Brake SUZUKI SX4 2010 1.G User Guide

3-7OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
80J23-03E
For CVT vehicles, always set the parking
brake before moving the gearshift lever to
the “P” (Park) position. If you park on an
incline and shift into “P” before you set the
parking brake, the weight of the vehicle
may make it difficult to shift out of “P” when
you are ready to drive the vehicle. When
preparing to drive the vehicle, move the
gearshift lever out of the “P” position before
releasing the parking brake.
PedalsManual transaxle
79J072
CVT
79J154
WARNING
 Never drive your vehicle with the
parking brake set: rear brake effec-
tiveness can be reduced from over-
heating, brake life may be
shortened or permanent brake
damage may result.
 If the parking brake does not hold
the vehicle securely or does not
fully release, have your vehicle
inspected immediately by an autho-
rized SUZUKI dealer.
WARNING
Always set the parking brake fully
before leaving your vehicle or it may
roll, causing injury or damage. When
parking, make sure the gearshift
lever for manual transaxle vehicles is
in 1st gear or “R” (Reverse) and the
gearshift lever for CVT vehicles is in
“P” (Park). Remember, even though
the transaxle is in gear or in Park, you
must set the parking brake fully.
(1)
(2)
(3)
EXAMPLE
(2) (3)
EXAMPLE
Cruise Control: 7, 8

3-8
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
80J23-03E
Clutch Pedal (1)(For manual transaxle)
The clutch pedal is used to disengage the
drive to the wheels when starting the
engine, stopping or shifting the gearshift
lever. Depressing the pedal disengages
the clutch.Brake Pedal (2)Your SUZUKI vehicle is equipped with
either front and rear disc brakes or front
disc brakes and rear drum brakes.
Depressing the brake pedal applies both
sets of brakes.
You may hear occasional brake squeal
when you apply the brakes. This is a nor-
mal condition caused by environmental
factors such as cold, wet, snow, etc.
Accelerator Pedal (3)This pedal controls the speed of the
engine. Depressing the accelerator pedal
increases power output and speed.
Starting the EngineBefore Starting the Engine1) Make sure the parking brake is set fully.
2) Manual Transaxle – Shift into “N” (Neu-
tral) and depress the clutch pedal all
the way to the floor. Hold the clutch
pedal while starting the engine.
CVT – If the gearshift lever is not in “P”
(Park) position, shift into “P”. (If you
need to re-start the engine while the
vehicle is moving, shift into “N”.)
NOTE:
The engine of manual transaxle vehicle will
not start unless the clutch pedal is
depressed.
NOTE:
CVT vehicles have a starter interlock
device which is designed to keep the
starter from operating if the transaxle is in
any of the drive positions.
CAUTION
Do not drive with your foot resting on
the clutch pedal. It could result in
excessive clutch wear, clutch dam-
age, or unexpected loss of engine
braking.
WARNING
If brake squeal is excessive and
occurs each time the brakes are
applied, you should have the brakes
checked by your SUZUKI dealer.
WARNING
Do not “ride” the brakes by applying
them continuously or resting your
foot on the pedal. This will result in
overheating of the brakes which
could cause unpredictable braking
action, longer stopping distances or
permanent brake damage.
WARNING
Make sure that the parking brake is
set fully and the transaxle is in Neu-
tral (or Park for vehicles with a CVT)
before attempting to start the engine.
Cruise Control: 7, 8
Remote Audio Controls:
Horn: 6

3-10
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
80J23-03E
3) Close the engine hood securely before
starting the engine.
Using the TransaxleManual Transaxle
80J2081
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, which
provides for quiet, and easy shifting.
Always depress the clutch pedal all the
way to the floor before shifting gears. Keep
the engine speed does not rise into the red
zone of the tachometer.
80J2082
Reverse gear: with lifting up ring, shift the
gearshift lever to the right, engage gear.
CAUTION
Secure the block heater cord back to
its original position or to the routed
position. A loose cord could get
caught in the engine accessory drive
belt(s) or other moving parts.
EXAMPLE

3-11OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
80J23-03E
Continuously Variable Transaxle
(CVT)
80J2065
Gearshift lever
80J2035
WARNING
 Reduce your speed and downshift
to a lower gear before going down
a long or steep hill. Downshifting
will allow the engine to provide
braking. Avoid riding the brakes or
they may overheat, resulting in
brake failure.
 When driving on slippery roads, be
sure to slow down before down-
shifting. Large and sudden
changes in engine speed may
cause loss of traction, which could
cause you to lose control.
 Make sure that the vehicle is com-
pletely stopped before you shift
into reverse.
CAUTION
 To help avoid clutch damage, do
not 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 affect
smooth shifting.
WARNING
Always depress the brake pedal
before shifting from “P” (Park) (or
“N” (Neutral) if the vehicle is station-
ary) to a forward or reverse gear, to
help prevent the vehicle from moving
unexpectedly when you shift.

3-12
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
80J23-03E
The gearshift lever has a lock mechanism
to help prevent accidental shifting. To shift
the gearshift lever:
80J2036
NOTE:
 Always shift the gearshift lever without
pushing in the lock button (1) except
when you shift from “P” to “R”, from “N”
to “R” or from “R” to “P”. If you always
push in the lock button (1) when shifting
the gearshift lever, you could shift into
“P” or “R” by mistake.
 If driver’s or passenger’s knee hits the
gearshift lever while driving, the lever
could move and the gear could be
changed unexpectedly.Use the gearshift lever positions as
described below:
P (Park)
Use this position to lock the transaxle
when the vehicle is parked or when start-
ing the engine. Shift into Park only when
the vehicle is completely stationary.
R (Reverse)
Use this position to reverse the vehicle
from stop. Make sure that vehicle is com-
pletely stationary before shifting into
Reverse.
N (Neutral)
Use this position for starting the engine if
the engine stalls and you need to restart it
while the vehicle is moving. You may also
shift into Neutral and depress the brake
pedal to hold the vehicle stationary during
idling. Shift with the lock button (1)
pushed in and the brake pedal
depressed.
Shift with the lock button (1)
pushed in.
Shift without the lock button (1)
pushed in.
(1)
CAUTION
Do not shift the gearshift lever into
“R” while moving forward, or the
transaxle may be damaged. If you
shift into “R” when the vehicle speed
is over 6mph (10km/h), the transaxle
will not shift into reverse.

3-13OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
80J23-03E
D (Drive)
Use this position for all normal driving.
With the gearshift lever in “D” range you
can get an automatic downshift by press-
ing the accelerator pedal. The higher the
vehicle speed is, the more you need to
press the accelerator pedal to get a down-
shift.
M (manual mode)
Use this position for driving in the manual
mode.
Refer to “Manual mode” later in this section
for details on how to use the manual mode.Manual mode
The CVT can shift gears automatically.
When using the manual mode, you can
shift gears in the same manner as conven-
tional manual transaxle.
To use the manual mode, shift the gearshift
lever from “D” to “M”.
80J2037
80J2073
(1) Manual mode indicator
(2) Gear positionThe information display shows the manual
mode indicator (1) and the current gear
position (2).
NOTE:
 The indicated gear position on the infor-
mation display when you shift from “D” to
“M” is the gear position that was selected
automatically when the gearshift lever
was in “D”.
 You can change to the manual mode
temporarily by pulling the shift paddle (if
equipped) on the steering wheel toward
you when the gearshift lever is in “D”.
Shifting in the manual mode
You can shift gears from 1st to 6th depend-
ing on driving speed.
NOTE:
 When the engine is revved, the gear is
shifted up automatically to prevent dam-
age to the engine and the transaxle. If
the CVT fluid becomes hot such as
when driving on up hill, the engine speed
at which shifting occurs may be lower
than usual.
 When the driving speed becomes slow,
the gear shifts down automatically, and
when the vehicle stops, the gear position
will be in 1st gear without shifting the
gearshift lever.
 If you depress the accelerator pedal a
certain amount, the gear shifts down
automatically even if the gearshift lever
is in the manual mode.
CAUTION
Be sure to take the following precau-
tions to help avoid damage to the
CVT:
 Make sure that the vehicle is com-
pletely stationary before shifting
into “P” or “R”.
 Do not shift from “P” or “N” to “R”,
“D” or “M” when the engine is run-
ning above idle speed.
 Do not rev the engine with the tran-
saxle in a drive position (“R”, “D”
or “M”) and the front wheels not
moving.
 Do not use the accelerator to hold
the vehicle on a hill. Use the vehi-
cle’s brakes.
(1)
(2)
EXAMPLE

3-15OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
80J23-03E
Canceling the manual mode
To cancel the manual mode, shift the gear-
shift lever from “M” to “D”.
Temporary manual mode
Pull the shift paddle (if equipped) toward
you when driving with the gearshift lever in
the “D” position. The information display
shows the manual mode indicator (1) and
the current gear position (2).
80J2073
(1) Manual mode indicator
(2) Gear position
The temporary manual mode will be can-
celed automatically in the following situa-
tions.
 When you press and hold the accelera-
tor pedal for a certain period of time with-
out shifting gears.
 When driving speed becomes slow.If You Cannot Shift CVT Gearshift Lever
Out of “P” (PARK)
80J2040
Vehicles with a CVT have an electrically
operated park-lock feature. If the vehicle’s
battery is discharged, or there is some
other electrical failure, the CVT cannot be
shifted out of Park in the normal way. Jump
starting may correct the condition. If not,
follow the procedure described below. This
procedure will permit changing the tran-
saxle out of Park.
1) Be sure the parking brake is firmly
applied.
2) If the engine is running, stop the
engine.
3) Make sure the key is in the “ON” or
“ACC” position.
4) Remove the cover (1) over the button.
5) With pushing the release button by the
key or the flat end rod, shift the gear-
shift lever to the desired position.This procedure is for emergency use only.
If repeated use of this procedure is neces-
sary, or the procedure does not work as
described, take the vehicle to your dealer
for repair.
(1)
(2)
EXAMPLE
(1)

3-19OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
80J23-03E
To Set Cruising Speed1) Turn on the cruise control system by
pushing the “CRUISE” switch (1). When
the “CRUISE” indicator light comes on,
you can set cruising speed.
2) Accelerate or decelerate to the desired
speed.
3) Push the “SET/COAST” switch (3) and
turn on the “SET” indicator light. Take
your foot off the accelerator pedal and
the set speed will be maintained.“CRUISE” indicator light
52D113
When you push the “CRUISE” switch, the
system is on and a “CRUISE” indicator
light on the instrument cluster will be on.
“SET” indicator light
65D474
When the vehicle’s speed is controlled by
the cruise control system, a “SET” indica-
tor light on the instrument cluster will be
on.To Change Speed Temporarily
When the cruising speed is maintained,
you can temporarily accelerate or deceler-
ate.
To accelerate, depress the accelerator
pedal. When you take your foot off the
pedal, your vehicle will return to the set
speed.
To decelerate, depress the brake pedal.
The set speed will be canceled and “SET”
indicator light will go off.
To resume the previously set speed, push
the “RES/ACC” switch (4) and turn on the
“SET” indicator light again when vehicle
speed is above 25 mph (40 km/h). The
vehicle will accelerate to and maintain the
previously set speed.
NOTE:
For CVT vehicle, when the cruising speed
is maintained, you cannot decelerate by
using the engine brake if you downshift
from higher gear to 3rd in the manual
mode.
To decelerate while the cruise control is on,
depress the brake pedal or push the “SET/
COAST” switch (3).
WARNING
If the cruising speed is set by acci-
dent, you cannot decelerate or could
loose control of the vehicle. This
could lead to an accident, resulting in
severe injury or death.
Turn off the cruise control system
and make sure the “CRUISE” indica-
tor light is off when the system is not
in use.

3-20
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
80J23-03E
To Change Cruising Speed
Using the accelerator pedal
To reset at a faster cruising speed, acceler-
ate to the desired speed using the acceler-
ator pedal and push the “SET/COAST”
switch (3). The new speed will be main-
tained.
Using the brake pedal
To reset at a slower cruising speed, decel-
erate to the desired speed using the brake
pedal and push the “SET/COAST” switch
(3). The new speed will be maintained.
NOTE:
When the brake pedal is depressed, the
“SET” indicator light goes off until reset the
cruising speed.
Using the cruise control switch
To reset at a faster cruising speed, press
repeatedly or hold in the “RES/ACC”
switch (4). Vehicle speed will steadily
increase. When you release the switch, the
new speed will be maintained.
To reset at a slower cruising speed, press
repeatedly or hold in the “SET/COAST”
switch (3) until the vehicle has slowed to
the desired speed, then release the switch.
The new speed will be maintained.
NOTE:
You can adjust the set speed by approxi-
mately 1.0 mph (1.6 km/h) by pushing a
cruise control switch quickly.Cancellation of the Cruise Control
The “SET” indicator light will go off and the
cruise control will be canceled temporarily
with following procedures:
 Push the “CANCEL” switch (2).
 Depress the brake pedal.
 For manual transaxle, depress the clutch
pedal.
 For CVT, downshift from 3rd to 2nd in the
manual mode.
 The vehicle speed falls more than about
20 percent from the set speed.
 Any time the vehicle speed falls below
25 mph (40 km/h).
 When the vehicle skids and ESP
® (if
equipped) is activated.
To resume the previously set speed, push
the “RES/ACC” switch (4) and turn on the
“SET” indicator light. Besides, the vehicle
speed has to be above 25 mph (40 km/h)
when the vehicle is not in the above condi-
tions.
To turn off the cruise control system, push
the “CRUISE” switch (1) and make sure
the “CRUISE” indicator light is off.
Also, if the malfunction indicator light in the
instrument cluster comes on or blinks, the
cruise control system will be turned off.
NOTE:
If you turn off the cruise control system, the
previously set speed in the memory is
cleared. Reset your cruising speed again.
Braking
60G165
The distance needed to bring any vehicle
to a halt increases with the speed of the
vehicle. The braking distance needed, for
example, at 60 km/h (37 mph) will be
approximately 4 times greater than the
braking distance needed at 30 km/h (19
mph). Start to brake the vehicle when there
is plenty of distance between your vehicle
and the stopping point, and slow down
gradually.

3-21OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
80J23-03E
Power-Assisted BrakesYour vehicle has power-assisted brakes. If
power assistance is lost due to a stalled
engine or other failures, the system is still
fully operational on reserve power and you
can bring the vehicle to a complete stop by
pressing the brake pedal once and holding
it down. The reserve power is partly used
up when you depress the brake pedal and
reduces each time the pedal is pressed.
Apply smooth and even pressure to the
pedal. Do not pump the pedal.
Brake Assist SystemWhen you slam the brakes on, the brake
assist system judges as an emergency
stop and provides more powerful braking
for a driver who cannot hold down the
brake pedal firmly.
NOTE:
If you quickly and forcefully depress the
brakes, you may hear a clicking sound in
the brake pedal. This is normal and indi-
cates that the brake assist system is acti-
vated properly.
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
(if equipped)ABS will help you avoid skidding by elec-
tronically controlling braking pressure. It
will also help you maintain steering control
when braking on slippery surfaces or when
braking hard.
The ABS works automatically, so you do
not need any special braking technique.
Just push the brake pedal down without
pumping. The ABS will operate whenever it
senses that the wheels are locking up.
You may feel the brake pedal pulsate while
the ABS is operating.
NOTE:
The ABS will not work if vehicle speed is
under about 6 km/h (4mph).
WARNING
If water gets into the brake drums,
brake performance may become poor
and unpredictable.
After driving through water or wash-
ing the underside of the vehicle, test
the brakes while driving at a slow
speed to see if they have maintained
their normal effectiveness. If the
brakes are less effective than normal,
dry them by repeatedly applying the
brakes while driving slowly until the
brakes have regained their normal
effectiveness.
WARNING
Even without reserve power in the
brake system, you can still stop the
vehicle by pressing the brake pedal
harder than normally required. How-
ever, the stopping distance may be
longer.