STARTING AND DRIVING
5-28 Climbing sharp grades
Set the transfer shift lever to “4L” to max-
imize the engine torque.
WARNING(1) Go straight up. Do not try to
traverse across a steep slope.
(2) If you begin to lose traction,
ease off the accelerator pedal
and gently turn the steering
wheel alternately left and right to
regain adequate traction again.
NOTE
(1) Choose as smooth a slope as possi-
ble with few stones or other obsta-
cles.
(2) The climbing ability is approximate
35° grade on dry pavement.
(3) Before attempting to drive up the
slope, walk up it to confirm that the
vehicle can handle the gradient.
Descending sharp grades
Set the transfer shift lever to “4L”, use the
engine brake (downshifting) and descend
slowly.
WARNINGAvoid snaking down a sharp gra-
dient. Descend the grade as straight
as possible.
NOTE
(1) When descending a sharp grade, if the
brakes are applied suddenly because
of an obstacle encountered, control of
the vehicle could be lost. Before de-
scending the slope, walk down it and
confirm the path.
(2) Before descending a grade, it is neces-
sary to choose the appropriate gear.
Avoid changing gears or depressing the
clutch while descending the grade.
(3) MITSUBISHI is not responsible to the
operator for any damage or injury
caused or liability incurred by the im-
proper and negligent operation of a ve-
hicle. All techniques of vehicle opera-
tion described herein depend on the
skill and experience of the operator
and other participating parties, and any
deviation from the recommended oper-
ating instructions above is at their own
risk.
Turning sharp corners
When turning a sharp corner in “4H” or
“4L” position at low speed, a slight differ-
ence in steering may be experienced
similar to as if the brakes were applied.
This is called tight corner braking and
results from each of the four tyres being at
a different distance from the corner.
The phenomenon is peculiar to 4-wheel
drive vehicles. If this occurs, either
straighten the steering wheel, or change
to rear-wheel drive.
Crossing a stream (fording)
4-wheel drive vehicles are not necessarily
waterproof. If the electrical circuits be-
come wet, further operation of the vehicle
will be impossible; therefore, avoid cross-
ing streams unless absolutely necessary.
If crossing a stream is unavoidable, use
the following procedure:
(1) Check depths of a stream and geo-
graphical features before attempting
to cross a stream and ford the stream
where the water is as shallow as prac-
ticable.
(2) Set the transfer shift lever to “4L”.
(3) Drive slowly at a speed of approxi-
mately 5 km/h (3 mph) to avoid
splashing too much water.
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