
I04A196A
Indicator lamps
A- Selector lever position indicator lamps
B-“N”indicator lamp
The indicator lamps in the instrument panel
are for indicating the selector lever posi-
tion and one of them will be illuminated
when the ignition is switched“ON”.
CAUTION
If the“N”(NEUTRAL) indicator lamp
(B) in the selector lever position indi-
cator flashes while you are driving,
the automatic transmission safety
device may be operating due to a
malfunction. (If the selector lever
position is in the“P”(PARK),“R”
(REVERSE) or“N”(NEUTRAL) posi-
tion, the indicator lamp does not
flash.)
Have your vehicle inspected by an
authorized MITSUBISHI dealer as
soon as possible.
Selector positions
(Main gate)
EI04BACb
P - PARK
The“P”(PARK) position supplements the
parking brake by locking the transmis-
sion while the vehicle is parked.
The engine can be started in this posi-
tion.
Apply the parking brake before leaving the
vehicle in this position.
R - REVERSE
Shift into this position only after the vehicle
has come to a complete stop.
CAUTION
Never shift into the“P”(PARK) or
“R”(REVERSE) position while the
vehicle is in motion. If the lever is
shifted into the“P”or“R”position
while the vehicle is in motion, the
transmission may be damaged.
N - NEUTRAL
At this position the transmission is disen-
gaged. It is the same as the neutral posi-
tion on a manual transmission, and should
be used when the vehicle is stationary for
an extended length of time during driv-
ing, such as in a traffic jam.
Starting and driving
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WARNING
(1) Never move the selector lever to
the“N”(NEUTRAL) position
while driving. A serious acci-
dent could occur since you
could accidentally move the
lever into the“P”(PARK) or“R”
(REVERSE) position and engine
braking would not be provided.
(2) On a slope the engine should be
started in the“P”(PARK) posi-
tion, not in the“N”(NEUTRAL)
position to avoid the vehicle
from rolling.
(3) Always keep your right foot on
the brake pedal when the vehicle
is in“N”(NEUTRAL), or when
shifting into or out of“N”
(NEUTRAL), to mininize the risk
of loss of control.D - DRIVE
This position is for normal driving.
The transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear for your speed and accelera-
tion.
Engine braking is automatically applied
when necessary, depending on road con-
ditions.
Please refer to“Uphill/downhill driving”on
page 5-22.
NOTE
For information on manual gate opera-
tion, please refer to“Sports mode”on page
5-20.
Sports mode
EI04S-Jb
Whether the vehicle is stationary or in
motion, sports mode is selected by push-
ing the selector lever from the“D”(DRIVE)
position into the manual gate (A). To return
to“D”range operation, push the selector
lever back into the main gate (B).
In sports mode, gear shifts can be made
rapidly, simply by moving the selector lever
backwards and forward. In contrast to a
manual transmission, the sports mode
allows gear shifts with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
I04S046A
+ (UP) :Push the lever forward once to shift
up one gear.
—(DOWN) :Pull the lever backwards once
to shift down one gear.
Starting and driving
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CAUTION
(1) Upward shifts do not take place
automatically in sports mode.
The driver must execute upward
shifts in accordance with pre-
vailing road conditions, taking
care to keep the engine speed
below the red zone.
(2) By rapidly moving the selector
lever backwards (DOWN) twice,
it is possible to skip one gear,
i.e., 3rd to 1st, 4th to 2nd or 5th
to 3rd. Since sudden engine
braking and/or rapid accelera-
tion can cause a loss of trac-
tion, however, downshifts must
be made carefully in accor-
dance with the vehicle’s speed.
NOTE
(1) In sports mode, only the 5 forward
gears can be selected. To reverse or
park the vehicle, move the selector
lever to the“R”(REVERSE) or“P”
(PARK) position as required.
(2) To maintain good running perfor-
mance, the transmission may refuse to
perform an upshift when the selector
lever is moved to the“+ (UP)”posi-
tion at certain vehicle speeds. Also, to
prevent over-revving of the engine, the
transmission may refuse to perform a
downshift when the lever is moved to
the“−(DOWN)”position at certain
vehicle speeds.(3) In sports mode, downward shifts are
made automatically when the vehicle
slows down. When the vehicle stops,
1st gear is automatically selected.
(4) When driving away on a slippery road,
push the selector lever forward into the
+ (UP) position. This causes the trans-
mission to shift into the 2nd gear which
is better for smooth driving away on a
slippery road. Push the selector lever
to the—(DOWN) side to shift back to
the 1st gear.
(5) Move the selector lever gently between
the manual and main gates and
between positions in the manual gate.
Undue force could damage the selec-
tor lever.
I04S021A
Sports mode indicator lamps
In sports mode, the currently selected gear
is indicated by the lamps on the instru-
ment panel.
NOTE
When sports mode is selected, the“D”indi-
cator lamp goes off.
Starting and driving
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Operation of the automatic trans-
mission INVECS II Sport Mode 5A/T
EI04D-Ch
CAUTION
(1) Before selecting a gear with the
engine running and the vehicle
stationary, fully depress the
brake pedal to prevent the
vehicle from creeping.
The vehicle will begin to move
as soon as the gear is engaged,
especially when the engine
speed is high, at fast idle or with
the air conditioning operating,
the brakes should only be
released when you are ready to
drive away.
(2) Depress the brake pedal with the
right foot at all times.
Using the left foot could cause
driver movement delay in case
of an emergency.
(3) To prevent sudden accelera-
tion, never race the engine when
shifting from the“P”(PARK) or
“N”(NEUTRAL).
CAUTION
(4) Operating the accelerator pedal
while the other foot is resting on
the brake pedal will affect brak-
ing efficiency and may cause
premature wear of brake pads.
Do not race the engine with
brake pedal pressed.
This can damage the transmis-
sion.Passing acceleration
EI04F-P
To gain extra acceleration in“D”(DRIVE)
position (when passing another vehicle)
push the accelerator to the floor. The auto-
matic transmission will automatically down-
shift.
NOTE
In sports mode, downshifts do not take
place when the accelerator is depressed all
the way to the floor.
Uphill/downhill driving
EI04O-Ia
DRIVING UPHILL
The transmission may not upshift to a
higher gear if the computer determines the
current speed cannot be maintained once
a higher gear is engaged.
For smoother vehicle performance, if you
release the throttle while climbing a steep
grade, the transmission may not upshift.
This is normal, as the computer is tempo-
rarily preventing shifting. After reaching the
top of the hill, normal gear shift function will
resume.
DRIVING DOWNHILL
When travelling down steep grades, the
computer may automatically select a lower
gear. This function assists engine brak-
ing efforts, reducing the need for using the
brakes.
Starting and driving
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Waiting
EI04G-Ee
For short waiting periods, such as at traf-
fic signal, the vehicle can be left in gear and
held stationary with the service brake.
For longer waiting periods with the engine
running, the selector lever should be placed
in the“N”(NEUTRAL) position.
CAUTION
(1) Never hold the vehicle station-
ary while in gear on a hill with
the accelerator, always apply the
parking brake and/or service
brake.
(2) Unexpected acceleration may
occur if the selector lever is in a
position other than“P”(PARK)
or“N”(NEUTRAL).
Prior to moving off after having
stopped the vehicle, make sure
that the selector lever is in“D”
(DRIVE) or“Sports mode”posi-
tion.
Parking
EI04H-Be
To park the vehicle, first bring it to a com-
plete stop, fully engage the parking brake,
and then move the selector lever to the“P”
(PARK) position.
If you are going to leave the vehicle unat-
tended, always switch off the engine and
remove the ignition key.
NOTE
On a slope, be sure to apply the parking
brake before moving the selector lever to
the“P”(PARK) position. If you move the
selector lever to the“P”(PARK) position
without first applying the parking brake, a
stronger than normal resistance force may
be encountered. In this situation, move the
selector lever strongly when you next wish
to drive.
Starting and driving
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I31D019A
CAUTION
(1) Use 1st gear in the“4L”posi-
tion for very low-speed off-road
driving.
(2) Your vehicle engine should never
be operated with the engine oil
level below the MIN mark on the
dipstick. In rough terrain which
requires four-wheel drive trac-
tion, ensure that the engine oil
level is above the MIN mark on
the dipstick.
Transfer shift lever operation
EI31D-Sb
To shift transfer
case fromTo Procedure
2H 4HThe transfer shift lever can be operated while the vehicle is either moving or sta-
tionary.
In case lever operation is necessary while the vehicle is moving, place the vehicle
in the straight ahead position and depress the clutch pedal to the floor before oper-
ating the lever. 4H 2H
4H 4L
Stop the vehicle, depress the clutch pedal to the floor and operate the transfer shift
lever.
4L 4HNOTE
(1) Shifting of the lever between“2H”↔“4H”should only be made at speeds below 100
km/h (62 mph).
(2) During driving, never attempt to shift from“4H”to“4L”or vice versa.
Starting and driving
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NOTE
(1)
The 2WD/4WD operation indication lamp
blinks while the selection is in process.
Take the following precautions when the
lamp is blinking.
•Keep the steering wheel in the straight
ahead position while making range
selections. If you attempt to drive for-
ward with the steering wheel turned,
gear rattling may occur and the desired
range may not actually be selected.
•If the front wheel and/or centre differ-
ential lock lamps continue flashing after
a“2H”↔“4H”↔“4HLc”selection has
been made with the vehicle moving,
hold the steering wheel in the straight
ahead position and slowly depress the
accelerator pedal several times.
•If, after a“4HLc”↔“4LLc”selection has
been made, the front and rear wheel
lamps continue flashing and the desired
range is not actually selected, return the
transfer shift lever to its previous posi-
tion, place the steering wheel in the
straight ahead position, drive the vehicle
forward, and release the accelerator
pedal. Next, hold down the clutch pedal
(in a manual transmission vehicle) or
place the selector lever in the“N”
(NEUTRAL) position (in an automatic
transmission vehicle) and make the
range selection again.
I30B012A
NOTE
(2)
If the front and rear wheel lamps flash
rapidly (twice per second) when you
attempt to make a“4HLc”↔“4LLc”
selection cannot be made. Stop the
vehicle and release the accelerator pedal.
Next, hold down the clutch pedal (in a
manual transmission vehicle) or place the
selector lever in the“N”(NEUTRAL) posi-
tion (in an automatic transmission vehicle)
and make the range selection again.
I30B013A
CAUTION
If a problem is detected in the trans-
fer system and safety device oper-
ates, the front and rear wheel lamps
will go off, the centre differential lock
lamp will blink (once per second),
and the transfer shifting becomes
impossible.
In this case, park your vehicle in a
safe place and follow these
procedures:
Turn off the engine. Restart the
engine and check to see if the lamp
returns to the previous condition,
there is no problem.
However, if the lamp blinks again,
have the vehicle checked by an
authorized MITSUBISHI dealer as
soon as possible.
Starting and driving
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I34C014A
Examples of incorrect use of the
rear differential lock
EI34C-Ba
WARNING
If the“4L”,“4LLc”or“4HLc”is
selected and it runs with the state of
the rear differential lock, the follow-
ing phenomena appear and it is very
dangerous.
Please be sure to release the rear dif-
ferential lock on normal roads.
(1)If the rear differential lock is used
by mistake when driving on a
paved road: With the rear differ-
ential lock on, the power to drive
the vehicle straight ahead
becomes very strong, which may
make it difficult to turn the steer-
ing wheel.
I34C015A
WARNING
(2) If the rear differential lock is used
by mistake when turning a curve
or making a right or left turn at
a crossing or the like: The
vehicle is unable to make a turn
and may go straight ahead.
I34C016A
WARNING
(3) If the rear differential lock is used
by mistake except when mak-
ing an emergency escape on
snow or frozen road:
It becomes difficult to make a
steady turn.
(4) In the case where the condition
of the road is different for the
right tyre to drive from the left
tyre (such as one tyre on a
paved road and the other on
ice), direction of the vehicle may
change abruptly when engine
braking or accelerating.
Do not use the rear differential
lock except when making an
emergency escape on a snow or
frozen road, but drive with 4WD.
Starting and driving
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