2012 MITSUBISHI iMiEV light

6-22 For emergencies
6Operation under adverse driving conditions
N00837200747
If your vehicle becomes stuck in sand, mud or
snow If your vehicle becomes stuck in snow, sand, or mud, it can
often be moved by a rocking motion. Rock your vehicle back
and forth to free it.
Do not spin the wheels. Constant efforts to free a stuck vehicle
can cause transmission failure.
If your vehicle is still stuck after several rocking attempts, call
for a commercial tow truck service.
On wet roads
WA R N I N G
!
When trying to rock your vehicle out of a stuck posi-
tion, make sure that there are no people nearby. The
rocking motion can make your vehicle suddenly
lurch forward or backward, and injure any
bystanders.
CAUTION
!
Do not drive on a flooded road. If you drive on a
flooded road, not only the electric motor unit stops
but also a failure like electric leakage or short circuit
may occur.
If you inevitably had to run on a flooded road and
the vehicle was exposed to water, be sure to have
your vehicle inspected by a certified i-MiEV dealer.
When driving in rain, on water-covered roads, or
through a car wash, water could get into the brake
discs and make them fail temporarily. In such cases,
lightly press the brake pedal to see if they are work-
ing properly. If they are not, press the pedal lightly
several times while driving to dry the brake pads or
linings, then check them again.
When driving in rain, a layer of water may form
between the tires and the road surface (aquaplan-
ing). This loosens your tires’ grip on the road, mak-
ing it difficult to steer or brake properly. When
driving on a wet road:
• Drive your vehicle at a safe speed.
• Do not drive on worn tires.
• Always keep the tires at the correct inflation pres-
sures.
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7
Vehicle care and maintenance
Service precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 2
Hood. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 4
View under the hood and
electric motor unit room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 6
Coolant/Hot water heater fluid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 7
Washer fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 11
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 12
12V starter battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 13
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 18
Brake pedal free play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 25
Parking brake lever stroke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 25
Wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 26
General maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 27
For cold and snowy weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 28
Fusible links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 28
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 29
Replacement of light bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 35
Vehicle care precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 49
Cleaning the inside of your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 50
Cleaning the outside of your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . .7- 52
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Vehicle care and maintenance
7-3
7
Have you purchased the Mitsubishi Motors Diamond Care Pro-
tection Plan? The Plan supplements your new vehicle warran-
ties. See a certified i-MiEV dealer for details.
WA R N I N G
!
When servicing the vehicle, make sure that the elec-
tric motor switch is in the “LOCK” position and the
charging cable is disconnected. Failure to do so
could result in an electric shock.
When checking or servicing under the hood or the
coolant reserve tank, be sure the electric motor unit
is stopped and it has had a chance to cool down.
If you need to work under the hood with the electric
motor unit on, be careful that your clothing, hair,
etc. does not get caught in the fan or other moving
parts.
The fan can turn on automatically even if the elec-
tric motor unit is not running. Turn the electric
motor switch to the “LOCK” position to be safe
while you are working under the hood.
Do not smoke or allow open flames around the 12V
starter battery.
Be extremely careful when working around the 12V
starter battery. It contains poisonous and corrosive
sulfuric acid.
Handling your vehicle’s parts and materials in the
wrong way can injure you. Ask a certified i-MiEV
dealer if you have questions.
CAUTION
!
The components inside the electric motor unit room
may be very hot to the touch.
Make sure all components have sufficiently cooled
before beginning an inspection.
These components are affixed with a label indicating
precautions for handling. Follow the instructions on
the label.
When replacing the 12V starter battery, remove the
positive (+) and negative (-) terminals after turning
the electric motor switch to the “LOCK” position
and waiting at least 2 minutes. If the 12V starter
battery terminal is removed just after the electric
motor switch is turned to the “LOCK” position, this
may cause damage to electric components.
If the electric motor unit warning light illuminates,
do not replace the 12V starter battery. Contact a
certified i-MiEV dealer.
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7-6 Vehicle care and maintenance
7
NOTE
If this does not close the hood properly, drop it again from
a slightly higher position.

Do not push down strongly on the hood. Depending on
how strongly or where you push down, you could create a
dent in the hood.
View under the hood and electric motor unit
room
N00937600696
Under the hood
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7-12 Vehicle care and maintenance
7Brake fluid
N00938700261
To check the fluid levelThe brake fluid level must be between the “MAX” and “MIN”
marks on the reservoir.
The brake fluid level falls slightly with wear of the brake pads,
but this does not indicate any abnormality.
The brake fluid in the master cylinder should be checked when
doing other work under the hood. The brake system should also
be checked for leaks at the same time.
If the brake fluid level falls markedly in a short length of time,
it indicates a leak in the brake system.
If this occurs, have the vehicle checked by a certified i-MiEV
dealer.
Fluid typeUse the recommended brake fluid conforming to DOT 3 or
DOT 4. The reservoir cap must be tightly sealed to keep dirt
and water out.
CAUTION
!
Do not let any petroleum-based fluid touch, mix
with, or get into the brake fluid. This will damage
the seals.
Be careful when handling brake fluid. It can damage
painted surfaces.
Use only the listed brake fluid. Different brands of
brake fluid have different additives, and these can
cause a chemical reaction. Do not mix brands of
brake fluid.
Keep the reservoir tank cap closed to keep the brake
fluid from evaporating.
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7-18 Vehicle care and maintenance
7Tires
N00939200540
It is important to familiarize yourself with the following terms:

Cold tire pressure:
• The measured pressure after the vehicle has been parked
for at least three hours,
or
• The measured pressure when the vehicle is driven less
than 1 mile (1.6 km) after having been parked for three
hours.

Maximum inflation pressure: the maximum permissible
cold tire inflation pressure for this tire.

Recommended inflation pressure: the inflation pressure
for optimum tire performance.
Intended outboard sidewall:
• The sidewall that contains a whitewall, bears white let-
tering or bears manufacturer, brand, and/or model name
molding that is higher or deeper than the same molding
on the other sidewall of the tire,
or
• The outward facing sidewall of an asymmetrical tire that
has a particular side that must always face outward
when mounted on a vehicle.

Passenger car tire: a tire intended for use on passenger
cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, and trucks, that
have a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,000
pounds or less.

Light truck (LT) tire: a tire designated by its manufacturer
as primarily intended for use on lightweight trucks or mul-
tipurpose passenger vehicles.

Tread: portion of a tire that comes into contact with the
road.

Tread rib: a tread section running circumferentially
around a tire.

Tread separation: pulling away of the tread from the tire
carcass.

Carcass: the tire structure, except tread and sidewall rub-
ber which, when inflated, bears the load.

Sidewall: portion of a tire between the tread and bead.

Section width: the linear distance between the exteriors of
the sidewalls of an inflated tire, excluding elevations due
to labeling, decoration, or protective bands.

Bead: the part of the tire that is made of steel wires,
wrapped or reinforced by ply cords and that is shaped to
fit the rim.

Ply: a layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.
WA R N I N G
!
Driving with tires that are worn, damaged or
improperly inflated is dangerous.
These type tire conditions will adversely affect vehi-
cle performance.
These type tire conditions can also cause a tread sep-
aration or blowout which may result in an accident
causing serious injury or death.
Tires degrade over time with age even when they are
not being used. It is recommended that tires over 6
years generally be replaced even if damage is not
obvious.
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Vehicle care and maintenance
7-19
7

Cord: the strands forming the plies in the tire.

Rim: a metal support for a tire or a tire and tube assembly
upon which the tire beads are seated.

Rim diameter: nominal diameter of the bead seat.

Groove: the space between two adjacent tread ribs.Tire Markings
Size Designation
EXAMPLE:P215/65R15

NOTE

European/Japanese metric tire sizing is based on
European/Japanese design standards. Tires designed
to these standards have the tire size molded into the
sidewall beginning with the section width. The letter
“P” is absent from this tire size designation. Exam-
ple: 215/65R15 96H.


LT (Light Truck) -metric tire sizing is based on
U.S.A. design standards. The size designation for
LT-metric tires is the same as for P-metric tires
except for the letters “LT” that are molded into the
sidewall preceding the size designation. Example:
LT235/85R16.
PPassenger car tire size based on U.S.A. design
standards
215 Section width in millimeters (mm.)
65Aspect ratio in percent (%)
Ratio of section height to section width of tire.
RConstruction code
• “R” means radial construction.
• “D” means diagonal or bias construction.
15 Rim diameter in inches (in)
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Vehicle care and maintenance
7-27
7 General maintenance
N00941500289
The next pages list the maintenance service recommended by
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. In addition to the general
maintenance that needs to be performed at the times listed,
there are other parts which do not usually need regular mainte-
nance.
But, if any of these parts stops working properly, your vehicle
performance could suffer. Have these items checked if you
notice a problem with them.
See a certified i-MiEV dealer for assistance, if you have any
questions.Disc brake pads, rear drum brake linings and
rear wheel cylinders
N00941600033
Good brakes are essential to safe driving. Check the brake pads
and brake linings for wear and check the rear wheel cylinders
for leaks. For good braking performance, replace the brake
pads with the same type pads as the originals.Brake hoses
N00941700047
Brake hoses and tubing should be checked for:

Severe surface cracking, scuffing or worn spots. If the
fabric casing of the hose is showing through any cracks or
worn spots in the rubber hose cover, the hose should be
replaced. The brakes can fail if the hose wears through.

Improper installation may cause twisting, or wheel, tire or
chassis interference.
Ball joint, steering linkage seals and drive shaft
boots
N00941800077
Check the following parts for damage and grease leaks:

Ball joint boots of the front suspension and steering link-
age

Bellows on both ends of the drive shaftHood lock release mechanism and safety catch
N00942500114
The hood lock release mechanism and hood safety catch should
be checked, cleaned, and oiled when needed for easy move-
ment and to stop rust and wear. Use Multipurpose Grease
NLGI Grade 2 sparingly for all sliding parts of the hood latch
and release lever. Work the grease into the hood lock mecha-
nism until all the movable surfaces are covered.
Also, put a light coat of the same grease on the safety catch
wherever moving parts touch.
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