Get Operating Your Vehicle Guide for Suzuki Alto 4 Door Sixth Generation (2004-2008)

76G-74E

OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE

Exhaust Gas Warning ....................................................................................... 7-1

Daily Inspection Checklist ................................................................................ 7-1

Starting the Engine ........................................................................................... 7-2

Using the Transmission .................................................................................... 7-3

Braking .................................................................................................................7-4

Running-in ............................................................................................................7-5

Catalytic Converter ............................................................................................ 7-5

Improving Fuel Economy ................................................................................. 7-6

Trailer Towing .....................................................................................................7-7

76G-74E

EXHAUST GAS WARNING

with the engine running, make sure

the air intake lever is set to “FRESH

AIR” and the fan is at high speed.

• Avoid operating the vehicle with the

rearend door open. If it is necessary

to operate the vehicle with the

rearend door open, make sure all

the windows are closed and the fan

is at high speed with the air intake

lever set to "FRESH AIR".

• To allow proper operation of your

vehicle’s ventilation system, keep

the air inlet grille in front of the

windscreen clear of snow, leaves, or

other obstructions at all times.

• Keep the exhaust tailpipe area clear

of snow and other material to help

reduce the buildup of exhaust gases

under the vehicle. This is

particularly important when parked

in blizzard conditions.

• Have the exhaust system inspected

periodically for damage and leaks.

Any damage or leaks should be

repaired immediately.

DAILY INSPECTION CHECKLIST

w WARNING

7-1

w WARNING

Before driving:

Make sure that windows, mirrors, lights,

and reflectors are clean and unobstructed.

2) Check the tyres.

3) Look for fluid and oil leaks.

NOTE:

It is normal for water to drip from the air

conditioning system after use.

4) Adjust the seat/head restraint.

5) Check the brake pedal and the parking

brake lever.

6) Adjust the mirrors.

7) Make sure that you and passengers

have properly fastened your seat belts.

8) Make sure that all warning lights come

on as the key is turned to the “ON” or

“START” position.

9) Check all gauges.

10) Make sure that the brake fluid level

warning light is off when the parking

brake is released with the engine

running.

OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE

Avoid breathing exhaust gases.

Exhaust gases contain carbon

monoxide, a potentially lethal gas that

is colourless and odourless. Since

carbon monoxide is difficult to detect

by itself, be sure to take the following

precautions to help prevent carbon

monoxide from entering your vehicle.

• Do not leave the engine running in

garages or other confined areas.

• Do not park with the engine running

for a long period of time, even in an

open area. If it is necessary to sit

for a short time in a parked vehicle

76G-07-001

76G-07-002

76G-74E

Before starting the engine:

1) Make sure the parking brake is applied

fully.

2) Manual Transmission - Shift into “N”

(neutral) and depress the clutch pedal all

the way to the floor. Hold it while starting

the engine.

Make sure that the parking brake is

applied fully and the transmission is

in Neutral before attempting to start

the engine.

• Stop turning the starter immediately

after the engine has started or the

starter system can be damaged.

• Do not crank the engine for more

than 15 seconds at a time. If the

engine doesn’t start on the first try,

wait about 15 seconds before trying

again.

7-2

STARTING THE ENGINE

w WARNING

OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE

Once a week, or each time you fill your fuel

tank, perform the following under-bonnet

checks:

1) Engine oil level.

2) Coolant level.

3) Brake fluid level.

4) Windscreen washer fluid level.

5) Battery solution level.

6) Bonnet latch operation.

Pull the bonnet release handle inside the

vehicle. Make sure that you can not

open the hood all the way without

releasing the secondary latch. Be sure

to close the hood securely after checking

for proper operation. See "All Latches,

Hinges & Locks" of "PERIODIC

MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE" in the

"INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE"

section for lubrication schedule.

Make sure the bonnet is fully closed

and latched before driving. If it is not,

it can fly up unexpectedly during

driving, obstructing your view and

resulting in an accident.

w WARNING

Starting a Cold Engine

Engine which is started after 6 hours should

be treated as cold engine.

For Electronic fuel injection models

• With your foot off the accelerator pedal,

crank the engine by turning the ignition

key to “START”. Release the key when

the engine starts.

• If the engine does not start after 15

seconds of cranking, wait about 15

seconds, then press down the

accelerator pedal to 1/3 of its travel and

try cranking the engine again. Release

the key and accelerator pedal when the

engine starts.

• If the engine still does not start, try

holding the accelerator pedal all the way

to the floor while cranking. This should

clear the engine if it is flooded.

Starting a Warm Engine

For Electronic fuel injection models:

Use the same procedure as for “Starting a

Cold Engine”.

CAUTION

76G-74E

7-3

OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE

w WARNING

CAUTION

Starting off

To start off, depress and maintain pressure

upon the clutch pedal and change into 1st

gear. After releasing the parking brake,

GEAR MAXIMUM SPEED

First 37 km/h

Second 66 km/h

Third 98 km/h

Fourth Top Speed

Fifth Top Speed

USING THE TRANSMISSION

MANUAL TRANSMISSION

76G-07-003

76G-07-003A

• To help avoid clutch damage, do not

use the clutch pedal as a footrest while

driving or use the clutch to keep the

vehicle stationary on a hill. Depress the

clutch fully when changing gear.

• When changing gears or starting off,

do not race the engine. Racing the

engine can shorten engine life and

prevent smooth operation.

• Reduce your speed and change down 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, result-

ing in brake failure.

• When driving on slippery roads, be sure

to slow down before changing down.

Excessive and or sudden changes in

engine speed may cause loss of traction,

which could cause you to lose control.

• Make sure that the vehicle is completely

stationary before you change into re-

verse.

gradually release the clutch. When you hear

a change in the engine’s sound (speed),

gently apply pressure to the accelerator to

keep the engine sound (speed) constant whilst

continuing to gradually release the clutch.

Gear changing

All forward gears are synchronized, which

provides for quiet, easy changing. Always

depress the clutch pedal fully before changing

gears. The following table shows the

maximum allowable speed for each gear.

ALTO

ALTO K10

GEAR MAXIMUM SPEED

First 43 km/h

Second 80 km/h

Third 119 km/h

Fourth Top Speed

Fifth Top Speed

ALTO

ALTO K10

76G-74E

7-4

OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE

BRAKING

w WARNING

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 will be approximately

4 times greater than the braking distance

needed at 30 km/h. Start to brake the

vehicle when there is plenty of distance

between your vehicle and the stopping

point, and slow down gradually.

If water gets into the brake drums, brake

performance may become poor and

unpredictable. After driving through water

or washing 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.

Servo assisted brakes

Your vehicle has servo assisted brakes

which works with the assistance of engine

vacuum.

Do not switch off the engine while vehicle

is in motion, for example, while driving

down a hill as this will cause loss of

vacuum assistance leading to reduction of

braking efficiency substantially.

If servo 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 each time you depress the brake pedal.

Apply smooth and constant pressure to the

pedal. Do not pump the pedal.

w WARNING

76G-07-004

To avoid shock loads on the driveline and

consequent driveline breakage, it is strongly

recommended not to exceed the following

speeds when downshifting:-

GEAR MAXIMUM SPEED

2nd to 1st 9 km/h

3rd to 2nd 33 km/h

4th to 3rd 49 km/h

5th to 4th Any Speed OK

ALTO

ALTO K10

GEAR MAXIMUM SPEED

2nd to 1st 10 km/h

3rd to 2nd 37 km/h

4th to 3rd 55 km/h

5th to 4th Any Speed OK

76G-74E

7-5

OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE

RUNNING-IN

The future performance and reliability

of the engine depends on the care

and restraint exercised during its early

life. It is especially important to

observe the following precautions

during the initial 1000 km of vehicle

operation.

• After starting, do not race the

engine. Warm it up gradually.

• Avoid prolonged vehicle operation at

a constant speed. Moving parts will

bed in better if you vary your speed.

• Do not exceed 100 km/h.

• Start off from a stop slowly. Avoid

full throttle starts.

• If possible, avoid hard braking,

especially during the first 300 km

of driving.

• Do not drive slowly with the

transmission in a high gear.

• Drive the vehicle at moderate engine

speeds.

CAUTION

Even without reserve power in the

brake system, you can still stop the

vehicle by pressing the brake pedal

harder than normally required.

However, the stopping distance may

be longer.

On loose surface where the wheels

can easily loose traction (such as

gravel, etc.), the stopping distance

required for your vehicle may be

greater than for a comparable vehicle

with a conventional brake system.

Allow for extra stopping distance

when driving on loose surfaces.

w WARNING

CATALYTIC CONVERTER

The purpose of the catalytic converter

installed on your vehicle is to convert

exhaust pollutants to harmless water vapour,

carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. Use of leaded

fuel in vehicles equipped with catalytic

converters is prohibited, because lead

deactivates the pollutant-reducing compo-

nents of the catalyst system.

It is very important to keep the engine

properly tuned. Engine misfiring, which can

result from an improperly tuned engine, may

cause overheating of the catalyst. This may

result in permanent heat damage to the

catalyst and other vehicle components.

76G-07-005

76G-74E

7-6

OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE

Be careful where you park and drive;

the catalytic converter and other

exhaust components can get very hot.

As with any vehicle, do not park or

operate this vehicle in areas where

combustible materials such as dry

grass or leaves can come in contact

with a hot exhaust system.

w WARNING

To minimize the possibility of catalyst

or other vehicle damage:

• Maintain the engine in the proper

operating condition.

• In the event of an engine

malfunction, particularly one

involving engine misfire or other

apparent loss of performance, have

the vehicle serviced promptly.

• Do not turn off the engine or

interrupt the ignition when the

transmission is in gear and the

vehicle is in motion.

• Do not try to start the engine by

pushing or towing the vehicle, or

coasting down a hill.

• Do not idle the engine with any

spark plug wires disconnected or

removed, such as during diagnostic

testing.

• Do not idle the vehicle for

prolonged periods if idling seems

rough or there are other

malfunctions.

• Do not allow the fuel tank to get

near the empty level.

CAUTION

IMPROVING FUEL ECONOMY

The following instructions will help you

improve fuel economy.

Avoid excessive idling:

If you are to wait for more than a minute

while you are parked, stop the engine and

start it again later. When warming up a cold

engine, allow the engine to idle for some

time.

Avoid “fast” starts:

Fast starts away from lights or stop signs

will consume fuel unnecessarily and shorten

engine life. Start off slowly.

Avoid unnecessary stops:

Avoid unnecessary deceleration and

stopping. Try to maintain a slow, steady

speed whenever possible. Slowing down

and then accelerating again uses more fuel.

Keep a steady cruising speed:

Keep as constant a speed as road and

traffic conditions will permit.

76G-07-006

76G-74E

7-7

TRAILER TOWING

Your MARUTI SUZUKI is designed to carry

people and a normal amount of cargo, not

to tow a trailer. Maruti does not recommend

you use your vehicle to tow a trailer. Towing

a trailer can adversely affect handling,

durability, and fuel economy.

Keep the air cleaner clean:

A dirty air cleaner will cause the fuel system

to supply too much fuel to the engine for

the amount of air being supplied. The result

is waste of fuel due to incomplete

combustion.

Keep weight to a minimum:

The heavier the load, the more fuel the

vehicle consumes. Take out any luggage or

cargo when it is not necessary.

Keep tyre pressures correct:

Under-inflation of the tyres can waste fuel

due to increased running resistance of the

tyres. Keep your tyres inflated to the correct

pressure shown on the label on the driver’s

side door or door lock pillar.

OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE

76G-07-007

Operating Your Vehicle for Your Suzuki Alto 4 Door Sixth Generation (2004-2008)

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