2012 MITSUBISHI GALANT Neutral

Features and controls
3-41
3
NOTE
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.
The lock button must be pushed while the brake pedal is
depressed to move the selector lever.
The selector lever will move without pushing the lock
button.
The lock button must be pushed to move the selector
lever. WA R N I N G
!
If the lock button is always pressed when using the
selector lever, the lever may be accidentally shifted
into the “P” (PARK) or “R” (REVERSE) position.
Do not press the lock button when making shifts
shown by in the illustration.

Always depress the brake pedal when shifting the
selector lever into a gear from the “N” (NEUTRAL)
position. When beginning to drive, do not shift the
selector lever from the “N” (NEUTRAL) position
while depressing the accelerator pedal. This will
cause the vehicle to “jump” forward or backward.
WA R N I N G
!
BK0139500US.book 41 ページ ２０１１年４月１９日　火曜日　午後１時４８分

3-42 Features and controls
3
Selector lever position indicator/ “N” indicator
N00513900314
A- Selector lever position indicator
When the ignition key is turned to the “ON” position, the
indicator in the instrument cluster comes on to show the
position of the selector lever (i.e. “PARK”, “DRIVE”,
“REVERSE”, etc.).
B- “N” indicator
When the “N” indicator blinks while you are driving, there
could be a malfunction in the automatic transaxle. (If the
selector lever position is in the “P” (PARK), “R”
(REVERSE) or “N” (NEUTRAL) position, the indicator
does not blink.)
CAUTION
!
If a malfunction occurs in the automatic transaxle
while driving, the “N” indicator will blink.
In this case, immediately park your vehicle in a safe
place and follow these procedure:
(The “N” indicator warning function does not oper-
ate with the selector lever in the “P” (PARK), “R”
(REVERSE) or “N” (NEUTRAL) position.)
[The “N” indicator blinks rapidly (twice per sec-
ond)]
The automatic transaxle fluid is overheating.
Park your vehicle in a safe place but do not turn off
the engine. Move the selector lever to the “P”
(PARK) position and open the engine hood. Keep
the engine idling.
After a while, move the selector lever to the “D”
(DRIVE) position and confirm that the “N” indica-
tor stops blinking. It is safe to continue driving if the
“N” indicator no longer blinks.
If the “N” indicator continues blinking or blinks
intermittently, have your vehicle inspected by an
authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer or a repair
facility of your choice.
[The “N” indicator blinks slowly (once per second)]
The automatic transaxle safety device may be oper-
ating due to a malfunction.
Have your vehicle inspected by an authorized Mit-
subishi Motors dealer or a repair facility of your
choice as soon as possible.
BK0139500US.book 42 ページ ２０１１年４月１９日　火曜日　午後１時４８分

Features and controls
3-43
3
Selector lever positions
N00514200268
“P” PARKThis position locks the transaxle to prevent the vehicle from
moving. The engine can be started from the “PARK” position.“R” REVERSEMove the lever to this position only after the vehicle has come
to a complete stop.
“N” NEUTRALAt this position, the transaxle 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 gate operation, please refer to
“Sports mode” on page 3-44.
CAUTION
!
Never shift into the “P” (PARK) or “R”
(REVERSE) position while the vehicle is in motion.
If the lever is shifted into the “P” (PARK) or “R”
(REVERSE) position while the vehicle is in motion,
the transaxle may be damaged.
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 transaxle.
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).
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal when the
vehicle is in “N” (NEUTRAL), or when shifting into
or out of “N” (NEUTRAL), to prevent rolling.
BK0139500US.book 43 ページ ２０１１年４月１９日　火曜日　午後１時４８分

Features and controls
3-45
3

Move the selector lever gently between the manual and
main gates and between positions in the manual gate.
Excessive force could damage the selector lever.

When sports mode is selected, the “D” indicator goes out.Sports mode indicatorIn sports mode, the currently selected gear is indicated by the
indicator shown on the instrument cluster.
Operation of the automatic transaxle
N00514500290
CAUTION
!
Before selecting a gear with the engine running and
the vehicle stationary, fully depress the brake pedal
to prevent the vehicle from creeping.
The vehicle will begin to move as soon as the gear is
engaged, especially when the engine speed is high, at
fast idle or with the air conditioning operating, the
brakes should only be released when you are ready
to drive away.
Depress the brake pedal with the right foot at all
times.
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.
Do not rev the engine with the brake pedal pressed.
This can damage the transaxle.
Also, when the vehicle is stationary, the engine revo-
lutions may not rise to the same revolutions as mea-
sured in normal starting even if the accelerator
pedal is depressed while the brake pedal is being
pressed.
BK0139500US.book 45 ページ ２０１１年４月１９日　火曜日　午後１時４８分

3-46 Features and controls
3
Passing acceleration
N00514900047
To gain extra acceleration in “D” (DRIVE) position (when
passing another vehicle) push the accelerator to the floor. The
automatic transaxle will automatically downshift.NOTE
In sports mode, downshifts do not take place when the
accelerator is depressed all the way to the floor.Waiting
N00515000058
For short waiting periods, such as at traffic lights, the vehicle
can be left in gear 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.

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) or sports mode} or coast for-
ward in the “R” (REVERSE) position.
Engine stopping and Increased brake pedal and
steering effort could lead to an accident.
CAUTION
!
CAUTION
!
To avoid transaxle 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).
Prior to moving off after having stopped the vehicle,
make sure that the selector lever is in “D” (DRIVE)
position or “Sports mode” position.
BK0139500US.book 46 ページ ２０１１年４月１９日　火曜日　午後１時４８分

3-84 Features and controls
3
Headlight flasher
N00550000169
You can flash the high beams by pulling the lever gently
toward you (2). The lights will go back to normal when you let
go. While the high beam is on, you will see a blue light on the
instrument panel.NOTE
You can flash the high beams by pulling the lever toward
you, even if the light switch is off.

If you turn the lights off with the headlights set to high-
beam illumination, the headlights are automatically
returned to their low-beam setting when the light switch is
next turned to the “ ” position.
Turn signal lever
N00522600434
When changing lanes, or to making a gradual turn, hold the
lever in the “lane change” position (1). It will return to the neu-
tral position when you let go. Use the full position (2) when
making a normal turn. The lever will return to the neutral posi-
tion when the turn is complete. There may be times when the
lever does not return to the neutral position. This usually hap-
pens when the steering wheel is turned only slightly. You can
easily return the lever by hand.
BK0139500US.book 84 ページ ２０１１年４月１９日　火曜日　午後１時４８分

For emergencies
6-3
6
3. You could be injured if the vehicles move. Set the parking
brake firmly on each vehicle. Put an automatic transaxle
in “P” (PARK) or a manual transaxle in “N” (Neutral).
Turn the ignition key to the “LOCK” position. NOTE
Turn off all lights, heater, and other electrical loads. This
will avoid sparks and help save both batteries.
4. Make sure your battery electrolyte is at the proper level.
(Refer to “Battery” on page 7-15.)5. Connect one end of one jumper cable to the positive (+)
terminal of the discharged battery (A), and the other end
to the positive (+) terminal of the booster battery (B).
NOTE
Open the terminal cover before connecting the jumper
cable to the positive terminal of the battery.
(Refer to “Battery” on page 7-15.)

Use the proper cables suitable for the battery size.
Otherwise heat damage to the cables could result.

Check the jumper cables for damage and corrosion before
use.
WA R N I N G
!
Turn the ignition key to the “LOCK” position on
both vehicles. Make sure that the cables or your
clothes cannot be caught by the fan or drive belt.
Personal injury could result.
WA R N I N G
!
If the electrolyte fluid is not visible, or looks frozen,
DO NOT ATTEMPT JUMP STARTING!!
The battery might split open or explode if the tem-
perature is below the freezing point or if it is not
filled to the proper level.
BK0139500US.book 3 ページ ２０１１年４月１９日　火曜日　午後１時４８分

6-22 For emergencies
6
Towing the vehicle by a tow truck
Towing with rear wheels off the ground (Type B)Place the selector lever in the “N” (NEUTRAL) position.
Turn the ignition key to the “ACC” position and secure the
steering wheel in a straight-ahead position with a rope or tie-
down strap. Never place the ignition key in the “LOCK” posi-
tion when towing.Towing with front wheels off the ground (Type C)Release the parking brake.
Place the selector lever in the “N” (NEUTRAL) position.
CAUTION
!
This vehicle must not be towed by a tow truck using
sling lift type equipment (Type A) as illustrated.
Using a sling lift will damage the bumper and front
end.
If the engine or transaxle is malfunctioning or dam-
aged, transport the vehicle with the driving wheels
on a carriage (Type C, D or E) as illustrated.
If the vehicle is towed with the ignition key in the
“ON” position and only the front wheels or only the
rear wheels raised off the ground, the ASC may
operate, resulting in an accident. When towing the
vehicle with the front wheels raised, keep the igni-
tion key in the “LOCK” or “ACC” position. When
towing the vehicle with the rear wheels raised, keep
the ignition key in the “ACC” position.
If you tow the vehicles with an automatic transaxle
with the driving wheels on the ground (Type B) as
illustrated, make sure that the towing speed and dis-
tance given below are never exceeded, causing the
transaxle damage.
Towing speed: 31 mph (50 km/h)
Towing distance: 18 miles (30 km)
For the towing speed and the towing distance, follow
the local driving laws and regulations.
WA R N I N G
!
To prevent entry of exhaust gas from the towing
vehicle, set the selection switch to the recirculation
position.
BK0139500US.book 22 ページ ２０１１年４月１９日　火曜日　午後１時４８分