Suzuki 1999 Baleno User Manual
Page 34
60G-74E
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
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, resulting 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 reverse.
CAUTION
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.
BRAKING
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 20 km/h.
Start to brake the vehicle when there is plenty
of distance between your vehicle and the
stopping point, and slow down gradually.
69
7-4
OPERATING YOUR VECHILE
60G-74E
RUNNING-IN
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.
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
lonaer.
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.
CAUTION
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.
7-5
70
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.