Suzuki VITARA Series, Owner'S Manual

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3-77
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
54P00-01E
The ESP
®
has the following three sys-
tems:
Stability control system
The vehicle stability control system helps
provide integrated control of systems such
as anti-lock brakes, traction control, engine
control, etc. This system automatically
controls the brakes and engine to help pre-
vent the vehicle from skidding when cor-
nering on a slippery road surface or when
turning the steering wheel abruptly.
Traction control system
The traction control system automatically
helps prevent the spinning of wheels when
the vehicle is started or accelerated on
slippery road surfaces. The system oper-
ates only if it senses that some of the
wheels are spinning or beginning to lose
traction. When this happens, the system
operates the front or rear brakes and
reduces engine power to limit wheel spin.
NOTE:
You may hear a clunking sound when you
start the engine or after the vehicle begins
to move. This means that the above sys-
tems are in the self-check mode. This
sound does not indicate a malfunction.
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
ABS will help you avoid skidding by elec-
tronically controlling braking pressure. It
will also help you maintain steering control
when braking on slippery surfaces or when
braking hard. The ABS works automati-
cally, so you do not have to use any spe-
cial braking technique. Just push the brake
pedal down without pumping. The ABS will
operate whenever it senses that wheels
are locking up. You may feel the brake
pedal pulsate while the ABS is operating.
(For more information on ABS, see “Brak-
ing” in this section.)
NOTE:
If the ABS system is activated, you may
hear a clunking noise and/or feel pulsating
in the brake pedal. This is normal and indi-
cates that the brake fluid pressure is being
controlled properly.
WARNING
• The ESP
®
may not work properly if
tires or wheels other than those
specified in the owner’s manual are
used. When replacing tires or
wheels, use only the size and type
specified in this owner’s manual.
• The ESP
®
may not work properly if
tires are not inflated to the recom-
mended tire inflation pressure.
• The ESP
®
may not work properly if
tires are fitted with tire chains.
• The ESP
®
may not work properly if
the tires are excessively worn.
Replace tires when the tread wear
indicators in the grooves appear on
the tread surface.
• The ESP
®
is not a substitute for
winter tires or tire chains on a
snow-covered road.
WARNING
• The ESP
®
may not work properly if
engine related parts such as the
muffler are not equivalent to stan-
dard equipment or are extremely
deteriorated.
• Do not modify the vehicle’s sus-
pension since the ESP
®
may not
work properly.