1-8 General information
1
Installation of accessories
N00301700023
The installation of accessories, optional parts, etc., should
only be carried out within the limits prescribed by law in
the driving area and in accordance with the guidelines and
warnings contained within the documents accompanying
this vehicle.
Only Mitsubishi Motors approved accessories should be
fitted to your vehicle.
Improper installation of electrical parts could cause fire.
Refer to the “Modification/alterations to the electrical or
fuel systems” section within this owner’s manual.
Using a cellular phone or radio set inside the vehicle with-
out an external antenna may cause electrical system inter-
ference, which could lead to unsafe vehicle operation.
Tires and wheels which do not meet specifications must
not be used.
Refer to the “Specifications” section for information
regarding wheel and tire sizes.
Important point!Due to the large number of accessory and replacement parts
provided by different manufacturers in the market, it is not
always possible for an authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer to
check whether the attachment or installation of non-Mitsubishi
Motors genuine parts will affect the driving safety of your Mit-
subishi-vehicle.
CAUTION
!
Before any electrical or electronic accessories are
installed, consult an authorized Mitsubishi Motors
dealer.
WA R N I N G
!
If you choose to use a cellular phone while driving,
you must not allow that usage to distract you in the
safe operation of your vehicle. Anything, including
cellular phone usage, that distracts you from the
safe operation of your vehicle increases your risk of
an accident.
Refer to and follow all state and local laws in your
area regarding cellular phone usage while driving.
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Features and controls
3-125
3 All-wheel drive system
(if so equipped)
N00516400046
All-wheel drive vehicles are propelled by engine power distrib-
uted constantly and appropriately to all four wheels.
Not only does this ensure enhanced handling on dry, paved
roads but also permits better traction when driving on slippery,
wet or snow-covered roads and when moving out of mud.
These vehicles, however, are not designed for off-road use,
and are unsuitable for driving on bumpy ground that may
cause excessive strain. All-wheel drive vehicles should be
driven only under the same conditions as are suitable for ordi-
nary front-wheel drive vehicles.
Cautions on handling of all-wheel drive
vehicles
N00530800158
Tires and wheelsSince driving torque can be applied to the four wheels, the
driving performance of the vehicle when operating in all-wheel
drive is greatly affected by the condition of the tires.
Pay close attention to the tires.
Install only the specified tires on all wheels. Refer to
“Tires and wheels” on page 9-9.
Be sure all four tires and wheels are the same size and
type.
When it is necessary to replace any of the tires or wheels,
replace all four.
All tires should be rotated before the wear difference
between the front and rear tires is recognizable.
Good vehicle performance cannot be expected if there is a dif-
ference in wear between tires. Refer to “Tire rotation” on page
7-36.
Check the tire inflation pressure regularly.
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3-126 Features and controls
3
To w i n g
CAUTION
!
Always use tires of the same size, type, and brand
that have no wear differences. Using tires of differ-
ent size, type, brands or degree of wear, will increase
the differential oil temperature and result in possi-
ble damage to the driving system. Further, the drive
train will be subjected to excessive loading, possibly
leading to oil leakage, component seizure, or other
serious failures.
CAUTION
!
Do not tow all-wheel drive vehicles with the front or
rear wheels on the ground (Type A or Type B) as
illustrated. This could result in damage to the driv-
etrain, or unstable towing.
If you tow all-wheel drive vehicles, use Type C or
Type D equipment.
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Features and controls
3-127
3
Jacking up all-wheel drive vehicles
ACD (Active center differential system)
(if so
equipped)N00538500047
The ACD is a system that improves acceleration performance
and straight-ahead stability by regulating the differential limit-
ing action and power drive distribution of the center differen-
tial.NOTE
If the parking brake lever is pulled up while the vehicle is
moving, the center differential is designed to switch to a
free state condition which will allow the rear wheel to
lock easier.
WA R N I N G
!
Do not start or run the engine while the vehicle is on
the jack. The jack could slip out of position and
result in an accident.
CAUTION
!
Do not over-rely on the ACD. Even the ACD cannot
prevent the natural laws of physics from acting on
the vehicle. This system, like any other system, has
limits and cannot help you to maintain traction and
control of the vehicle in all circumstances. Reckless
driving can lead to accidents. It is the driver’s
responsibility to drive carefully. This means taking
into account the traffic, road and environmental
conditions.
Be sure to use tires that are the same specified size,
type, and brand, and have no difference in the
amount of wear for all four wheels. Otherwise, the
ACD may not work properly.
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3-130 Features and controls
3
NOTE
If the ambient temperature drops and the viscosity of the
AWC control fluid increases, the warning may be dis-
played.
At this time, ACD control is temporarily suspended, but
this will not affect normal driving.
After the vehicle is driven for a while, if the engine is
restarted after the AWC control fluid warms up or the
ambient temperature increases, the ACD control will start
operating again if the warning display goes out.
Limited-slip differential
(if so equipped)
N00517400072
A limited-slip differential is applied for rear wheel differential.
The features of this limited-slip differential are described
below:
Just as with a conventional differential, the wheel on one side
is allowed to turn at a different speed from the wheel on the
other side when the vehicle is cornering. The difference
between the limited-slip differential and a conventional differ-
ential is that if the wheel on one side of the vehicle loses trac-
tion, a greater amount of torque is applied to the wheel on the
other side to improve traction.NOTE
Even if there is a difference in the amount of traction the
wheels can get, if both of them are spinning, the limited-
slip differential will not be effective.
CAUTION
!
The system may be malfunctioning.
Park your vehicle in a safe place and stop the engine.
Restart the engine and check whether the warn-
ing display goes out.
If the warning display and goes out, there is no
abnormal condition. If the warning display does
not go out or appears frequently, it is not necessary
to stop the vehicle immediately, but we recommend
that you have your vehicle inspected.
CAUTION
!
Never start the engine while one of the rear wheels is
jacked up and the other in contact with the ground;
doing so may cause the vehicle to jump forward.
Continuously attempting to extract the vehicle from
snow, mud, etc. while using high engine rpm may
damage the limited-slip differential.
Using a compact spare wheel will adversely affect
the limited-slip differential; replace the compact
spare wheel with a standard size wheel as soon as
possible.
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Features and controls
3-135
3 Anti-lock braking system
N00517900282
The anti-lock braking system helps prevent the wheels from
locking up when braking. This helps you keep control of your
vehicle and its direction. Driving hints
When using the anti-lock brakes (sudden braking), steer-
ing is slightly different from normal driving conditions.
Use the steering wheel carefully.
Always keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front of
you. Even if your vehicle is equipped with the anti-lock
braking system, leave a greater braking distance when:
Driving on gravel or snow-covered roads.
Driving on uneven road surfaces.
Operation of anti-lock braking system is not restricted to
situations where brakes are applied suddenly. This system
may also prevent the wheels from locking when you drive
over manholes, steel roadwork plates, road markings, or
any uneven road surface.
When the anti-lock braking system is in use, you may feel
the brake pedal vibrating and hear a unique sound. You
may also feel as if the pedal resists being pressed.
In this situation, simply hold the brake pedal down
firmly. Do not pump the brake, which will result in
reduced braking performance.
NOTE
After your vehicle is driven a short distance after starting
the engine, you will hear the sound coming from the
engine compartment. 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).
CAUTION
!
The anti-lock braking system cannot prevent acci-
dents. It is your responsibility to take safety precau-
tions and to drive carefully.
To prevent failure of the anti-lock braking system,
be sure all four wheels and tires are the same size
and the same type.
Never install a limited-slip differential as the anti-
lock braking system may not function normally.
Please consult an authorized Mitsubishi Motors
dealer.
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Features and controls
3-139
3 Power steering system
N00518000206
The power steering system has mechanical steering capability
in case the power assist is lost. If the hydraulic pressure is
interrupted for some reason (such as engine stalling), you will
still be able to steer your vehicle.
If the power assist is lost, you will notice it takes much more
effort to steer and that there is much more “free play” in the
steering wheel. If this happens, take your vehicle to an autho-
rized Mitsubishi Motors dealer or a repair facility of your
choice.
Active stability control (ASC)
N00559100091
The active stability control (ASC) takes overall control of the
anti-lock braking system, traction control function and skid
control function to help maintain the vehicle’s control and trac-
tion. Please read this section in conjunction with the page on
the anti-lock braking system, traction control function and skid
control function.
Anti-lock braking system → P. 3 - 1 3 5
Traction control function → P. 3 - 1 4 0
Skid control function → P. 3 - 1 4 0
WA R N I N G
!
Never turn off the engine while the vehicle is mov-
ing, or your ability to steer the vehicle may be seri-
ously reduced.CAUTION
!
Do not leave the steering wheel turned all the way in
one direction. This can cause damage to the power
steering system.
CAUTION
!
Do not over-rely on the ASC. Even the ASC cannot
prevent the natural laws of physics from acting on
the vehicle. This system, like any other system, has
limits and cannot help you to maintain traction and
control of the vehicle in all circumstances. Reckless
driving can lead to accidents. It is the driver’s
responsibillty to drive carefully, This means taking
into account the traffic, road and environmental
conditions.
Be sure to use the same specified type and size of tire
on all four wheels. Otherwise, the ASC may not
work properly.
Do not install any aftermarket limited-slip differen-
tial (LSD) on your vehicle. The ASC may stop func-
tioning properly.
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3-156 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.
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.BK0103001US.book 156 ページ 2009年8月20日 木曜日 午前10時45分