2010 MITSUBISHI LANCER SPORTBACK engine overheat

Driving safety
4-5
4 Driving during cold weather
N00629400328


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.
WA R N I N G
!

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.
WA R N I N G
!

Never open the radiator cap when the radiator is
hot. You could be seriously burned.
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4-6 Driving safety
4Braking
N00629500488
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 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 shift position while driving on steep downhill
roads in order to prevent the brakes from overheating.
Parking
N00629600261
Parking on a hillWhen parking on a hill, set the parking brake, and turn the
front wheels toward the curb on a downhill, or away from the
curb on an uphill.
If necessary, apply chocks to wheels.For vehicles equipped with manual transaxlePlace the gearshift lever into the “R” (Reverse) position when
parking on a downhill slope, into the 1st position when parking
on an uphill slope.For vehicles equipped with continuously variable trans-
mission (CVT) or Twin Clutch SSTBe sure that the parking brake is firmly set when parked and
that the selector lever (CVT) or gearshift lever (Twin Clutch
SST) is in the “P” (PARK) position.
When parking on a hill, it is important to set the parking brake
before moving the selector lever (CVT) or gearshift lever
(Twin Clutch SST) to the “P” (PARK) position. This prevents
loading the parking brake against the transaxle. When this hap-
pens, it is difficult to move the selector lever (CVT) or gear-
shift lever (Twin Clutch SST) out of the “P” (PARK) position.
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6
For emergencies
If the vehicle breaks down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6- 2
Jump-starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6- 2
Engine overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6- 5
Tools and jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6- 7
How to change a tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6- 8
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6- 18
Operation under adverse driving conditions . . . . .6- 20
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6-2 For emergencies
6If the vehicle breaks down
N00836300145
If your vehicle breaks down on the road, move to the shoulder
and turn on the hazard warning flashers. If there is no shoulder,
or the shoulder is not safe, drive in the right lane slowly, with
the hazard lights flashing, until you come to a safe stopping
place. Keep the flashers flashing. If the engine stops/fails If the engine stops, there will be no power assist to the steering
and brakes, making these difficult to use.

The brake booster will not work, so the brakes will not
grip well. The brake pedal will be harder to press than
usual.


Since there is no power steering assist, the steering wheel
will be hard to turn. Turning the steering wheel requires
more effort than usual.
When the engine fails at the intersection Get help from your passengers, bystanders, etc. to push the
vehicle and move it to a safe zone.
Jump-starting the engine
N00836400654
If the engine cannot be started because the battery is weak or
dead, you can start it with the battery from another vehicle
using jumper cables.
1. Take off any metal jewelry such as watch bands or brace-
lets that might make an accidental electrical contact.
2. Position the vehicles close enough together so that the
jumper cables can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t
touching each other.
WA R N I N G
!

When using jumper cables to start a vehicle, follow
the procedures and be very cautious. CAUTION
!

Do not try to start your vehicle by pushing or tow-
ing. Vehicles equipped with continuously variable
transmission (CVT) or Twin Clutch SST cannot be
started this way. Pushing or towing a vehicle that
has a manual transaxle may overheat and damage
the catalytic converter. Also, there is more risk of an
accident when a vehicle is being pushed or towed.CAUTION
!

Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt bat-
tery. If the other system isn’t 12-volt, both systems
can be damaged.
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For emergencies
6-5
6
As your vehicle has anti-lock brakesIf you drive your vehicle with a low battery charge, after the
engine has been started by using jumper cables, the engine may
misfire. This can cause the anti-lock braking system warning
light to blink on and off. This is only due to the low battery
voltage. It is not a problem with the brake system. If this hap-
pens, fully charge the battery and ensure the charging system is
operating properly.
Engine overheating
N00836500323
When the engine is overheating, the information screen in the
multi-information display will be interrupted and the engine
coolant temperature warning display will appear. Also “ ”
will blink. If this happens:
1. Stop the vehicle in a safe place. Turn on the hazard warn-
ing flashers.
2. With the engine still running, carefully raise the engine
hood to vent the engine compartment.
3. Check that the cooling fan is running. If the fan is not
turning, stop the engine immediately and contact an
authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer or a repair facility of
your choice for assistance.
4. If you see steam or spray coming from under the hood,
turn off the engine.
WA R N I N G
!

To avoid personal injury, keep hands, hair, jewelry
and clothes away from the cooling fan. The cooling
fan can start at any time.
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6-6 For emergencies
6
5. If you do not see steam or spray coming from under the
hood, leave the engine on until the bar graph for the
engine coolant temperature warning display on the multi-
information display goes down. When it is in the middle
of the normal zone, you can start driving again. If the bar
graph stays in the red zone, turn off the engine.
6. When you do not see any more steam or spray, open the
hood. Look for obvious leaks, such as a split radiator
hose. Be careful as components will be hot. Any leak
source must be repaired.
7. If there is no obvious leak source, check the coolant level
in the reserve tank. If there is none, or if it is too low,
slowly add coolant.8. If the reserve tank needs coolant, you will probably also
need to add coolant to the radiator. Do not loosen or
remove the radiator cap until the engine has cooled down.
9. Start the engine, and slowly add coolant, up to the bottom
of the filler neck. Use plain water if you have to (and
replace it with the right coolant as soon as possible).
10. Replace the radiator cap and tighten it fully. Check the
engine coolant temperature display on the multi-informa-
tion display. You can start driving again when the bar
graph for the engine coolant temperature display returns
to the normal zone.
11. Have your vehicle checked by your authorized Mitsubishi
Motors dealer or a repair facility of your choice.
WA R N I N G
!

Before raising the engine hood, check to see if there
is steam or spray coming from under the hood.
Steam or spray coming from an overheated engine
could seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood until there is no steam or
spray.
WA R N I N G
!

Removing the radiator cap could scald you with
escaping hot water or steam. When checking the
radiator level, cover the cap with a cloth before try-
ing to remove it. Turn it slowly counterclockwise,
without pressing down, to the first notch. The pres-
sure in the system will then be let out. When the
pressure is COMPLETELY LET OUT, press down
and keep turning the cap counterclockwise until it
will come off.
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6-20 For emergencies
6
Towing manual transaxle vehicles with rear wheels off
the ground (Type B)Place the gearshift lever in the “Neutral” position.
Turn the ignition switch to the “ACC” position and secure the
steering wheel in a straight-ahead position with a rope or tie-
down strap. Never place the ignition switch in the “LOCK”
position when towing.Towing with front wheels off the ground (Type C)Release the parking brake.
Place the gearshift lever in the “Neutral” position (manual tran-
saxle) or the selector lever in the “N” (NEUTRAL) position
(CVT).
Operation under adverse driving conditions
N00837200604
If your vehicle becomes stuck in sand, mud or
snow If your vehicle becomes stuck in snow, sand, or mud, it can
often be moved by a rocking motion. Rock your vehicle back
and forth to free it.
Do not rev the engine or spin the wheels. Constant efforts to
free a stuck vehicle can cause overheating and transaxle fail-
ure. Let the engine idle for a few minutes to cool the transaxle
before trying again.
If your vehicle is still stuck after several rocking attempts, call
for a commercial tow truck service.


[For front-wheel drive vehicle equipped with the
active stability control (ASC)]
If the vehicle is towed with the ignition switch in the
“ON” position and only the front wheels raised off
the ground (Type C), the ASC may operate, result-
ing in an accident. When towing the vehicle with the
front wheels raised, keep the ignition switch in the
“LOCK” or “ACC” position.WA R N I N G
!

To prevent entry of exhaust gas from the towing
vehicle, set the selection switch to the recirculation
position.CAUTION
!
WA R N I N G
!

When trying to rock your vehicle out of a stuck posi-
tion, make sure that there are no people nearby. The
rocking motion can make your vehicle suddenly
lurch forward or backward, and injure any
bystanders.
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Vehicle care and maintenance
7-3
7 Catalytic converter
N00937400405
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 try to start the engine by pushing or towing the
vehicle. If the battery is weak or run down, use jumper
cables to properly start the engine.


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.
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