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1-2 GENERALINFORMATIONAND MAINTENANCE 
Chitton’s Total Car Care manual for the 199M10 
Mitsubishi Mirage, Galant and Diamante is intended 
to help you learn more about the inner workings of 
your vehicle while saving you money on its upkeep 
and operation. 
The beginning of the book will likely be referred to 
the most, since that is where you will find information 
for maintenance and tune-up. The other sections deal 
with the more complex systems of your vehicle. Oper- 
ating systems from engine through brakes are cov- 
ered to the extent that the average do-it-yourselfer be- 
comes mechanically involved. This book will not 
explain such things as rebuilding a differential for the 
simple reason that the expertise required and the in- 
vestment in special tools make this task uneconomi- 
cal. It will, however, give you detailed instructions to 
help you change your own brake pads and shoes, re- 
place spark plugs, and perform many more jobs that 
can save you money, give you personal satisfaction 
and help you avoid expensive problems. 
A secondary purpose of this book is a reference for 
owners who want to understand their vehicle and/or 
their mechanics better. In this case, no tools at all are 
required. 
Before removing any bolts, read through the entire 
procedure. This will give you the overall view of what 
tools and supplies will be required. There is nothing 
more frustrating than having to walk to the bus stop 
on Monday morning because you were short one bolt 
on Sunday afternoon. So read ahead and plan ahead. 
Each operation should be approached logically and 
all procedures thoroughly understood before attempt- 
ing any work. 
All sections contain adjustments, maintenance, re- 
moval and installation procedures, and in some cases, 
repair or overhaul procedures. When repair is not con- 
sidered practical, we tell you how to remove the part 
and then how to install the new or rebuilt replacement. 
In this way, you at least save labor costs. “Backyard” 
repair of some components is just not practical. 
Many procedures in this book require you to “label 
and disconnect. . ” a group of lines, hoses or wires. 
Don’t be lulled into thinking you can remember where 
everything goes-you won’t. If you hook up vacuum 
or fuel lines incorrectly, the vehicle may run poorly, if 
at all. If you hook up electrical wiring incorrectly, you 
may instantly learn a very expensive lesson. 
You don’t need to know the official or engineering 
name for each hose or line. A piece of masking tape 
on the hose and a piece on its fitting will allow you to 
assign your own label such as the letter A or a short name. As long as you remember your own code, the 
lines can be reconnected by matching similar letters 
or names. Do remember that tape will dissolve in 
gasolrne or other fluids; if a component is to be 
washed or cleaned, use another method of identifica- 
tion. A permanent felt-tipped marker or a metal scribe 
can be very handy for marking metal parts. Remove 
any tape or paper labels after assembly. 
It’s necessary to mention the difference between 
maintenance and repair Maintenance includes rou- 
tine inspections, adjustments, and replacement of 
parts which show signs of normal wear Maintenance 
compensates for wear or deterioration. Repair implies 
that something has broken or is not working. A need 
for repair is often caused by lack of maintenance. Ex- 
ample, draining and refilling the automatic transaxle 
fluid is maintenance recommended by the manufac- 
turer at specific mileage intervals. Failure to do this 
can shorten the life of the transmission/transaxle, re- 
quiring very expensive repairs. While no maintenance 
program can prevent items from breaking or wearing 
out, a general rule can be stated: MAINTENANCE IS 
CHEAPER THAN REPAIR. 
Two basic mechanrc’s rules should be mentioned 
here. First, whenever the left side of the vehicle or en- 
gine is referred to, it is meant to specify the drivers 
side. Conversely, the right side of the vehicle means 
the passengers side. Second, screws and bolts are 
removed by turning counterclockwise, and tightened 
by turning clockwrse unless specifically noted. 
Safety is always the most important rule. Con- 
stantly be aware of the dangers involved in working 
on an automobile and take the proper precautions. 
See the informatron in this section regarding SER- 
VICING YOUR VEHICLE SAFELY and the SAFETY 
NOTICE on the acknowledgment page. 
Pay attention to the instructions provided. There 
are 3 common mistakes in mechanical work: 
1. Incorrect order of assembly, disassembly or 
adjustment. When taking something apart or putting 
it together, performing steps in the wrong order usu- 
ally just costs you extra time; however, it CAN break 
something. Read the entire procedure before begin- 
ning disassembly. Perform everything in the order in 
which the instructions say you should, even if you 
can’t immedrately see a reason for it. When you’re 
taking apart something that is very intricate, you 
might want to draw a picture of how it looks when as- 
sembled at one point in order to make sure you get everything back in its proper position. We will supply 
exploded views whenever possible. When making 
adjustments, perform them in the proper order. One 
adjustment possibly will affect another. 
2. Overtorquing (or undertorquing). While it is 
more common for overtorquing to cause damage, 
undertorquing may allow a fastener to vibrate loose 
causing serious damage. Especially when dealing 
with aluminum parts, pay attention to torque specifi- 
cations and utilize a torque wrench in assembly. If a 
torque figure is not available, remember that if you 
are using the right tool to perform the job, you will 
probably not have to strain yourself to get a fastener 
tight enough. The pitch of most threads is so slight 
that the tension you put on the wrench will be multi- 
plied many times in actual force on what you are 
tightening. A good example of how critical torque is 
can be seen in the case of spark plug installation, es- 
pecially where you are putting the plug into an alu- 
minum cylinder head. Too little torque can fail to 
crush the gasket, causing leakage of combustion 
gases and consequent overheating of the plug and 
engine parts. Too much torque can damage the 
threads or distort the plug, changing the spark gap. 
There are many commercial products available for 
ensuring that fasteners won’t come loose, even if they 
are not torqued just right (a very common brand is 
Loctite? If you’re worried 
about getting something 
together tight enough to hold, but loose enough to 
avoid mechanical damage during assembly, one of 
these products might offer substantial insurance. Be- 
fore choosing a threadlocking compound, read the 
label on the package and make sure the product is 
compatible with the materials, fluids, etc. involved. 
3. Crossthreading. This occurs when a part such 
as a bolt is screwed into a nut or casting at the wrong 
angle and forced. Crossthreading is more likely to 
occur if access is difficult. It helps to clean and lubri- 
cate fasteners, then to start threading the bolt, spark 
plug, etc. with your fingers If you encounter resis- 
tance, unscrew the part and start over again at a dif- 
ferent angle until it can be inserted and turned several 
times without much effort. Keep in mind that many 
parts, especially spark plugs, have tapered threads, 
so that gentle turning will automatically bring the part 
you’re threading to the proper angle. Don’t put a 
wrench on the part until its been tightened a couple 
of turns by hand. If you suddenly encounter resis- 
tance, and the part has not seated fully, don’t force it. 
Pull it back out to make sure it’s clean and threading 
properly. 
Be sure to take your time and be patient, and al- 
ways plan ahead. Allow yourself ample time to per- 
form repairs and maintenance You may find main- 
taining your car a satisfying and enjoyable 
experience. 
b See Figures 1 thru 15 
Naturally, without the proper tools and equipment 
it is impossible to properly service your vehicle. It 
would also be virtually impossible 
to catalog every 
tool that you would need to perform all of the opera- 
tions in this book. Of course, It would be unwise for 
the amateur to rush out and buy an expensive set of 
tools on the theory that he/she may need one or more 
of them at some time, The best approach is to proceed slowly, gathering savings will 
be far outweighed by frustration and 
a good quality set of those tools that are used most mangled knuckles. 
frequently Don’t be misled by the low cost of bargain Begin accumulating those tools that are used most 
tools. It is far better to spend a little more for better frequently: those associated with routine maintenance 
quality. Forged wrenches, 6 or 12-point sockets and and tune-up. In addition to the normal assortment of 
fine tooth ratchets are by far preferable to their less screwdrivers and pliers, you should have the follow- 
expensive counterparts. As any good mechanic can ing tools: 
tell you, there are few worse experiences than trying 
l Wrenches/sockets and combination open 
to work on a vehicle with bad tools. Your monetary end/box end wrenches in sizes from %-% in. or