2012 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION Owners Manual

4-6 Driving safety
4Safe driving techniques
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Even this vehicle’s safety equipment, and your safest driving,
cannot guarantee that you can avoid an accident or injury.
However, if you give extra attention to the following areas, you
can better protect yourself and your passengers:

Drive defensively. Be aware of traffic, road and weather
conditions. Leave plenty of stopping distance between
your vehicle and the vehicle ahead.

Before changing lanes, check your mirrors and use your
turn signal light.

While driving, keep a tight grip on the steering wheel.

While driving, watch the behavior of other drivers, bicy-
clists, and pedestrians.

Always obey applicable laws and regulations. Be a polite
and alert driver. Always leave room for unexpected
events, such as sudden braking.

If you plan to drive in another country, obey their vehicle
registration laws and make sure you will be able to get the
right fuel.
Driving during cold weather
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Check the battery, including terminals and cables. During
extremely cold weather, the battery will not be as strong.
Also, the battery power level may drop because more
power is used for cold starting and driving.
Before driving the vehicle, check to see if the engine runs
at the proper speed and if the headlights are as bright as
normally. Charge or replace the battery if necessary. Dur-
ing extreme cold weather, it is possible that a very low
battery could freeze.

Warm the engine sufficiently. After starting the engine,
allow a short warm-up time to distribute oil to all cylin-
ders and turbocharger. Then drive your vehicle slowly.

Stay at low speeds at first so that the transaxle, transfer
case and rear axle oil have time to spread to all the lubri-
cation points.

Manual transaxle can be harder to shift in cold weather
conditions. This is normal and shifting will get easier as
the transaxle warms up.
WA R N I N G
!
The battery gives off explosive hydrogen gas. Any
spark or flame can cause the battery to explode,
which could cause serious injury or death.
Always wear protective clothes and a face mask
when working with your battery, or let a skilled
mechanic do it.
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Driving safety
4-7
4

Check the engine antifreeze.
If there is not enough coolant because of a leak or from
engine overheating, add Dia Queen Super Long Life
Coolant Premium or equivalent.
Please read this section in conjunction with the “Engine
coolant” on page 7-10.

Mitsubishi Motors recommends that the standard equip-
ment tires be replaced with winter tires when the vehicle
is going to be used in winter.
The standard equipment tires provided with this vehicle
are summer tires and use a high-grip compound that pro-
vides superior grip.
The road grip, however, is reduced in winter.
When replacing the standard equipment tires with winter
tires, all four tires must be replaced using radial identical-
size winter tires.
Braking
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All the parts of the brake system are critical to safety. Have the
vehicle serviced by an authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer or
a repair facility of your choice at regular intervals according to
the “WARRANTY AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL”.When brakes are wetCheck the brake system while driving at a low speed immedi-
ately after starting, especially when the brakes are wet, to con-
firm they work normally.
A film of water can be formed on the brake discs 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 depressing the brake
pedal.When driving in cold weatherOn snowy roads, ice can form on the braking system, making
the brakes less effective. While driving in such conditions, pay
close attention to preceding and following vehicles and to the
condition of the road surface. From time to time, lightly
depress the brake pedal and check how effective the brakes are.When driving downhillIt is important to take advantage of the engine braking by shift-
ing to a lower gear while driving on steep downhill roads in
order to prevent the brakes from overheating.
WA R N I N G
!
Never open the radiator cap when the radiator is
hot. You could be seriously burned.
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4-8 Driving safety
4Parking
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Parking on a hillWhen parking on a hill, set the parking brake, and turn the
front wheels toward the curb on a downhill, or away from the
curb on an uphill.
If necessary, apply chocks to wheels.For vehicles with manual transaxlePlace the gearshift lever into the “R” (Reverse) position when
parking on a downhill slope, into the 1st position when parking
on an uphill slope.For vehicles with Twin Clutch SSTBe sure that the parking brake is firmly set when parked and
that the gearshift lever is in the “P” (PARK) position.
When parking on a hill, it is important to set the parking brake
before moving the gearshift lever to the “P” (PARK) position.
This prevents loading the parking brake against the transmis-
sion gear. When this happens, it is difficult to move the gear-
shift lever out of the “P” (PARK) position.
Parking with the engine runningNever leave the engine running while you take a short
sleep/rest. Also, never leave the engine running in a closed or
poorly ventilated place.Where you parkYour front bumper can be damaged if you scrape it over curbs
or parking stop blocks. Be careful when traveling up or down
steep slopes where your bumper can scrape the road.When leaving the vehicleWhen leaving the vehicle unattended, always carry the key and
lock all doors.
Always try to park your vehicle in a well lit area.
WA R N I N G
!
Leaving the engine running risks injury or death
from accidentally moving the gearshift lever (man-
ual transaxle) or the gearshift lever (Twin Clutch
SST) or from the accumulation of toxic exhaust
fumes in the passenger compartment.
WA R N I N G
!
Do not park your vehicle in areas where combustible
materials such as dry grass or leaves can come in
contact with a hot exhaust, since a fire could occur.
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Driving safety
4-9
4 Loading information
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It is very important to know how much weight your vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all occupants, cargo (including the roof
load) and non-factory-installed options. The tire and loading
information placard located on the driver’s door sill of your
vehicle will show how much weight it may properly carry.
It is important to familiarize yourself with the following terms
before loading your vehicle:

Vehicle maximum load on the tire: load on an individual
tire that is determined by distributing to each axle its share
of the maximum loaded vehicle weight and dividing by
two.

Vehicle normal load on the tire: load on an individual tire
that is determined by distributing to each axle its share of
the curb weight, accessory weight, and normal occupant
weight and dividing by two.

Maximum loaded vehicle weight: the sum of -
(a) Curb weight;
(b) Accessory weight;
(c) Vehicle capacity weight; and
(d) Production options weight.
Curb weight: the weight of a motor vehicle with standard
equipment including the maximum capacity of fuel, oil,
and coolant.

Accessory weight: the combined weight (in excess of
those standard items which may be replaced) of automatic
transmission, power steering, power brakes, power win-
dows, power seats, radio, and heater, to the extent that
these items are available as factory- installed equipment
(whether installed or not).

Vehicle capacity weight: the rated cargo and luggage load
plus 150 lbs (68 kg)* times the vehicle’s designated seat-
ing capacity.

Production options weight: the combined weight of those
installed regular production options weighing over 5 lbs
(2.3 kg) in excess of those standard items which they
replace, not previously considered in curb weight or
accessory weight, including heavy duty brakes, ride level-
ers, roof rack, heavy duty battery, and special trim.

Normal occupant weight: 150 lbs (68 kg)* times the num-
ber of specified occupants. (In your vehicle the number is
3)

Occupant distribution: distribution of occupants in a vehi-
cle as specified. (In your vehicle the distribution is 2 in
front, 1 in second row seat)
WA R N I N G
!
Never overload your vehicle. Overloading can dam-
age your vehicle, adversely affect vehicle perfor-
mance, including handling and braking, cause tire
failure, and result in an accident.
*: 150 lbs (68 kg) is the weight of one person as defined by
U.S.A. and Canadian regulations.
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4-10 Driving safety
4
Tire and loading information placard
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The tire and loading information placard is located on the
driver’s door sill. This placard shows the maximum number of occupants permit-
ted to ride in your vehicle as well as “the combined weight of
occupants and cargo” (A), which is called the vehicle capacity
weight. The weight of roof road is included in the definition of
“cargo” when determining the vehicle capacity weight. This
placard also tells you the size and recommended inflation pres-
sure for the original equipment tires on your vehicle. For more
information, refer to “Tires” on page 7-19.
Ty p e 1
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Driving safety
4-11
4
Ty p e 2

Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
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1. Locate the statement “The combined weight of occu-
pants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg or XXX
lbs.” on your vehicle’s placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and pas-
sengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passen-
gers from XXX kg or XXX lbs.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of
cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the
“XXX” amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will be five
150 lbs. passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400 - 750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs.)
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo and luggage load
capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your
trailer will be transferred to your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle.NOTE
The above steps for determining correct load limit were
written in accordance with U.S.A. regulations.
Your vehicle cannot tow a trailer, so step 6 is irrelevant.
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4-12 Driving safety
4
NOTE
The following table shows examples on how to calculate total cargo/load capacity of your vehicle with varying seating
configurations and number and size of occupants. This table is for illustration purposes only and may not be accurate for
the seating and load capacity of your vehicle.

For the following example the combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed 865 lbs (392 kg).

Under a maximum loaded vehicle condition, gross axle weight ratings (GAWR’s) for the front and rear axles must not be
exceeded. For further information on GAWR’s, vehicle loading, see the “Specifications” section of this manual.
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Driving safety
4-13
4 Cargo loads
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Cargo load precautionsTo determine the cargo load capacity for your vehicle, subtract
the weight of all vehicle occupants from the vehicle capacity
weight. For added information, if needed, refer to “Steps for
Determining Correct Load Limit” on page 4-11.
DO NOT USE the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and Gross
Axle Weight Rating numbers listed on the safety certification
label (A) located on the inside sill of the driver’s door as the
guide for passengers and/or cargo weight.
WA R N I N G
!
To reduce the risk of serious injury or death, the
combined weights of the driver, passengers and
cargo and must never exceed the vehicle capacity
weight.
Exceeding the vehicle capacity weight will adversely
affect vehicle performance, including handling and
braking, and may cause an accident.
Do not load cargo or luggage higher than the top of
the seatback. Be sure that your cargo or luggage
cannot move when your vehicle is in motion.
Having either the rear view blocked, or your cargo
being thrown inside the cabin if you suddenly have
to brake can cause a serious accident or injury or
death.
Put cargo or luggage in the cargo area of your vehi-
cle. Try to spread the weight evenly.
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