WARNING
vehicle. They may cause heat distortion
and damage to the vehicle resin parts and
may result in flooding of the vehicle inte-
rior.
Therefore; • Maintain a distance of approx. 70 cmor more between the vehicle body and
the washing nozzle.
• When washing around the door glass, hold the nozzle at a distance of more
than 70 cm and at right angles to the
glass surface.
l After washing the vehicle, drive the vehi-
cle slowly while lightly depressing the
brake pedal several times in order to dry
out the brakes.
Leaving the brakes wet could result in re-
duced braking performance. Also, there
is a possibility that they could freeze up
or become inoperative due to rust, render-
ing the vehicle unable to move.
l When using an automatic car wash, pay
attention to the following items, referring
to the operation manual or consulting a
car wash operator. If the following proce-
dure is not followed, it could result in dam-
age to your vehicle.
• The outside mirrors are retracted.
• The antenna is removed.
• The wiper arms are secured in placewith tape.
• If your vehicle is equipped with a rear spoiler, consult a car wash operator be-
fore using the car wash. During cold weather
Salt
and other chemicals spread on the roads in
some areas in winter can have a harmful effect on
the vehicle body. You should therefore wash the ve-
hicle as often as possible in accordance with our
care-instructions. It is recommended to have a pres-
ervative applied and the underfloor protection
checked before and after the cold weather season.
After washing your vehicle, wipe off all water-
drops from the rubber parts around the doors to pre-
vent the doors from freezing.
NOTE
l To prevent freezing of the weatherstripping
on the doors, bonnet, etc., they should be trea-
ted with silicone spray.
Waxing E08400800012
Waxing the vehicle will help prevent the adherence
of
dust and road chemicals to the paintwork. Apply
a wax solution after washing the vehicle, or at least
once every three months to assist displacing of water.
Do not wax your vehicle in direct sunlight. You
should wax after the surfaces have cooled. CAUTION
l
Waxes
containing high abrasive com-
pounds should not be used. Such waxes re-
move rust and stains effectively from the
paintwork but they are harmful to the lus-
tre on the painted surface and the plated
surface.
Further, they are harmful to glossy surfa-
ces such as grille, garnish, mouldings, etc. CAUTION
l
Do
not use petrol or paint thinners to re-
move road tar or other contamination to
the painted surface.
l Do not apply wax to sections that have a
black mat paint coating, as doing so
could cause uneven discolouration, spots
or stains. If wax gets on such areas, wipe
it off using lukewarm water and a soft
cloth.
Polishing E08400900013
The vehicle should only be polished if the paint-
work
has become stained or lost its lustre. Do not
polish parts with a mat coating and the plastic bump-
ers. Doing so could cause stains or damage the finish.
Damaged paint E08401000011
Small cracks and scratches in the paint coat should
be
touched up as soon as possible with
MITSUBISHI touch-up paint to prevent corrosion.
Check body areas facing the road or the tyres care-
fully for damage to the paint caused by gravels,
etc. The paint code number for your vehicle can be
found on the vehicle information code plate. (Refer
to “Vehicle information code plate” on page 9-02.)
Cleaning plastic parts E08401100012
Use a sponge or chamois leather.
If
a car wax adheres on a grey or black rough sur-
face of the bumper, moulding or lamps, the surface
becomes white. In such a case, wipe it off using
lukewarm water and soft cloth or chamois leather. Vehicle care and Maintenance
8-04
8
OHAE13E1
CAUTION
l
Do not use a scrubbing brush or other
hard tools as they may damage the plastic
part surface.
l Do not use wax containing compound (pol-
ishing powder) which may damage the
plastic part surface.
l Do not bring the plastic parts into contact
with petrol, light oil, brake fluids,
greases, paint thinners, and sulphuric
acid (battery electrolyte) which may
crack, stain or discolour the plastic parts.
If they touch the plastic parts, wipe them
off with soft cloth, chamois or the like
and an aqueous solution of neutral deter-
gent then immediately rinse the affected
parts with water.
Chrome parts E08401200013
In order to prevent spots and corrosion of chrome
parts,
wash with water, dry thoroughly, and apply a
special protective coating. This should be done
more frequently in winter.
Aluminium wheels E08401300014
1. Remove
dirt using a sponge while sprinkling
water on the vehicle.
2. Use neutral detergent on any dirt that cannot be removed easily with water.
Rinse off the neutral detergent after washing
the vehicle.
3. Dry the vehicle thoroughly using a chamois leather or a soft cloth. CAUTION
l
Do
not use a brush or other hard imple-
ment on the wheels.
Doing so could scratch the wheels.
l Do not use any cleaner that contains an
abrasive substance or is acidic or alka-
line. Doing so could cause the coating on
the wheels to peel or become discoloured
or stained.
l Do not directly apply hot water using a
steam cleaner or by any other means.
l Contact with seawater and road deicer
can cause corrosion. Rinse off such sub-
stances as soon as possible.
Window glass E08401400015
The window glass can normally be cleaned using
only a sponge and water.
Glass
cleaner can be used to remove oil, grease, in-
sect carcasses, etc. After washing the glass, wipe it
dry with a clean, dry, soft cloth. Never use a cloth
that is used for cleaning a painted surface to clean a
window. Wax from the painted surface could get
on the glass and lower glass transparency and visi-
bility.
NOTE
l To clean the inside of the rear window, al-
ways use a soft cloth and wipe the window
glass along the demister heater element so as
not to cause damage. Wiper blades
E08401500016
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 wipe proper-
ly. (Refer to page 8-17.)
Bonnet room E08401600017
Clean the bonnet room at the beginning and end of
winter.
Pay particular attention to flanges, crevices
and peripheral parts where dust containing road
chemicals and other corrosive materials might col-
lect.
If salt and other chemicals are used on the roads in
your area, clean the engine compartment at least ev-
ery three months.
Never spray or splash water on the electrical com-
ponents in the bonnet room, as this may cause dam-
age.
Do not bring the nearby parts, the plastic parts and
so on into contact with sulphuric acid (battery elec-
trolyte) which may crack, stain or discolour them.
If they are in contact, wipe off with soft cloth, cha-
mois or the like and an aqueous solution of neutral
detergent then immediately rinse the affected parts
with plenty of water. Vehicle care and Maintenance
8-05 8
OHAE13E1
The concentration should be checked before the
start
of cold weather and anti-freeze added to the
system if necessary. Washer fluid
E08402200010
Check
if the fluid level is between the “FULL” and
“1/2” on the washer fluid reservoir.
If the level is low, replenish the container with wash-
er fluid.
FULL NOTE
l The
washer fluid container serves the wind-
screen, rear window.
During cold weather
To ensure proper operation of the washers at low
temperatures, use a fluid containing an anti-freez-
ing agent. Brake fluid
E08406100017
To check the fluid level
The
brake fluid level must be between the “MAX”
and “MIN” marks on the reservoir. The brake fluid level is monitored by a float. When
the
brake fluid level falls below the “MIN” mark,
the brake fluid warning lamp lights up.
The fluid level falls slightly with wear of the brake
pads, but this does not indicate any abnormality.
Vehicle care and Maintenance
8-11 8
OHAE13E1