2012 MITSUBISHI L200 check engine light

Combination headlamps and
dipper switch E00506002129
Headlamps
NOTE l Do
not leave the headlamps and other lamps
on for a long time while the engine is station-
ary (not running). A run-down battery could
result.
l When it rains or when the vehicle has been
washed, the inside of the lens sometimes be-
comes foggy. This is the same phenomenon
as when window glass mists up on a humid
day, and does not indicate a functional prob-
lem. When the lamp is switched on, the heat
will remove the fog. However, if water gath-
ers inside the lamp, we recommend you to
have it checked. Type 1
Rotate the switch to turn on the lamps. OFF All lamps off
Position, tail, licence plate and instrument
panel lamps on
Headlamps and other lamps go on
Type 2
Rotate the switch to turn on the lamps. OFF All lamps off
AUTO With the ignition switch in the “ON” po-
sition, headlamps, position, tail, licence
plate, and instrument panel lamps turn
on and off automatically in accordance
with outside light level. All lamps turn
off automatically when the ignition
switch is turned to the “OFF” position. Position, tail, licence plate and instru-
ment panel lamps on
Headlamps and other lamps go on
NOTE
l The

sensitivity of the automatic on/off con-
trol can be adjusted.
For further information, we recommend you
to consult a MITSUBISHI MOTORS Author-
ized Service Point.
l When the headlamps are turned off by the au-
tomatic on/off control with the ignition
switch in the “ON” position, the front fog
lamps (if so equipped) and rear fog lamp (if
so equipped) also go off. When the head-
lamps are subsequently turned back on by
the automatic on/off control, the front fog
lamps also come on but the rear fog lamp
stays off. If you wish to turn the rear fog
lamp back on, operate the switch again.
l Do not cover the sensor (A) for the automat-
ic on/off control by affixing a sticker or label
to the windscreen. Instruments and controls
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Economical driving
E00600100620
For
economical driving, there are some technical re-
quirements that have to be met. The prerequisite
for low fuel consumption is a properly adjusted en-
gine. In order to achieve longer life of the vehicle
and the most economical operation, we recommend
you to have the vehicle checked at regular intervals
in accordance with the service standards.
Fuel economy and generation of exhaust gas and
noise are highly influenced by personal driving hab-
its as well as the particular operating conditions.
The following points should be observed in order
to minimize wear of brakes, tyres and engine as
well as to reduce environmental pollution.
Starting
Avoid rapid acceleration and sudden starts; such op-
eration will result in higher fuel consumption.
Shifting
Shift only at an appropriate speed and engine
speed. Always use the highest gear possible.
The transfer shift lever should be set to “2H” when
driving 4WD vehicles on normal roads and express
ways to obtain best possible fuel economy.
City traffic
Frequent starting and stopping increases the aver-
age fuel consumption. Use roads with smooth traf-
fic flow whenever possible. When driving on con-
gested roads, avoid use of a low gear at high en-
gine speeds.
Idling
The vehicle consumes fuel even during idling.
Avoid extended idling whenever possible. Speed
The
higher the vehicle speed, the more fuel con-
sumed. Avoid driving at full speed. Even a slight re-
lease of the accelerator pedal will save a significant
amount of fuel.
Tyre inflation pressure
Check the tyre inflation pressures at regular inter-
vals. Low tyre inflation pressure increases road re-
sistance and fuel consumption. In addition, low
tyre pressures adversely affect tyre wear and driv-
ing stability.
Load
Do not drive with unnecessary articles in the cargo
area. Especially during city driving where frequent
starting and stopping is necessary, the increased
weight of the vehicle will greatly affect fuel con-
sumption.
Cold engine starting
Starting of a cold engine consumes more fuel.
Unnecessary fuel consumption is also caused by
keeping a hot engine running. After the engine is
started, commence driving as soon as possible.
Air conditioning*
The use of the air conditioning will increase the
fuel consumption. Driving, alcohol and drugs
E00600200012
Driving
after drinking alcohol is one of the most fre-
quent causes of accidents.
Your driving ability can be seriously impaired even
with blood alcohol levels far below the legal mini-
mum. If you have been drinking, don’t drive. Ride
with a designated non-drinking driver, call a cab or
a friend, or use public transportation.
Drinking coffee or taking a cold shower will not
make you sober.
Similarly, prescription and nonprescription drugs af-
fect your alertness, perception and reaction time.
Consult with your doctor or pharmacist before driv-
ing while under the influence of any of these medi-
cations. WARNING
l NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE.
Your

perceptions are less accurate, your
reflexes are slower and your judgment is
impaired. Starting and driving
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WARNING
l When attempting to rock your vehicle out
of
a stuck position, be sure that the area
around the vehicle is clear of people and
physical objects. The rocking motion may
cause the vehicle to suddenly launch for-
ward or backward, causing injury or dam-
age to nearby people or objects.
NOTE l Avoid

sudden braking, acceleration, and turn-
ing; such operations could result in the vehi-
cle becoming stuck.
l If the vehicle becomes stuck in sandy or mud-
dy roads, it can often be moved a rocking mo-
tion. Move the selector lever rhythmically be-
tween the “D” (DRIVE) and “R” (RE-
VERSE) position (with M/T, between 1 st
and
Reverse), while applying slight pressure to
the accelerator pedal.
l It is recommended to start the vehicle with
parking brake partially, but not completely,
applied by slightly pulling the parking brake
lever.
After the vehicle has become free, do not for-
get to release the parking brake.
l If it is necessary to drive in extremely muddy
conditions, the use of tyre chains is recom-
mended. Because the extent of muddy condi-
tions is difficult to judge and the vehicle
could become bogged down very deeply, op-
eration should be at a low speed. If possible,
get out of the vehicle and check the condi-
tions ahead before proceeding. l
Driving
over roads in coastal areas or roads
on which anti-skid preparations have been
spread can cause rust on the vehicle; wash
the vehicle thoroughly as soon as possible af-
ter such use.
Climbing sharp grades
Set the transfer shift lever to “4L” position (easy se-
lect 4WD), “4LLc” position (super select 4WD) to
maximize the engine torque. WARNING
l Go
straight up. Do not try to traverse
across a steep slope.
l If you begin to lose traction, ease off the
accelerator pedal and gently turn the
steering wheel alternatively left and right
to regain adequate traction again.
NOTE l Choose

as smooth a slope as possible with
few stones or other obstacles.
l Before attempting to drive up the slope, walk
up it to confirm that the vehicle can handle
the grade.
Descending sharp grades
Set the transfer shift lever to “4L” position (easy se-
lect 4WD), “4LLc” position (super select 4WD),
use the engine brake (downshifting) and descend
slowly. WARNING
l Avoid
snaking down a sharp grade. De-
scend the grade as straight as possible.
NOTE l When descending a sharp grade, if the brakes
are

applied suddenly because of an obstacle
encountered, control of the vehicle could be
lost. Before descending the slope, walk down
it and confirm the path.
l Before descending a grade, it is necessary to
choose the appropriate gear. Avoid changing
gears or depressing the clutch while descend-
ing the grade.
l MITSUBISHI MOTORS is not responsible
to the operator for any damage or injury
caused or liability incurred by improper and
negligent operation of a vehicle. All techni-
ques of vehicle operation described herein de-
pend on the skill and experience of the opera-
tor and other participating parties and any de-
viation from the recommended operation in-
structions above is at their own risk.
Turning sharp corners
When turning a sharp corner in “4H” or “4L” posi-
tion (easy select 4WD), “4HLc” or “4LLc” posi-
tion (super select 4WD) at low speed, a slight dif-
ference in steering may be experienced similar to
as if the brakes were applied. This is called tight cor-
ner braking and results from each of the 4 tyres be-
ing at a different distance from the corner.
The phenomenon is peculiar to 4-wheel drive vehi-
cles. If this occurs, either straighten the steering
wheel, or change to rear-wheel drive. Starting and driving
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Crossing a stream
4-wheel
drive vehicles are not necessarily water-
proof. If the electrical circuits become wet, further
operation of the vehicle will be impossible; there-
fore, avoid crossing streams unless absolutely nec-
essary. If crossing a stream is unavoidable, use the
following procedure: 1. Check depths of a stream and geographicalfeatures before attempting to cross a stream
and ford the stream where the water is as shal-
low as practicable.
2. Set the transfer shift lever to “4L” position (easy select 4WD), “4LLc” position (super se-
lect 4WD).
3. Drive slowly at a speed of approximately 5 km/h (3 mph) to avoid splashing too much
water. CAUTION
l
Never
cross a stream where the water is
deep.
Do not change gears while crossing the
stream.
Frequent crossing of streams can adverse-
ly affect the life span of the vehicle; we rec-
ommend you to take the necessary meas-
ures to prepare, inspect, and repair the ve-
hicle.
After crossing a stream, apply the brakes to be sure
they
are functioning properly. If the brakes are wet
and not functioning properly, dry them out by driv-
ing slowly while lightly depressing the brake pedal.
Inspect each part of the vehicle carefully. Inspection and maintenance
following rough road operation E00606700048
After

operating the vehicle in rough road condi-
tions, be sure to perform the following inspection
and maintenance procedures:
l Check that the vehicle has not been damaged
by rocks, gravel, etc.
l Carefully wash the vehicle with water.
After washing, drive the vehicle slowly
while lightly depressing the brake pedal in or-
der to dry out the brakes. If the brakes still
do not function properly, we recommend you
to have the brakes checked as soon as possible.
l Remove the insects, dried grass, etc. clog-
ging the radiator core.
l After crossing a stream, be sure to have the
following items inspected at a MITSUBISHI
MOTORS Authorized Service Point and take
the necessary measures.
• Check the brake system and, if necessary,have it serviced.
• Check the engine, transmission, transfer, and differential oil or grease level and tur-
bidity. If the oil or grease is milky, it indi-
cates water contamination. Replace it
with new oil or grease.
• Grease the propeller shaft.
• Check the inside of the vehicle. If ingress of water is found, dry the carpet etc.
• Inspect the headlamps. If the headlamp bulb is flooded with water, we recom-
mend you to have it drained. Cautions on handling of 4-wheel
drive vehicles E00606800368
Tyres and wheels
Since
the driving torque can be applied to the 4
wheels, the performance of the vehicle when oper-
ating in 4-wheel drive is greatly affected by the con-
dition of the tyres.

Pay close attention to the tyres.
l Install specified tyres on all wheels. Refer to
“Tyres and wheels” on page 9-18.
l Be sure to fit all 4 tyres and wheels of the
same size and type.
When replacement of any of the tyres or
wheels is necessary, replace all of them.
l All tyres should be rotated whenever the
wear difference between the front and rear
tyres is recognizable.
Good vehicle performance cannot be expected if
there is a difference in wear between tyres. Refer to
“Tyre rotation” on page 8-13. l Check the tyre inflation pressure regularly. Starting and driving
4-41 4
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Limited-slip differential*
E00606900037
A
limited-slip differential is applied for the rear
wheel differential only. The features of this limited-
slip differential are described below:

Just as with a conventional differential, the wheel
on one side is allowed to turn at a different speed
from the wheel on the other side when the vehicle
is cornering. The difference between the limited-
slip differential and a conventional differential is
that if the wheel on one side of the vehicle loses trac-
tion, a greater amount of torque is applied to the
wheel on the other side to improve traction.
NOTE
l Even if there is a difference in the amount of
traction the wheels can get, if both of them
are spinning, the limited-slip differential will
not be effective. CAUTION
l
Never
start the engine while one of the
rear wheels is jacked up and the other in
contact with the ground; doing so may
cause the vehicle to jump forward.
l When attempting to extract the vehicle
from snow, mud, etc., and the engine is
run continuously at high speed, the limi-
ted-slip differential will be adversely af-
fected. Braking
E00607001494
All

the parts of the brake system are critical to safe-
ty. We recommend you to have the vehicle
checked at regular intervals according to the serv-
ice booklet. CAUTION
l
Avoid
driving habits that cause heavy
braking and never “ride” the brakes by
resting your foot on the brake pedal
while driving.
It causes brake overheating and fade.
Brake system
The
service brake is divided into two brake cir-
cuits. And your vehicle is equipped with power
brakes. If one brake circuit fails, the other is availa-
ble to stop the vehicle. If you should lose the pow-
er assist for some reason, the brakes will still work.
In these situations, even if the brake pedal moves
down to the very end of its possible stroke or re-
sists being depressed, keep depressing the brake ped-
al down harder and further than usual; stop driving
as soon as possible and have the brake system re-
paired. WARNING
l Do
not turn off the engine while your ve-
hicle is in motion. If you turn off the en-
gine while driving, the power assistance
for the braking system will stop working
and your brakes will not work effectively. WARNING
l If
the power assist is lost or if either
brake hydraulic system stops working
properly, have your vehicle checked im-
mediately.
Warning lamp
The
brake warning lamp illuminates to indicate a
fault in the braking system. Refer to “Brake warn-
ing lamp” on page 3-08.
When brakes are wet
Check the brake system while driving at a low
speed immediately after starting, especially when
the brakes are wet, to confirm they work normally.
A film of water can be formed on the brake discs
or brake drums and prevent normal braking after
driving in heavy rain or through large puddles, or
after the vehicle is washed. If this occurs, dry the
brakes out by driving slowly while lightly depress-
ing the brake pedal.
When driving downhill
It is important to take advantage of the engine brak-
ing by shifting to a lower shift position while driv-
ing on steep downhill roads in order to prevent the
brakes from overheating. Starting and driving
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If the warning lamp illuminates while
driving
E00607300663
If only the ABS warning lamp illuminates l Avoid
hard braking and high-speed driving.
Stop the vehicle in a safe place.
Restart the engine and check to see whether
the lamp goes out after a few minutes driv-
ing; if it then remains off during driving,
there is no problem.
However, if the lamp does not go out, or if it
lights up again when the vehicle is driven,
we recommend you to have the vehicle
checked as soon as possible.
l The ABS warning lamp can illuminate if the
battery voltage is insufficient when the en-
gine is started. In this case, it does not indi-
cate an ABS fault.
Charge the battery by allowing the engine to
idle for a while.
If the battery has been charged but the ABS
warning lamp continues to illuminate or illu-
minates intermittently, have the vehicle in-
spected.
If the ABS warning lamp and brake warning
lamp illuminate at the same time l The ABS and brake force distribution func-
tion may not work, so hard braking could
make the vehicle unstable.
Avoid hard braking and high-speed driving.
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and contact a
MITSUBISHI MOTORS Authorized Service
Point. NOTE
l Immediately
after the vehicle starts moving
after engine start up, a whining sound of a mo-
tor will be heard from the engine compart-
ment. If the brake pedal is depressed at that
moment, you can feel the brake pedal pulsat-
ing.
This pulsation is due to the self-diagnosis op-
eration of the ABS and does not indicate a
malfunction.
l After driving on snowy roads, remove any
snow and ice which may have become ad-
hered to the wheel areas.
When doing this, be careful not to damage
the wheel speed sensors (A) and cables loca-
ted at each wheel on vehicles equipped with
an ABS.
Front
Rear l
The ABS becomes operative after the vehicle
has

accelerated to a speed in excess of approx-
imately 10 km/h (6 mph). It stops operating
when the vehicle decelerates to a speed be-
low approximately 7 km/h (4 mph). Starting and driving
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CAUTION
l
Note that the support bar may disengage
the bonnet if the open bonnet is lifted by
a strong wind.
l Always insert the support bar into the
hole provided specifically for this pur-
pose. Supporting the bonnet at any other
location could result in the support bar
slipping out and lead to an accident.
To close
Unlatch the support bar and clip it in its holder.
Slowly
lower the bonnet to a position about 20 cm
above the closed position, then let it drop. NOTE
l If

this does not close the bonnet, release it
from a slightly higher position.
l Do not press down the bonnet hard with a
hand as it may damage the bonnet. CAUTION
l
Be
careful that hands or fingers are not
trapped when closing the bonnet.
l Before driving, make sure that the bon-
net is securely locked. An incompletely
locked bonnet can suddenly open while
driving. This can be extremely dangerous. Engine oil
E01000402820
To check and refill engine oil A-

Minimum level
B- Maximum level
C- Oil replacement indication mark
Type 1Type 2 The engine oil used has a significant effect on the
engine’s

performance, service life and startability.
Be sure to use oil of the recommended quality and
appropriate viscosity.
All engines consume a certain amount of oil during
normal operation. Therefore, it is important to
check the oil level at regular intervals or before start-
ing a long trip. 1. Park the car on a horizontal surface.
2. Switch off the engine.
3. Wait a few minutes.
4. Remove the dipstick and wipe it with a cleancloth.
5. Reinsert the dipstick as far as it goes.
6. Remove the dipstick and read the oil level, which should always be within the range in-
dicated. Maintenance
8-04
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NOTE
l Use
of additives is not recommended since
they may reduce the effectiveness of addi-
tives already included in the engine oil. It
may result in failure of the mechanical assem-
bly. Engine coolant
E01000501202
To check the coolant level
A
translucent coolant reserve tank is located in the
engine compartment.
The coolant level in this tank should be kept be-
tween the “LOW” and “FULL” marks when meas-
ured while the engine is cold. To add coolant
The

cooling system is a closed system and normal-
ly the loss of coolant should be very slight. A no-
ticeable drop in the coolant level could indicate leak-
age. If this occurs, we recommend you to have the
system checked as soon as possible.
If the level should drop below the “LOW” level on
the reserve tank, open the lid and add coolant.
Also, if the reserve tank is completely empty, re-
move the radiator cap and add coolant until the lev-
el reaches the filler neck. WARNING
l Do
not open the radiator cap while the en-
gine is hot.
The coolant system is under pressure and
any hot coolant escaping could cause se-
vere burns.
Anti-freeze
The
engine coolant contains an ethylene glycol anti-
corrosion agent. The cylinder head and water pump
housing are cast aluminium alloy, and periodic
changing of the engine coolant is necessary to pre-
vent corrosion of these parts.

Use “DIA QUEEN SUPER LONG LIFE COOL-
ANT” or equivalent.
MITSUBISHI Genuine Coolant has excellent pro-
tection against corrosion and rust formation of all
metals including aluminium and can avoid block-
ages in the radiator, heater, cylinder head, engine
block, etc.
Because of the necessity of this anti-corrosion
agent, the coolant must not be replaced with plain
water even in summer. The required concentration
of anti-freeze differs depending on the expected am-
bient temperature. Ambient
temperature
(minimum)

°C-15 -20 -25 -30 -35 -50 Anti-freeze
concentra- tion % 30 35 40 45 50 60Maintenance
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