2013 MITSUBISHI LANCER SPORTBACK Owners Manual

3-108 Features and controls
3
NOTE
Shift ranges can only be selected in a forward direction
from 1st to 6th. To reverse or park the vehicle, move the
selector lever to the “R” (REVERSE) or “P” (PARK)
position.

To maintain good running performance, the transmission
may refuse to perform an upshift when the sportronic
steering wheel paddle shifter is moved to the “+ (SHIFT
UP)” position at certain vehicle speeds. Also, to prevent
over-revving of the engine, the transmission may refuse to
perform a downshift when the sportronic steering wheel
paddle shifter is moved to the “-(SHIFT DOWN)” posi-
tion at certain vehicle speeds. When this happens, a
buzzer sounds to indicate that a downshift is not going to
take place.

Do not operate sportronic steering wheel paddle shifter
violently. Excessive force could damage the sportronic
steering wheel paddle shifter.
+ (SHIFT UP)
Transmission shifts up once by each operation.
- (SHIFT DOWN)
Transmission shifts down once by each operation.
CAUTION
!
Upward shifts do not take place automatically in
sports mode. The driver must make upward shifts in
accordance with prevailing road conditions, making
sure the engine rpm remains below the red zone on
the tachometer.SHIFT DOWN
SHIFT UP

By rapidly moving the sportronic steering wheel
paddle shifter to the “- (SHIFT DOWN)” side twice,
it is possible to skip one shift range (i.e., 3rd to 1st or
4th to 2nd). Since sudden engine braking or acceler-
ation can cause a loss of traction, downshifts must be
made carefully in accordance with the vehicle’s
speed.
Shift ranges may not change when the lateral paddle
shifters are operated at the same time.
CAUTION
!
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Features and controls
3-109
3
Sports mode display
N00538800170
In sports mode, the currently selected shift range is displayed
on the information screen in the multi-information display.
Operation of the CVT
N00514500333
CAUTION
!
Before selecting a position with the engine running
and the vehicle stationary, fully depress the brake
pedal to prevent the vehicle from creeping.
Do not release the brakes until you are ready to
drive away. The vehicle will begin to move as soon as
the CVT is engaged, especially when the engine
speed is high (fast idle or air conditioning on).
Depress the brake pedal with the right foot.
Using the left foot could cause driver movement
delay in case of an emergency.
To prevent sudden acceleration, never run the
engine at high rpms when shifting from the “P”
(PARK) or “N” (NEUTRAL) position.
Operating the accelerator pedal while the other foot
is resting on the brake pedal will affect braking effi-
ciency and may cause premature wear of brake
pads.
Use the selector lever in the correct shift position in
accordance with driving conditions.
Never coast downhill backward in the driving shift
position { “D” (DRIVE), “L” (LOW) or sports
mode} or coast forward in the “R” (REVERSE)
position.
Engine stopping and increased brake pedal and
steering effort could lead to an accident.
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3-110 Features and controls
3
Passing acceleration
N00514900063
To gain extra acceleration in “D” (DRIVE) position (when
passing another vehicle) push the accelerator to the floor if it is
safe to do so in traffic conditions. The CVT will automatically
downshift.NOTE
In sports mode, downshifts do not take place when the
accelerator is depressed all the way to the floor.Waiting
N00515000074
For short waiting periods, such as at traffic lights, the vehicle
can be left in selector lever position and held stationary with
the service brake.
For longer waiting periods with the engine running, the selec-
tor lever should be placed in the “N” (NEUTRAL) position.

Do not rev the engine with the brake pedal pressed
when the vehicle is stationary.
This can damage the CVT.
Also, when you depress the accelerator pedal while
holding down the brake pedal with the selector lever
in the “D” (DRIVE) position, the engine revolutions
may not rise as high as when performing the same
operation with the selector lever in the “N” (NEU-
TRAL) position.
CAUTION
!
CAUTION
!
To avoid transmission overheating, never try to keep
your vehicle stationary on a hill by using the acceler-
ator pedal. Always apply the parking brake and/or
service brake.
Unexpected acceleration may occur if the selector
lever is in a position other than “P” (PARK) or “N”
(NEUTRAL).
Before driving off from a stop, make sure that the
selector lever is in “D” (DRIVE) position or “Sports
mode” position.
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Features and controls
3-111
3
Parking
N00515100062
To park the vehicle, first bring it to a complete stop, fully
engage the parking brake, and then move the selector lever to
the “P” (PARK) position.
If you are going to leave the vehicle unattended, always switch
off the engine and carry the key.NOTE
On a slope, be sure to apply the parking brake before
moving the selector lever to the “P” (PARK) position. If
you move the selector lever to the “P” (PARK) position
before applying the parking brake, it may be difficult to
disengage the selector lever from the “P” (PARK) position
when next you drive the vehicle, requiring application of a
strong force to the selector lever to move from the “P”
(PARK) position.
When the CVT makes no speed change
N00515300208
If the CVT does not shift while driving, or your vehicle does
not pick up enough speed when starting on an uphill slope,
there may be something unusual happening in the transmission,
causing a safety device to activate. Have your vehicle checked
at an authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer or a repair facility of
your choice as soon as possible.
1. If your vehicle has difficulty moving uphill, shift the
selector lever into “L” (LOW) position (except for vehi-
cles with sport mode) or 2nd shift range of the sports
mode.
This method might not work depending on the type of
transmission malfunction.
2. Once the vehicle is moving on a level road, move the
selector lever back to “D” (DRIVE) position.NOTE
When the warning display or the warning display
appears on the information screen in the multi-informa-
tion display, there could be a malfunction in the CVT.
Refer to “Continuously variable transmission (CVT):
Warning display” on page 3-103.
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3-112 Features and controls
3Twin Clutch SST (Sportronic Shift Trans-
mission)
(if so equipped)
N00539700046
The Twin Clutch SST is a transmission that, through integrated
control of the engine and transmission, is able to achieve both
the smooth shifting of an automatic transaxle and the accelera-
tion and fuel economy close to a manual transaxle. In addition,
the control mode can be selected from two types to suit the
driving conditions.
Together with manual shifting, the transmission is capable of
responding to a variety of driving circumstances.
Twin Clutch SST control mode → P. 3 - 1 2 0
Manual shift → P.3-123
Gearshift lever operation
N00539800047
As an additional safety precaution, models equipped with a
Twin Clutch SST have a shift-lock device that holds the gear-
shift lever in the “P” (PARK) position. To move the gearshift
lever from the “P” (PARK) position to another position, follow
the steps below.
1. Press and hold the brake pedal down.
2. Move the gearshift lever to the desired position.NOTE
The gearshift lever cannot be moved from “P” (PARK) to
another position if the ignition switch is at the “LOCK” or
“ACC” position, or the key has been removed, or if the
brake pedal is not pressed and held down.
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Features and controls
3-113
3
The Twin Clutch SST has 6 forward gears and 1 reverse gear.
The individual gears are selected automatically, depending on
the position of the gearshift lever, the speed of the vehicle and
the position of the accelerator pedal.
The gearshift lever (A) has 2 gates; the main shift gate (B) and
the manual shift gate (C).NOTE
In the main shift gate, the gearshift lever has 4 positions.

For information on manual shift gate operation, please
refer to “Manual shift” on page 3-123.
The pull-ring (D) must be pulled up while the brake
pedal is depressed to move the gearshift lever.
The gearshift lever will move without pulling up the
pull-ring (D).
The pull-ring (D) must be pulled up to move the gear-
shift lever.
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3-114 Features and controls
3
NOTE
For a shift indicated by in the illustration, depress the
brake pedal before moving the gearshift lever. If you
attempt to move the gearshift lever before depressing the
brake pedal, the gearshift lever will be immovable.

Do not accelerate immediately after moving the gearshift
lever. It may take some time for the transmission to shift
to the selected gear.

When the gearshift lever is operated when the Twin
Clutch SST fluid temperature is low, the time required to
shift to the selected gear may be longer than usual.
Gearshift lever position display
N00539900110
When the ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position, the
gearshift lever position is shown on the multi-information dis-
play.
WA R N I N G
!
If the pull-ring is always pulled up when using the
gearshift lever, the gearshift lever may be acciden-
tally shifted into the “P” (PARK) or “R”
(REVERSE) position. Do not pull up the pull-ring
when making shifts shown by in the illustration.
Always depress the brake pedal when shifting the
gearshift lever into the other position from the “P”
(PARK) or “N” (NEUTRAL) position.
When beginning to drive, do not shift the gearshift
lever from the “P” (PARK) or “N” (NEUTRAL)
position while depressing the accelerator pedal.
Doing so is dangerous because the vehicle will
“jump” forward or backward.
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Features and controls
3-115
3
In addition, when the vehicle is driven with the gearshift lever
in the “D” (DRIVE) position, the forward gear number is
shown.
When the gearshift lever position display blinksWhen the gearshift lever is placed in the “R” (REVERSE)
position, the gearshift lever position display on the multi-infor-
mation display may blink and the vehicle will not move
because the gears in the transmission have not engaged.
If this occurs, perform the following procedure.
1. Depress the brake pedal with your right foot and place the
gearshift lever in the “N” (NEUTRAL) position.
2. Place the gearshift lever in the “R” (REVERSE) position,
and confirm that the gearshift lever position display stops
blinking.
3. Repeat 1 and 2 above if the gearshift lever position dis-
play continues to blink.
through
WA R N I N G
!
To avoid unintended vehicle movement, keep brake
pedal applied with your right foot and do not
depress the accelerator pedal, while the gearshift
lever position display is blinking.
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