2010 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER Owners Manual

4-4 Driving safety
4
Floor mats 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 (windshield, door win-
dows)” on page 5-14, 5-23, 5-33, 5-43.TiresCheck 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 pressure. 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 Mitsub-
ishi Motors dealer.LightsHave 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 leaksCheck 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.
WA R N I N G
!

Keep floor mats clear of the pedals by correctly lay-
ing floor mats that are suitable for the vehicle.
To prevent the floor mats from slipping out of posi-
tion, securely retain them using the hooks etc.
Placing a floor mat over a pedal or laying one floor
mat on top of another can obstruct pedal operation
and lead to a serious accident.
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Driving safety
4-5
4 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.
Driving during cold weather
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Check the battery. At the same time, check the terminals
and wiring. 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. 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 lubrication
points.
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.
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4-6 Driving safety
4


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% antifreeze. 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 out-
side temperature is high), use a 50% concentration. This
blend will provide adequate protection from corrosion and
boiling.
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 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
downshifting while driving on steep downhill roads in order to
prevent the brakes from overheating.
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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Driving safety
4-7
4 Parking
N00629600232
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.
Be sure that the parking brake is firmly set when parked and
that the selector lever is in the “P” (PARK) position.
When parking on a hill, it is important to set the parking brake
before moving the selector lever to the “P” (PARK) position.
This prevents loading the parking brake against the transaxle.
When this happens, it is difficult to move the selector lever out
of the “P” (PARK) position.Parking with the engine runningNever leave the engine running while you take a short sleep or
rest. Also, never leave the engine running in a closed or poorly
ventilated place.
Where you parkYour front bumper can be damaged if you scrape it over curbs
or parking stop blocks. Be careful when traveling up or down
steep slopes where your bumper can scrape the road.When leaving the vehicleAlways remove the key from the ignition switch and lock all
doors and the flap-fold tailgate when leaving the vehicle unat-
tended.
Always try to park your vehicle in a well lit area.
WA R N I N G
!

Leaving the engine running risks injury or death
from accidentally moving the selector lever or the
accumulation of toxic exhaust fumes in the passen-
ger compartment.
WA R N I N G
!

Do not park your vehicle in areas where combustible
materials such as dry grass or leaves can come in
contact with a hot exhaust, since a fire could occur.
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4-8 Driving safety
4Loading information
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It is very important to know how much weight your vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all occupants, cargo (including the roof
load), non-factory-installed options, and the tongue weight of
the trailer, if any, being towed. The tire and loading informa-
tion placard located on the driver’s door sill of your vehicle
will show how much weight it may properly carry.
It is important to familiarize yourself with the following terms
before loading your vehicle:

Vehicle maximum load on the tire: load on an individual
tire that is determined by distributing to each axle its share
of the maximum loaded vehicle weight and dividing by
two.


Vehicle normal load on the tire: load on an individual tire
that is determined by distributing to each axle its share of
the curb weight, accessory weight, and normal occupant
weight and dividing by two.


Maximum loaded vehicle weight: the sum of -
(a) Curb weight;
(b) Accessory weight;
(c) Vehicle capacity weight; and
(d) Production options weight.


Curb weight: the weight of a motor vehicle with standard
equipment including the maximum capacity of fuel, oil,
and coolant.


Accessory weight: the combined weight (in excess of
those standard items which may be replaced) of automatic
transmission, power steering, power brakes, power win-
dows, power seats, radio, and heater, to the extent that
these items are available as factory- installed equipment
(whether installed or not).


Vehicle capacity weight: the rated cargo and luggage load
plus 150 lbs (68 kg) * times the vehicle’s designated seat-
ing capacity.


Production options weight: the combined weight of those
installed regular production options weighing over 5 lbs
(2.3 kg) in excess of those standard items which they
replace, not previously considered in curb weight or
accessory weight, including heavy duty brakes, ride level-
ers, roof rack, heavy duty battery, and special trim.


Normal occupant weight: 150 lbs (68 kg) * times the num-
ber of specified occupants (3 in the case of your vehicle)


Occupant distribution: Occupant distribution within the
passenger compartment (In your vehicle the distribution is
2 in front, 1 in second row seat)
WA R N I N G
!

Never overload your vehicle. Overloading can dam-
age your vehicle, adversely affect vehicle perfor-
mance, including handling and braking, cause tire
failure, and result in an accident.
*: 150 lbs (68 kg) is the weight of one person as defined by
U.S.A. and Canadian regulations.
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Driving safety
4-9
4
Tire and loading information placard
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The tire and loading information placard is located on the
inside sill of the driver’s door.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 any non-factory installed options, as
well as the tongue weight of a trailer being towed and roof load
is included in the definition of “cargo” when determining the
vehicle capacity weight. This placard also tells you the size and
recommended inflation pressure for the original equipment
tires on your vehicle. For more information, refer to “Tires” on
page 7-23.
Ty p e 1

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4-10 Driving safety
4
Ty p e 2

Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
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1. Locate the statement “The combined weight of occu-
pants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg or XXX
lbs.” on your vehicle’s placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and pas-
sengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passen-
gers from XXX kg or XXX lbs.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of
cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the
“XXX” amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will be five
150 lbs. passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400 - 750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs.)
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo and luggage load
capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your
trailer will be transferred to your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle.
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Driving safety
4-11
4
NOTE

The following table shows examples on how to calculate total load, cargo/luggage and towing capacities of your vehicle
with varying seating configurations and number and size of occupants. This table is for illustration purposes only and
may not be accurate for the seating and load carry capacity of your vehicle.


For the following example the combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed 865 lbs (392 kg).


Under a maximum loaded vehicle condition, gross axle weight ratings (GAWR’s) for the front and rear axles must not be
exceeded. For further information on GAWR’s, vehicle loading and trailer towing, see the “Specifications” section of
this manual.
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