4-2 Driving safety
4Fuel economy
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Fuel economy is dependent on many factors. Your personal
driving habits can have a significant effect on your fuel use.
Several recommendations for achieving the greatest fuel econ-
omy are listed below.
Whenever accelerating from a stop, always accelerate
slowly and smoothly.
When parked for even a short period, do not idle the
engine. Shut it off.
Plan your trips to avoid unnecessary stops.
Keep your tires inflated to the recommended pressures.
For freeway driving, maintain a speed of approximately
50 mph (80 km/h) when traffic, roadway and weather con-
ditions safely permit.
Keep your air filter clean and your vehicle lubricated
according to the recommendations in this manual.
Always keep your vehicle well maintained. A poorly
maintained engine wastes fuel and costs money.
Do not overload your vehicle.
Driving, alcohol and drugs
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Drunk driving is one of the most frequent causes of accidents.
Your driving ability can be seriously impaired even with blood
alcohol levels far below the legal minimum. If you have been
drinking, don’t drive. Ride with a designated non-drinking
driver, call a cab or a friend, or use public transportation.
Drinking coffee or taking a cold shower will not make you
sober.
Similarly, prescription and nonprescription drugs affect your
alertness, perception and reaction time. Consult with your doc-
tor or pharmacist before driving while under the influence of
any of these medications.
WARNING
!NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE.
Your perceptions are less accurate, your reflexes are
slower and your judgment is impaired.
BK0102103US.book 2 ページ 2009年10月26日 月曜日 午後1時38分
4-4 Driving safety
4
Defrosters Check these by selecting the defroster mode, and set the blower
switch on high. You should be able to feel the air blowing
against the windshield.
(Refer to “Defrosting or defogging the windshield and door
windows” on page 5-10, 5-20, 5-29, 5-39, 5-49.)Tires Check all the tires for heavy tread wear or uneven wear pat-
terns. Look for stones, nails, glass, or other objects stuck in the
tread. Look for any tread cuts or sidewall cracks. Check the
wheel nuts for tightness, and the tires (including spare tire) for
proper pressures. Replace your tires before they are heavily
worn out.
As your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system, there is a risk of damage to the tire inflation pressure
sensors when the tire is replaced on the rim. Tire replacement
should, therefore, be performed only by an authorized
Mitsubishi Motors dealer.Lights Have someone watch while you turn all the exterior lights on
and off. Also check the turn signal indicators and high-beam
indicators on the instrument panel. Fluid leaks Check the ground under the vehicle after parking overnight, for
fuel, water, oil, or other leaks. Make sure all the fluid levels are
correct. Also, if you can smell fuel, you need to find out why
immediately and have it fixed.
Safe driving techniques
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Even this vehicle’s safety equipment, and your safest driving,
cannot guarantee that you can avoid an accident or injury.
However, if you give extra attention to the following areas, you
can better protect yourself and your passengers:
Drive defensively. Be aware of traffic, road and weather
conditions. Leave plenty of stopping distance between
your vehicle and the vehicle ahead.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors and use your
turn signal light.
While driving, watch the behavior of other drivers, bicy-
clists, and pedestrians.
Always obey applicable laws and regulations. Be a polite
and alert driver. Always leave room for unexpected
events, such as sudden braking.
If you plan to drive in another country, obey their vehicle
registration laws and make sure you will be able to get the
right fuel.
BK0102103US.book 4 ページ 2009年10月26日 月曜日 午後1時38分
Driving safety
4-5
4 Driving during cold weather
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Check the battery, including terminals and cables. During
extremely cold weather, the battery will not be as strong.
Also, the battery power level may drop because more
power is used for cold starting and driving.
Before driving the vehicle, check to see if the engine runs
at the proper speed and if the headlights are as bright as
normally. Charge or replace the battery if necessary. Dur-
ing extreme cold weather, it is possible that a very low
battery could freeze.
Warm the engine sufficiently. After starting the engine,
allow a short warm-up time to distribute oil to all cylin-
ders and turbocharger. Then drive your vehicle slowly.
Stay at low speeds at first so that the transaxle, transfer
case and rear axle oil have time to spread to all the lubri-
cation points.
Manual transaxle can be harder to shift in cold weather
conditions. This is normal and shifting will get easier as
the transaxle warms up.Check the engine antifreeze.
If there is not enough coolant because of a leak or from
engine overheating, add high-quality ethylene glycol anti-
freeze and water. The recommended blend is about 50 %
water and 50 % anti-freeze. Use a higher concentration
(not over 60 %) when the outside temperature is -31 °F
(-35 °C) or lower. When the engine is working very hard
(for example, during mountain driving and/or when the
outside temperature is high), use a 50 % concentration.
This blend will provide adequate protection from corro-
sion and boiling.
[For RALLIART vehicles sold in U.S.A.]
Mitsubishi Motors recommends that the standard equip-
ment tires be replaced with winter tires when the vehicle
is going to be used in winter.
The standard equipment tires provided with this vehicle
are summer tires and use a high-grip compound that pro-
vides superior grip.
The road grip, however, is reduced in winter.
When replacing the standard equipment tires with winter
tires, all four tires must be replaced using radial identical-
size winter tires.
WARNING
!The battery gives off explosive hydrogen gas. Any
spark or flame can cause the battery to explode,
which could cause serious injury or death.
Always wear protective clothes and a face mask
when working with your battery, or let a skilled
mechanic do it.
WARNING
!Never open the radiator cap when the radiator is
hot. You could be seriously burned.
BK0102103US.book 5 ページ 2009年10月26日 月曜日 午後1時38分
4-6 Driving safety
4
NOTEAs your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure monitor-
ing system, there is a risk of damage to the tire inflation
pressure sensors when the tire is replaced on the rim. Tire
replacement should, therefore, be performed only by an
authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer.
If you use new wheels with new tire inflation pressure
sensors, their ID codes must be programmed into the tire
pressure monitoring system. Refer to “Whenever the tires
and wheels are replaced with new ones” on page 3-156.
Braking
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All the parts of the brake system are critical to safety. Have the
vehicle serviced by an authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer or
a repair facility of your choice at regular intervals according to
the “WARRANTY AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL”.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 or brake
drums 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.When driving in cold weatherOn snowy roads, ice can form on the braking system, making
the brakes less effective. While driving in such conditions, pay
close attention to preceding and following vehicles and to the
condition of the road surface. From time to time, lightly
depress the brake pedal and check how effective the brakes are.When driving downhillIt is important to take advantage of the engine braking by shift-
ing to a lower gear while driving on steep downhill roads in
order to prevent the brakes from overheating.
BK0102103US.book 6 ページ 2009年10月26日 月曜日 午後1時38分
Driving safety
4-9
4
Tire and loading information placard
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The tire and loading information placard is located on the
driver’s door sill. This placard shows the maximum number of occupants permit-
ted to ride in your vehicle as well as “the combined weight of
occupants and cargo” (A), which is called the vehicle capacity
weight. The weight of roof road is included in the definition of
“cargo” when determining the vehicle capacity weight. This
placard also tells you the size and recommended inflation pres-
sure for the original equipment tires on your vehicle. For more
information, refer to “Tires” on page 7-29.
Ty p e 1
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6-10 For emergencies
6
NOTEThe chocks shown in the illustration do not come with
your vehicle. It is recommended that you purchase chocks
or blocks and keep them in the vehicle for use if needed.
If chocks or blocks are not available, use stones or any
other objects that are large enough to hold the wheel in
position.
6. Get the jack, bar and wheel nut wrench ready.
Refer to “Tools and jack” on page 6-7.
Spare tire information
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Compact spare tireThe compact spare tire is designed to save space in the trunk.
Its lighter weight makes it easier to use if a flat tire occurs.
WARNING
!Be sure to apply chocks or blocks to the correct tire
when jacking up the vehicle. If the vehicle moves
while jacked up, the jack could slip out of position,
leading to an accident.
WARNING
!Tires, including spare tire, degrade over time with
age even when they are not being used. It is recom-
mended that tires over 6 years generally be replaced
even if damage is not obvious.
CAUTION
!While the compact spare tire is stowed, the inflation
pressure should be checked at least once a month to
assure that it remains at the recommended inflation
pressure. See the tire and loading information plac-
ard attached to the driver’s door sill.
Refer to “Tire and loading information placard” on
page 9-4.Driving with an improperly inflated tire can cause
an accident. If you have no choice but to drive with
an under-inflated tire, keep your speed down and
avoid sudden steering or braking, if possible. Inflate
the tire to the correct pressure as soon as possible.
Refer to “Tire inflation pressures” on page 7-32.
BK0102103US.book 10 ページ 2009年10月26日 月曜日 午後1時38分
For emergencies
6-11
6
To remove the compact spare tire
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1. Lift up the luggage floor board.
For front-wheel drive vehicles, pull the luggage floor
board (A) rearward to release the hooks (B), and then lift
it up.
The compact spare tire should be used only tempo-
rarily. While the compact spare tire is being used,
the tire pressure monitoring system will not function
properly. Have the tire replaced or repaired at an
authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer or a repair
facility of your choice as soon as possible.If your vehicle has aluminum type wheels, you can
use the same wheel nuts on the compact spare tire
wheel. Do not go over 50 mph (80 km/h) when driving with
the compact spare tire.Avoid fast starting and braking when driving with
the compact spare tire. Do not drive through automatic car washes and over
obstacles that could possibly damage the underside
of your vehicle. Because the compact spare tire is
smaller than the original tire, there is less clearance
between the ground and your vehicle. Because the compact spare tire is designed only for
your vehicle, do not use it on any other vehicle. Do not put the compact spare tire on a different
wheel, and do not put standard tires, snow tires,
wheel covers or trim rings on the compact spare
wheel. Otherwise, you could damage these parts or
other parts on your vehicle.Do not use snow chain with your compact spare tire.
Using a chain could cause damage to your vehicle
and loss of the chains.
CAUTION
!
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For emergencies
6-15
6
5. Remove the wheel nuts with the wheel nut wrench, then
take the wheel off. 6. Clean out any mud, etc. on the hub surface (F), hub bolts
(G) or in the installation holes (H) in the wheel, and then
mount the spare tire.The jack should not be used for any purpose other
than to change a tire. No one should be in your vehicle when using the
jack. Do not start or run the engine while your vehicle is
on the jack.Do not turn the raised wheel. The tires that are still
on the ground could turn and make your vehicle fall
off the jack.
CAUTION
!Handle the wheel carefully when changing the tire,
to avoid scratching the wheel surface.
WARNING
!
BK0102103US.book 15 ページ 2009年10月26日 月曜日 午後1時38分