2011 MITSUBISHI COLT steering

The front airbags are designed to deploy when the
vehicle suffers a moderate to severe frontal impact.
A typical condition is shown in the illustration.

The front airbags will deploy if the severity of im-
pact is above the designed threshold level, compa-
rable to an approximately 25 km/h (16 mph) colli-
sion when impacting straight into a solid wall that
does not move or deform. If the severity of the im-
pact is below the above threshold level, the front air-
bags may not deploy. However, this threshold
speed will be considerably higher if the vehicle
strikes an object that absorbs the impact by either
deforming or moving (for example, another station-
ary vehicle, pole or a guard rail).

Because frontal collisions can easily move you out
of position, it is important to always properly wear
your seat belts. Your seat belts will help keep you
in a safe distance from the steering wheel and in-
strument panel during the initial stages of airbag de-
ployment. The initial stage of airbag inflation is the
most forceful, and can possibly cause serious or fa-
tal injuries. Moreover, the seat belts in your vehicle
are your primary means of protection in a collision.
The SRS airbags are designed to provide additional
protection. Therefore, for your safety and the safe-
ty of all occupants, be sure to always properly wear
your seat belts.
The front airbags MAY NOT DEPLOY when…
With certain types of frontal collisions, the vehi-
cle’s body structure is designed to absorb the shock
to help protect the occupants from harm. (The vehi-
cle body’s front area may deform significantly as it
absorbs the impact.) Under such circumstances, the
front airbags may not deploy irrespective of the de-
formation and damage to the vehicle body.Examples of some typical conditions are shown in
the illustration.

Because the front airbags do not protect the occu-
pant in all types of frontal collisions, be sure to al-
ways properly wear your seat belts.Collision with a utility pole, tree or other narrow objectsVehicle slides under the rear body of a truckOblique frontal impactsThe front airbags ARE NOT DESIGNED TO DE-
PLOY when...
The front airbags are not designed to deploy in con-
ditions where they cannot typically provide protec-
tion to the occupant. Such conditions are shown in
the illustration.

Because the front airbags do not protect the occu-
pant in all types of collisions, be sure to always prop-
erly wear your seat belts.Rear end collisionsSide collisionsVehicle rolls onto its side or roof
Seat and seat belts
2-28
2

The front airbags MAY DEPLOY when…
The front airbags may deploy if the bottom of the
vehicle suffers a moderate-to-severe impact (under-
carriage damage).
Examples of some typical conditions are shown in
the illustration.
Because the front airbags may deploy in certain
types of unexpected impacts as shown in the illus-
tration that can easily move you out of position, it
is important to always properly wear your seat
belts. Your seat belts will help keep you a safe dis-
tance from the steering wheel and instrument panel
during the initial stages of airbag deployment. The
initial stage of airbag inflation is the most forceful
and can possibly cause serious or fatal injuries if
you contact it at this stage.Collision with an elevated median/island or kerbVehicle travels over a deep hole/potholeVehicle drives down a steep slope and hits the ground
WARNINGl Do not attach anything to the steering
wheel padded cover, such as trim materi-
al, badges, etc. It might strike and injure
an occupant if the airbag inflates.
l Do not set anything on, or attach any-
thing to, the instrument panel above the
glove box. It might strike and injure an oc-
cupant if the airbag inflates.WARNINGl Do not attach accessories to, or put them
in front of, the windscreen. These objects
could restrict the airbag inflation, or
strike and injure an occupant if the air-
bags inflate.
l Do not put packages, pets or other ob-
jects between the airbags and the driver
or front passenger. It could affect airbag
performance, or could cause injury when
the airbag inflates.
Seat and seat belts
2-29
2

WARNINGlIf any of the following conditions occurs,
the SRS and/or seat belt pretensioners
are not working properly, and we recom-
mend you to have it inspected by a
MITSUBISHI MOTORS Authorized
Service Point immediately. •The SRS warning lamp does not illu-
minate when you start the vehicle.
• The SRS warning lamp does not go
out after several seconds.
• The SRS warning lamp illuminates
while driving.SRS servicing E00407900784WARNINGlWe recommend any maintenance per-
formed on or near the components of the
SRS to be performed by a MITSUBISHI
MOTORS Authorized Service Point.
Improper work on the SRS components
or wiring could result in inadvertent de-
ployment of the airbags, or could render
the SRS inoperative; either situation
could result in serious injury.
l Do not modify your steering wheel, seat
belt retractor or any other SRS compo-
nents. For example, replacement of the
steering wheel, or modifications to the
front bumper or body structure can ad-
versely affect SRS performance and lead
to possible injury.WARNINGl If your vehicle has received any damage,
we recommend you to have the SRS in-
spected to ensure it is in proper working
order.
l On vehicles with the side airbags, do not
modify your front seats, centre pillar and
centre console.
It can adversely affect SRS performance
and lead to possible injury.
Also, if you have found any tear or open
seam in the seat fabric at the portion near
the side airbag, we recommend you to
have the seat inspected.
l On vehicles with the curtain airbags, if
you have found any scratch, crack or dam-
age to the portion of the front and rear pil-
lars and roof side rail, we recommend
you to have the SRS inspected by a
MITSUBISHI MOTORS Authorized
Service Point.
NOTE
l When you transfer ownership of the vehicle
to some other person, we urge you to alert
the new owner that it is equipped with the
SRS and refer that owner to the applicable
section in this owner’s manual.
l If you junk or scrap the vehicle, we urge you
to first take the vehicle to a MITSUBISHI
MOTORS Authorized Service Point so that
the SRS can be rendered safe.
Seat and seat belts
2-34
2

Indication and warning lampsE005015017311-Turn-signal indication lamps/Hazard warning indication lamps ® p. 3-17
2. Front fog lamp indication lamp* ® p. 3-17
3- High-beam indication lamp ® p. 3-17
4- Rear fog lamp indication lamp ® p. 3-17
5- High coolant temperature warning lamp ® p. 3-19
6- Low coolant temperature indication lamp ® p. 3-17
7- Immobilizer indication lamp ® p. 1-02
8- Electric power steering warning lamp ® p. 4-29
9- Check engine warning lamp ® p. 3-18
10- Oil pressure warning lamp ® p. 3-19
11- Charge warning lamp ® p. 3-1912- Traction control system (TCL)/Active stability control system (ASC) indi-
cation lamp* ® p. 4-31
13- SRS warning lamp ® p. 2-33
14- Auto Stop & Go (AS&G) OFF indication lamp ® p. 4-16
15- Brake warning lamp ® p. 3-17
16- Front passenger’s airbag OFF indication lamp ® p. 2-25
17- Auto Stop & Go (AS&G) indication lamp* ® p. 4-13
18- Seat belt warning lamp ® p. 2-11
19- Anti-lock brake (ABS) warning lamp ® p. 4-28
20- Door ajar warning lamp ® p. 3-19
21- Cruise control indication lamp* ® p. 4-32
Instruments and controls
3-16
3

Switch position 0-Driver only/Driver + 1 front
passengerSwitch position 2-5 passengers (including driver)Switch position 3-5 passengers (including driv-
er) + Full luggage loadingSwitch position 3-Driver + Full luggage loading
Vehicles with turbocharger
Vehicle condi- tionSwitch
position“0”“1”“2”“2”
: 1 person: Full luggage loading

Switch position 0-Driver only/Driver + 1 front
passengerSwitch position 1-5 passengers (including driver)Switch position 2-5 passengers (including driv-
er) + Full luggage loadingSwitch position 2-Driver + Full luggage loadingTurn-signal lever E00506501000
The turn-signal lamps flash when the lever is oper-
ated (with the ignition switch in the “ON” posi-
tion). At the same time, the turn signal indication
lamp flashes.
1- Turn-signals When making a normal turn, use position
(1). The lever will return automatically when
cornering is completed.
There are times when the lever will not re-
turn after cornering. This occurs when the
steering wheel is turned only slightly.
In such cases, return the lever by hand.
2- Lane-change signals When changing lane, gently move the lever
once to position (2). The turn-signal lamps
and the indication lamp in the meter will
flash three times.
NOTE l If the lamp flashes unusually quickly, the
bulb in a turn-signal lamp may have burned
out. We recommend you to have the vehicle
inspected.
Hazard warning flasher switch E00506600727
Use the hazard warning flasher switch when the ve-
hicle has to be parked on the road for any emergency.
The hazard warning flashers can always be operat-
ed, regardless of the position of the ignition key.

Push the switch to turn on the hazard warning flash-
ers; push the switch again to turn them off.
When this switch is operated, all turn-signal lamps
flash continuously, as do the turn-signal indication
lamps in the instrument cluster.CAUTIONl If the lamps are kept flashing for a long
time, the battery will be discharged, re-
sulting in hard engine starting or no start
condition.
Instruments and controls
3-23
3

CAUTIONlTo avoid unnecessary discharge of the bat-
tery, do not use the rear window demister
during starting of the engine or when the
engine is not running. Turn the demister
off immediately after the window is clear.
l When cleaning the inside of the rear win-
dow, use a soft cloth and wipe gently
along the heater wires, being careful not
to damage the wires.
l Do not allow objects to touch the inside of
the rear window glass, damaged or bro-
ken wires may result.Horn switch E00508000581
Pressing the “
” mark on the steering wheel, cau-
ses the horn to sound.Instruments and controls
3-30
3

Economical driving.......................................................................4-02
Driving, alcohol and drugs ........................................................... 4-02
Safe driving techniques ................................................................ 4-03
Running-in recommendations.......................................................4-04
Parking brake ................................................................................ 4-06
Parking .......................................................................................... 4-07
Steering wheel height adjustment .................................................4-07
Inside rear-view mirror ................................................................. 4-08
Outside rear-view mirrors ............................................................. 4-08
Ignition switch .............................................................................. 4-10
Steering wheel lock ...................................................................... 4-11
Starting..........................................................................................4-11
Auto Stop & Go (AS&G) system* ...............................................4-13
Manual transmission ..................................................................... 4-16
Automated manual transmission ..................................................4-19
How to drive a vehicle with an automated manual trans- mission......................................................................................4-22
Braking ......................................................................................... 4-25
Emergency stop signal system ...................................................... 4-26
Brake assist system ....................................................................... 4-27
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) ..................................................... 4-27
Electric power steering system ..................................................... 4-29
Traction control system (TCL)/Active stability control system (ASC)* ......................................................................... 4-30
Cruise control* ............................................................................. 4-32
Cargo loads ................................................................................... 4-36
Trailer towing ............................................................................... 4-36Starting and driving4

ParkingE00600601521
Parking on a hill
To prevent the vehicle from rolling, follow these
procedures:
Parking on a downhill slope
Turn the front wheels towards the kerb and move
the vehicle forward until the kerb side wheel gently
touches the kerb.
Apply the parking brake and place the gearshift lev-
er into the “R” (Reverse) position (with manual
transmission) or the allshift lever into the “R” (Re-
verse) position (with automated manual transmis-
sion).
If necessary, apply chocks to wheels.
Parking on an uphill slope
Turn the front wheels away from the kerb and
move the vehicle back until the kerb side wheel gen-
tly touches the kerb.
Apply the parking brake and place the gearshift lev-
er into the 1 st
position (with manual transmission)
or the allshift lever into the “S” (Stand by) position
(with automated manual transmission).
If necessary, apply chocks to wheels.
NOTE l If your vehicle has an automated manual trans-
mission, place the allshift lever in the “S”
(Stand by) position or “R” (Reverse) position
before stopping the engine.
If you move the allshift lever after stopping
the engine, a gearshift will not take place.Parking with the engine running
Never leave the engine running while you take a
short sleep/rest. Also, never leave the engine run-
ning in a closed or poorly ventilated place.WARNINGl Leaving the engine running risks injury
or death from accidentally moving the
gearshift lever (manual transmission) or
the allshift lever (automated manual trans-
mission) or the accumulation of toxic ex-
haust fumes on the passenger compart-
ment.
Where you park
Your front bumper can be damaged if you scrape it
over kerbs or parking stop blocks. Be careful when
travelling up or down steep slopes where your bump-
er can scrape the road.
WARNINGl 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.
When leaving the vehicle
Always remove the key from the ignition switch
and lock all doors and the tailgate when leaving the
vehicle unattended.
Always try to park your vehicle in a well lit area.
Steering wheel height adjustment E00600700466
To adjust the steering wheel height, release the tilt
lock lever while holding the steering wheel by
hand, and raise or lower the steering wheel to the
desired height.
After adjustment, securely lock the lever by pulling
it upward.
1- Locked
2- Release
WARNINGl After adjusting to the desired height,
check to be sure that the lever is locked.
l Do not attempt to adjust the steering
wheel while you are driving the vehicle.
l When releasing the tilt lock lever, move it
to the release position (2) and hold the
steering wheel by hand to prevent it fall-
ing to the lowest position.
Starting and driving
4-07
4