2011 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION Owners Manual

7-24 Vehicle care and maintenance
7

Drive at safe speeds.

After filling your tires to the correct pressure, check them
for damage and air leaks. Be sure to reinstall the caps on
the valve stems.
Replacing tires and wheels
N00939600397
CAUTION
!
Avoid using different size tires and wheels from the
ones listed, and avoid the combined use of different
types of tires and wheels. Using different size or type
tires and wheels may affect driving safety.
Refer to “Tires and wheels” on page 9-8.
Always use tires of the same size, same type, and
same brand, and which have no wear differences.
Using tires that differ in size, type, brand or the
degree of wear, will increase the differential oil tem-
perature, resulting in possible 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 problems.
Even if a wheel has the same rim size and offset as
the specified type of wheel, its shape may prevent it
from being fitted correctly. Consult an authorized
Mitsubishi Motors dealer or a repair facility of your
choice before using wheels that you have.
As your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure
monitoring system, use only Mitsubishi genuine
wheels.
Other wheels do not permit correct installation of
tire inflation pressure sensors and can cause air
leakage and sensor failure, which would not be cov-
ered by your vehicle’s warranty.
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Vehicle care and maintenance
7-25
7
Tire maintenance
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The following maintenance steps are recommended:

Check tire pressures regularly.

Have regular maintenance done on the wheel balance and
front and rear suspension alignment.

Rotate your tires regularly as described in the “Tire rota-
tion” section on page 7-26.
Tread wear indicators
N00939800201
The standard-equipment tires use a high-grip compound that
gives superior grip.
However, they wear more quickly than typical passenger-car
tires.
Tread wear indicators are built into the original equipment tires
on your vehicle to help you know when your tires should be
replaced. Many states have laws requiring that you replace
your tires at this point.
These indicators are molded into the bottom of the tread
grooves and will appear when the tire tread is worn down to
1/16 inch (1.6 mm).1- Location of the tread wear indicator
2- Tread wear indicator
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7-26 Vehicle care and maintenance
7
When the bands appear next to one another in two or more
places, replace your tires. NOTE
Tire wear indicators can have different marks and loca-
tions depending on the tire manufacturer.Tire rotation
N00939900390
To even out the wear on your tires and make them last longer,
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation recommends that you rotate
your tires at the mileage listed in the “WARRANTY AND
MAINTENANCE MANUAL”.
However, the timing for tire rotation may vary according to
your vehicle condition, road surface conditions, and your own
personal driving habits. Any time you notice unusual wear,
rotate your tires as soon as possible.
When rotating tires, check for uneven wear, damage, and wheel
alignment. Abnormal wear is usually caused by a wrong tire
pressure, wheels that are not aligned properly, wheels that are
out-of-balance, or severe braking.
Check with an authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer or a repair
facility of your choice to find out the reason for uneven tread
wear.
The first tire rotation is the most important one. It will allow all
your tires to wear evenly.
CAUTION
!
A compact spare tire can be installed temporarily in
place of a tire that has been removed during the tire
rotation. However, it must not be included in the
regular tire rotation sequence.Tires that do not have arrows showing rotation direction
Tires that have arrows showing rotation directionFront
Front
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Vehicle care and maintenance
7-27
7
CAUTION
!
If the tires have arrows (A) indicating the correct
direction of rotation, swap the front and rear tires
on the left-hand side of the vehicle and the front and
rear tires on the right-hand side of the vehicle sepa-
rately. Keep each tire on its original side of the vehi-
cle. When installing the tires, make sure the arrows
point in the direction in which the wheels will turn
when the vehicle moves forward. Any tire whose
arrow points in the wrong direction will not perform
to its full potential.
CAUTION
!
Avoid the combined use of different types of tires.
Using different types of tires can affect vehicle per-
formance and safety.
Front
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7-28 Vehicle care and maintenance
7
Snow tires
N00940000359
In some areas of the country, snow tires are required for winter
driving. If snow tires are required in your area, you must
choose snow tires of the same size and type as the original tires
provided with your vehicle. Snow tires should also be installed
on all four wheels. Otherwise your safety and vehicle handling
can be reduced.
Even where laws may permit it, snow tires should not be oper-
ated at sustained speeds over 75 mph (120 km/h).Tire chains
N00940100015
Clutch pedal free play
(if so equipped)
N00940200087
To check the clutch pedal free play (A), turn off the engine and
press the pedal until you feel resistance.
Clutch pedal free play:
.2 to .4 inch (4 to 9 mm)
CAUTION
!
If flange nuts are used on your vehicle, change to
tapered nuts when using snow tires with steel
wheels.
Only Mitsubishi Motors genuine wheels should be
used, because your vehicle is equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system.
Use of another type of wheel risks air leaks and sen-
sor damage, as it will not be possible to install the
tire pressure sensor properly.
CAUTION
!
Tire chains cannot be used on your vehicle. The
clearance between the chains and the body is not
sufficient to allow proper clearance, and the vehicle
body might be damaged.
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Vehicle care and maintenance
7-29
7 Brake pedal free play
N00940300176
To check the brake pedal free play (A), turn off the engine and
press the brake pedal several times with your foot. Then press
the pedal down with your fingers until you first feel resistance.
Brake pedal free play:
.1 to .3 inch (3 to 8 mm)
If the free play is not within these limits, take your vehicle to
an authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer or a repair facility of
your choice for adjustment.
Parking brake lever stroke
N00940400207
Check the parking brake lever travel occasionally. To check
this, pull the lever up slowly and count the number of clicks of
the ratchet.
Parking brake lever stroke:
3 to 5 notches
Also check to see if the lever stays gripped by the ratchet after
pulling.
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7-30 Vehicle care and maintenance
7Parking brake break-in
N00936200044
Break-in the parking brake linings whenever the brake perfor-
mance of the parking brake is insufficient or whenever the
parking brake linings and/or discs are replaced, in order to
assure the best brake performance.
This procedure is described in the vehicle service manual and
can be carried out by an authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer.
Wiper blades
N00940700167
Check the wiper blades occasionally. Clean them regularly to
remove deposits of salt and road film. Use a sponge or cloth
and a mild detergent or non-abrasive cleaner to clean the blades
and glass areas.
Replace the blades if they continue to streak or smear.NOTE
Do not run the wipers on dry glass for a long time. This
wears out the rubber and can scratch the glass.During cold weatherIf the blades are frozen to the windshield, do not operate the
wipers until the ice has melted and the blades are freed, other-
wise the wiper motor may be damaged.
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Vehicle care and maintenance
7-31
7 Emission-control system maintenance
N00940800201
Your vehicle is equipped with an emission-control system that
meets all the requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protec-
tion Agency and Environment Canada. The emission-control
system is made of:

a positive crankcase ventilation system

an evaporative emission-control system

an exhaust emission-control system
The maintenance services listed in the “WARRANTY AND
MAINTENANCE MANUAL” must be performed at the times
or mileages listed to keep the emission-control system working
properly. These, and all the other “general” maintenance ser-
vices listed in this manual, need to be performed to keep your
vehicle running properly and reliably.
You may need more frequent maintenance if you drive your
vehicle in harsh conditions such as dusty areas or do a lot of
start-and-stop driving.
To be sure the emission-control system works properly, have
your vehicle inspected and maintained by an authorized Mit-
subishi Motors dealer or a repair facility of your choice follow-
ing the schedule in the “WARRANTY AND MAINTENANCE
MANUAL”.
You should also have an inspection and service any time you
suspect a malfunction.
NOTE
To meet government regulations and promote cleaner air,
your vehicle is equipped with an onboard diagnostic sys-
tem (OBD). The engine electronic control module that
controls OBD functions stores various data (especially
about the exhaust emissions). This data will be erased if
the battery cable is disconnected, which could make a
rapid diagnosis difficult. Do not disconnect the battery
cable when the engine malfunction indicator (“SERVICE
ENGINE SOON” or “Check engine light”) is on.
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