3-76 Features and controls
3
Selector lever positions (Main gate)
N00514200183
“P” PARKThis position locks the transaxle to prevent the vehicle from
moving. The engine can be started from the “PARK” position.“R” REVERSEMove the lever to this position only after the vehicle has come
to a complete stop.
CAUTION
!If a malfunction occurs in the automatic transaxle
while driving, the selector lever position indicator
will flash.
In this case, immediately park your vehicle in a safe
place and follow these procedures:
{The selector lever position indicator warning func-
tion does not operate with the selector lever in the
“P” (PARK), “R” (REVERSE) or “N” (NEUTRAL)
position.}
[The selector lever position indicator flashes rapidly
(twice per second)]
The automatic transaxle fluid is overheating.
Park your vehicle in a safe place but do not turn off
the engine. Move the selector lever to the “P”
(PARK) position and open the engine hood. Keep
the engine idling.
After a while, move the selector lever to the “D”
(DRIVE) position and confirm that the selector
lever position indicator stops flashing. It is safe to
continue driving if the selector lever position indica-
tor no longer flashes.
If the selector lever position indicator continues
flashing or flashes intermittently, have your vehicle
inspected by an authorized Mitsubishi Motors
dealer or a repair facility of your choice.
[The selector lever position indicator flashes slowly
(once per second)]
The automatic transaxle safety device may be oper-
ating due to a malfunction.
Have your vehicle inspected by an authorized Mit-
subishi Motors dealer or a repair facility of your
choice as soon as possible.
CAUTION
!Never shift into the “P” (PARK) or “R”
(REVERSE) position while the vehicle is in motion.
If the lever is shifted into the “P” (PARK) or “R”
(REVERSE) position while the vehicle is in motion,
the transaxle may be damaged.
BK0098300US.book 76 ページ 2008年12月8日 月曜日 午前11時37分
Features and controls
3-77
3
“N” NEUTRALAt this position, the transaxle is disengaged. It is the same as
the neutral position on a manual transaxle and should be used
when the vehicle is not moving for an extended length of time
during driving, such as in a traffic jam.
“D” DRIVEThis position is used for most city and highway driving. Engine
shifting and braking are done automatically as needed, depend-
ing on road conditions.NOTEFor information on manual gate operation, please refer to
“Sports mode” on page 3-78.
WA R N I N G
!Never move the selector lever to the “N” (NEU-
TRAL) position while driving since you could acci-
dentally slip it into the “P” (PARK) or
“R”(REVERSE) position, damaging the transaxle.To prevent the vehicle from rolling when stopped on
a slope, the engine should be started in the “P”
(PARK) position, not in “N” (NEUTRAL) position.Always keep your foot on the brake pedal when the
vehicle is in “N” (NEUTRAL) position, or when
shifting into or out of “N” (NEUTRAL) position, to
prevent rolling.
BK0098300US.book 77 ページ 2008年12月8日 月曜日 午前11時37分
3-80 Features and controls
3
Passing acceleration
N00514900047
To gain extra acceleration in “D” (DRIVE) position (when
passing another vehicle) push the accelerator to the floor. The
automatic transaxle will automatically downshift.NOTEIn sports mode, downshifts do not take place when the
accelerator is depressed all the way to the floor.Waiting
N00515000058
For short waiting periods, such as at traffic lights, 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.
Parking
N00515100017
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.When the automatic transaxle makes no speed change
N00515300064
If the transaxle does not change gears 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 happen-
ing in the transaxle, causing a safety device to activate. Have
your vehicle checked at an authorized Mitsubishi Motors
dealer or a repair facility of your choice 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
transaxle malfunction.
2. Once the vehicle is moving on a level road, move the
selector lever back to “D” (DRIVE) position.NOTEWhen the selector lever position indicator in the instru-
ment cluster flashes, it means that there is an abnormal
condition in the transaxle. Refer to “Selector lever posi-
tion indicator” on page 3-75.
CAUTION
!To avoid transaxle overheating, never try to keep
your vehicle stationary on a hill by using the acceler-
ator pedal. 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)
position or “Sports mode” position.
BK0098300US.book 80 ページ 2008年12月8日 月曜日 午前11時37分
3-84 Features and controls
3
If the warning light illuminates while driving
N00531700473
Since there is always a risk of your vehicle becoming
unstable if you apply the brakes suddenly, be sure to brake
gently and do not attempt high-speed driving. Be sure to
stop the vehicle in a safe place. Test the system by restart-
ing the engine and driving at a speed of about 12 mph (20
km/h) or higher.
If the light goes out, there is no abnormal condition. If the
light does not go out after driving as instructed here, or if
it comes on again, the anti-lock braking system is not
functioning. Only the ordinary braking system is function-
ing. If this happens, take your vehicle to an authorized
Mitsubishi Motors dealer or a repair facility of your
choice and have the system checked as soon as possible.
NOTEAfter your vehicle is driven a short distance after starting
the engine, you will hear a whining sound and the sound
of a motor operating coming from the engine compart-
ment. These are the normal sounds the anti-lock braking
system makes when performing a self-check. It does not
indicate a malfunction.
The anti-lock braking system can be used after the vehicle
has reached a speed over approximately 6 mph (10 km/h).
It stops working when the vehicle slows below approxi-
mately 3 mph (5 km/h).
After driving on snow or icy roads, remove any snow and
ice which may have been left around the wheels. On vehi-
cles that have an anti-lock braking system, be careful not
to damage the wheel speed sensors (A) or the cables
located at each wheel.
BK0098300US.book 84 ページ 2008年12月8日 月曜日 午前11時37分
3-86 Features and controls
3
NOTEA whining sound may be heard from the engine compart-
ment in the following situations. The sound is associated
with the ASC self-check operations. It does not indicate a
malfunction.
• When the ignition key is set to the “ON” position.
• When the vehicle is driven for a while after the engine is
turned on.
When the ASC is activated, you may feel a vibration in
the vehicle body or hear a whining sound from the engine
compartment.
This indicates that the system is operating normally. It
does not indicate a malfunction.
When the anti-lock braking system warning light is illu-
minated, the ASC is not active.Traction control function
N00559200050
On slippery surfaces, the traction control function prevents the
drive wheels from spinning excessively, thus helping the vehi-
cle to start moving from a stopped condition. It also provides
sufficient driving force and steering performance as the vehicle
turns while pressing the acceleration pedal.
Skid control function
N00546800036
The skid control function is designed to help the driver main-
tain control of the vehicle on slippery roads or during rapid
steering maneuvers. It works by controlling the engine output
and the brake on each wheel.NOTEThe skid control function operates at speeds of about 9
mph (15 km/h) or higher.
CAUTION
!When driving a vehicle on a snowy or icy road, be
sure to install snow tires and drive the vehicle at
moderate speeds.
BK0098300US.book 86 ページ 2008年12月8日 月曜日 午前11時37分
Features and controls
3-89
3
NOTEWhen a spare tire has been put on your vehicle, the grip-
ping ability of the tire will be lower, making it more likely
that the indicator will blink.
CAUTION
!When indicator blinks, the ASC is operating,
which means that the road is slippery or that your
vehicle’s wheels are beginning to slip. If this hap-
pens, drive slower.
CAUTION
!If an abnormal condition occurs in the system while
driving, the and indicators will illuminate at
the same time, or the indicator will blink.
In these cases, follow these procedures:
[If the and indicators continuously illuminate]• Park your vehicle in a safe place and stop the
engine. Restart the engine again and check
whether the and indicators go out. If these
indicators go out, there is no abnormal condition.
If the and indicators remain on even after
your vehicle is driven a short distance after re-
starting the engine, have the vehicle inspected by
an authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer or a
repair facility of your choice as soon as possible.
[If the indicator blinks]• If the temperature of the braking system increases
excessively, due to continuous brake control on a
slippery road surface, the indicator will blinks
and operation of the traction control function will
be suspended to protect the brake system. (Normal
operation of the vehicle will not be affected.) Park
your vehicle in a safe place. When the temperature
in the braking system has come down, the indi-
cator will be turned off and the traction control
function will start operating again.CAUTION
!
BK0098300US.book 89 ページ 2008年12月8日 月曜日 午前11時37分
3-100 Features and controls
3
Each tire, including the spare (if provided), should be checked
monthly when cold and inflated to the inflation pressure rec-
ommended by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard
or tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has tires of a
different size than the size indicated on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label, you should determine the proper
tire inflation pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped
with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that illuminates
a low tire pressure telltale when one or more of your tires is
significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illuminates,
you should stop and check your tires as soon as possible, and
inflate them to the proper pressure.
Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure.
If a malfunction is detected in the tire pressure mon-
itoring system, the tire pressure monitoring system
warning light will blink for approximately 1 minute
and then remain continuously illuminated. The
warning light will issue further warnings each time
the engine is restarted as long as the malfunction
exists.
Check to see whether the warning light goes off after
few minutes of driving.
If it then goes off during driving, there is no prob-
lem.
However, if the warning light does not go off, or if it
blinks again when the engine is restarted, have the
vehicle inspected by an authorized Mitsubishi
Motors dealer.
In such situations, a malfunctioning of the system
may be preventing the monitoring of the tire pres-
sure. For safety reasons, when the warning light
appears while driving, avoid sudden braking, sharp
turning and high-speed driving.
CAUTION
!
BK0098300US.book 100 ページ 2008年12月8日 月曜日 午前11時37分
Features and controls
3-101
3
Under-inflation also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire
maintenance, and it is the driver’s responsibility to maintain
correct tire pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached the
level to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure tell-
tale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS malfunction
indicator to indicate when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is combined with the low tire
pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction, the telltale will flash
for approximately one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon subsequent
vehicle start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the system may
not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure as intended.
TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety of reasons, includ-
ing the installation of replacement or alternate tires or wheels
on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS from functioning prop-
erly. Always check the TPMS malfunction telltale after replac-
ing one or more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure that
the replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS
to continue to function properly.
If the warning light illuminates while driving
N00532800266
1. If the low tire pressure monitoring system warning light
illuminates, avoiding hard braking, sharp steering maneu-
vers and high speeds. You should stop and adjust the tires
to the proper inflation pressure as soon as possible. Adjust
the spare tire at the same time. Refer to “Tires” on page 7-
20.NOTEOnce adjustments have been made, the warning light will
go off after a few minutes of driving.
2. If the tire pressure monitoring system warning light
remains illuminated after you have been driving for about
20 minutes after you adjust the tire inflation pressure, one
or more of the tires may have a puncture. Inspect the tire
and if it has a puncture, have it repaired by an authorized
Mitsubishi Motors dealer as soon as possible.
WA R N I N G
!If the tire pressure monitoring system warning light
illuminates while you are driving, avoid hard brak-
ing, sharp steering maneuvers and high speeds.
Driving with an under-inflated tire adversely affects
vehicle performance and can result in an accident.
BK0098300US.book 101 ページ 2008年12月8日 月曜日 午前11時37分