DRIVING TIPS -> Driving on slippery roads for Your Suzuki Vitara SUV 2020

DRIVING TIPS  
models are not sport/utility vehicles, and  
are not designed for off-road use.  
Driving on slippery roads  
WARNING  
Do not hold the brake pedal down too  
long or too often while going down a  
steep or long hill. This could cause  
the brakes to overheat, resulting in  
reduced braking efficiency. Failure to  
take this precaution could result in  
loss of vehicle control.  
Tire chains  
Tire chains should only be used if they are  
needed to increase traction or are required  
by law. Check that the chains you use are  
the correct size for your vehicle’s tires.  
Also check that there is enough clearance  
between the fenders and the chains as  
installed on the tires.  
NOTICE  
Install the chains on the front tires tightly,  
according to the chain manufacturer’s  
instructions. Retighten the chains after  
driving about 1.0 km (1/2 mile) if neces-  
sary. With the chains installed, drive slowly.  
When descending a downhill, Never  
turn the ignition key to “LOCK” posi-  
tion or press the engine switch to  
change the ignition mode to “LOCK”  
(OFF). Emission control system dam-  
age may result.  
60G089S  
On wet roads, you should drive at a lower  
speed than you do on dry roads due to  
possible slippage of tires during braking.  
When driving on icy, snow-covered or  
muddy roads, reduce your speed and  
avoid sudden acceleration, abrupt braking,  
or sharp steering movements.  
NOTICE  
• If you hear the chains hitting  
against the vehicle body while driv-  
ing, stop and tighten them.  
• If your vehicle is equipped with full  
wheel caps, remove the wheel caps  
before installing the chains or the  
wheel caps can be damaged by the  
chain bands.  
Four-mode 4WD models  
Your four-mode 4WD is designed to get  
better traction on slippery roads than 2-  
wheel drive models. However, your four-  
mode 4WD will not have as much traction  
in deep snow, mud or sand as multipur-  
pose 4WD vehicles. You should not  
attempt to drive your four-mode 4WD in  
deep snow, mud or sand. Four-mode 4WD  
4-4  
54P00-01E  
DRIVING TIPS  
Stuck vehicle  
WARNING  
If your vehicle gets stuck in snow, mud or  
sand, follow the directions below:  
Do not allow anyone to stand near  
the vehicle when you are rocking it,  
and do not spin the wheels faster  
than an indicated 40 km/h (25 mph)  
on the speedometer. Personal injury  
and/or vehicle damage may result  
from spinning the wheels too fast.  
1) Shift the transaxle back and forth  
between a forward range (or first gear  
for manual transaxle) and reverse. This  
will create a rocking motion which may  
give you enough momentum to free the  
vehicle. Press gently on the accelerator  
to keep wheel spinning to a minimum  
wheel rpm. Remove your foot from the  
accelerator while shifting.  
NOTICE  
Do not continue rocking the vehicle  
for more than a few minutes. Pro-  
longed rocking can cause engine  
overheating or transaxle damage.  
Do not race the engine. Excessive  
wheel spin will cause the tires to dig  
deeper, making it more difficult to free  
the vehicle.  
54G638S  
WARNING  
In addition to following the driving  
tips in this section, it is important to  
observe the following precautions.  
• Check that your tires are in good  
condition and always maintain the  
specified tire pressure. Refer to  
“Tires” in “INSPECTION AND  
NOTE:  
If your vehicle is equipped with the ESP®,  
you may have to turn the ESP® system off  
in order to spin the wheels.  
2) If your vehicle remains stuck after a few  
minutes of rocking, we recommend you  
to consult your SUZUKI dealer or a  
roadside assistance service. If a towing  
service is not available in an emer-  
gency, your vehicle may be temporarily  
towed by a towing cable or chain  
secured to the towing hook either on  
the front of the vehicle or on the rear of  
the vehicle. Refer to “Frame hooks” in  
“OTHER CONTROLS AND EQUIP-  
MENT” section.  
MAINTENANCE”  
details.  
section  
for  
(Continued)  
4-5  
54P00-01E  
DRIVING TIPS  
WARNING  
(Continued)  
• Do not use tires other than those  
specified by SUZUKI. Never use dif-  
ferent sizes or types of tires on the  
front and rear wheels. For informa-  
tion regarding the specified tires,  
refer to the tire information label  
located on the driver’s door lock  
pillar.  
• Never use oversized tires or spe-  
cial shock absorbers and springs  
to raise (jack up) your vehicle. This  
will change the handling character-  
istics. Oversized tires may also rub  
against the fender over bumps,  
causing vehicle damage or tire fail-  
ure.  
• After driving through water, test the  
brakes while driving at a slow  
speed to see if they have main-  
tained 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 effective-  
ness.  
4-6  
54P00-01E