2013 MITSUBISHI LANCER SPORTBACK low

4-2 Driving safety
4Fuel economy
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Fuel economy is dependent on many factors. Your personal
driving habits can have a significant effect on your fuel use.
Several recommendations for achieving the greatest fuel econ-
omy are listed below.

Whenever accelerating from a stop, always accelerate
slowly and smoothly.

When parked for even a short period, do not idle the
engine. Shut it off.

Plan your trips to avoid unnecessary stops.

Keep your tires inflated to the recommended pressures.

For freeway driving, maintain a speed of approximately
50 mph (80 km/h) when traffic, roadway and weather con-
ditions safely permit.

Keep your air filter clean and your vehicle lubricated
according to the recommendations in this manual.

Always keep your vehicle well maintained. A poorly
maintained engine wastes fuel and costs money.

Do not overload your vehicle.
Driving, alcohol and drugs
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Drunk driving is one of the most frequent causes of accidents.
Your driving ability can be seriously impaired even with blood
alcohol levels far below the legal minimum. 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 affect your
alertness, perception and reaction time. Consult with your doc-
tor or pharmacist before driving while under the influence of
any of these medications.
WA R N I N G
!
NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE.
Your perceptions are less accurate, your reflexes are
slower and your judgment is impaired.
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4-4 Driving safety
4

Always install the mat with the correct side facing
down.
Never install a second mat over or under an existing
floor mat.
Do not use a floor mat designed for another model
vehicle even if it is a Mitsubishi genuine floor mat.
Before driving, be sure to check the following:
• Periodically check that the floor mat is properly
secured with the retaining clips.
If you remove the floor mat while cleaning the
inside of your vehicle or for any other reason,
always check the condition of the floor mat after it
has been reinstalled.
• While the vehicle is stopped with the engine off,
check that the floor mat is not interfering with the
pedals by depressing the pedals fully.WA R N I N G
!
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Driving safety
4-5
4 Vehicle preparation before driving
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For a safer and more enjoyable trip, always observe the follow-
ing: Seat belts and seats
Before starting the vehicle, make certain that you and all
passengers are seated and wearing their seat belts properly
(with children in the rear seat, in appropriate restraints),
and that all the doors and the rear hatch are locked.

Move the driver’s seat as far backward as possible, while
still keeping good visibility, and good control of the steer-
ing wheel, brakes, accelerator, and controls. Check the
instrument panel indicators and multi-information display
for any possible problem.

Move the front passenger seat as far back as possible.

Make sure that infants and small children are properly
restrained in accordance with all laws and regulations.Defrosters Check these by selecting the defroster mode, and set the blower
switch on high. You should be able to feel the air blowing
against the windshield.
(Refer to “Defrosting or defogging (windshield, door win-
dows)” on page 5-14, 5-23, 5-33, 5-43.)
Tires Check all the tires for heavy tread wear or uneven wear pat-
terns. Look for stones, nails, glass, or other objects stuck in the
tread. Look for any tread cuts or sidewall cracks. Check the
wheel nuts for tightness, and the tires (including spare tire) for
proper pressures. Replace your tires before they are heavily
worn out.
As your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system, there is a risk of damage to the tire inflation pressure
sensors when the tire is replaced on the rim. Tire replacement
should, therefore, be performed only by an authorized Mitsub-
ishi Motors dealer.Lights Have someone watch while you turn all the exterior lights on
and off. Also check the turn signal indicators and high-beam
indicators on the instrument panel. Fluid leaks Check the ground under the vehicle after parking overnight, for
fuel, water, oil, or other leaks. Make sure all the fluid levels are
correct. Also, if you can smell fuel, you need to find out why
immediately and have it fixed.
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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, 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 Mitsubishi Motors Genuine
Super Long Life Coolant Premium or equivalent.
Please read this section in conjunction with the “Engine
coolant” on page 7-11.
[For vehicles with turbocharger sold in U.S.A.]

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 shift position 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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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 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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4-12 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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4-14 Driving safety
4
Loading cargo on the roof
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NOTE
To prevent wind noise or reduction in gas mileage,
remove the roof carrier when not in use.

Before using an automatic car wash, check with the atten-
dant to determine if the roof carrier should be removed.

Be sure that adequate clearance is maintained for raising
the sunroof and/or rear hatch when installing a roof car-
rier. (For vehicle with sunroof only)
WA R N I N G
!
Weight placed on the roof of the vehicle will raise the
vehicle’s center of gravity and adversely affect its
handling characteristics. As a result, driving errors
or emergency maneuvers could lead to a loss of con-
trol and result in an accident. Drive slowly and
avoid excessive maneuvers such as sudden braking
or quick turning.
Make sure that the weight of luggage and the roof
carrier do not exceed the maximum roof load, 110 lb
(50 kg). If the maximum roof load is exceeded, this
could cause damage to the vehicle or result in an
accident.
The total weight of all occupants and luggage,
including your roof load, must not exceed the vehicle
capacity weight. For more information, refer to
“Tire and loading information placard” on page 9-4.
Roof load is determined by adding the weight of the
roof carrier and the weight of the luggage placed on
the roof carrier.
For additional information, refer to “Maximum roof
load” on page 9-7.
CAUTION
!
Do not load luggage directly onto the roof. Use a roof
carrier that properly fits your vehicle.
For installation, refer to the instruction manual pro-
vided with the roof carrier.
Place the luggage on the carrier so that its weight is
distributed evenly with the heaviest items on the
bottom. Do not load items that are wider than the
roof carrier.
Before driving and after traveling a short distance,
always check the load to make sure it is securely fas-
tened to the roof carrier.
Stop the vehicle periodically and check that the load
remains secure. If the load is not secure, it could fall
from the vehicle and damage your vehicle, another
vehicle or create a road hazard.
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