2008 MITSUBISHI COLT battery

6-6 For emergencies
6
NOTE●If the vehicle is put in motion without fully charging the
battery, it might cause the loss of smooth engine operation
and the anti-lock brake warning lamp to illuminate.
Refer to “Anti-lock brake system (ABS)” on page 4-36.
Engine overheating
E00800601321
If the high coolant temperature warning lamp flashes while the
engine is running, the engine may be overheating. If this
occurs, take the follow ing corrective measures:
1. Stop the vehicle in a safe place.
2. Check whether steam is comin g from the engine compart-
ment.
[If there is no steam comi ng from the engine compart-
ment]
With the engine still running, raise the bonnet to ventilate
the engine compartment.
[If steam is coming from the engine compartment]
Stop the engine, and when the steam stops, raise the bon-
net to ventilate the engine compartment. Restart the
engine.
CAUTION!
● Do not attempt to start the engine by pulling or
pushing the vehicle.
It could damage your vehicle.
●Always wear protective eye goggles when working
near the battery.
●Keep the battery out of reach of children.
WARNING!
●Do not open the bonnet wh ile steam is coming from
the engine compartment. It could cause steam or hot
water to spurt out, causin g burns. Hot water could
spurt out even when there is no steam coming out,
and some parts will be very hot. Be very careful
when opening the bonnet.
●Be careful of hot steam, which could be blowing off
the reserve tank cap.
●Do not attempt to remove the radiator cap (petrol-
powered vehicles) or res erve tank cap (diesel-pow-
ered vehicles) while the engine is hot.

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.

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.

Maintenance8-15
8
The fluid in the master cylinder should be checked when doing
other work under the bonnet. Th e brake system should also be
checked for leaks at the same time.
If the fluid level falls markedly in a short period of time, it indi-
cates a leak from the system.
If this occurs, we recommen d that you have the vehicle
checked.
Fluid type
Use brake fluid conforming to DOT4+ from a sealed container.
The brake fluid is hygroscopic. Too much moisture in the brake
fluid will adversely affect the br ake system and the clutch sys-
tem, reducing performance.
Battery
E01001201118
The condition of the battery is very important for quick starting
of the engine and proper functioning of the vehicle’s electrical
system. Regular inspection and care are especially important in
cold weather.
NOTE● Memory data for settings made by the user may be erased
when the battery is replaced. If this happens, establish the
settings again using the relevant procedures.
CAUTION!
● Take care when handling brake fluid as it is harmful
to the eyes, may irritate your skin and also damage
painted surfaces.
●Use only the speci fied brake fluid.
To prevent a chemical reaction do not mix or add
different brands of brake fluid.
Do not let any petroleum-based fluid touch, mix
with, or get into the brake fluid.
This will damage the seals.
● Keep the reservoir tank cap closed, except during
maintenance, to prevent th e brake fluid from deteri-
orating.
● Clean the filler cap before removing and close the
cap securely after maintenance.

8-16 Maintenance
8
Checking the battery electrolyte level
The inside of the battery is divided into several compartments.
Checking the electrolyte level in each cell after removing the
cap. If the part marked (A) inside each cell is below the surface of
the electrolyte (B), the electrolyte level is normal. Top up the
electrolyte with distilled water if necessary. Do not add overfill
the cell; spillage during driving could cause damage.
Check the electrolyte level at least once every four weeks,
depending on the operating conditions.
If the battery is not used, it will discharge by itself with time.
Check it once every four weeks and charge with low current as
necessary.

Maintenance8-17
8
During cold weather
The capacity of the battery is re duced at low temperatures. This
is an inevitable result of its ch emical and physical properties.
This is why a very cold battery, particularly one that is not fully
charged anyway, will only delive r a fraction of the starter cur-
rent that is normally available.
We recommend that you have th e battery checked before the
start of cold weather and, if necessary, have it charged or
replaced.
This does not only ensure reliable starting, but a battery that is
kept fully charged also has a longer life.
Disconnection and connection
To disconnect the battery cable, stop the engine, first discon-
nect the negative (-) terminal and then the positive (+) terminal.
When connecting the battery, first connect the positive (+) ter-
minal and then the negative (-) terminal.
NOTE● Open the terminal cover (A) before disconnecting or con-
necting the positive (+) terminal of the battery.
● Loosen the nut (B), and then disconnect the battery cable
from the positive (+) terminal.
CAUTION!
● Do not disconnect the batt ery terminals for at least
one minute after the igni tion switch is turned
“OFF”. If the battery terminals are disconnected
immediately after the igni tion switch is turned
“OFF”, the automated manu al transmission may be
damaged.
Petrol-powered vehicles
Diesel-powered vehicles