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6-26 For emergencies
6
On wet roads On snowy or icy roads
When driving on a road covered with snow or ice, use
snow tires. Tire chains cannot be used on your vehicle.
There may be state or local regulations about using snow
tires. Always check the regulations in your local area
before using them. Refer to the section entitled “Snow
tires” on page 7-28 and “Tire chains” on page 7-29.
Drive slowly. Do not make sudden starts or stops, sharp
turns, or slam on the brakes.
Allow extra distance between your vehicle and the vehicle
in front of you, and avoid sudden braking.
If a skid occurs when the accelerator pedal is depressed,
take your foot off the pedal. Steer gently in the direction
of the skid.
Your vehicle is equipped with an anti-lock braking system
(ABS). Hold the brake pedal down firmly and keep it
depressed. Do not pump the brake pedal which will result
in reduced braking performance.
After parking on snowy or icy road, it may be difficult to
move your vehicle due to freeze-up of the brake. Depress
the accelerator pedal little by little to move the vehicle
after confirming safety of the vehicle.
CAUTION
!Avoid flooded roads. Water is often deeper than it
looks, and you could be seriously hurt by driving
into flood water. When driving in rain, on water-covered roads, or
through a car wash, water could get into the brake
discs and make them fail temporarily. In such cases,
lightly press the brake pedal to see if they are work-
ing properly. If they are not, press the pedal lightly
several times while driving to dry the brake pads,
then check them again. When driving in rain, a layer of water may form
between the tires and the road surface (aquaplan-
ing). This loosens your tires’ grip on the road, mak-
ing it difficult to steer or brake properly. When
driving on a wet road:
• Drive your vehicle at a safe speed.
• Do not drive on worn tires.
• Always keep the tires at the correct inflation pres-
sures.
CAUTION
!Do not depress the accelerator pedal rapidly. The
vehicle could start moving when it breaks free from
the ice, possibly resulting in an accident.
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For emergencies
6-27
6
On a bumpy or rutted roadDrive as slow as possible when driving on bumpy, rutted
roads or over potholes.
CAUTION
!Driving on bumpy, rutted roads or over potholes can
damage the tires and wheels.
Wheels with low-profiles tires or under-inflated tires
are especially at risk for damage.
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BK0102600US.book 28 ページ 2009年3月30日 月曜日 午後2時2分
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7
Vehicle care and maintenance
Service precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 2
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 3
Engine hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 4
View of the engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 6
Engine oil and oil filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 6
Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 9
Air cleaner filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 11
Automatic transaxle fluid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 12
Transfer oil (All-wheel drive models) . . . . . . . . . .7- 13
Rear axle oil (All-wheel drive models) . . . . . . . . .7- 14
Washer fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 14
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 15
Power steering fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 16
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 16
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 20
Brake pedal free play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 29
Parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 30
Wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 31
Emission-control system maintenance. . . . . . . . . .7- 31
General maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 33
For cold and snowy weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 35Fuse links. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7- 36
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7- 36
Replacement of light bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7- 44
Vehicle care precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7- 57
Cleaning the inside of your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . 7- 58
Cleaning the outside of your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 7- 60
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7-2 Vehicle care and maintenance
7Service precautions
N00937300316
Taking regular care of your vehicle will preserve its value and
appearance as long as possible.
You can do some of the maintenance work yourself, and the
rest should only be performed by an authorized Mitsubishi
Motors dealer or a repair facility of your choice.
If you discover a malfunction or other problem, have it cor-
rected by an authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer or a repair
facility of your choice.
This section describes the maintenance inspections that you
can do yourself, if you so desire. Follow the instructions and
precautions for each procedure.
Have you purchased the Mitsubishi Motors Diamond Care Pro-
tection Plan? The Plan supplements your new vehicle warran-
ties. See your authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer for details.
WA R N I N G
!When checking or servicing the inside of the engine
compartment, be sure the engine is stopped and has
had a chance to cool down. If you need to work in the engine compartment with
the engine running, be especially careful that your
clothing, hair, etc. does not get caught in the fan,
drive belts, or other moving parts.The fan can turn on automatically even if the engine
is not running. Turn the ignition switch to the
“LOCK” position and remove the key to be safe
while you work in the engine compartment.Do not smoke or allow open flames around fuel or
the battery. The fumes are flammable.
Be extremely careful when working around the bat-
tery. It contains poisonous and corrosive sulfuric
acid. Do not get under your vehicle while it is on a jack.
Always use properly rated automotive jack stands. Handling your vehicle’s parts and materials in the
wrong way can injure you. Ask an authorized Mit-
subishi Motors dealer or a repair facility of your
choice if you have questions.
WA R N I N G
!
BK0102600US.book 2 ページ 2009年3月30日 月曜日 午後2時2分
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Vehicle care and maintenance
7-3
7 Catalytic converter
N00937400421
The catalytic converter requires you to use unleaded fuel only.
Leaded gasoline will destroy the emission-control effective-
ness of the converter.
Normally, the catalytic converter does not require maintenance.
However, it is important to keep the engine properly tuned for
the converter to continue to work properly. To reduce the possibility of catalytic converter damage:
Use UNLEADED GASOLINE ONLY of the type of rec-
ommended in “Fuel selection”.
Do not drive with an extremely low fuel level. Running
out of gas could damage the catalytic converter.
Do not idle the engine with any spark plug wires discon-
nected or removed, such as when performing diagnostic
tests.
Do not idle the engine for a long time if it is idling
roughly or otherwise obviously malfunctioning.
To prevent the catalytic converter from being damaged
from unburned gas, do not race the engine when turning
off the ignition switch.
Stop driving the vehicle if you think the performance is
noticeably low, or the engine has a malfunction. If you are
not able to stop driving immediately, slow down and drive
for only a short time. Have an inspection made by an
authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer or a repair facility of
your choice as soon as possible.
In unusual situations involving major engine problems, a
burning odor may indicate severe and abnormal catalytic
converter overheating. If this occurs, stop in a safe place,
shut the engine off and let the vehicle cool. Once the
engine is cool, immediately take your vehicle to an autho-
rized Mitsubishi Motors dealer or a repair facility of your
choice for service.
CAUTION
!Damage to the catalytic converter can result if your
vehicle is not kept in proper operating condition. If
the engine malfunctions or misfires, or if your vehi-
cle performance suffers, have it serviced promptly.
Running your vehicle when it is overheated may
result in damage to the converter and vehicle.
WA R N I N G
!Do not park or run your vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as dry grass or leaves can
come in contact with a hot exhaust, since a fire could
occur.Do not put undercoat paint on the catalytic con-
verter.
BK0102600US.book 3 ページ 2009年3月30日 月曜日 午後2時2分
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7-4 Vehicle care and maintenance
7Engine hood
N00937500389
To openUse the engine hood release lever (located under the instrument
panel near the driver’s door) to unlock the engine hood.
Pull the lever toward you to release the engine hood latch.Release the safety lever and lift the engine hood.
NOTETo prevent damage to the engine hood and wipers, make
sure the wipers are at resting position when you open the
engine hood.
WA R N I N G
!Never use the release lever to unlatch the engine
hood while the vehicle is in motion. Do not drive your vehicle unless the engine hood is
locked.
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Vehicle care and maintenance
7-5
7
Support the engine hood with the hood prop. Insert the hood
prop securely in the opening under the hood marked with an
arrow.
To closeUnlatch the prop from the engine hood and put it back in its
retainer.
Slowly lower the engine hood about 12 inches (30 cm), then let
it drop from its own weight. NOTEIf this does not close the engine hood properly, drop it
again from a slightly higher position.
CAUTION
!Always insert the support prop into the hole spe-
cially made for it. Propping the engine hood at any
other place could cause the prop to slip out and lead
to an accident. The hood prop can fall out if the hood is lifted by a
strong wind.
CAUTION
!Be careful not to trap your hands or fingers when
closing the engine hood.
BK0102600US.book 5 ページ 2009年3月30日 月曜日 午後2時2分