Get VEHICLE LOADING AND TOWING Guide for Suzuki Swift 4 Door First generation (2004-2009)

VEHICLE LOADING AND TOWING

Vehicle loading .................................................................... 6-1

Trailer towing ....................................................................... 6-1

6

54G215

52RM0-01E

VEHICLE LOADING AND TOWING

Vehicle loading

Trailer towing

WARNING

Never overload your vehicle. The

gross vehicle weight (sum of the

weights of the vehicle, all the occu-

pants, accessories, cargo plus trailer

nose weight if towing a trailer) must

never exceed the Gross Vehicle

Weight Rating (GVWR). In addition,

never distribute a load so that the

weight on either the front or rear axle

exceeds the Permissible maximum

Axle Weight (PAW).

Your vehicle was designed for specific

weight capacities. The weight capacities of

your vehicle are indicated by the Gross

Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the

Permissible maximum Axle Weight (PAW,

front and rear). The GVWR and PAW (front

and rear) are listed in “SPECIFICATIONS”

section.

GVWR – Maximum permissible overall

weight of the fully loaded vehicle (including

all the occupants, accessories and cargo

plus the trailer nose weight if towing a

trailer).

WARNING

PAW (front and rear) – Maximum permissi-

ble weight on an individual axle.

Always distribute cargo evenly. To

avoid personal injury or damage to

your vehicle, always secure cargo to

prevent it from shifting if the vehicle

moves suddenly. Place heavier

objects on the floor and as far for-

ward in the cargo area as possible.

Never pile cargo higher than the top

of the seat backs.

60A185

Towing a trailer can adversely affect han-

dling, durability and fuel economy. Your

vehicle can be used to tow a trailer which

does not exceed the towing capacity spec-

ified below:

Actual weight of the loaded vehicle and

actual loads at the front and rear axles can

only be determined by weighing the vehi-

cle. Compare these weights to the GVWR

and PAW (front and rear). If the gross vehi-

cle weight or the load on either axle

exceeds these ratings, you must remove

enough weight to bring the load down to

the rated capacity.

6-1

52RM0-01E

VEHICLE LOADING AND TOWING

Tow bars

Maximum towing capacity

(trailer, cargo & tow bar)

NOTICE

Only use a tow bar that is designed to

attach to the chassis of your vehicle, and a

hitch that is designed to bolt to this tow bar.

We recommend that you use a genuine

SUZUKI tow bar (available as option), or

equivalent.

Braked trailer: 1000 kg (2205 lbs)

Unbraked trailer: 400 kg (882 lbs)

Trailer towing puts additional stress

on the engine, drive train and brakes

of your vehicle. Never tow a trailer

during the first 960 km (600 miles) of

vehicle operation.

WARNING

For vehicles equipped with the radar

brake support or dual sensor brake

support, if your vehicle is used to tow

a trailer, press the radar brake sup-

port OFF switch or dual sensor brake

support OFF switch and turn off the

radar brake support or dual sensor

brake support. If not, unexpected

accidents related to the system being

turned on may occur.

NOTICE

WARNING

For automatic transaxle or CVT vehi-

cles, do not use “D” range when tow-

ing on a steep hill. Towing in “D”

range when driving on a steep hill

can cause automatic transaxle fluid

or CVT fluid overheating without

warning, which can result in tran-

saxle damage.

Never use a tow bar which attaches

to the axle or the bumper of your

vehicle.

Safety chains

Always attach safety chains between your

vehicle and trailer. Cross safety chains

under the nose of the trailer so that the

nose will not drop to the road if the trailer

becomes separated from the tow bar. Fol-

low the manufacturer’s recommendation

for attaching safety chains. Always leave

just enough slack to permit full turning.

Never allow safety chains to drag on the

road.

WARNING

Never attach safety chains to the

bumper of your vehicle. Secure con-

nections so that they cannot come

loose.

6-2

52RM0-01E

VEHICLE LOADING AND TOWING

Trailer lights

pler, with the trailer fully loaded and the

coupler at its normal towing height. This

weight can be measured using a bathroom

scale.

Tires

Check that your trailer is equipped with

lights which meet local requirements.

Always check for the proper operation of

all trailer lights before you start to tow.

WARNING

The weight of your loaded trailer (gross

trailer weight) should never exceed towing

capacity.

When towing a trailer, it is very

important for your vehicle and trailer

to have properly inflated tires. Your

vehicle’s tires should be inflated to

the pressures listed on your vehicle’s

tire information label. If laden pres-

sures are listed on the label, the tires

should be inflated to the laden pres-

sures. Inflate trailer tires according to

the specifications provided by the

trailer manufacturer.

WARNING

Distribute cargo in your trailer so that nose

weight is about 10% of gross trailer weight,

but does not exceed the maximum vertical

load on trailer hitch point. You should mea-

sure gross trailer weight and nose weight

before towing to check that your load is

properly distributed.

Never connect trailer lights directly

into your vehicle’s electrical system,

or electrical system damage may

occur.

Brakes

WARNING

Mirrors

Improper weight distribution of your

trailer may result in poor vehicle han-

dling and swaying of the trailer.

Always check that trailer nose weight

is about 10% of gross trailer weight,

but does not exceed the maximum

vertical load on trailer hitch point.

Also check that the cargo is properly

secured. Failure to observe this

requirement may result in an acci-

dent.

If trailer brakes are used, follow all

instructions provided by the manu-

facturer. Never connect to the brake

system of your vehicle and never

take an electrical supply directly from

the wiring harness.

Check if your vehicle’s mirrors meet local

requirements for mirrors used on towing

vehicles. If they do not, you must install the

required mirrors before you tow.

Vehicle/trailer loading

To load your vehicle and trailer properly,

you must know how to measure gross

trailer weight and trailer nose weight.

Gross trailer weight is the weight of the

trailer plus all the cargo in it. You can mea-

sure gross trailer weight by putting the fully

loaded trailer on a vehicle scale.

Nose weight is the downward force

exerted on the tow bar by the trailer cou-

6-3

52RM0-01E

VEHICLE LOADING AND TOWING

WARNING

Never overload cargo on your trailer

or your vehicle. Gross trailer weight

must never exceed towing capacity.

Gross vehicle weight (sum of the

weights of the vehicle, all the occu-

pants, accessories including tow

bars and a trailer hitch, cargo and

trailer nose weight) must never

exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rat-

ing (GVWR) listed in “SPECIFICA-

TIONS” section.

Your vehicle should be handled in a

different way when towing a trailer.

For the safety of yourself and others,

observe the following precautions:

• Practice turning, stopping, and

reversing before you begin towing

a trailer in traffic. Do not tow a

trailer in traffic until you are confi-

dent that you can handle the vehi-

cle and trailer safely.

(Continued)

• Allow adequate stopping distance.

Stopping distance is increased

when you tow a trailer. For each 16

km/h (10 mph) of speed, allow at

least one vehicle and trailer length

between you and the vehicle

ahead. Allow a greater stopping

distance if roads are wet or slip-

pery.

• Never exceed towing speed limits

or 80 km/h (50 mph), whichever is

lower.

• If the trailer has over-run brakes,

apply the brakes gradually to avoid

snatching caused by the trailer

wheels locking.

• Slow down before corners and

maintain a steady speed while cor-

nering. Deceleration or accelera-

tion while cornering can result in

loss of control. Remember that a

larger than normal turning radius is

needed because the trailer wheels

will be closer than vehicle wheels

to the inside of the turn.

• Avoid sudden acceleration and

stopping of the vehicle. Do not

make quick maneuvers unless they

are necessary.

• Slow down in cross winds and be

prepared for gusts of wind from

large passing vehicles.

Additional trailer towing warnings

WARNING

• Never drive at a speed that causes

shaking or swaying of the trailer. If

you notice even the slightest sign

of shaking or swaying, slow down.

• When roads are wet, slippery or

rough, drive at a slower speed than

you would on dry or smooth roads.

Failure to slow down when road

conditions are bad can result in

loss of control.

Connect trailer lights and hook up

safety chains every time you tow.

NOTICE

Because towing a trailer puts addi-

tional stress on your vehicle, more

• Always have someone guide you

when reversing.

frequent

maintenance

will

be

(Continued)

required than under normal driving

conditions. Follow the schedule in

“Maintenance recommended under

severe driving conditions”.

(Continued)

6-4

52RM0-01E

VEHICLE LOADING AND TOWING

WARNING

(Continued)

• Be careful when overtaking other

vehicles. Allow enough room for

your trailer before changing lanes,

and use turn signal lights properly

in advance.

When starting out after parking:

1) Depress the clutch and start the

engine.

2) Shift into gear, release the parking

brake, and slowly pull away from

the chocks.

3) Stop, apply the brakes firmly and

hold them.

4) Have another person remove the

chocks.

• Slow down and shift into a lower

gear before you reach long or steep

downhill grades. It is hazardous to

attempt downshifting while you are

descending a hill.

• Do not step on the brake pedal

strongly. This could cause the

brakes to over-heat resulting in

reduced braking efficiency. Use

engine braking as much as possi-

ble.

• Because of the added trailer

weight, your engine may overheat

on hot days when going up long or

steep hills. Pay attention to your

engine temperature. If it indicates

overheating, pull off the road and

stop the vehicle in a safe place.

Refer to “Engine trouble: Overheat-

ing” in “EMERGENCY SERVICE”

section.

60A186

WARNING

When parking your vehicle and con-

nected trailer, always use the follow-

ing procedure:

1) Apply the vehicle’s brakes firmly.

2) Have another person place wheel

chocks under the wheels of the

vehicle and the trailer while you

are holding the brakes.

3) Slowly release the brakes until the

wheel chocks absorb the load.

4) Fully engage the parking brake.

5) Manual transaxle – turn off the

engine, then shift into reverse or

first gear.

Automatic transaxle or CVT – shift

into “P” (Park) and turn off the

engine.

(Continued)

6-5

52RM0-01E

VEHICLE LOADING AND TOWING

Trailer hitch installation points

(1)

“a”

(1)

52RM60010

(1) Side

Maximum vertical load on trailer hitch

point (EU)

60 kg (132 lbs)

Maximum permissible overhang “a”

669 mm (26.3 in.)

6-6

52RM0-01E

VEHICLE LOADING AND TOWING

MEMO

6-7

52RM0-01E

VEHICLE LOADING AND TOWING for Your Suzuki Swift 4 Door First generation (2004-2009)

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