2004 MITSUBISHI L200 transmission

STARTING AND DRIVING
5-14
Shift pointSpeed limit km/h (mph)
With
TurbochargerWithout
Turbocharger
1st to 2nd 10 (6) 15 (9)
2nd to 3rd25 (15) 25 (15)
3rd to 4th40 (24) 45 (27)
4th to 5th55 (34) 65 (40)
Manual transmissionEI29A-Af
The shift pattern is shown on the gearshift
lever knob. Be sure to always fully de-
press the clutch pedal before attempting
to shift the lever.
CAUTION(1) Do not move the gearshift lever
into reverse while the vehicle is
moving forward; doing so will
damage the transmission.
(2) Do not rest your foot on the
clutch pedal while driving as this
will cause premature clutch
wear or damage.
NOTE
(1) If it is hard to shift into 1st gear,
depress the clutch pedal again; the
shift will then be easier to make.
(2) To shift into reverse from 5th gear,
move the gearshift lever to the “N”
(Neutral) position, and then shift it into
reverse.
Changing gearsEI03CPDg
Always use care to change gear with the
vehicle speed matched to the engine
speed. Proper shifting will improve fuel
economy and prolong engine life.
Avoid shifting down at high speed, as this
may cause excessive engine speed (the
tachometer needle into the red zone) and
damage the engine.
Economical driving speed
The following shift points are recommen-
ded to assist fuel economy. The driver
may vary these points to suit driving condi-
tions and load.
2WD
I29A011
2
4
RN5 3 1
05engL2_240082_4 22-01-2004 13:04 Page 5-14

STARTING AND DRIVING
5-16
Automatic transmission
EI04ABA
The transmission has 4 forward gears and
1 reverse gear.
The individual gears are selected auto-
matically, depending on the position of the
gear selector lever, the speed of the vehi-
cle and the position of the accelerator
pedal.
The selector lever has 6 positions, and is
equipped with a lock button (A) to avoid in-
advertent selection of the wrong position.
Button must be pressed to move the
lever.
Button need not be pushed to move
the selector lever.
WARNING(1) If the button is always de-
pressed to operate the selector
lever, the lever may be acciden-
tally shifted into the “P”, “R”,
“2”, or “L” position.
Be sure not to depress the but-
ton when performing the opera-
tions indicated by in the illus-
tration.
(2) Always depress the brake pedal
when shifting the selector lever
into another gear from “P”
(PARK) or “N” (NEUTRAL) posi-
tion.
When beginning to drive, do not
shift the selector lever from “P”
(PARK) or “N” (NEUTRAL) posi-
tion while depressing the accel-
erator pedal, doing so is danger-
ous because the vehicle will
“jump” forward or backward.
Indicator lamps
The indicator lamps in the instrument
panel are for indicating the selector lever
position and one of them will illuminate
when the ignition is switched “ON”, de-
pending on the position of the shift lever.
I04A279
A
I04A071
05engL2_240082_4 22-01-2004 13:05 Page 5-16

STARTING AND DRIVING
5-17 Selector positions
EI04B-Cp
P - PARK
This position locks the transmission to
prevent the vehicle from moving. The en-
gine can be started in this position.
R - REVERSE
Move the lever to this position only after
the vehicle has come to a complete stop.
CAUTIONNever 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 driving,
such as in a traffic jam.
L - LOW
This position is for driving up very steep
hills and for engine braking at low speeds
when descending steep gradients.
WARNINGThis position can be used for max-
imum engine braking.
Be very careful not to shift into “L”
suddenly. Sudden engine braking
may cause the tyres to slip.
Select this position according to the
road conditions and vehicle speed.
WARNING(1) Never move the selector lever to
the “N” position while driving. A
serious accident could occur
since you could accidentally
move the lever into the “P” or
“R” position, and engine brak-
ing would not be provided.
(2) The engine should be started in
the “P” (PARK) position, not in
the “N” (NEUTRAL) position.
(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” (NEU-
TRAL), to minimize the risk of
loss of control.
D - DRIVE
This position is for normal driving. The
transmission automatically selects a suit-
able gear for your speed and acceleration.
2 - SECOND
This position is for extra power when driv-
ing up moderately steep hills, and for en-
gine braking when descending moder-
ately steep gradients.
05engL2_240082_4 22-01-2004 13:05 Page 5-17

STARTING AND DRIVING
5-18
Operation of the automatic
transmission
EI04D-Cg
CAUTION(1) Before selecting a gear with the
engine running and the vehicle
stationary, fully depress the
brake pedal to prevent the vehi-
cle from creeping.
The vehicle will begin to move as
soon as the gear is engaged, es-
pecially when the engine speed
is high, at fast idle or the air con-
ditioning 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 acceleration,
never race the engine when
shifting from the “P” (PARK) or
“N” (NEUTRAL).
(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.
Overdrive control switchEI04C-Bc
During ordinary driving, the overdrive
switch should be left in the pressed-in po-
sition (the indicator lamp in the instrument
panel is not illuminated).
Automatic shifting will be performed in the
range from 1st gear through 4th gear if the
selector lever is set at “D”.
When you need quick acceleration or en-
gine braking power on a downhill grade, or
when you are going to go up a long hill,
press the overdrive switch once again to
cancel the overdrive function.The indicator lamp in the instrument panel
illuminates and automatic shifting will be
performed in the range from 1st gear
through 3rd gear only.
I04C033I04C034
05engL2_240082_4 22-01-2004 13:05 Page 5-18

STARTING AND DRIVING
5-19 Passing acceleration
EI04F-Bb
For quick acceleration when passing, de-
pressing the accelerator pedal all the way
to the floor will cause the transmission to
automatically shift from 4th gear to 3rd
gear, from 3rd gear to 2nd gear or from
2nd gear to 1st gear, in accordance with
the driving speed, without having to move
the selector lever from either the “D” or “2”
positions.
Possible driving speedEI04IPDd
In order to avoid damage to the engine
due to excessively high rpm, do not ex-
ceed the possible driving speed when the
selector lever is set to the “2” (SECOND)
position, the “L” (LOW) position or the “D”
(DRIVE) position.
2WD
*1: With overdrive switched OFF
4WD
*1: With overdrive switched OFF
WaitingEI04G-Bj
For short waiting periods, such as at traffic
signals, 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 place
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) position.

Drive range
Speed limit km/h (mph)

“L” (LOW)

40 (24)
“2” (SECOND)

74 (46)
“D” (DRIVE)

115 (71)*
1
Drive range
Speed limit km/h (mph)
Vehicles with
205/80R16
tyre sizeVehicles with
265/70R16
tyre size
2H, 4H4L2H, 4H4L
“L”
(LOW)45 (27) 25 (15) 45 (27) 25 (15)
“2”
(SECOND)85 (52) 45 (27) 90 (55) 45 (27)
“D”
(DRIVE)125 (77)*165 (40)*1130 (80)*170 (43)*1
05engL2_240082_4 22-01-2004 13:05 Page 5-19

STARTING AND DRIVING
EI31D-Nb
5-21
TYPE A : M/T (RHD), A/T (LHD)
TYPE B : M/T (LHD)
Transfer shift lever operation
I31D025
4L 4L
4H 4H
2H 2H
Type A Type B
To shift
transfer
case fromToProcedure
Vehicles with manual transmissionVehicles with automatic transmission
2H 4HThe transfer shift lever can be operated while the vehicle is either
moving or stationary.
In case lever operation is necessary while the vehicle is moving,
place the vehicle in a straight ahead position and depress the
clutch pedal to the floor before operating the lever.
The transfer shift lever can be operated while the vehicle is either
moving or stationary.
When the vehicle is not in motion, shift the selector lever to the “N”
(NEUTRAL) position before operation of the shift lever; When the
vehicle is in motion, place the vehicle in a straight ahead position
and release the accelerator pedal before operating the shift lever.
4H 2H
4H 4L
Stop the vehicle, depress the clutch pedal to the floor and
operate the transfer shift lever.Stop the vehicle, shift the selector lever to the “N” (NEUTRAL)
position and operate the transfer shift lever. If operation is made
with the selector lever placed in any other position than “N”
(NEUTRAL), a gear noise may be generated, with a possible
failure to shift into a proper gear. 4L 4H
NOTE
(1) Shifting of the lever between “2H”↔”4H” should be made at the speed below 100 km/h.
(2) During driving, never attempt to shift from “4H” to “4L” or vice versa.
05engL2_240082_4 22-01-2004 13:05 Page 5-21

STARTING AND DRIVING
NOTE
(1) When shifting from “2H” to “4H” soon
after driving the vehicle in a cold
weather district, the transmission
gear may make a noise. So try to shift
the gear while the vehicle is stopped.
(2) The 4WD operation indication lamp
will go out momentarily during shifting
process from “4H” to “4L” or vice
versa, as the shift lever passes
through the neutral position.
Be sure to operate the shift lever until
the 4WD operation indicator lamp illu-
minates again.
(3) There may be a case that the transfer
shift lever fees heavy when it is
moved from “4H” to “2H” with the
steering wheel in turned position. This
is normal and not any indication of
trouble.
4WD indication lamp
(4-wheel drive vehicles)
EI48BPDb
When the ignition switch is in the “ON”
position, the 4WD indication lamp in the
meter illuminates in the event that the
transfer shift lever is shifted to the four-
wheel driving position (either the “4H” or
the “4L” position).
NOTE
In case the operation indication lamp does
not change quickly even if the shift lever is
shifted from “4H” to “2H”, depress the
accelerator slowly a few times with the
vehicle running straight ahead.
5-22
I30A007
CAUTION(1) Do not operate the transfer shift
lever while the rear wheels of a
vehicle are slipping on a snow
covered road.
(2) Do not drive your vehicle in the
“4H” or “4L” position on paved
roads and highway; this would
result in early wear of the tyres,
increased fuel consumption and
possible noise generation.
It may also increase the differen-
tial oil temperature, resulting in
possible damage to the driving
system parts. It is necessary to
operate the lever “2H” position
while driving under these condi-
tions.
05engL2_240082_4 22-01-2004 13:05 Page 5-22

STARTING AND DRIVING
5-27
CAUTIONS(1) Do not force the vehicle to driver
recklessly on sandy surfaces. In
comparison with normal road
surfaces, the engine and other
drive-system components are
put under excessive strain when
driving on such a surface, and
this could lead to accidents.
(2) If any of following conditions
occur while the vehicle is being
driven, immediately park your
vehicle in a safe place and follow
this procedure:
• The needle in the temperature
gauge approaches the over-
heating zone.
Refer to the “Engine overheat-
ing” on page 8-23.
• A/T fluid temperature warning
lamp illuminates.
Refer to the “A/T warning
lamp” on page 4-8.
(4) If it is necessary to drive in extremely
muddy conditions, the use of tyre
chains is recommended. Because the
extent of muddy conditions is difficult
to judge and the vehicle could be-
come bogged down very deeply, op-
eration should be at a low speed. If
possible, get out of the vehicle and
check the conditions ahead before
proceeding.
(5) Driving over roads in coastal areas or
roads on which anti-skid preparations
have been spread can cause rust
on the vehicle; wash the vehicle
thoroughly as soon as possible after
such use.
WARNINGWhen attempting to rock your vehi-
cle out of a stuck position, be sure
that the area around the vehicle is
clear of people and physical objects.
The rocking motion may cause the
vehicle to suddenly launch forward
or backward, causing injury or dam-
age to nearby people or objects.
NOTE
(1) Avoid sudden braking, acceleration,
and turning; such operations could
result in the vehicle becoming stuck.
(2) If the vehicle becomes stuck in sandy
or muddy roads, it can often be
moved by a rocking motion. Move the
selector lever alternately between the
“D” (DRIVE) and “R” (REVERSE)
position, (with manual transmission,
between 1st and Reverse), while
applying slight pressure to the accel-
erator pedal.
(3) It is recommended to start the vehicle
with parking brake partially, but not
completely, applied by slightly pulling
the parking brake lever.
After the vehicle has become free, do
not forget to release the parking
brake.
05engL2_240082_4 22-01-2004 13:05 Page 5-27