2011 MITSUBISHI LANCER SPORTBACK sport mode

Introduction
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Thank you for buying a MITSUBISHI LANCER SPORT-
BACK.
We are confident you will enjoy your vehicle. It has been engi-
neered for optimum performance, durability and comfort. By
thoroughly reading this Owner’s Manual, you will gain an
understanding of the many features that are included in the
LANCER SPORTBACK. The Owner’s Manual contains
descriptions and illustrations that will assist in the operation
and maintenance of your vehicle.
Your Authorized Mitsubishi Motors Dealer will be happy to
assist you with any further questions you may have regarding
the operation of your vehicle.
Please note that this manual applies to all LANCER SPORT-
BACK models and explains all features including options.
Some features explained in this manual may not be installed on
your vehicle.
Please leave this Owner’s Manual in the vehicle at the time of
resale. The next owner will appreciate having access to the
information contained here.
This manual includes instructions for standard and optional
equipment available at the time of printing. Mitsubishi Motors
Corporation reserves the right to make changes in design and
specifications and to make additions or improvements in its
product without assuming any obligation to install these on
previously manufactured products.
Throughout this manual the words WARNING and
CAUTION appear.
These are reminders to be especially careful. Failure to follow the
instructions could result in personal injury or damage to your
vehicle.
WA R N I N G
!
Indicates a strong possibility of severe personal injury or
death if instructions are not followed.
CAUTION
!
Points out hazards or unsafe practices that could cause minor
personal injury or damage to your vehicle.
You will see another important symbol:
NOTE Gives helpful information.
WA R N I N G
!
Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and certain
vehicle components contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and certain prod-
ucts of component wear contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
©2010 Mitsubishi Motors Corporation Printed in Japan
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3-96 Features and controls
3
Except for vehicles with sports modeThe CVT has 2 forward selector positions and 1 reverse selec-
tor position.
The CVT selects an optimum ratio automatically when the
selector lever is in the “D” (DRIVE) or “L” (LOW) position,
depending on the speed of the vehicle and the position of the
accelerator pedal.
The selector lever has 5 positions.
With the brake pedal depressed, set the selector lever in
the gate to operate.
Set the selector lever in the gate to operate.WA R N I N G
!
Always depress the brake pedal when shifting the
selector lever into a selector position from the “P”
(PARK) or “N” (NEUTRAL) position.
When beginning to drive, do not shift the selector
lever from the “P” (PARK) or “N” (NEUTRAL)
position while depressing the accelerator pedal.
Doing so is dangerous because the vehicle will
“jump” forward or backward.
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Features and controls
3-97
3
NOTE
To ensure proper transmission operation, stop at each
detent position when shifting. After shifting, check the
position in the multi-information display.

If the brake pedal is not depressed and held, the shift-lock
device activates to prevent the selector lever from being
moved from the “P” (PARK) position.

For a shift indicated by in the illustration, depress the
brake pedal before moving the selector lever. If you
attempt to move the selector lever before depressing the
brake pedal, the selector lever will be immovable.
Vehicles with sports modeThe CVT selects an optimum ratio automatically when the
selector lever is in the “D” (DRIVE) position, depending on the
speed of the vehicle and the position of the accelerator pedal.
The selector lever (A) has 2 gates; the main gate (B) and the
manual gate (C).NOTE
In the main gate, the selector lever has 4 positions.

For information on manual gate operation, please refer to
“Sports mode” on page 3-103.
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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
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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
3-105
3
Operation of the CVT
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CAUTION
!
Before selecting a position with the engine running
and the vehicle stationary, fully depress the brake
pedal to prevent the vehicle from creeping.
Do not release the brakes until you are ready to
drive away. The vehicle will begin to move as soon as
the CVT is engaged, especially when the engine
speed is high (fast idle or air conditioning on).
Depress the brake pedal with the right foot.
Using the left foot could cause driver movement
delay in case of an emergency.
To prevent sudden acceleration, never run the
engine at high rpms when shifting from the “P”
(PARK) or “N” (NEUTRAL) position.
Operating the accelerator pedal while the other foot
is resting on the brake pedal will affect braking effi-
ciency and may cause premature wear of brake
pads.
Use the selector lever in the correct shift position in
accordance with driving conditions.
Never coast downhill backward in the driving shift
position { “D” (DRIVE), “L” (LOW) or sports
mode} or coast forward in the “R” (REVERSE)
position.
Engine stopping and increased brake pedal and
steering effort could lead to an accident.

Do not rev the engine with the brake pedal pressed
when the vehicle is stationary.
This can damage the CVT.
Also, when you depress the accelerator pedal while
holding down the brake pedal with the selector lever
in the “D” (DRIVE) position, the engine revolutions
may not rise as high as when performing the same
operation with the selector lever in the “N” (NEU-
TRAL) position.
CAUTION
!
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3-106 Features and controls
3
Passing acceleration
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To gain extra acceleration in “D” (DRIVE) position (when
passing another vehicle) push the accelerator to the floor if it is
safe to do so in traffic conditions. The CVT will automatically
downshift.NOTE
In sports mode, downshifts do not take place when the
accelerator is depressed all the way to the floor.Waiting
N00515000074
For short waiting periods, such as at traffic lights, the vehicle
can be left in selector lever position and held stationary with
the service brake.
For longer waiting periods with the engine running, the selec-
tor lever should be placed in the “N” (NEUTRAL) position.
Parking
N00515100062
To park the vehicle, first bring it to a complete stop, fully
engage the parking brake, and then move the selector lever to
the “P” (PARK) position.
If you are going to leave the vehicle unattended, always switch
off the engine and carry the key.NOTE
On a slope, be sure to apply the parking brake before
moving the selector lever to the “P” (PARK) position. If
you move the selector lever to the “P” (PARK) position
before applying the parking brake, it may be difficult to
disengage the selector lever from the “P” (PARK) position
when next you drive the vehicle, requiring application of a
strong force to the selector lever to move from the “P”
(PARK) position.
CAUTION
!
To avoid transmission overheating, never try to keep
your vehicle stationary on a hill by using the acceler-
ator pedal. Always apply the parking brake and/or
service brake.
Unexpected acceleration may occur if the selector
lever is in a position other than “P” (PARK) or “N”
(NEUTRAL).
Before driving off from a stop, make sure that the
selector lever is in “D” (DRIVE) position or “Sports
mode” position.
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