. Engine Coolant Surge Tank
E. Underhood Fuse BlockF. B a t t e r y
G. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
H. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
I. Engine Oil Dipstick
N5U5007A
A
B
D
EG
H
I
F
C
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5-17SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
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2) Then keep turning the pressure cap
slowly, and remove it.
3) Fill the coolant surge tank with the
proper mixture to the MAX mark on the
coolant surge tank. Wait about five min-
utes, then check to see if the level is
below the MAX mark. If the level is
below the MAX mark, add additional
coolant to bring the level up to the MAX
mark. Repeat this procedure until the
level remains constant at the MAX mark
for at least five minutes.
4) With the coolant surge tank pressure
cap off, start the engine and let it run
until you can feel the upper radiator
hose getting hot. Watch out for the
engine cooling fan.
By this time, the coolant level inside the
coolant surge tank may be lower. If thelevel is lower than the MAX mark, add
more of the proper mixture to the cool-
ant surge tank until the level reaches
the MAX mark.
5) Then replace the pressure cap. Be sure
the pressure cap is hand-tight and fully
seated. See your SUZUKI dealer, if
necessary.
Power Steering FluidThe power steering fluid reservoir is
located toward the front of the engine com-
partment on the driver’s side of the vehicle.
See “Engine Compartment Overview” in
this section for more information on loca-
tion.
When to Check Power Steering Fluid
It is not necessary to regularly check
power steering fluid unless you suspect
there is a leak in the system or you hear an
unusual noise. A fluid loss in this system
could indicate a problem. Have the system
inspected and repaired.How to Check Power Steering Fluid
Turn the key off and then check the fluid
level. The level should be between the MIN
and MAX marks on the reservoir. If the
level is below the MIN mark, add power
steering fluid.
What to Use
To determine what kind of fluid to use, see
“Recommended Fluids and Lubricants” in
section 6. Always use the proper fluid. Fail-
ure to use the proper fluid can cause leaks
and can damage hoses and seals.
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5-29SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
85Z14-03E
number is, the greater the load carry-
ing capacity. The letter symbol
denotes the speed at which a tire is
designed to be driven for extended
periods of time. (Ratings are listed
below.)
*The letters ZR may be used on tires with a
maximum speed capability over 149 mph
and will always be used on tires with a
maximum speed capability over 186 mph.Compact Spare Tire Example
A. Temporary Use Only Marking
The compact spare tire should not be
driven at speeds over 50 mph (80 km/
h). The compact spare tire is for
emergency use when a regular road
tire has lost air and gone flat. See
“Compact Spare Tire” and “If a Tire
Goes Flat” in this section.
B. Tire Ply Material
The type of cord and number of plies
in the sidewall and under the tread.
C. Tire Identification Number (TIN)
The Tire Identification Number (TIN)
shows the manufacturer and plant
code, tire size, and date the tire was
manufactured. The TIN is molded
onto both sides of the tire, although
only one side may have the date of
manufacture.
D. Maximum Cold Inflation Load Limit
Maximum load that can be carriedand the maximum pressure needed to
support that load. See “Compact
Spare Tire” in this section and “Load-
ing Your Vehicle” in section 4.
E. Tire Inflation Pressure
The temporary use tire or compact
spare tire should be inflated to 60 psi
(420 kPa). For more information on
tire pressure and inflation, see “Tire
Inflation Pressure” in this section.
F. T i r e S i z e
A combination of letters and numbers
defining a tire’s width, height, aspect
ratio, construction type and service
description. The letter “T” as the first
character in the tire size means the
tire is for temporary use only.
Tire Size
Letter Rating Speed Rating
Q 99 mph
R106 mph
S112 mph
T118 mph
U124 mph
H130 mph
V149 mph
W 168 mph*
Y 186 mph*
WARNING
Your SUZUKI is equipped with tires
which are all the same type and size.
This is important to ensure proper
steering and handling of the vehicle.
Never mix tires of different size or
type on the four wheels of your vehi-
cle. Mixing tires could cause you to
lose control while driving which may
lead to an accident. The size and type
of tires used should be only those
approved by SUZUKI Motor Corpora-
tion as standard or optional equip-
ment for your vehicle.
Tires: