2012 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER XL oil

Driving safety
4-9
4 Loading information
N00629900352
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), non-factory-installed options, and the tongue weight of
the trailer, if any, being towed. The tire and loading informa-
tion 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 (3 in the case of your vehicle)

Occupant distribution: Occupant distribution within the
passenger compartment (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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Driving safety
4-19
4
Trailer hitchesChoose a proper hitch and ball, and make sure it is installed at a
height that is compatible with the trailer.
Use a good equalizing hitch which uniformly distributes the
trailer tongue load throughout the frame.NOTE
Mitsubishi Motors recommends that sway control be used
whenever you are towing, to improve towing stability.
For further information, please contact your authorized
Mitsubishi Motors dealer.
Safety chainsA safety chain must always be used between the towing vehi-
cle and the trailer. Leave sufficient slack in the chain for turns.
The chain should cross under the trailer tongue to prevent the
tongue from dropping to the ground in case it becomes dam-
aged or separated.
For correct safety chain procedures, consult your authorized
Mitsubishi Motors dealer.Maintenance when trailer towingYour vehicle will need service more often when you’re towing
a trailer. Refer to “WARRANTY AND MAINTENANCE
MANUAL”. Especially important in trailer operation are man-
ual transaxle oil, automatic transaxle fluid, engine oil, rear axle
oil, belt, cooling system and brake system. Each of these is
covered in this manual.
For details, please refer to the “Vehicle care and maintenance”
section.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
WA R N I N G
!
If you make any holes in the body of your vehicle for
installing a trailer hitch, be sure to seal the holes
later when you remove the hitch. If you don’t seal
them, deadly carbon monoxide (CO) from your
exhaust can enter your vehicle. Refer to “Exhaust
system” on page 7-38.
CAUTION
!
Never tow a trailer without using a safety chain
securely attached to both the trailer and the vehicle.
If the coupling unit or hitch ball experiences a prob-
lem, the trailer may separate from your vehicle.
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4-22 Driving safety
4
When towing at high altitudes, engine coolant and automatic
transaxle oil will overheat at a lower temperature than at nor-
mal altitudes.
If you turn your engine off immediately after towing at high
altitude on steep uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs
similar to overheating. To avoid this, let the engine run while
parked (preferably on level ground) with the automatic tran-
saxle in the “P” (PARK) position for a few minutes before turn-
ing the engine off.

If the engine coolant temperature indicator flashes on
the information screen in the multi-information display or
the engine power drops suddenly, refer to “Engine over-
heating” on page 6-5.

If the warning display or warning display illumi-
nates, refer to “Warning display” on page 3-98.Driving on hillsReduce speed and downshift before you start down a long or
steep downgrade. If you don’t shift down, over using the
brakes can cause reduced brake efficiency.
You can tow in “D” (DRIVE) position. You may want to shift
the selector lever to the 3rd or a lower position, under heavy
loads or hilly conditions.
ParkingAlways place chocks or blocks under both the vehicle and
trailer wheels when parking. Be sure that the parking brake is
firmly set and that the selector lever is in the “P” (PARK) posi-
tion. Avoid parking on a hill with a trailer, but if it cannot be
avoided, do so only after performing the following:
1. Apply the brakes and keep them applied.
2. Have someone place chocks or blocks under both the
vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the chocks or blocks are in place, release your
brakes slowly until the chocks or blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the parking brake firmly.
5. Set the selector lever to the “P” (PARK) position and turn
off the engine.
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6-20 For emergencies
6
[Vehicle with aluminum wheels]
• Normal wheels
Temporarily tighten the wheel nuts (flange nuts) until
their flange section comes in contact with the wheel and
it is no longer loose.• Compact spare wheel
Install the wheel nuts with their tapered ends facing
inward, then tighten by hand until the wheel is no longer
loose.
NOTE
Flange nuts can be temporarily used on the compact spare
or steel wheel, but return them to the original wheel and
tire as soon as possible.

If all 4 wheels are changed to steel wheels, use tapered
nuts.
CAUTION
!
Never apply oil to either the wheel bolts or the nuts
or they will tighten too much.
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7
Vehicle care and maintenance
Service precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 2
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 3
Engine hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 4
View of the engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 7
Engine oil and oil filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 8
Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 12
Air cleaner filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 14
Automatic transaxle fluid (if so equipped) . . . . . .7- 16
Continuously variable transmission (CVT) fluid
(if so equipped) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 18
Transfer oil (All-wheel drive models) . . . . . . . . . .7- 18
Rear axle oil (All-wheel drive models) . . . . . . . . .7- 19
Washer fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 19
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 20
Power steering fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 21
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 21
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 24
Brake pedal free play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 33
Parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 33
Wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7- 34
Emission-control system maintenance. . . . . . . . . .7- 35General maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7- 37
For cold and snowy weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7- 39
Fusible links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7- 39
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7- 40
Replacement of light bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7- 48
Vehicle care precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7- 78
Cleaning the inside of your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . 7- 79
Cleaning the outside of your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 7- 81
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Vehicle care and maintenance
7-7
7 View of the engine compartment
N00937600579
2.4 L models 3.0 L models
1- Power steering fluid reservoir
2- Air cleaner filter
3- Brake fluid tank
4- Engine coolant reserve tank
5- Windshield and rear window washer fluid reservoir
6- Engine oil level dipstick
7- Engine oil filler cap
8- Radiator cap
9- Automatic transaxle fluid level dipstick
10- Battery
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7-8 Vehicle care and maintenance
7Engine oil and oil filter
N00937700857
To check and refill engine oilIt is normal for an engine to use oil. You may need to add oil
between the recommended oil change intervals. Before starting
the engine, check the engine oil level. Refill if necessary.
To check the oil level, remove the dipstick, wipe it off, and
gently reinsert it all the way. Slowly pull the dipstick straight
out and check the oil level by checking the upper surface of the
dipstick. The oil level must not go above the line on the dip-
stick.NOTE
If it is difficult to verify the oil level, wipe off the dipstick
and reinsert it. Wait a moment and then recheck the oil
level by checking the upper surface of the dipstick.
If the level does not reach the line which shows the smallest
amount of oil required, remove the oil filler cap on the engine
valve cover, and fill to within the “Good” range.
2.4 L models
Good
Good 3.0 L models
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Vehicle care and maintenance
7-9
7
NOTE
Engine oil consumption is greatly influenced by payload,
engine speed, etc.

The engine oil will deteriorate rapidly if the vehicle is
subjected to severe conditions (for example, repeated
operation on rough roads, in mountainous regions, on
roads with many uphill and downhill gradients, or over
short distances). Consequently, the oil will require earlier
replacement in accordance with the schedule in the
“WARRANTY AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL”.
Engine oil identification markMitsubishi Motors recommends using only engine oils with the
ILSAC certification symbol on the front of the container.
CAUTION
!
Overfilling will cause oil aeration and loss of oil
pressure, which could damage the engine.
WA R N I N G
!
Used engine oil is poisonous, and can damage your
skin. Prolonged and repeated contact may cause
serious skin disorders, including dermatitis and can-
cer. Do not let used oil touch your skin and wash
thoroughly after working with it.
Keep used oil out of the reach of children.
ILSAC certification symbol
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