2012 MITSUBISHI iMiEV maintenance

7-52 Vehicle care and maintenance
7Cleaning the outside of your vehicle
N00945700061
To protect your vehicle’s finish, wash it often and thoroughly.
If desired, you may wax your vehicle using a nonabrasive auto-
mobile wax. Foreign material
N00945800046
Industrial pollution, road tar, bird droppings, tree sap, insect
remains, sea water and other foreign matters can damage the
finish on your vehicle.
Generally, the longer any foreign material stays on the finish,
the worse the damage. Wash your vehicle as soon as possible
whenever the finish gets soiled.Wa s h i n g
N00945900627
Chemicals contained in the dirt and dust picked up from air,
rain, snow or road surfaces can damage the paint and body of
your vehicle if left on.
Frequent washing and waxing is the best way to protect your
vehicle from this damage.
Do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight. Park the vehicle in
the shade and spray it with water to remove dust. Next, using
plenty of clean water and a car washing mitt or sponge, wash
the vehicle from top to bottom.
Use a mild car washing soap if necessary. Rinse thoroughly
and wipe dry with a chamois or soft cloth. After washing the
vehicle, carefully clean the joints and flanges of the doors,
hood, etc., where dirt is likely to remain.
WA R N I N G
!
Do not wash the vehicle while charging the main
drive lithium-ion battery.
Doing so could cause a fire or an electric shock.
Before washing the vehicle, make sure that the
charging lid and the inner lid are completely closed.
If the lid is open, the charging unit is exposed to
water, resulting in a fire or an electric shock.
Do not pour water inside the electric motor unit
room. Doing so could cause a fire or an electric
shock.
CAUTION
!
When washing the vehicle, turn the electric motor
switch to the “LOCK” position.
Do not use a high pressure washing machine to clean
the underneath of the vehicle.
Doing so might cause the electric motor unit prob-
lem or malfunction.
When washing the underside of your vehicle or the
wheels, wear a pair of gloves to protect your hands.
Never spray or splash water on the electrical parts
in under the hood. This may damage them. Be care-
ful also when washing the underbody. Do not spray
water up under the hood.
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Vehicle care and maintenance
7-53
7
During cold weather Salt and other chemicals spread on winter roads in some geo-
graphical areas can have a detrimental effect on the vehicle
underbody. You should flush the underbody with a high pres-
sure hose every time you wash the outside of your vehicle.
Take special care to remove mud or other debris which could
trap and hold salt and moisture.After washing your vehicle, wipe off all waterdrops from the
rubber parts around the doors to prevent the doors from freez-
ing.
NOTE
When the door is frozen, opening it by force may tear off
or crack the rubber gasket installed around the door. Pour
warm water to melt the ice. Be sure to thoroughly wipe off
the water after opening the door. To prevent freezing of
the weatherstripping on the doors, hood, etc., treat with
silicone lubricant.Waxing
N00946000247
Wax your vehicle once or twice a year, or when water does not
bead up on the paint.
Use a soft cloth to put a small amount of wax on the painted
surfaces. After the wax has dried, polish with a dry soft cloth.
Do not wax your vehicle in direct sunlight.
You should wax when the painted surfaces are cool.

Avoid automatic car washers that use rotating
brushes. These brushes may scratch the paint sur-
face and make it dull.
Scratches are more noticeable on darker colored
vehicles.
Some hot water washing equipment uses high pres-
sure and heat to clean your vehicle. This heated
water may damage your vehicle’s resin parts. It can
flood the interior of the vehicle. Therefore, be sure
of the following:
• Keep the washing nozzle at least 28 inches (70 cm)
away from the vehicle body.
• When washing around the door glass, hold the
nozzle at a distance of more than 28 inches (70 cm)
and at right angles to the glass surface.

Make sure to do the following when using an auto-
matic car wash, with help from either this manual or
the car wash operator, to avoid damaging your vehi-
cle:
• Fold the outside mirrors.
• Remove the antenna.
• Tape the wiper arm assembly.CAUTION
!
CAUTION
!
Waxes containing high abrasive compounds should
not be used. These waxes remove rust and stain
effectively from the paintwork, but are harmful to
the finish on the paint and the plate, because they
also remove clearcoat.
They are also harmful to other glossy surfaces such
as the grille, trim, moldings, etc.
Do not use gasoline, kerosene, benzine or paint thin-
ners to remove road tar or other dirt from the vehi-
cle surface.
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7-54 Vehicle care and maintenance
7
Polishing
N00946100059
If painted surfaces have been severely damaged and lost their
original luster and color tone, polish the surface lightly with a
fine polishing compound. Avoid limiting your polishing to the
damaged surface only; polish a somewhat wider area, moving
the polishing cloth in one direction. After polishing, flush the
compound from the surface and apply a coat of wax to regain a
beautiful luster.
Damaged paint
N00946200089
Small cracks and scratches in the paint coat should be touched
up as soon as possible with touch-up paint to prevent corrosion.
Check body areas facing the road or the tires carefully for dam-
age to the paint caused by flying stones, etc. The paint code
number for your vehicle can be found on the vehicle informa-
tion code plate. Refer to “Vehicle information code plate” on
page 9-2.

Do not put wax on the areas having black matte
coating because it can cause uneven discoloration,
patches, blurs, etc. If these get wax on them, wipe
the wax off right away with a soft cloth and warm
water.
CAUTION
!
BK0140800US.book 54 ページ ２０１１年９月２９日　木曜日　午後３時２８分

Vehicle care and maintenance
7-55
7
Cleaning plastic parts
N00946300211
Use a sponge or chamois to clean these parts.
If a vehicle wax sticks to a gray or black rough surface of the
bumper, molding or lights, the surface may appear white in
color. In this case, wipe it off using lukewarm water and a soft
cloth or chamois. Chrome parts
N00946400065
To prevent spots and corrosion of chrome parts, wash with
water, dry thoroughly, and apply a nonabrasive automotive
wax. If the chrome is severely damaged or pitted, use a com-
mercially available chrome polish.
Aluminum wheels (if so equipped)
N00946500196
1. Remove dirt using a wet sponge.
2. Use a mild detergent on any dirt that cannot be removed
easily with water.
Rinse off the detergent after washing the wheel.
3. Dry the wheel thoroughly using a chamois leather or a soft
cloth.Window glass
N00946600067
The window glass can usually be cleaned using only a sponge
and water. Glass cleaner can be used to remove wax, oil,
grease, dead insects, etc. After washing the glass, wipe it dry
with a clean, dry, soft cloth.
CAUTION
!
Do not use a scrubbing brush or other rough scrub-
ber as these may damage the plastic surface.
Do not use wax containing compounds (polishing
powder) which may damage the plastic surface.
Do not let the plastic parts get soiled with gasoline,
oil, brake fluids, greases, paint thinner, and sulfuric
acid (battery electrolyte). These fluids, etc., may
crack, stain or discolor the plastic parts.
If any of these get on the plastic parts, wipe them up
with a soft cloth or chamois and a mild solution of
soap and water. Then rinse them immediately with
water.
CAUTION
!
Do not use a brush or other hard implement on the
wheels.
Doing so could scratch the wheels.
Do not use any cleaner that contains an abrasive
substance or is acidic or alkaline. Doing so could
cause the coating on the wheels to peel or become
discolored or stained.
Do not directly apply hot water using a steam
cleaner or by any other means.
Contact with seawater or road salt used for de-icing
can cause corrosion. Rinse off such substances as
soon as possible.
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7-56 Vehicle care and maintenance
7
Wiper blades
N00946700097
Use a soft cloth and glass cleaner to remove grease, dead
insects, etc., from the wiper blades.
Replace the wiper blades when they no longer clean the
windshield and rear window properly.Under the hood
N00947000127
Never spray or splash water on the electrical components under
the hood, as this may cause damage.
Do not allow any nearby parts (such as plastic parts) come into
contact with sulphuric acid (12V starter battery electrolyte),
which may crack, stain, or discolour them.
If this occurs, wipe the parts with a soft cloth saturated with a
mild detergent and water solution.
Then immediately rinse the affected parts with plenty of water.BK0140800US.book 56 ページ ２０１１年９月２９日　木曜日　午後３時２８分

Alphabetical index
3
Specifications 9-8
Electric motor switch 3-30
Electric motor unit warning light 3-75
Electric power steering system (EPS) 3-44
Electric rear window defogger switch 3-89
Electronic immobilizer (Anti-theft starting system) 3-3
Energy level gauge 3-69
Energy usage indicator 3-60
EV charging cable 1-28
F
Floor mat 4-3
Fluid
Brake fluid 7-12
,9-10
Coolant 7-7
,9-10
Hot water heater fluid 7-7
,9-10
Washer fluid 7-11
,9-10
Fluid capacities and lubricants 9-10
Front fog lights
Bulb capacity 7-36
Indicator 3-72
Replacement 7-40
Switch 3-83
Front seats 2-3
Front side-marker lights
Bulb capacity 7-36
Replacement 7-38
Front turn signal lights
Bulb capacity 7-36Replacement 7-40
Fuses 7-29
Fusible links 7-28
G
Gauges 3-58
General maintenance 7-27
General vehicle data 9-6
Genuine parts 1-9
Glove compartment 3-129
H
Hazard warning flasher switch 3-83
Hazard warning lights 3-72
Head restraints 2-10
Headlights
Bulb capacity 7-36
Dimmer 3-81
Headlight flasher 3-81
Reminder buzzer 3-80
Switch 3-76
Heat
Cautions and actions to deal with intense heat 1-10
High beam indicator 3-72
High-mounted stop light
Bulb capacity 7-36
Replacement 7-45
High-Voltage components 1-41
Hood 7-4
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Alphabetical index
6Force limiter 2-23
Front passenger seat belt warning light 2-18
Maintenance and inspection 2-34
Pre-tensioner 2-21
Seat belt extender 2-20
Seat belt instructions 2-14
Seat belt use during pregnancy 2-21
Service brake 3-39
Service precautions 7-2
Service reminder 3-61
,3-63
Skid control function 3-47
Snow tires 7-24
Speedometer 3-59
Steering
Wheel lock 3-32
Stop lights
Bulb capacity 7-36
Replacement 7-42
Storage spaces 3-128
Sun visors 3-122
Supplemental Restraint System 2-35
How the Supplement Restraint System works 2-39
Servicing 2-57
Warning light 2-44
T
Tail lights
Bulb capacity 7-36
Replacement 7-42Theft-alarm system 3-18
Tire
Quality grading 8-2
Tire pressure monitoring system 3-49
Tire repair kit 6-7
Tires 7-18
Inflation pressure 7-21
Maintenance 7-23
Replacing tires and wheels 7-23
Rotation 7-24
Size (tire and wheel) 9-9
Snow tires 7-24
Tire and loading information placard 4-10
,9-4
Tire chains 7-24
Tread wear indicators 7-23
Towing 6-19
Traction control function 3-46
Trailer towing 4-14
Transmission 3-33
Selector lever operation 3-33
Selector lever position indicator 3-34
Selector lever positions 3-35
Trip odometer 3-61
,3-63
Turn signal lights
Indicators 3-72
Lever 3-82
U
USB input terminal 3-117
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NOTE
Maintenance recordName of Owner Date of Purchase
Address of Owner Model of Vehicle
Name and Address of Dealer Vehicle Identification Number
Service Performed DateKilometers
MilesInspection and Maintenance Item
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