2010 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE Owners Manual

3-74 Features and controls
3
NOTE
If the brake pedal is not depressed and held, the shift-lock
device activates to prevent the selector lever from being
moved from the “P” (PARK) position.
The lock button must be pushed while the brake pedal is
depressed to move the selector lever.
The selector lever will move without pushing the lock
button.
The lock button must be pushed to move the selector
lever. WA R N I N G
!
If the lock button is always pressed when using the
selector lever, the lever may be accidentally shifted
into the “P” (PARK) or “R” (REVERSE) position.
Do not press the lock button when making shifts
shown by in the illustration.

Always depress the brake pedal when shifting the
selector lever into a gear from the “N” (NEUTRAL)
position. When beginning to drive, do not shift the
selector lever from the “N” (NEUTRAL) position
while depressing the accelerator pedal. This will
cause the vehicle to “jump” forward or backward.
WA R N I N G
!
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Features and controls
3-75
3
Selector lever position indicator
N00513900327
When the ignition key is turned to the “ON” position, the cur-
rently position of the selector lever is indicated by the indicator
(A) shown on the instrument cluster {i.e. “P” (PARK), “R”
(REVERSE), “N” (NEUTRAL) or “D” (DRIVE)}.
In sports mode, the currently selected gear is indicated by the
indicator (A). When the selector lever position indicator flashes while you are
driving, there could be a malfunction in the automatic tran-
saxle.
NOTE
In sports mode, the indication of the currently selected
gear flashes.

If the selector lever position is in the “P” (PARK), “R”
(REVERSE) or “N” (NEUTRAL) position, the indicator
does not flash.
or through or
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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.
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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.NOTE
For 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.
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3-78 Features and controls
3
Sports mode
N00514400169
Whether the vehicle is stationary or in motion, sports mode is
selected by pushing the selector lever from the “D” position
into the manual gate. To return to “D” range operation, push
the selector lever back into the main gate.
In sports mode, gear shifts can be made rapidly simply by mov-
ing the selector lever backward and forward. Sports mode
allows gear shifts with the accelerator pedal depressed.Manual gate+ (SHIFT UP)
Push the lever forward once to shift up one gear.
- (SHIFT DOWN)
Pull the lever backward once to shift down one gear.
NOTE
In sports mode, only the 4 forward gears (4-speed auto-
matic transaxle) or 5 forward gears (5-speed automatic
transaxle) can be selected. To reverse or park the vehicle,
move the selector lever to the “R” (REVERSE) or “P”
(PARK) position in the main gate.

To maintain the required levels of vehicle performance
and safety, the system may not execute certain gear shifts
when the selector lever is operated, such as 4th or 5th gear
at low speed.

In sports mode, downward shifts are made automatically
when the vehicle slows down. When the vehicle stops, 1st
gear is automatically selected.
SHIFT UP
SHIFT DOWN
CAUTION
!
Upward shifts do not take place automatically in
sports mode. The driver must make upward shifts in
accordance with prevailing road conditions, making
sure the engine rpm remains below the red zone on
the tachometer.
By rapidly moving the selector lever backwards
(SHIFT DOWN) twice, it is possible to skip one gear
(i.e., 3rd to 1st, 4th to 2nd or 5th to 3rd). Since sud-
den engine deceleration or acceleration can cause a
loss of traction, downshifts must be made carefully
in accordance with the vehicle’s speed.
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Features and controls
3-79
3

When pulling away from a standstill on a slippery road,
push the selector lever forward to the + (SHIFT UP) posi-
tion. This causes the transaxle to select 2nd gear, which is
better for safe driving on slippery roads. Push the selector
lever to the - (SHIFT DOWN) side to shift back to 1st
gear.

Move the selector lever gently between the manual and
main gates and between positions in the manual gate.
Excessive force could damage the selector lever.
Operation of the automatic transaxle
N00514500186
CAUTION
!
Before selecting a gear with the engine running and
the vehicle stationary, fully depress the brake pedal
to prevent the vehicle from creeping.
The vehicle will begin to move as soon as the gear is
engaged, especially when the engine speed is high, at
fast idle or with the air conditioning operating, the
brakes should only be released when you are ready
to drive away.
Depress the brake pedal with the right foot at all
times.
Using the left foot could cause driver movement
delay in case of an emergency.
To prevent sudden acceleration, never run the
engine at high rpms when shifting from the “P”
(PARK) or “N” (NEUTRAL) position.
Operating the accelerator pedal while the other foot
is resting on the brake pedal will affect braking effi-
ciency and may cause premature wear of brake
pads.
Do not rev the engine with the brake pedal pressed.
This can damage the transaxle.
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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.NOTE
In 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.NOTE
When 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.
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Features and controls
3-81
3 Service brake
N00517500187
Brake pedalOveruse of the brake can cause poor brake response and pre-
mature wear of the brake pads.
When driving down a long or steep hill, use engine braking by
shifting the transaxle into a lower gear (manual transaxle) or a
lower gear of the sports mode (automatic transaxle).
Power brakes
N00517600247
Your vehicle is equipped with power brakes for more braking
force with minimal brake pedal effort.
Your brakes are designed to operate at full capacity, even if the
power assist is lost.
If the power assist is lost, the effort needed to press the brake
pedal is greater.
If you should loose 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
depress the brake pedal down further, or harder when slowing
down or stopping, or if the brake warning light comes on.
WA R N I N G
!
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.
CAUTION
!
It is important not to drive the vehicle with your foot
resting on the brake pedal when braking is not
required. This practice can result in very high brake
temperatures, premature pad wear, and possible
damage to the brakes.
WA R N I N G
!
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, take your vehicle to
an authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer or a repair
facility of your choice immediately.
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