2008 MITSUBISHI GRANDIS engine

Starting and driving
4-33
4
Passing acceleration
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To gain extra acceleration in “D” (DRIVE) position (when
passing another vehicle) push the accelerator to the floor. The
A/T will automatically downshift.NOTE●In sports mode, downshifts do not take place when the
accelerator is depressed all the way to the floor.Uphill/downhill driving
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DRIVING UPHILL
The transmission may not upshift to a higher gear if the com-
puter 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 temporarily preventing shift-
ing. After reaching the top of the hill, normal gear shift func-
tion will resume.
DRIVING DOWNHILL
When travelling down steep grades, the computer may auto-
matically select a lower gear. This function assists engine brak-
ing efforts, reducing the need for using the brakes.
Waiting
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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 selec-
tor lever should be placed in the “N” (NEUTRAL) position.
CAUTION
!●Never hold the vehicle stationary while in gear on a
hill with the accelerator, always apply the parking
brake and/or service brake.●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” position.
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4-34 Starting and driving
4
Parking
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To park the vehicle, first bring it to a complete 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 unattended, 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
before applying the parking brake, it may be difficult to
disengage the selector lever from the “P” (PARK) position
when next you drive the vehicle, requiring application of a
strong force to the selector lever to move from the “P”
(PARK) position.
When the A/T makes no speed change
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If the transmission does not change speeds while driving, or
your vehicle does not pick up enough speed when starting on
an uphill slope, it may be that there is something unusual hap-
pening in the transmission, causing a safety device to activate.
We recommend you to have your vehicle checked as soon as
possible.
1. If your vehicle has difficulty moving uphill, shift the
selector lever into 2nd gear of the sports mode.
This method might not work depending on the type of
transmission malfunction.
2. Once the vehicle is moving on a level road, move the
selector lever back to “D” (DRIVE).NOTE●When the “N” indication lamp in the instrument panel
blinks, it means that there is an abnormal condition in the
transmission. Refer to “Selector lever position indication
lamps/“N” indication lamp” on page 4-28.
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Starting and driving
4-35
4 Braking
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All the parts of the brake system are critical to safety. We rec-
ommend you to have the vehicle checked at regular intervals
according to the service booklet.Brake systemThe service brake is divided into two brake circuits so that
when one brake circuit fails, the other is available to stop the
vehicle. In this situation, even if the brake pedal moves down
to the very end of its possible stroke, keep it pressed down
hard; stop driving as soon as possible and have the brake sys-
tem repaired.Power brakesYour vehicle is equipped with power brakes for more braking
force with less brake pedal effort.
Your brakes are designed to operate at full capacity, even if the
power assist is not being used.
If the power assist is not being used, the effort needed to press
the brake pedal is greater.
If you should lose the power assist for some reason, the brakes
will still work.If the power brake unit or either of the two brake hydraulic sys-
tems stops working properly, the rest of the brake system will
still work, but the vehicle will not slow down as quickly.
You will know this has happened if you find you need to press
the brake down further, or harder when slowing down or stop-
ping, or if the brake warning lamp comes on.
Wa r n i n g l a m pThe brake warning lamp illuminates to indicate a fault in the
braking system. Read “Brake warning lamp” on page 3-10.When brakes are wetCheck the brake system while driving at a low speed immedi-
ately after starting, especially when the brakes are wet, to con-
firm they work normally.
A film of water can be formed on the brake discs and prevent
normal braking after driving in heavy rain or through large
puddles, or after the vehicle is washed. If this occurs, dry the
brakes out by driving slowly while lightly depressing the brake
pedal.
CAUTION
!●Avoid driving habits that cause heavy braking and
never “ride” the brakes by resting your foot on the
brake pedal while driving.
It causes brake overheating and fade.
WARNING
!●Never coast downhill with the engine OFF. Keep the
engine running whenever your vehicle is in motion.
If you turn off the engine while driving, the power
brake booster will stop working and your brakes
will not work as well.●If the power assist is lost or if either brake hydraulic
system stops working properly, have your vehicle
checked immediately.
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4-36 Starting and driving
4
When driving downhillIt is important to take advantage of the engine braking by shift-
ing to a lower shift position while driving on steep downhill
roads in order to prevent the brakes from overheating.Brake pads●With new brake pads, avoid where possible sudden full
application of the brakes for the first 200 km (124 miles)
of driving.
●The disc brakes are provided with a warning device which
emits a shrieking metallic sound while braking if the
brake pads have reached their limit.
If you hear this sound, have the brake pads replaced.
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
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Environmental conditions can have an effect on braking. Dur-
ing sudden braking when there is snow, ice, oil, water etc. on
the road surface, a skid may occur. In this situation, steering
control and braking effectiveness is reduced and the stopping
distance is increased. The vehicle may also go into an uncon-
trolled spin.
The ABS helps prevent the wheels from locking during brak-
ing, thus maintaining directional stability, ensuring controlla-
bility and providing optimum braking force.Driving hints●With ABS fitted, steering during sudden braking (when
the ABS functions) differs slightly from when the brakes
are not being applied.
Steer the vehicle carefully in these conditions.
●Always maintain the same distance from the vehicle in
front of you as you would for a vehicle not equipped with
ABS.
Compared with vehicles not fitted with ABS, your vehicle
may require a longer stopping distance in the following
cases:
• Driving on gravel or snow-covered roads.
• Driving with tyre chains installed.
• Driving on roads where the road surface is pitted or has
other differences in surface height.
• Driving on bumpy roads or other poor driving surfaces.
WARNING
!●Do not leave any objects near the brake pedal or let
a floor mat slide under it; doing so could prevent the
full pedal stroke that would be necessary in an emer-
gency. Make sure that the pedal can be operated
freely at all times. Make sure the floor mat is
securely held in place.
WARNING
!●Driving with worn brake pads will make it harder to
stop, and can cause an accident.
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4-38 Starting and driving
4
ABS warning lamp
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The ABS warning lamp should illuminate when the ignition
switch is turned “ON”, and should go off in a few seconds.
If the warning lamp illuminates while driving
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If only the ABS warning lamp illuminates●Avoid hard braking and high-speed driving. Stop the vehi-
cle in a safe place.
Restart the engine and check to see whether the lamp goes
out after a few minutes driving; if it then remains off dur-
ing driving, there is no problem.
However, if the lamp does not go out, or if it lights up
again when the vehicle is driven, we recommend you to
consult a MITSUBISHI MOTORS Authorized Service
Point.
●The ABS warning lamp can illuminate if the battery volt-
age is insufficient when the engine is started. In this case,
it does not indicate an ABS fault.
Charge the battery by allowing the engine to idle for a
while.
If the battery has been charged but the ABS warning lamp
continues to illuminate or illuminates intermittently, we
recommend you to consult a MITSUBISHI MOTORS
Authorized Service Point.If the ABS warning lamp and brake warning lamp illu-
minate at the same time●The ABS and brake force distribution function may not
work, so hard braking could make the vehicle unstable.
Avoid hard braking and high-speed driving. Stop the vehi-
cle in a safe place and we recommend you to consult a
MITSUBISHI MOTORS Authorized Service Point.
CAUTION
!●If the warning lamp stays on or does not illuminate
when you start the vehicle, it indicates that the ABS
is not functioning and that only the standard brake
system is in operation. (In this condition the stand-
ard hydraulic brake system will still function.)
We recommend you to consult a MITSUBISHI
MOTORS Authorized Service Point.
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Starting and driving
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4
NOTE●Immediately after the vehicle starts moving after engine
start up, a whining sound of the motor will be heard from
the engine compartment. If the brake pedal is depressed at
that moment, a brake pedal pulsating is felt.
This pulsation is due to the self-diagnosis operation of the
ABS and does not indicate a malfunction.
●After driving on snowy roads, remove any snow and ice
which may have become adhered to the wheel areas.
When doing this, be careful not to damage the wheel
speed sensors (A) and cables located at each wheel on
vehicles equipped with an ABS.
FrontRear
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4-40 Starting and driving
4
●The ABS becomes operative after the vehicle has acceler-
ated to a speed in excess of approximately 10 km/h
(6 mph). It stops operating when the vehicle decelerates to
a speed below approximately 5 km/h (3 mph).
Power steering system
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When the engine is stopped, the power steering system will not
function and it will require greater manual effort to operate the
steering wheel. Keep this in mind in particular when towing the
vehicle. Never turn off the engine while driving.
Periodically check the power steering fluid level.
CAUTION
!●Do not hold the steering wheel in the fully turned
position (either left or right), for longer than 10 sec-
onds.
This can cause damage to the power steering system.
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Starting and driving
4-41
4 Active stability control (ASC)
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The active stability control (ASC) takes overall control of the
anti-lock brake system, traction control function and stability
control function to help maintain the vehicle’s control and trac-
tion. Please read this section in conjunction with the page on
the anti-lock brake system, traction control function and stabil-
ity control function.
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) → p. 4-36
Traction control function → p. 4-42
Stability control function → p. 4-43
NOTE●In the following situation, a click is heard from the engine
compartment. However, this is only the sound of ASC
being checked.
• After turning the ignition switch to the “ON” position.
• After your vehicle is driven a short distance after start-
ing the engine.
●Some vibration will be felt in the vehicle body and a
whining sound of the motor will be heard from the engine
compartment when the ASC functions. This is a normal
result of the ASC operation and does not indicate a mal-
function.
●The ASC does not operate while the ABS warning lamp is
illuminated.
CAUTION
!●Do not over-rely on the ASC. Even when the ASC is
operating, there are limits to the system and its abil-
ity to maintain control and traction. Reckless driv-
ing may lead to accidents. Always drive carefully,
taking account of the road conditions.●Be sure to use the same specified type and size of
tyre on all 4 wheels. Otherwise, there is a possibility
that the ASC will not work properly.
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