CAUTION•A/T fluid temperature warning lamp illu-
minates.
Refer to “When the A/T fluid temperature
warning lamp comes on” on page 6-23.WARNINGl When attempting to rock your vehicle out
of a stuck position, be sure that the area
around the vehicle is clear of people and physical objects. The rocking motion may
cause the vehicle to suddenly launch for- ward or backward, causing injury or damage to nearby people or objects.NOTEl Avoid sudden braking, acceleration, and
turning; such operations could result in thevehicle becoming stuck.
l If the vehicle becomes stuck in sandy or
muddy roads, it can often be moved with a
rocking motion. Move the selector lever rhythmically between the “D” (DRIVE) and
“R” (REVERSE) position (with M/T, be-
tween 1 st
and Reverse), while applying
slight pressure to the accelerator pedal.
l It is recommended to start the vehicle with
parking brake partially, but not completely, applied by slightly pulling the parking brake lever.
After the vehicle has become free, do not forget to release the parking brake.NOTEl If it is necessary to drive in extremely mud-
dy conditions, the use of tyre chains is rec-
ommended. Because the extent of muddy conditions is difficult to judge and the vehi- cle could become bogged down very deeply,
operation should be at a low speed. If possi-
ble, get out of the vehicle and check the con-
ditions ahead before proceeding.
l Driving over roads in coastal areas or roads
on which anti-skid preparations have been
spread can cause rust on the vehicle; wash
the vehicle thoroughly as soon as possible after such use.
Climbing sharp grades
Set the transfer shift lever to the “4LLc” po-
sition to maximize the engine torque.
WARNINGl Go straight up. Do not try to traverse
across a steep slope.
l If you begin to lose traction, ease off the
accelerator pedal and gently turn the steering wheel alternatively left and right
to regain adequate traction again.NOTEl Choose as smooth a slope as possible with
few stones or other obstacles.NOTEl Before attempting to drive up the slope,
walk it up to confirm that the vehicle canhandle the grade.
Descending sharp grades
Set the transfer shift lever to the “4LLc” po-
sition, use the engine brake (downshifting)
and descend slowly.
WARNINGl Avoid snaking down a sharp grade. De-
scend the grade as straight as possible.NOTEl When descending a sharp grade, if the
brakes are applied suddenly because of an
obstacle encountered, control of the vehicle
could be lost. Before descending the slope,
walk it down and confirm the path.
l Before descending a grade, it is necessary to
choose the appropriate gear. Avoid changing
gears or depressing the clutch while de- scending the grade.
4-wheel drive operation
6-36OVWE16E1Starting and driving6
•Check the brake system and, if neces-
sary, have it serviced.
• Check the engine, transmission, trans-
fer, and differential oil or grease level and turbidity. If the oil or grease is
milky, it indicates water contamina-
tion. Replace it with new oil or grease.
• Grease the propeller shaft.
• Check the inside of the vehicle. If in-
gress of water is found, dry the carpet
etc.
• Inspect the headlamps. If the head-
lamp bulb is flooded with water, we
recommend you to have it drained.Cautions on handling of 4-
wheel drive vehicles E00606800401
Tyres and wheels
Since the driving torque can be applied to the
4 wheels, the performance of the vehicle when operating in 4-wheel drive is greatly af- fected by the condition of the tyres.
Pay close attention to the tyres.
l Install specified tyres on all wheels. Re-
fer to “Tyres and wheels” on page
11-11.
l Be sure to fit all 4 tyres and wheels of
the same size and type.
When replacement of any of the tyres or
wheels is necessary, replace all of them.
l All tyres should be rotated whenever the
wear difference between the front and
rear tyres is recognizable.
Good vehicle performance cannot be expec- ted if there is a difference in wear between
tyres. Refer to “Tyre rotation” on page 10-15.
l Check the tyre inflation pressure regular-
ly.
l If the tyre inflation pressure is inappro-
priate, the transfer gear may make some
noise and shock while changing the drive mode.CAUTIONl Always use tyres of the same size, same
type, and same brand, and which have no wear differences. Using tyres which differ in
size, type, brand or the degree of wear will
cause excessive loading, resulting in possi- ble damage to the drive system.Towing
If towing is necessary, we recommend you to
have it done by your MITSUBISHI
MOTORS Authorized Service Point or a
commercial tow truck service.
In the following cases, transport the vehicle
using a tow truck.
l The engine runs but the vehicle does not
move or abnormal noise is produced.
l Inspection of the vehicle’s underside re-
veals that oil or some other fluid is leak- ing.
Only when you cannot receive a towing serv- ice from a MITSUBISHI MOTORS Author-
ized Service Point or commercial tow truck
service, tow your vehicle carefully in accord- ance with the instructions given in “Towing”
on page 8-16.Cautions on handling of 4-wheel drive vehicles
6-38OVWE16E1Starting and driving6
CAUTIONlBe sure to shift the transfer shift lever to the
“2H” position. Never try to tow with the transfer shift lever in the “4H”, “4HLc” or
“4LLc” positions and with any of the wheels
on the ground (Type A or B). This could re- sult in damage to the vehicle’s driving sys- tem, or the vehicle could become separated from the tow truck and unexpected accident
might result. If you cannot shift the transfer shift lever to “2H” position or the transmis-
sion is malfunctioning or damaged, transport the vehicle with all the wheels on a carriage (Type C or D) as illustrated.If you can shift the transfer shift lever to the “2H” position.If you cannot shift the transfer shift lever to the “2H”
position.
Jacking up a 4-wheel drive ve-
hicle
WARNINGl Do not crank the engine while jacking up
the vehicle.
The tyre on the ground may turn and the
vehicle may roll off the jack.Clutch operation
Quick or slight clutch engagement made
while the engine is running at high speed will
cause damage to the clutch and transmission because the tractive force is very great.
Operate the pedal slowly and positively.
Braking
E00607001524
All the parts of the brake system are critical
to safety. We recommend you to have the ve- hicle checked at regular intervals according
to the service booklet.
CAUTIONl Avoid driving habits that cause heavy brak-
ing and never “ride” the brakes by resting
your foot on the brake pedal while driving.
It causes brake overheating and fade.
Brake system
The service brake is divided into two brake
circuits so that when one brake circuit fails, the other is available to stop the vehicle. In
this situation, even if the brake pedal moves down to the very end of its possible stroke,
keep depressing the brake pedal down harder than usual; stop driving as soon as possible
and have the brake system repaired.
Braking
6-39OVWE16E1Starting and driving6
For details, refer to “Brake warning lamp” on
page 5-10.
Power brakes
The power brakes use brake fluid pressurized by the pump to power-assist the brake. If the brake system fails during driving, the brake
warning lamp comes on and a buzzer sounds continuously. In this case, the brake may not
work properly.
If this buzzer should continue to sound, park your vehicle in a safe place and have the sys-tem checked.
Refer to “Brake warning lamp” on page 5-10.
CAUTIONl Bring the vehicle to halt in a safe location by
applying the brakes gently. Applying the
brakes rapidly or driving at high speed may
make the vehicle unstable.NOTEl Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly may
turn on the brake warning lamp, ABS warn-ing lamp and brake warning buzzer. (The
ASTC indication lamp and Active Stability
Control function OFF indication lamp also
turn on.) It is normal if the lamp goes out and the buzzer stops sounding after a few
seconds.NOTEl In certain cases immediately after the engine
has been started or when the brake pedal is
depressed repeatedly, a noise generated by operation of brake devices may be heard coming from the engine compartment, or the
brake pedal vibration may be felt. This type
of noise or vibration is normal and there is
no need for concern. In fact, it indicates that
the corresponding devices are operating nor-
mal.WARNINGl Do not turn off the engine while your ve-
hicle is in motion. If you turn off the en-
gine while driving, the power assistance
for the braking system will stop working and your brakes will not work effectively.
l If the power assist is lost or if either brake
hydraulic system stops working properly,
have your vehicle checked immediately.
Warning lamp
l The brake warning lamp illuminates to
indicate a fault in the braking system.
Read “Brake warning lamp” on page
5-10.
l On vehicles with the rear differential
lock, the active stability & traction con-
trol (ASTC) and anti-lock brake system (ABS) functions are suspended while the
rear differential lock is activated. ASTC
indication lamp, Active Stability Control function OFF indication lamp, ABS warning lamp and brake warning lamp are illuminated while these functions are
suspended. It does not indicate a prob- lem. When the rear differential lock is
disengaged, these lamps go out and
function again.
Refer to “Brake warning lamp” on page
5-10 , “ABS warning lamp” on page
6-43 , “ASTC indication lamp” on page
6-45 , “Active stability control function
OFF indication lamp” on page 6-47.
When brakes are wet
Check the brake system while driving at a
low speed immediately after starting, espe- cially when the brakes are wet, to confirmthey work normally.
A film of water can be formed on the brake
discs and prevent normal braking after driv-
ing 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.
Braking
6-40OVWE16E1Starting and driving6
The ABS helps prevent the wheels from lock-
ing during braking, thus maintaining direc-
tional stability, ensuring controllability and
providing optimum braking force.
Driving hints
l Always maintain the same distance from
the vehicle in front of you as you would
for a vehicle not equipped with ABS.
Compared with vehicles not fitted with ABS, your vehicle may require a longer
stopping distance in the following cases: • Driving on gravel or snow-covered
roads.
• Driving with tyre chains installed.
• Driving on roads where the road sur-
face is pitted or has other differencesin surface height.
• Driving on bumpy roads or other poor
driving surfaces.
l In order to ensure that the ABS will op-
erate correctly in situations where tyre chains have been fitted, drive in the“4H”, “4HLc”, or “4LLc” position.
l Operation of ABS is not restricted to sit-
uations where brakes are applied sud- denly. This system may also operate to
prevent wheel lock when you are driving
over manholes, steel road-work plates, or the vehicle is driven over steps or lev-
el differences in the road, road markings,
or other surfaces which are difficult for the wheels to grip.
l When the ABS is activated, you may
feel the brake pedal pulsation and the vi- brations of the vehicle body and steering
wheel. You may also hear a characteris-
tic noise. At this time, you may feel as if
the pedal attempts to resist being de- pressed.
This is a normal result of the ABS oper- ation, and does not indicate a problem.
In this situation, to let the ABS work for you, just hold the brake pedal
down more firmly. Do not pump the brake. This will result in reduced
braking performance.
l When the engine starts and after starting
to drive, you might hear operation noise from the engine compartment or feel a shock from the brake pedal. This is nor-
mal. The ABS is performing self-check.
l The ABS will operate after the vehicle
has accelerated to a speed in excess ofapproximately 10 km/h (6 mph). It stops
operating when the vehicle decelerates
to a speed below about 5 km/h (3 mph).CAUTIONl Even the ABS cannot prevent the natural
laws of physics from acting on the vehicle. Itcannot for instance avoid accidents that may
result from excessive speed on bends or fol- lowing another vehicle too closely or aqua- planing. It should remain the driver’s task to
observe safety precautions to judge speeds and brake applications correctly in such con-
ditions.
l Be sure to use tyres of the same type and
size on 4 wheels.
If tyre types or sizes are mixed, ABS may not function normally.
l Never install a limited-slip differential,
which is not a MITSUBISHI MOTORS gen-
uine part, as the ABS may not function nor-
mally.
We recommend you to consult a MITSUBISHI MOTORS Authorized Serv-
ice Point.
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
6-42OVWE16E1Starting and driving6
ABS warning lamp
E00607200532
The ABS warning lamp should illuminate
when the ignition switch is turned “ON”, and should go off in a few seconds.
CAUTIONl If the warning lamp stays on or does not illu-
minate when you start the vehicle, it indi-
cates that the ABS is not functioning and
that only the standard brake system is in op-
eration. (In this condition the standard hy- draulic brake system will still function.) We
recommend you to have your vehicle inspec- ted as soon as possible.NOTEl Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly may
turn on the brake warning lamp, ABS warn-ing lamp and brake warning buzzer. (The
ASTC indication lamp and Active Stability
Control function OFF indication lamp also
turn on.) It is normal if the lamp goes out and the buzzer stops sounding after a few
seconds.
l On vehicles with the rear differential lock,
the active stability & traction control
(ASTC) and anti-lock brake system (ABS)
functions are suspended while the rear dif- ferential lock is activated. ASTC indication
lamp, Active Stability Control function OFF indication lamp, ABS warning lamp and
brake warning lamp are illuminated while these functions are suspended. It does not in-
dicate a problem. When the rear differential lock is disengaged, these lamps go out and
function again.
Refer to “Brake warning lamp” on page
5-10 , “ASTC indication lamp” on page
6-45 , “Active stability control function OFF
indication lamp” on page 6-47.If the warning lamp illuminates
while driving
E00607300416
If only the ABS warning lamp illuminates
l Avoid hard braking and high-speed driv-
ing. Stop the vehicle in a safe place.
Restart the engine and check to see whether the lamp goes out after a few
minutes driving; if it then remains off during driving, there is no problem.
However, if the lamp does not go out, or if it lights up again when the vehicle is
driven, we recommend you to have the
vehicle checked as soon as possible.
l The ABS warning lamp can illuminate if
the battery voltage is insufficient when the engine is started. In this case, it doesnot indicate an ABS fault.
Charge the battery by allowing the en- gine to idle for a while.
If the battery has been charged but the
ABS warning lamp continues to illumi-
nate or illuminates intermittently, we recommend you to have the vehicle in-
spected.
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
6-43OVWE16E1Starting and driving6
If the ABS warning lamp and
brake warning lamp illuminate at the same time
l The ABS and brake force distribution
function will not work, so hard braking
could make the vehicle unstable.
Avoid hard braking and high-speed driv- ing. Stop the vehicle in a safe place and we recommend you to have it checked.
Inspection following snowy
road operation
E00618300012
After driving on snowy roads, remove any snow and ice which may have become ad-
hered to the wheel areas.
When doing this, be careful not to damage the wheel speed sensors (A) and cables loca-ted at each wheel on vehicles equipped with an ABS.
FrontRear
Power steering system
E00607400390
The power steering system operates while the
engine is running. It helps reduce the effort needed to turn the steering wheel.
The power steering system has mechanical
steering capability in case the power assist is lost. If the power assist is lost for some rea-
son, you will still be able to steer your vehi-
cle, but you will notice it takes much more effort to steer. If this happens, have your ve-
hicle inspected at an authorized MITSUBISHI MOTORS dealer.
WARNINGl Do not stop the engine while the vehicle is
moving. Stopping the engine would make the steering wheel extremely hard to turn,
possibly resulting in an accident.CAUTIONl Do not leave the steering wheel turned all
the way in one direction. This can causedamage to the power steering system.Active stability & traction
control (ASTC) E00613800230
The active stability & traction control(ASTC) takes overall control of the anti-lockbrake system, Active Stability Control func-
tion and active traction control function to
maintain the vehicle’s stability and traction. Please read this section in conjunction withthe pages on the anti-lock brake system, Ac-
tive Stability Control function and active
traction control function.
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) ® p. 6-41
Active stability control function ® p. 6-46
Active traction control function ® p. 6-47
CAUTIONl Do not over-rely on the ASTC. Even when
the ASTC is operating, there are limits to how far it can ensure vehicle stability; reck-
less driving may lead to accidents. Always
drive carefully, taking account of the road conditions.
Power steering system
6-44OVWE16E1Starting and driving6
CAUTIONlBe sure to use the same specified type and
size of tyre on all 4 wheels. Otherwise, there
is a possibility that the ASTC will not work properly.NOTEl An operation noise may be emitted from the
engine compartment in the following situa-
tions. The sound is associated with checking the operations of the ASTC. At this time,
you may feel a shock from the brake pedal if
you depress it. These do not indicate a mal- function.
• When the ignition switch is set to the
“ON” position.
• When the vehicle is driven for a while af-
ter the engine is turned on.
l When the ASTC is activated, you may feel a
vibration in the vehicle body or hear a whin-ing sound from the engine compartment.
This indicates that the system is operating
normally. It does not indicate a malfunction.
l When the anti-lock brake system warning
lamp is illuminated, the ASTC is not active.NOTEl On vehicles with the rear differential lock,
the ASTC and ABS functions are suspended
while the rear differential lock is activated. ASTC indication lamp, Active Stability
Control function OFF indication lamp, ABS warning lamp and brake warning lamp are
illuminated while these functions are sus- pended. It does not indicate a problem.
When the rear differential lock is disengag- ed, these lamps go out and function again.
Refer to “Brake warning lamp” on page
5-10 , “ABS warning lamp” on page 6-43,
“Active stability control function OFF indi- cation lamp” on page 6-47.ASTC indication lamp
E00618000035
The ASTC indication lamp shows the operat-
ing status of the Active Stability Controlfunction and active traction control function.
For details, see these sections of this owner’s
manual:
Active stability control function indication
lamp ® p. 6-47
Active traction control function indication
lamp ® p. 6-48ASC OFF switch
E00620500095
The Active Stability Control function is auto-
matically activated when the ignition switchis turned to the “ON” position. You can deac-
tivate the system by pressing the ASC OFF switch when the vehicle is stationary.
Active stability & traction control (ASTC)
6-45OVWE16E1Starting and driving6