2012 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE key battery

3-64 Features and controls
3Starting
N00512600734
Tips for starting
Do not operate the starter motor continuously for longer
than 15 seconds as this could run the battery down or
damage the starter motor. If the engine does not start, turn
the ignition switch back to the “LOCK” position, wait a
few seconds, and then try again. Trying repeatedly with
the engine or starter motor still turning will damage the
starter mechanism.

If the engine will not start because the battery is weak or
discharged, refer to “Jump-starting the engine” (on page
6-2) for instructions.

The engine is warmed up enough for driving when the
coolant temperature gauge indicator starts to move. A
longer warm up period will only consume extra fuel.
Starting the engineYour vehicle is equipped with an electronically controlled fuel
injection system, which automatically controls the release of
fuel. There is no need to depress the accelerator pedal when
starting the engine.
The starter should not be run for more than 15 seconds at a
time.
To prevent battery drain, wait a few seconds between attempts
to restart the engine.
1. Make sure all occupants are properly seated with seat
belts fastened.
2. Insert the ignition key.
3. Make sure the parking brake is applied.
4. Press and hold the brake pedal down with your right foot.
5. Press and hold the clutch pedal all the way down (manual
transaxle).NOTE
For models equipped with a manual transaxle, the starter
will not operate unless the clutch pedal is fully depressed
(Clutch interlock). This is a safety feature.
6. On vehicles with manual transaxle, place the gearshift
lever in the “N” (Neutral) position.
On vehicles with automatic transaxle, make sure the
selector lever is in the “P” (PARK) position.
WA R N I N G
!
Never run the engine in a closed or poorly ventilated
area any longer than is needed to move your vehicle
out of the area. Carbon monoxide gas, which is
odorless and extremely poisonous, could build up
and cause serious injury or death.
CAUTION
!
Do not push-start the vehicle.
Do not run the engine at high rpms or drive at high
speeds until the engine has had a chance to warm
up.

Release the ignition key as soon as the engine starts.
Otherwise, the starter motor will be damaged.
CAUTION
!
BK0132701US.book 64 ページ ２０１０年１２月６日　月曜日　午後２時３分

Features and controls
3-71
3
NOTE
During the break-in period or immediately after recon-
necting the battery, your vehicle may not shift smoothly.
This does not indicate a problem in the transaxle. Shifting
will become smoother once the transaxle has been shifted
several times by the electronic control system.Selector lever operation
N00513800182
As an additional safety precaution, models equipped with an
automatic transaxle have a shift-lock device that holds the
selector lever in the “P” (PARK) position. To move the selector
lever from the “P” (PARK) position to another position, follow
the steps below.
1. Press and hold the brake pedal down.
2. Move the selector lever to the desired position.NOTE
The selector lever cannot be moved from “P” (PARK) to
another position if the ignition key is at the “LOCK” posi-
tion, or has been removed, or if the brake pedal is not
pressed and held down.The transaxle has 4 forward (4-speed automatic transaxle) or 5
forward (5-speed automatic transaxle) gears and 1 reverse gear.
The individual gears are selected automatically, depending on
the position of the gear selector lever, the speed of the vehicle
and the position of the accelerator pedal.
The selector lever has 2 “gates”: the main gate (A) and the
manual gate (B).
NOTE
For information on manual gate operation, refer to “Sports
mode” on page 3-76.
BK0132701US.book 71 ページ ２０１０年１２月６日　月曜日　午後２時３分

Features and controls
3-91
3
To activate
N00518400170
1. Momentarily push in the main switch (A) at the end of the
cruise control lever.2. Pull the lever (B) down while driving at the desired speed.
NOTE
If the main switch is on when the ignition key is turned
off, cruise control will be on automatically the next time
you start the engine. The “CRUISE” indicator will also be
on. You will need to reset the speed however, if you want
to use cruise control.

If the battery voltage is insufficient, the memory data for
the main switch will be erased.
As a result, the “CRUISE” indicator may not come on
when you restart the engine.
If this happens, push in the main switch once again to acti-
vate the system.
BK0132701US.book 91 ページ ２０１０年１２月６日　月曜日　午後２時３分

Features and controls
3-107
3
Every time the reset button (1) is pressed lightly (less than one
second), the indicators are changed.
ODO-OdometerThe odometer shows the total distance the vehicle has traveled. TRIP-Trip odometerThe trip odometer shows the distance traveled since the last
time it was reset.
There are two trip odometer displays: and .
TRIP can be used to measure the distance traveled since
the current trip began.
At the same time, TRIP can be used to measure the dis-
tance from a second location.
To reset the trip odometer
To zero the counter, press and hold the reset button for more
than one second. Only the currently displayed value will be
reset.
If TRIP is displayed, for example, only TRIP will be
reset. NOTE
Both TRIP and TRIP can measure trips up to
9999.9 miles/kilometers.

Even when the engine has been stopped, the odometer/trip
odometer indication is given for about 30 seconds if any
of the following steps is taken.
• The ignition key is turned to the “OFF” position.
• The driver’s door is opened.
• The odometer/trip odometer reset button is pressed.

If the battery is disconnected for a long time, both of these
displays will be reset to “0”.
Ty p e 1Ty p e 2
BK0132701US.book 107 ページ ２０１０年１２月６日　月曜日　午後２時３分

3-112 Features and controls
3
Engine malfunction indicator (“SERVICE
ENGINE SOON” or “Check engine light”)
N00520500396
This indicator is a part of the onboard diagnostic (OBD) sys-
tem which monitors the emissions, engine, and automatic tran-
saxle control systems. If a problem is detected in one of these
systems, this indicator comes on. When the ignition key is
turned to the “ON” position, this indicator normally comes on
and goes off a few seconds later.
This indicator will come on if the fuel tank filler cap is not
properly tightened. If the indicator comes on and stays on after
refueling, stop the engine and check that the cap is properly
tightened. (Turn the cap clockwise until you hear clicking
sounds.)
If this indicator does not go off after several seconds or lights
up while driving, have the system checked as soon as possible
at an authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer or a repair facility of
your choice.
NOTE
Do not disconnect the battery cable when the Engine mal-
function indicator (“SERVICE ENGINE SOON” or
“Check engine light”) is on.
The engine electronic control module stores critical OBD
information (especially exhaust emission data), which
may be lost if the battery cable is disconnected while the
engine malfunction indicator is on. This will make it diffi-
cult to diagnose the cause of future problems.

The vehicle should be brought to a stop in the fol-
lowing manner when brake performance has deteri-
orated while driving.
• Press the brake pedal harder than usual.
• Should the brakes fail, shift down to a lower gear
to reduce your speed and slowly pull the parking
brake lever to park your vehicle. Press the brake
pedal to operate your rear brake lights to alert
vehicles behind you.CAUTION
!
CAUTION
!
Driving for a long time with the engine malfunction
indicator on may cause more damage to the emission
control system. This could also affect fuel economy
and drivability.
If this indicator does not come on when the ignition
key is turned to the “ON” position, have the system
checked by an authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer
or a repair facility of your choice.
If the indicator comes on while the engine is run-
ning, avoid driving at high speeds.
During vehicle operation with the indicator on, the
vehicle may not accelerate when you depress the
accelerator pedal.
When the vehicle is stationary with the indicator on,
you must depress the brake pedal more firmly than
usual since the engine idling speed is higher than
usual and the vehicle with an automatic transaxle
has a stronger tendency to creep forward.
BK0132701US.book 112 ページ ２０１０年１２月６日　月曜日　午後２時３分

Features and controls
3-113
3
Charging system warning light
N00520600166
This light comes on in the event of a malfunction in the charg-
ing system or when the ignition key is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion (engine off). When the engine is started, the light should
go out. Check to make sure that the light has gone out before
driving.
Oil pressure warning light
N00520700154
This light comes on when the engine oil pressure is below nor-
mal. If the light stays on while driving, stop the engine as soon
as possible. Do not run the engine until the cause of the low oil
pressure is corrected.
CAUTION
!
If the warning light stays on after the engine has
started, the battery charging system may be mal-
functioning. In this case, take your vehicle to an
authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer or a repair
facility of your choice and have the system checked.
CAUTION
!
If this light comes on when the engine oil level is not
low, have your vehicle checked at an authorized
Mitsubishi Motors dealer or a repair facility of your
choice.
This warning light does not show the amount of oil
in the crankcase. This can only be determined by
checking the oil level with the dipstick with the
engine turned off.
BK0132701US.book 113 ページ ２０１０年１２月６日　月曜日　午後２時３分

3-114 Features and controls
3
Door-ajar warning light and buzzer
N00520900231
This light comes on when any door or rear hatch (ECLIPSE) is
open or not completely closed.
When the vehicle is moving at more than 5 mph (8 km/h) and
any door or rear hatch is open or ajar, a tone will sound 4 times
and the warning light will flash 4 times to inform the driver
that a door or rear hatch is not properly shut.NOTE
The goes out automatically after about 30 minutes to pre-
vent complete discharge of the battery.
Refer to “Interior light auto-cutout function (dome light
and other lights)” on page 3-175.
Multi center display
N00522100080
When the ignition key is in the “ACC” or “ON” position, the
digital clock, the outside temperature (if so equipped) and the
electronic compass (if so equipped) are displayed in the multi
center display. When the ignition key is in the “ACC” or “ON”
position and the audio system is activate, the audio information
is displayed in the multi center display.NOTE
Putting a cellular phone in the monitor’s small storage
compartment may weaken the phone’s reception. This is
typical and does not mean that something is wrong with
the system.

Use of wireless devices such as transceivers near the mon-
itor may make the screen go dark temporarily. This is typ-
ical and does not mean that something is wrong with the
system.
CAUTION
!
Before driving, make sure that the door-ajar warn-
ing light is off.
WA R N I N G
!
When operating the system for a prolonged period,
make sure the vehicle is parked in a well ventilated
area to avoid the accumulation of toxic fumes inside
and outside of the passenger compartment.
CAUTION
!
The driver should not operate the display while the
vehicle is in motion.
When operating the system, stop the vehicle in a safe
area.
BK0132701US.book 114 ページ ２０１０年１２月６日　月曜日　午後２時３分

3-124 Features and controls
3
If the outside temperature drops below approximately 37 °F
(3°C), the outside temperature figure changes to “ICE” and the
“ICE”, “OUTSIDE TEMP”, and unit indications flash for
approximately 30 seconds to show there is a danger the road
might be icy.
Change of the outside temperature unit
N00553400018
When the ignition key is in the “ACC” or “ON” position,
pressing the “H” button and “M” button simultaneously for
more than 10 seconds will switch the outside temperature unit
between °F and °C.NOTE
Disconnecting the battery cable causes the outside tem-
perature unit memory to be erased. If it has been discon-
nected, readjust the unit by the above procedure.
CAUTION
!
Even when the “ICE”, “OUTSIDE TEMP”, and
unit indications do not flash, the road may be icy, so
please take care when driving.
BK0132701US.book 124 ページ ２０１０年１２月６日　月曜日　午後２時３分