2011 MITSUBISHI LANCER SPORTBACK manual transmission

3-102 Features and controls
3
“N” NEUTRALAt this position, the transmission is disengaged. It is the same
as the neutral position on a manual transaxle and should be
used when the vehicle is not moving for an extended length of
time during driving, such as in a traffic jam.
“D” DRIVEThis position is used for most city and highway driving. Engine
shifting and braking are done automatically as needed, depend-
ing on road conditions.“L” LOW (except for vehicles with sports mode)This position is for driving up very steep hills and for engine
braking at low soeeds when driving down steep hills.NOTE
For information on manual gate operation, please refer to
“Sports mode” on page 3-103.
WA R N I N G
!
Never move the selector lever to the “N” (NEU-
TRAL) position while driving since you could acci-
dentally slip it into the “P” (PARK) or
“R”(REVERSE) position, damaging the transmis-
sion.
To prevent the vehicle from rolling when stopped on
a slope, the engine should be started in the “P”
(PARK) position, not in “N” (NEUTRAL) position.
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal when the
vehicle is in “N” (NEUTRAL) position, or when
shifting into or out of “N” (NEUTRAL) position, to
prevent rolling.
CAUTION
!
Never shift into the “D” (DRIVE) position from the
“R” (REVERSE) position while the vehicle is in
motion. Transmission damage will result.
WA R N I N G
!
This position can be used for maximum engine
braking.
Be very careful not to shift into “L” (LOW) sud-
denly. Sudden engine braking may cause the tires to
skid.
Select this position according to the road conditions
and vehicle speed.
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Features and controls
3-103
3
Sports mode
(if so equipped)
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Whether the vehicle is stationary or in motion, sports mode is
selected by pushing the selector lever from the “D” (DRIVE)
position into the manual gate (1). To return to “D” (DRIVE)
operation, push the selector lever back into the main gate (2).
In sports mode, rapid shifting is possible simply by operating
the selector lever or sportronic steering wheel paddle shifter.
Unlike the manual transaxle, sports mode allows shifting with
the accelerator pedal depressed.NOTE
For vehicles equipped with the sportronic steering wheel
paddle shifter, sports mode can be operated even when the
selector lever is in the main gate (2). Also, you can return
to the “D” operation in any of following ways. When
returning to “D” operation, the selector lever position dis-
play will change to “D” (DRIVE) position.
• Pull the + (SHIFT UP) side sportronic steering wheel
paddle shifter forward (toward the driver) for over 2 sec-
onds.
• Stop the vehicle
• Push the selector lever from the “D” (DRIVE) position
into the manual gate (A) and push the selector lever
back into the main gate (B).
+ (SHIFT UP)
Transmission shifts up once by each operation.
- (SHIFT DOWN)
Transmission shifts down once by each operation.
CAUTION
!
Upward shifts do not take place automatically in
sports mode. The driver must make upward shifts in
accordance with prevailing road conditions, making
sure the engine rpm remains below the red zone on
the tachometer.
SHIFT UP
SHIFT
DOWN
SHIFT
UP SHIFT
DOWN
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3-104 Features and controls
3
NOTE
Shift ranges can only be selected in a forward direction
from 1st to 6th. To reverse or park the vehicle, move the
selector lever to the “R” (REVERSE) or “P” (PARK)
position.

To maintain good running performance, the transmission
may refuse to perform an upshift when the selector lever
or sportronic steering wheel paddle shifter is moved to the
“+ (SHIFT UP)” position at certain vehicle speeds. Also,
to prevent over-revving of the engine, the transmission
may refuse to perform a downshift when the shift lever or
sportronic steering wheel paddle shifter is moved to the “-
(SHIFT DOWN)” position at certain vehicle speeds.
When this happens, a buzzer sounds to indicate that a
downshift is not going to take place.
Move the selector lever gently between the manual and
main gates and between positions in the manual gate. And
do not operate sportronic steering wheel paddle shifter
violently. Excessive force could damage the selector lever
or sportronic steering wheel paddle shifter.
Sports mode display
N00538800170
In sports mode, the currently selected shift range is displayed
on the information screen in the multi-information display.

By rapidly moving the selector lever or sportronic
steering wheel paddle shifter to the “- (SHIFT
DOWN)” side twice, it is possible to skip one shift
range (i.e., 3rd to 1st or 4th to 2nd). Since sudden
engine braking or acceleration can cause a loss of
traction, downshifts must be made carefully in
accordance with the vehicle’s speed.
On vehicles with a sportronic steering wheel paddle
shifter, shift ranges may not change when the lateral
paddle shifters are operated at the same time.
CAUTION
!
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Features and controls
3-107
3
When the CVT makes no speed change
N00515300208
If the CVT does not shift while driving, or your vehicle does
not pick up enough speed when starting on an uphill slope,
there may be something unusual happening in the transmission,
causing a safety device to activate. Have your vehicle checked
at an authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer or a repair facility of
your choice as soon as possible.
1. If your vehicle has difficulty moving uphill, shift the
selector lever into “L” (LOW) position (except for vehi-
cles with sport mode) or 2nd shift range of the sports
mode.
This method might not work depending on the type of
transmission malfunction.
2. Once the vehicle is moving on a level road, move the
selector lever back to “D” (DRIVE) position.NOTE
When the warning display or the warning display
appears on the information screen in the multi-informa-
tion display, there could be a malfunction in the CVT.
Refer to “Continuously variable transmission (CVT):
Warning display” on page 3-100.
Twin Clutch SST (Sportronic Shift Trans-
mission)
(if so equipped)
N00539700046
The Twin Clutch SST is a transmission that, through integrated
control of the engine and transmission, is able to achieve both
the smooth shifting of an automatic transaxle and the accelera-
tion and fuel economy close to a manual transaxle. In addition,
the control mode can be selected from two types to suit the
driving conditions.
Together with manual shifting, the transmission is capable of
responding to a variety of driving circumstances.
Twin Clutch SST control mode → P. 3 - 1 1 6
Manual shift → P. 3 - 1 1 8
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Features and controls
3-115
3
“N” NEUTRALAt this position, the transmission is disengaged. It is the same
as the neutral position on a manual transaxle and should be
used when the vehicle is not moving for an extended length of
time during driving, such as in a traffic jam.
“D” DRIVEThis position is used for most city and highway driving. Engine
shifting and braking are done automatically as needed, depend-
ing on road conditions.NOTE
For information on manual shift gate operation, please
refer to “Manual shift” on page 3-118.

When the engine is cold, upshifts occur at a higher vehicle
speed than when the engine is warm.
This control is performed to quickly warm up the engine.
It does not indicate a malfunction. After the vehicle has
been driven for a while, upshifts will occur at the regular
engine speeds.
WA R N I N G
!
Never move the gearshift lever to the “N” (NEU-
TRAL) position while driving since you could acci-
dentally slip it into the “P” (PARK) or
“R”(REVERSE) position and the engine speed
could rise, damaging the transmission.
To prevent the vehicle from rolling when stopped on
a slope, the engine should be started in the “P”
(PARK) position.
Although the engine can be started when the vehicle
is in the “N” (NEUTRAL) position, for safety rea-
sons, do not start the engine in the “N” (NEUTRAL)
position.
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal when the
vehicle is in “N” (NEUTRAL) position, or when
shifting into or out of “N” (NEUTRAL) position, to
prevent rolling.
CAUTION
!
Never shift into the “D” (DRIVE) position from the
“R” (REVERSE) position while the vehicle is in
motion.
If the lever is shifted into the “D” (DRIVE) from the
“R” (REVERSE) position while the vehicle is in
motion, the transmission may be damaged.
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3-116 Features and controls
3
Twin Clutch SST control mode
N00540200067
Select the control mode from the following two types to suit
the driving conditions.
NOTE
When continuously driving on closed circuit tracks or at
other locations where the engine is operated at high
speeds and under a heavy load, the Twin Clutch SST fluid
temperature will have a tendency to rise.
In this case, if the temperature rises too high, the warn-
ing display will appear on the information screen in the
multi-information display to alert the driver.
If the warning display appears, be sure to refer to
“Warning display” on page 3-112 and follow the appropri-
ate measures.

The Twin Clutch SST control mode can be selected both
when “D” range operation is selected and when manual
shifting is selected.

If you select “SPORT” mode while the engine is cold, the
transmission may shift up at different speeds compared to
that when the engine is warm.
This is simply the operation of the control system to warm
the engine quickly. It does not indicate a malfunction.

For slippery road surfaces, such as roads with accumu-
lated snow, “NORMAL” mode is recommended for
smooth shifting at low engine speeds.
Tw i n C l u t c h
SST control
mode
Characteristic
NORMAL
(Control mode
when engine is
started)Control mode for normal driving on local
roads, freeways, and the like.
Smooth shifting is performed at low engine
speeds for economical driving with good ride
quality.
SPORTControl mode for driving on mountain roads,
roads with uphill and downhill slopes, and
freeways with long downhill slopes where
engine braking is necessary.
Compared to “NORMAL” mode, shifting
occurs at higher engine speeds and is quicker.
In addition, quick downshifting is possible
when the accelerator pedal is depressed for
quick acceleration or when the brakes are
applied.
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Features and controls
3-119
3
NOTE
Only the forward gears 1 to 6 can be selected.
To reverse or park, place the gearshift lever in the “R”
(REVERSE) or “P” (PARK) position.

During manual shifting, downshifting will be performed
automatically when the vehicle slows down and the trans-
mission will downshift to 1st gear before the vehicle
stops.

If the gearshift lever or sportronic steering wheel shifters
are operated repeatedly, the transmission will also shift
repeatedly.

In order to ensure driving performance, upshifting may
not occur depending on the vehicle speed even if the gear-
shift lever or sportronic steering wheel shifters are oper-
ated. In addition, in order to prevent excessive engine
speed, the buzzer sounds and downshifting may not occur
depending on the vehicle speed even if the gearshift lever
or sportronic steering wheel shifters are operated.

When driving in an aggressive manner involving high
engine rpm, sudden acceleration and/or deceleration, the
Twin Clutch SST could take longer to shift due to higher
fluid temperatures.
CAUTION
!
When manually shifting while the vehicle is being
driven, select the correct shift position to control the
engine speed so that the tachometer indicator does
not enter the red zone.
Sudden engine braking and rapid acceleration can
cause the vehicle to skid. Shift down according to
road conditions and vehicle speed.
If both the left and right sportronic steering wheel
shifters are operated at the same time, the transmis-
sion may not change gears.
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3-120 Features and controls
3
Shifting using the gearshift lever
N00540600016
Selecting manual shifting
While the vehicle is stopped or being driven, move the gear-
shift lever from the “D” (DRIVE) position in the main shift
gate toward the driver’s seat to select manual shifting.Shifting up and shifting down
Each time the gearshift lever is pulled rearward, the transmis-
sion shifts up 1 gear.
In addition, each time the gearshift lever is pushed forward, the
transmission shifts down 1 gear.
NOTE
After manual shifting is selected using the gearshift lever,
shifting up and down can also be performed using the
sportronic steering wheel shifters.
SHIFT DOWN
SHIFT UP
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