SUZUKI XL7 2007 2.G Owner's Manual

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Safety BeltsSafety Belts: They Are for EveryoneThis part of the manual tells you how to
use safety belts properly. It also tells you
some things you should not do with safety
belts.Your vehicle has indicators to remind you
and your passengers to buckle your safety
belts. Refer to “Safety Belt Reminder Light”
and “Passenger Safety Belt Reminder
Light” in “Warning Lights, Gages, and Indi-
cators” in the “Instrument Panel” section.
In most states and in all Canadian prov-
inces, the law says to wear safety belts.
Here is why: They work.
You never know if you will be in a crash. If
you do have a crash, you do not know if it
will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes
can be so serious that even buckled up, a
person would not survive. But most
crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and
sometimes walk away. Without belts they
could have been badly hurt or killed.
After more than 40 years of safety belts in
vehicles, the facts are clear. In most
crashes buckling up does matter ... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as
fast as it goes.
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Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is
just a seat on wheels.
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Put someone on it.
WARNING
Do not let anyone ride where he or
she cannot wear a safety belt prop-
erly. If you are in a crash and you are
not wearing a safety belt, your inju-
ries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle or be
ejected from it. You can be seriously
injured or killed. In the same crash,
you might not be, if you are buckled
up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers’
belts are fastened properly too.
WARNING
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a
cargo area, inside or outside of a
vehicle. In a collision, people riding
in these areas are more likely to be
seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of
your vehicle that is not equipped with
seats and safety belts. Be sure every-
one in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a safety belt properly.

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Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle.
The rider does not stop.
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The person keeps going until stopped by
something. In a real vehicle, it could be the
windshield...
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or the instrument panel...
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or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the
vehicle does. You get more time to stop.
You stop over more distance, and yourstrongest bones take the forces. That is
why safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety BeltsQuestion:
Will I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I am wearing a safety belt?
Answer:
You could be – whether you are wearing a
safety belt or not. But you can unbuckle a
safety belt, even if you are upside down.
And your chance of being conscious dur-
ing and after an accident, so you can
unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
Question:
If my vehicle has airbags, why should I
have to wear safety belts?
Answer:
Airbags are supplemental systems only; so
they work with safety belts – not instead of
them. Every airbag system ever offered for
sale has required the use of safety belts.
Even if you are in a vehicle that has air-
bags, you still have to buckle up to get the
most protection. That is true not only in
frontal collisions, but especially in side and
other collisions.

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Question:
If I am a good driver, and I never drive
far from home, why should I wear safety
belts?
Answer:
You may be an excellent driver, but if you
are in an accident – even one that is not
your fault – you and your passengers can
be hurt. Being a good driver does not pro-
tect you from things beyond your control,
such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40
km) of home. And the greatest number of
serious injuries and deaths occur at
speeds of less than 40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.How to Wear Safety Belts ProperlyThis part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to
know about safety belts and children. And
there are different rules for smaller children
and babies. If a child will be riding in your
vehicle, refer to “Older Children” or “Infants
and Young Children” in this section. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you will want to know which restraint
systems your vehicle has.
We will start with the driver position.
Driver PositionLap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here is
how to wear it properly.
1) Close and lock the door.
2) Adjust the seat so you can sit up
straight. To see how, see “Seats” in the
Index.
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3) Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt
across you. Do not let it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you
pull the belt across you very quickly. If
this happens, let the belt go back
slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
4) Push the latch plate into the buckle until
it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure
it is secure. If the belt is not long
enough, refer to “Safety Belt Extender”in this section.
Make sure the release button on the
buckle is positioned so you would be
able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly
if you ever had to.
5) Move the shoulder belt height adjuster
to the height that is right for you.
Improper shoulder belt height adjust-
ment could reduce the effectiveness of
the safety belt in a crash. Refer to
“Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment” in
this section.
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6) To make the lap part tight, pull up on
the shoulder belt.

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It may be necessary to pull stitching on the
safety belt through the latch plate to fully
tighten the lap belt on smaller occupants.
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The lap part of the belt should be worn low
and snug on the hips, just touching the
thighs. In a crash, this applies force to the
strong pelvic bones. And you would be
less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you
slid under it, the belt would apply force at
your abdomen. This could cause serious
or even fatal injuries. The shoulder belt
should go over the shoulder and across
the chest. These parts of the body are best
able to take belt restraining forces.
The safety belt locks if there is a sudden
stop or crash.Question:
What is wrong with this?
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Answer:
The shoulder belt is too loose. It will not
give nearly as much protection this way.Question:
What is wrong with this?
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Answer:
The lap belt is too loose. It will not give
nearly as much protection this way.
WARNING
You can be seriously hurt if your
shoulder belt is too loose. In a crash,
you would move forward too much,
which could increase injury. The
shoulder belt should fit against your
body.
WARNING
You can be seriously hurt if your lap
belt is too loose. In a crash, you
could slide under the lap belt and
apply force at your abdomen. This
could cause serious or even fatal
injuries. The lap belt should be worn
low and snug on the hips, just touch-
ing the thighs.

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Question:
What is wrong with this?
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Answer:
The belt is buckled in the wrong place.Question:
What is wrong with this?
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Answer:
The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It
should be worn over the shoulder at all
times.Question:
What is wrong with this?
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Answer:
The belt is twisted across the body.
WARNING
You can be seriously injured if your
belt is buckled in the wrong place like
this. In a crash, the belt would go up
over your abdomen. The belt forces
would be there, not at the pelvic
bones. This could cause serious
internal injuries. Always buckle your
belt into the buckle nearest you.
WARNING
You can be seriously injured if you
wear the shoulder belt under your
arm. In a crash, your body would
move too far forward, which would
increase the chance of head and neck
injury. Also, the belt would apply too
much force to the ribs, which are not
as strong as shoulder bones. You
could also severely injure internal
organs like your liver or spleen.
WARNING
You can be seriously injured by a
twisted belt. In a crash, you would
not have the full width of the belt to
spread impact forces. If a belt is
twisted, make it straight so it can
work properly, or ask your dealer to
fix it.

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To unlatch the belt, push the button on the
buckle. The belt should go back out of the
way.
Before you close the door, be sure the belt
is out of the way. If you slam the door on it,
you can damage both the belt and your
vehicle.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment
Before you begin to drive, move the shoul-
der belt height adjuster to the height that is
right for you.
Adjust the height so that the shoulder por-
tion of the belt is centered on your shoul-
der. The belt should be away from your
face and neck, but not falling off your
shoulder. Improper shoulder belt height
adjustment could reduce the effectiveness
of the safety belt in a crash.
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To move it up or down, squeeze the
release buttons (A) together and move the
height adjuster to the desired position.
After you move the height adjuster to
where you want it, try to move it up or
down without squeezing the release but-
tons to make sure it has locked into posi-
tion.
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including
pregnant women. Like all occupants, they
are more likely to be seriously injured if
they do not wear safety belts.
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A pregnant woman should wear a lap-
shoulder belt, and the lap portion should
be worn as low as possible, below the
rounding, throughout the pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is to pro-
tect the mother. When a safety belt is worn
properly, it is more likely that the fetus will
not be hurt in a crash. For pregnant
women, as for anyone, the key to making
safety belts effective is wearing them prop-
erly.

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Right Front Passenger PositionTo learn how to wear the right front pas-
senger’s safety belt properly, refer to
“Driver Position” in this section.
The right front passenger’s safety belt
works the same way as the driver’s safety
belt – except for the following.
If you ever pull the shoulder portion of the
belt out all the way, you will engage the
child restraint locking feature. If this hap-
pens, just let the belt go back all the way
and start again.
When the safety belt is not in use, slide the
latch plate up the safety belt webbing. The
latch plate should rest on the stitching on
the safety belt, near the guide loop.Rear Seat PassengersIt is very important for rear seat passen-
gers to buckle up! Accident statistics show
that unbelted people in the rear seat are
hurt more often in crashes than those who
are wearing safety belts.
Rear passengers who are not safety belted
can be thrown out of the vehicle in a crash.
And they can strike others in the vehicle
who are wearing safety belts.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All rear seat positions have lap-shoulder
belts. Here is how to wear one properly.
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1) Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt
across you. Do not let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock if you pull
the belt across you very quickly. If this
happens, let the belt go back slightly to
unlock it. Then pull the belt across you
more slowly.
2) Push the latch plate into the buckle until
it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure
it is secure.
When the shoulder belt is pulled out all
the way, it will lock. If it does, let it go
back all the way and start again.
If the belt is not long enough, refer to
“Safety Belt Extender” in this section.
Make sure the release button on the
buckle is positioned so you would be
able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly
if you ever had to.
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3) To make the lap part tight, pull up on
the shoulder part.
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The lap part of the belt should be worn low
and snug on the hips, just touching the
thighs. In a crash, this applies force to the

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strong pelvic bones. And you would be
less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you
slid under it, the belt would apply force at
your abdomen. This could cause serious
or even fatal injuries. The shoulder belt
should go over the shoulder and across
the chest. These parts of the body are best
able to take belt restraining forces.
The safety belt locks if there is a sudden
stop or a crash.Question:
What is wrong with this?
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Answer:
The belt is over an armrest.
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To unlatch the belt, push the button on the
buckle.
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides may
provide added safety belt comfort for older
children who have outgrown booster seats
and for some adults. When installed on a
shoulder belt, the comfort guide positions
the belt away from the neck and head.
There is one guide available for each out-
board passenger position in the rear seat.
Here is how to install a comfort guide to
the safety belt:
1) Remove the guide from its storage clip
on the back of the seatback.
WARNING
You can be seriously hurt if your
shoulder belt is too loose. In a crash,
you would move forward too much,
which could increase injury. The
shoulder belt should fit against your
body.
WARNING
You can be seriously injured if your
belt goes over an armrest like this.
The belt would be much too high. In a
crash, you can slide under the belt.
The belt force would then be applied
at the abdomen, not at the pelvic
bones, and that could cause serious
or fatal injuries. Be sure the belt goes
under the armrests.

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2) Slide the guide under and past the belt.
The elastic cord must be under the belt.
Then, place the guide over the belt, and
insert the two edges of the belt into the
slots of the guide.
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3) Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it
lies flat. The elastic cord must be under
the belt and the guide on top.
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4) Buckle, position, and release the safety
belt as described in “Rear Seat Passen-
gers” in this section. Make sure that the
shoulder belt crosses the shoulder.
To remove and store the comfort guide,
squeeze the belt edges together so that
you can take them out of the guide. Slide
the guide back onto its storage clip located
on the seatback.
WARNING
A safety belt that is not properly worn
may not provide the protection
needed in a crash. The person wear-
ing the belt could be seriously
injured. The shoulder belt should go
over the shoulder and across the
chest. These parts of the body are
best able to take belt restraining
forces.

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Safety Belt PretensionersYour vehicle has safety belt pretensioners
for the driver and right front passenger.
Although you cannot see them, they are
part of the safety belt assembly. They help
tighten the safety belts during the early
stages of a moderate to severe frontal,
near frontal, rear or side crash, or a roll-
over if the threshold conditions for preten-
sioner activation are met.
Pretensioners work only once. If they acti-
vate in a crash, you will need to get new
ones, and probably other new parts for
your safety belt system. Refer to “Replac-
ing Restraint System Parts After a Crash”
in this section.Safety Belt ExtenderIf the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around
you, you should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long enough, your
dealer will order you an extender. When
you go in to order it, take the heaviest coat
you will wear, so the extender will be long
enough for you. To help avoid personal
injury, do not let someone else use it, and
use it only for the seat it is made to fit. The
extender has been designed for adults.
Never use it for securing child seats. To
wear it, just attach it to the regular safety
belt. For more information see the instruc-
tion sheet that comes with the extender.
Child RestraintsOlder Children
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Older children who have outgrown booster
seats should wear the vehicle’s safety
belts.
Question:
What is the proper way to wear safety
belts?
Answer:
An older child should wear a lap-shoulder
belt and get the additional restraint a
shoulder belt can provide. The shoulder
belt should not cross the face or neck. The
lap belt should fit snugly below the hips,
just touching the top of the thighs. It should
never be worn over the abdomen, which
could cause severe or even fatal internal
injuries in a crash.According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front
seating positions.
In a crash, children who are not buckled up
can strike other people who are buckled
up, or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
Older children need to use safety belts
properly.
WARNING
Never do this.
Here two children are wearing the
same belt. The belt cannot properly
spread the impact forces. In a crash,
the two children can be crushed
together and seriously injured. A belt
must be used by only one person at a
time.