2008 MITSUBISHI COLT engine

For emergencies6-43
6
Operation under adve
rse driving conditions
E00801701390
If your vehicle becomes stuck in sand, mud or
snow
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, sand, or mud, it can often
be moved by a rocking motion. Fo r vehicles with manual trans-
mission, move the gearshift leve r alternately between 1st and
Reverse, while applying slight pressure to the accelerator
pedal.
With an automated manual transmission vehicle, place the
allshift lever in the “A” (automatic mode) position to select
automatic mode or select 1st or 2nd gear in the manual mode or
place the allshift lever in th e “R” (Reverse) position for
reverse. Confirm that there is an “A”, “1”, “2” or “R” in the
allshift indicator display, then gently press the accelerator
pedal. Do not press the acceler ator pedal while moving the
allshift lever.
Avoid racing the engine or spinning the wheels. Prolonged
efforts to free a stuck vehicl e may result in overheating and
transmission failure. Allow the engine to idle for a few minutes
to let the transmission cool between rocking attempts.
If the vehicle remains stuck afte r several rocking attempts, seek
other assistance.
WARNING!
● When attempting to rock your vehicle out of a stuck
position, be sure that the area around the vehicle is
clear of people and physic al objects. The rocking
motion may cause the vehicle to suddenly launch
forward or backward, causing injury or damage to
nearby people or objects.

Vehicle care7-5
7
●If your vehicle has rain sensor wipers, place the
wiper switch lever in the “ ” (OFF) position to
deactivate the rain sensor before washing the vehi-
cle. Otherwise, the wipers will operate in the pres-
ence of water spray on the windscreen and may get
damaged as a result.
● Refrain from using a car wash as its brushes may
scratch the paint surface, ca using it to lose its gloss.
Scratches will be especially visible on darker col-
oured vehicles.
● Never spray or splash water on the electrical compo-
nents in the engine compartment, as this may
adversely affect engine starting.
Exercise caution also when washing the underbody;
be careful not to spray wa ter into the engine com-
partment.
● Some types of hot water washing equipment apply
high pressure and heat to the vehicle. They may
cause heat distortion and damage to the vehicle resin
parts and may result in floo ding of the vehicle inte-
rior. Therefore; ob serve the following.
• Maintain a good distance of approx. 50 cm or more
between the vehicle body and the washing nozzle.
• When washing around the door glass, hold the
nozzle at a distance of more than 50 cm and at
right angles to the glass surface.
CAUTION!
● After washing the vehicle, drive the vehicle slowly
while lightly depressing the brake pedal several
times in order to dry out the brakes.
Leaving the brakes wet could result in reduced
braking performance. There is also a possibility that
they could freeze up or b ecome inoperative due to
rust, rendering the vehicle unable to move.
● When using an automatic car wash, pay attention to
the following items, referi ng to the operation man-
ual or consulting a car wash operator. If the follow-
ing procedure is not followed, it could result in
damage to your vehicle.
• The outside mirrors are retracted.
• The antenna is removed.
• The rear wiper arm assembly is taped or removed.
• If your vehicle is equipped with a rear spoiler, con- sult a car wash operator be fore using the car wash.
• If your vehicle has rain sensor wipers, place the
wiper switch lever in th e “ ” (OFF) position to
deactivate the rain sensor.
CAUTION!

7-6 Vehicle care
7
During cold weather
The salt and other chemicals spread on the roads in some areas
in winter can have a harmful effect on the vehicle body. You
should therefore wash the ve hicle as often as possible in
accordance with our care instruc tions. It is recommended to
have a preservative applied an d the underfloor protection
checked before and after the cold weather season.
After washing your vehicle, wipe off all waterdrops from the
rubber parts around the doors to prevent the doors from freez-
ing.
NOTE● To prevent freezing of the w eatherstripping on the doors,
bonnet, etc., they should be treated with silicone spray.
WaxingE00901000528
Waxing the vehicle will help prev ent the adherence of dust and
road chemicals to the paintwor k. Apply a wax solution after
washing the vehicle, or at least once every three months to
assist displacing of water.
Do not wax your vehicle in direct sunlight. You should wax
after the surfaces have cooled.
PolishingE00901100011
The vehicle should only be polished if the paintwork has
become stained or lost its lustre. Matt-finish parts and plastic
bumpers must not be polished, polishing these parts will stain
them or damage their finish.
Damaged paintE00901200012
Small cracks and scratches in th e paint coat should be touched
up as soon as possible with MITSUBISHI touch-up paint to
prevent corrosion.
Check body areas facing the road or the tyres carefully for
damage to the paint coat caused by flying stones, etc. The paint
code number for your vehicle can be found on the vehicle
information code plate in the engine compartment.
CAUTION!
●Waxes containing high abrasive compounds should
not be used. Such waxes rem ove rust and stain effec-
tively from the paintwork but they are harmful to
the lustre of the painted surface.
Further, they are harmful to glossy surfaces such as
grille, garnish, mouldings, etc.
● Do not use petrol or paint thinners to remove road
tar or other contamination on the vehicle surface.
●Do not apply wax on areas with a black mat coating
as it can cause uneven disc olouration, patches, blurs,
etc. If stained with wax, wipe off immediately with a
soft cloth and warm water.
CAUTION!

Vehicle care7-7
7
Cleaning plastic partsE00901300071
Use a sponge or chamois leather.
If a car wax adheres on a grey or black rough surface of the
bumper, moulding or lamps, the surface becomes white. In
such a case, wipe it off using lukewarm water and soft cloth or
chamois leather.
Chrome partsE00901400014
In order to prevent spots and corrosion of chrome parts, wash
with water, dry thoroughly, and apply a special protective coat-
ing. This should be done more frequently in winter.
Aluminium wheels*E00901500086
1. Remove dirt using a sponge while sprinkling water on the wheel.
2. Use neutral detergent on any dirt that cannot be removed
easily with water.
Rinse off the neutral detergent after washing the wheel.
3. Dry the wheel thoroughly using a chamois leather or a soft
cloth.
CAUTION!
● Do not use a scrubbing brush or other hard tools as
they may damage the plastic part surface.
●Do not use wax containing compound (polishing
powder) which may damage the plastic part surface.
●Do not bring the plastic parts into contact with gaso-
line, light oil, brake fluids, engine oils, greases, paint
thinners, and sulphuric ac id (battery electrolyte)
which may crack, stain or discolour the plastic
parts.
If they touch the plastic pa rt, wipe them off with soft
cloth, chamois or the like and an aqueous solution of
neutral detergent then immediately rinse the
affected parts with water.
CAUTION!
● Do not use a brush or other hard implement on the
wheels.
Doing so could scratch the wheels.
●Do not use any cleaner th at contains an abrasive
substance or is acidic or alkaline. Doing so could
cause the coating on the wheels to peel or become
discoloured or stained.
● Do not directly apply hot water using a steam
cleaner or by any other means.
●Contact with seawater an d road deicer can cause
corrosion. Rinse off such su bstances as soon as pos-
sible.

7-8 Vehicle care
7
Window glassE00901600104
The window glass can normally be cleaned using only a
sponge and water.
Glass cleaner can be used to re move oil, grease, dead insects,
etc. After washing the glass, wi pe dry with a clean, dry, soft
cloth. Never use the same cloth to wipe the window glass as
would be used to wipe the paintwork; wax from the painted
surfaces could adhere to the gl ass and reduce its transparency
and visibility.
NOTE● To clean the inside of the tailgate window, always use a
soft cloth and wipe the window glass along the demister
heater element so as not to cause damage.
Wiper bladesE00901700017
Use a soft cloth and glass cleaner to remove grease, dead
insects, etc., from the wiper blades. Replace the wiper blades
when they no longer wipe properly. (Refer to page 8-25.)
Engine compartmentE00902100265
Clean the engine compartment at the beginning and end of
winter. Pay particular attention to flanges, crevices and periph-
eral parts where dust containing road chemicals and other cor-
rosive materials might collect.
If salt and other chemicals ar e used on the roads in your area,
clean the engine compartment at least every three months.
Never spray or splash water on the electrical components in the
engine compartment, as this may cause damage.
Do not bring the nearby parts, the plastic parts and so on into
contact with sulphuric acid (bat tery electrolyte) which may
crack, stain or discolour them.
If they are in contact, wipe off with soft cloth, chamois or the
like and an aqueous solution of neutral detergent then immedi-
ately rinse the affected pa rts with plenty of water.
CAUTION!
●If your vehicle has rain sensor wipers, place the
wiper switch lever in th e “ ” (OFF) position to
deactivate the rain sensor before washing the wind-
screen. Otherwise, the wip ers will operate in the
presence of water spray on the windscreen and may
get damaged as a result.

8
Maintenance
Service precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8- 2
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8- 3
Bonnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8- 4
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8- 7
Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8- 11
Washer fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8- 14
Brake fluid/Clutch fluid* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8- 14
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8- 15
Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8- 19
Parking brake lever stroke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8- 24
Wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8- 25
General maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8- 28
For cold and snow weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8- 29
Fuse links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8- 30
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8- 30
Replacement of lamp bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8- 40

8-2 Maintenance
8Service precautions
E01000100458
Adequate care of your vehicle at
regular intervals serves to pre-
serve the value and appear ance as long as possible.
Maintenance items as described in this owner’s manual can be
performed by the owner.
We recommend you to have the periodic inspection and main-
tenance performed by a MITS UBISHI MOTORS Authorized
Service Point or another specialist. In the event a malfunction
or other problem is discovered, we recommend you to have it
checked and repaired. This section contains information on
inspection maintenance procedures that you can do yourself.
Follow the instructions and cautions for each of the various
procedures.
WARNING!
● When checking or servicing the inside of the engine
compartment, make sure th e engine is switched off
and has had a chan ce to cool down.
●If it is necessary to do work in the engine compart-
ment with the engine runni ng, be especially careful
that your clothing, hair, et c., does not become caught
by the fan, drive belts, or other moving parts.
● The fan may turn on automatically even if the
engine is not running; turn the ignition key to
“LOCK” position and remove the key to ensure
safety while you work in the engine compartment.
●Do not smoke, cause sparks or allow open flames
around fuel or battery. The fumes are flammable.
●Be extremely cautious wh en working around the
battery. It contains poison ous and corrosive sulphu-
ric acid.
● Do not get under your vehicle with just the body
jack supporting it. Always use automotive jack
stands.
●Improper handling of comp onents and materials
used in the vehicle can endanger your personal
safety. We recommend you to consult a specialist for
necessary information.
WARNING!

Maintenance8-3
8
Catalytic converter
E01000200651
For ordinary use, there are no
particular precautions except that
of using unleaded petrol.
The exhaust gas scavenging device used with the catalytic con-
verter is extremely ef ficient for the reduction of noxious gases.
The catalytic converter is inst alled in the exhaust system.
It is important to keep the engine properly tuned to ensure
proper catalyst operation and prevent po ssible catalyst damage. The catalytic converter itself gets hot quickly, and may be dam-
aged if overheated. The followi
ng points should be noted in
order to prevent the ignition of unburned petrol within the cata-
lytic converter. ● In case of petrol-powered vehicles, use UNLEADED
PETROL ONLY of the type recommended in “Fuel selec-
tion” on page 2.
● Do not drive with an extremely low fuel level; running out
of fuel could cause damage to the catalytic converter.
● Do not try to start the engine by pushing the vehicle. If the
battery is weak or discharged, use another battery to start
the engine.
● In the case of petrol-powered vehicles, do not idle the
engine with any spark plug wires disconnected or
removed such as for performing diagnostic tests.
● Do not idle the engine for prolonged periods during very
rough idle or malfunctioning operating conditions.
● Do not race the engine when turning off the ignition
switch. This will damage the catalytic converter due to
contact with unburnt fuel.
● Stop driving the vehicle if you think the performance is
noticeably low, or there is un necessary engine rotation, or
any other engine trouble, such as with the ignition, etc.
If it is impractical to stop driving immediately, reduce the
speed and drive for only a s hort time. We recommend you
to have your vehicle inspected as soon as possible.
CAUTION!
● Damage to the catalytic co nverter can result if your
vehicle is not kept in a proper operating condition.
In the event of an engine malfunction, particularly
involving engine misfiring or other apparent loss of
performance, have your vehicle serviced promptly.
Continued operation of your vehicle in a severely
overheated condition may re sult in damage to the
converter and vehicle.
WARNING!
● As with any vehicle, do not park or operate this
vehicle in areas where combustible materials such as
dry grass or leaves can come into contact with a hot
exhaust, as a fire could occur.
●Paint should not be applied to the catalytic con-
verter.