Page 337 of 418
Vehicle care precautions..................................................................... 9-02
Cleaning the interior of your vehicle.................................................. 9-02 Cleaning the exterior of your vehicle..................................................9-03Vehicle care
OKTE15E39
Page 338 of 418

Vehicle care precautionsE00900100870
In order to maintain the value of your vehi- cle, it is necessary to perform regular mainte- nance using the proper procedures. Always
maintain your vehicle in compliance with en- vironmental pollution control regulations. Carefully select the materials used for wash-ing, etc., to be sure that they do not contain
corrosives. If in doubt, we recommend you to consult a specialist for selection of these ma- terials.CAUTIONl Cleaning products can be dangerous. Some
are poisonous. Others can burst into flame if
you strike a match or drop them on a hot part
of the vehicle. Some are dangerous if you
breathe their fumes in a closed space. When you use anything in a container to clean your
vehicle, always follow the instructions and always open your vehicle doors or windows when you’re cleaning the inside. Never use
the following to clean your vehicle:
• Petrol
• Paint Thinner
• Benzine
• Kerosene
• Turpentine
• Naphtha
• Lacquer ThinnerCAUTION•Carbon Tetrachloride
• Nail Polish Remover
• Acetone
l These are all dangerous, and can damage
your vehicle.Cleaning the interior of your
vehicle E00900200288
After cleaning the interior of your vehiclewith water, cleaner or similar, wipe and dry
in a shady, well-ventilated area.
CAUTIONl Do not use organic substances (solvents,
benzine, kerosene, alcohol, petrol, etc.) or
alkaline or acidic solutions.
These chemicals can cause discolouring, staining or cracking of the surface.
If you use cleaners or polishing agents, make
sure their ingredients do not include the sub- stances mentioned above.NOTEl Always read the instructions on the cleaner
label.Plastic, vinyl leather, fabric
and flocked parts
E00900300377
1. Gently wipe off with gauze or other soft
cloth soaked with a 3 % aqueous solu-tion of neutral detergent.
2. Dip cloth in fresh water and wring out
well. Using this cloth, wipe off the deter-
gent thoroughly.
NOTEl Do not use cleaners, conditioners, and pro-
tectants containing silicons or wax.
Such products, when applied to the instru- ment panels or other parts, may cause reflec-
tions on the windscreen and obscure vision.
Also, if such products get on the switches of
the electrical accessories, it may lead to fail-
ure of these accessories.Upholstery
E00900500018
1. To maintain the value of your new vehi-
cle, handle the upholstery carefully and
keep the interior clean.
Use a vacuum cleaner and brush to clean
the seats. If stained, vinyl and synthetic leather should be cleaned with an appro- priate cleaner, and cloth fabrics can be cleaned with either upholstery cleaner or
a 3 % solution of neutral detergent in lukewarm water.
Vehicle care precautions
9-02OKTE15E3Vehicle care9
Page 339 of 418

2.Clean the carpeting with a vacuum
cleaner and remove any stains with car- pet cleaner. Oil and grease can be re- moved by lightly dabbing with a cleancolourfast cloth and stain remover.Genuine leather*
E00900600817
1. Gently wipe off with gauze or other soft
cloth soaked with a 5 % aqueous solu-tion of neutral detergent.
2. Dip cloth in fresh water and wring it out
well. Using this cloth, wipe off the deter-
gent thoroughly.
3. Apply leather protecting agent to the
genuine leather surface.
NOTEl If genuine leather is wet with water or is
washed in water, wipe off water as quickly
as possible with a dry, soft cloth. If left damp, mildew may grow.
l The genuine leather surface may be dam-
aged if a nylon brush or synthetic fibre is
rubbed hard against it.
l Organic solvents such as benzine, kerosene,
alcohol and petrol, acid or alkaline solvents
may discolour the genuine leather surface. Be sure to use neutral detergents.
l Remove dirty patches or oil substances
quickly as they can stain genuine leather.NOTEl The genuine leather surface may harden and
shrink if it is exposed to direct sun for long
hours. When your vehicle is parked, place it in the shade as much as possible.
l When the temperature of the vehicle interior
rises in summer, vinyl products left on the
genuine leather seat may deteriorate and stick to the seat.Cleaning the exterior of
your vehicle E00900700010
If the following is left on your vehicle, it maycause corrosion, discolouration and stains, wash the vehicle as soon as possible.
l Seawater, anti-freeze for road use.
l Soot and dust, iron powder from facto-
ries, chemical substance (acids, alkalis,
coal-tar, etc.).
l Droppings from birds, carcasses of in-
sects, tree sap, etc.
Washing
E00900902016
Chemicals contained in the dirt and dust
picked up from the road surface can damagethe paint coat and body of your vehicle if left
in prolonged contact.
Frequent washing and waxing is the best way
to protect your vehicle from this damage.
This will also be effective in protecting it from environmental elements such as rain,snow, salt air, etc.
Do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight.
Park the vehicle in the shade and spray it
with water to remove dust. Next, using an ample amount of clean water and a car wash- ing brush or sponge, wash the vehicle from
top to bottom.
Use a mild car washing soap if necessary.
Rinse thoroughly and wipe dry with a soft
cloth. After washing the vehicle, carefully clean the joints and flanges of the doors, bon-
net, etc., where dirt is likely to remain.CAUTIONl When washing the under side of your vehi-
cle or wheel, be careful not to injure your
hands.
l Refrain from using a car wash as its brushes
may scratch the paint surface, causing it to
lose its gloss.
Scratches will be especially visible on darker
coloured vehicles.
l Never spray or splash water on the electrical
components in the engine compartment, as
this may adversely affect engine starting.
Exercise caution also when washing the un- derbody; be careful not to spray water intothe engine compartment.
Cleaning the exterior of your vehicle
9-03OKTE15E3Vehicle care9
Page 340 of 418

CAUTIONlSome types of hot water washing equipment
apply high pressure and heat to the vehicle.
They may cause heat distortion and damage to the vehicle resin parts and may result in
flooding of the vehicle interior. Therefore;
observe the following.
• Maintain a distance of approx. 50 cm or
more between the vehicle body and the washing nozzle.
• When washing around the door glass,
hold the nozzle at a distance of more than
50 cm and at right angles to the glass sur-
face.
l After washing the vehicle, drive the vehicle
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 be-
come inoperative due to rust, rendering the vehicle unable to move.
l When using an automatic car wash, pay at-
tention to the following items, referring to the operation manual or consulting a car
wash operator. If the following procedure is not followed, it could result in damage to
your vehicle.
• The outside mirrors are retracted.
• If your vehicle is equipped with the pillar
antenna, it can be retracted.
• If your vehicle is equipped with the roof
antenna, it can be removed.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 there-
fore wash the vehicle as often as possible in accordance with our care-instructions. It is
recommended to have a preservative applied
and the underfloor protection checked before and after the cold weather season.
After washing your vehicle, wipe off all wa- terdrops from the rubber parts around the
doors to prevent the doors from freezing.
NOTEl To prevent freezing of the weatherstripping
on the doors, bonnet, etc., they should be treated with silicone spray.Waxing
E00901000687
Waxing the vehicle will help prevent the ad-
herence of dust and road chemicals to the paintwork. Apply a wax solution after wash- ing 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.
CAUTIONl Waxes containing high abrasive compounds
should not be used. Such waxes remove rust and stains effectively from the paintwork but
they are harmful to the lustre on the painted
surface and the plated surface.
Further, they are harmful to glossy surfaces such as grille, garnish, mouldings, etc.
l Do not use petrol or paint thinners to remove
road tar or other contamination to the vehi-
cle surface.
l Do not apply wax on the areas having black
mat coating as it can cause uneven discolou-
ration, patches, blurs, etc. If stained with wax, immediately wipe off with a piece of
soft cloth and warm water.
l On vehicles with a sunroof, be careful when
waxing the area around the sunroof opening, not to put any wax on the weatherstrip
(black rubber). If stained with wax, the weatherstrip cannot maintain a weatherproof
seal with the sunroof.Polishing
E00901100011
The vehicle should only be polished if the
paintwork has become stained or lost its lus- tre. Matt-finish parts and plastic bumpers
must not be polished, polishing these parts will stain them or damage their finish.
Cleaning the exterior of your vehicle
9-04OKTE15E3Vehicle care9
Page 341 of 418

Damaged paint
E00901200155
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
carefully for damage to the paint coat caused
by flying stones, etc. The paint code number
for your vehicle can be found on the vehicle information code plate. (Refer to “Vehicle la-
beling” on page 11-02.)
Cleaning plastic parts
E00901300446
Use a sponge or chamois leather.
If a car wax adheres on a grey or black rough surface 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.
CAUTIONl 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 plas-
tic part surface.CAUTIONl Do not bring the plastic parts into contact
with petrol, light oil, brake fluids, engine
oils, 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 detergent thenimmediately rinse the affected parts with
water.Chrome parts
E00901400014
In order to prevent spots and corrosion of
chrome parts, wash with water, dry thorough-
ly, and apply a special protective coating.
This should be done more frequently in win- ter.
Aluminium wheels*
E00901500116
1. Remove dirt using a sponge while sprin-
kling 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 cha-
mois leather or a soft cloth.
CAUTIONl Do not use a brush or other hard implement
on the wheels.
Doing so could scratch the wheels.
l Do not use any cleaner that contains an abra-
sive substance or is acidic or alkaline. 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 substances as soon as possible.Window glass
E00901600058
The window glass can normally be cleaned
using only a sponge and water.
Glass cleaner can be used to remove oil, grease, dead insects, etc. After washing the
glass, wipe dry with a clean, dry, soft cloth. Never use the same cloth to wipe the window glass as would be used to wipe the paint-
work; wax from the painted surfaces could
adhere to the glass and reduce its transparen-
cy and visibility.
Cleaning the exterior of your vehicle
9-05OKTE15E3Vehicle care9
Page 342 of 418

NOTElTo 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
E00901700017
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 properly. (Refer to page “Wiper blades” on page 10-17.)
Cleaning the sunroof*
E00901800180
Clean the inside of the sunroof with a soft cloth. Hard deposits should be wiped away
with a cloth dipped in warm, neutral deter- gent solution. Wipe away the solution with a
sponge dipped in fresh water.
NOTEl The surface treatment on the inside of the
glass may be removed if hard cloth or organ-
ic solvent (benzine, kerosene, thinner, etc.) is used.Engine compartment
E00902100265
Clean the engine compartment at the begin-
ning and end of winter. Pay particular atten- tion to flanges, crevices and peripheral parts where dust containing road chemicals and
other corrosive materials might collect.
If salt and other chemicals are used on the roads in your area, clean the engine compart- ment at least every three months.
Never spray or splash water on the electrical
components in the engine compartment, as
this may cause damage.
Do not bring the nearby parts, the plastic parts and so on into contact with sulphuric
acid (battery electrolyte) which may crack,
stain or discolour them.
If they are in contact, wipe off with soft cloth, chamois or the like and an aqueous sol-
ution of neutral detergent then immediately rinse the affected parts with plenty of water.
Cleaning the exterior of your vehicle
9-06OKTE15E3Vehicle care9
Page 343 of 418

Service precautions........................................................................... 10-02
Catalytic converter............................................................................ 10-02
Bonnet............................................................................................... 10-03
Engine oil.......................................................................................... 10-04 Engine coolant...................................................................................10-06
Automatic transmission fluid*.......................................................... 10-07 Washer fluid...................................................................................... 10-08
Brake fluid.........................................................................................10-08
Clutch fluid*..................................................................................... 10-09 Power steering fluid.......................................................................... 10-10
Battery............................................................................................... 10-10 Tyres..................................................................................................10-12Clutch pedal free play*..................................................................... 10-16Brake pedal free play........................................................................ 10-17Parking brake lever stroke.................................................................10-17
Wiper blades..................................................................................... 10-17
General maintenance......................................................................... 10-19
For cold and snowy weather............................................................. 10-20
Fusible links...................................................................................... 10-20 Fuses..................................................................................................10-20
Replacement of lamp bulbs............................................................... 10-25Maintenance
OKTE15E310
Page 344 of 418

Service precautionsE01000100706
Adequate care of your vehicle at regular in- tervals serves to preserve the value and ap-
pearance as long as possible.
Maintenance items as described in this own- er’s manual can be performed by the owner.We recommend you to have the periodic in-
spection and maintenance performed by a MITSUBISHI MOTORS Authorized Service
Point or another specialist.
In the event a malfunction or other problem is discovered, we recommend you to have it
checked and repaired. This section contains information on inspection maintenance pro- cedures that you can do yourself. Follow the
instructions and cautions for each of the vari- ous procedures.WARNINGl When checking or servicing the inside of
the engine compartment, make sure the
engine is switched off and has had a chance to cool down.
l If it is necessary to do work in the engine
compartment with the engine running, be
especially careful that your clothing, hair, etc., does not become caught by the fans,
drive belts, or other moving parts.WARNINGl For vehicle with air conditioning, the fan
may turn on automatically even if the en-
gine is not running; turn the ignition key
to “LOCK” position and remove the key to ensure safety while you work in the en-
gine compartment.
l Do not smoke, cause sparks or allow open
flames around fuel or battery. The fumesare flammable.
l Be extremely cautious when working
around the battery. It contains poisonous
and corrosive sulphuric acid.
l Do not get under your vehicle with just
the body jack supporting it. Always use
automotive jack stands.
l Improper handling of components and
materials used in the vehicle can endanger
your personal safety. We recommend you to consult a specialist for necessary infor-
mation.Catalytic converter
E01000200925
For ordinary use, there are no particular pre-cautions.
The exhaust gas scavenging devices used
with the catalytic converter are extremely ef- ficient for the reduction of noxious gases.
The catalytic converter is installed in the ex- haust system.
It is important to keep the engine properly
tuned to ensure proper catalyst operation andprevent possible catalyst damage.CAUTIONl Damage to the catalytic converter can result
if your vehicle is not kept in proper operat-ing condition. In the event of an engine mal-
function particularly involving engine mis-
fire or other apparent loss of performance, have your vehicle serviced promptly.
Continued operation of your vehicle with a
severe overheated condition may result in possible damage to the converter and vehi-cle.WARNINGl As with any vehicle, do not park or oper-
ate this vehicle in areas where combusti-
ble materials such as dry grass or leaves
can come in contact with a hot exhaust since a fire could occur.
l Paint should not be applied to the catalyt-
ic converter.
The catalytic converter itself gets hot quickly,
and may be damaged if overheated. The fol- lowing points should be noted in order to pre-vent the ignition of unburned fuel within the
catalytic converter.
Service precautions
10-02OKTE15E3Maintenance10