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CAUTIONlAvoid sudden braking, sudden acceleration,
and sharp turning; such operations could
cause skidding and spinouts.
Driving on sandy or muddy
roads
Set the transfer shift lever to the “4HLc” or “4LLc” position and then gradually depress
the accelerator pedal for a smooth start. Keep
the pressure on the accelerator pedal as con- stant as possible, and drive at low speed.
CAUTIONl Do not force the vehicle or drive recklessly
on sandy surfaces. In comparison with nor-
mal road surfaces, the engine and other
drive-system components are put under ex- cessive strain when driving on such a sur-
face, and this could lead to accidents.
l If any of following conditions occur while
the vehicle is being driven, immediately park your vehicle in a safe place and follow these procedures:
• The needle in the temperature gauge ap-
proaches the overheating zone.
Refer to “Engine overheating” on page
8-04.CAUTION• A/T fluid temperature warning lamp illu-
minates.
Refer to “When the A/T fluid temperature
warning lamp comes on” on page 6-19.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, 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.
4-wheel drive operation
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NOTElBefore 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.NOTEl MITSUBISHI
MOTORS is not responsible
to the operator for any damage or injury caused or liability incurred by improper and negligent operation of a vehicle. All techni-
ques of vehicle operation described herein depend on the skill and experience of the op- erator and other participating parties and any
deviation from the recommended operation
instructions above is at their own risk.
Turning sharp corners
When turning a sharp corner in the “4HLc”
or “4LLc” position at low speed, a slight dif-
ference in steering may be experienced simi- lar to as if the brakes were applied. This is
called tight corner braking and results from each of the 4 tyres being at a different dis-tance from the corner.
The phenomenon is peculiar to 4-wheel drive vehicles. If this occurs, either straighten the steering wheel, or change to rear-wheel drive.
Crossing a stream
4-wheel drive vehicles are not necessarily waterproof. If the electrical circuits become
wet, further operation of the vehicle will be impossible; therefore, avoid crossing streams
unless absolutely necessary. If crossing a
stream is unavoidable, use the following pro- cedure:
1. Check depths of a stream and geographi-
cal features before attempting to cross a
stream and ford the stream where the
water is as shallow as practicable.
2. Cross at a place where the water is less
than 70 cm deep.
3. Set the transfer shift lever to the “4LLc”
position.
4. Drive slowly at a speed of approximate-
ly 5 km/h (3 mph) to avoid splashing too
much water.CAUTIONl Do not attempt to cross a stream at a place
where the water is more than 70 cm deep.
l Cross a stream temporarily for emergencies
and avoid doing so for a long period of time.
l After crossing a stream, apply the brakes to
be sure they are functioning properly. If the
brakes are wet and not functioning properly,
dry them out by driving slowly while lightly
depressing the brake pedal.
Inspect each part of the vehicle carefully.NOTEl Because the inside of the vehicle is flooded
with water when crossing at a place where
the water is more than 50 cm deep, we rec- ommend you to have your vehicle inspected.
4-wheel drive operation
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NOTElFrequent crossing of streams can adversely
affect the life span of the vehicle; we recom-mend you to take the necessary measures toprepare, inspect, and repair the vehicle.Inspection and maintenance
following rough roadoperation E00606700048
After operating the vehicle in rough road
conditions, be sure to perform the following inspection and maintenance procedures:
l Check that the vehicle has not been dam-
aged by rocks, gravel, etc.
l Carefully wash the vehicle with water.
After washing, drive the vehicle slowly
while lightly depressing the brake pedal in order to dry out the brakes. If the brakes still do not function properly, we
recommend you to have the brakes
checked as soon as possible
l Remove the insects, dried grass, etc.
clogging the radiator core.
l After crossing a stream, be sure to have
the following items inspected at a
MITSUBISHI MOTORS Authorized
Service Point and take the necessary
measures.
• 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 carpetetc.
• 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 E00606802144
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 10-13.
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.
Inspection and maintenance following rough road operation
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Towing
If towing is necessary, we recommend you tohave 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.
CAUTIONl Be 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 transmission is mal-
functioning or damaged, transport the vehi- cle 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.
Cautions on handling of 4-wheel drive vehicles
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BrakingE00607001524
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.
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.
Braking
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lOn 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 Controlfunction 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
6-38 , “ASTC indication lamp” on page
6-40 , “Active stability control function
OFF indication lamp” on page 6-42.
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.
When driving downhill
It is important to take advantage of the en-
gine braking by shifting to a lower shift posi- tion while driving on steep downhill roads in order to prevent the brakes from overheating.
WARNINGl Do not leave any objects near the brake
pedal or let a floor mat slide under it; do- ing so could prevent the full pedal strokethat would be necessary in an emergency.
Make sure that the pedal can be operated freely at all times. Make sure the floor mat is securely held in place.
Brake pads
l Avoid hard braking situations.
New brakes need to be broken-in by
moderate use for the first 200 km (125 miles).
l The disc brakes are provided with a
warning device which emits a shrieking
metallic sound while braking if the brake pads have reached their wear limit.
If you hear this sound, have the brake pads replaced immediately.
WARNINGl Driving with worn brake pads will make
it harder to stop, and can cause an acci-
dent.Brake assist system
E00627001852
The brake assist system is a device assistingdrivers who cannot depress the brake pedalfirmly when it is necessary to do so (such as
in emergency stop situations) and provides
greater braking force.
If the brake pedal is depressed suddenly, the brakes will be applied with more force thanusual.
CAUTIONl The brake assist system is not a device de-
signed to exercise braking force greater than its capacity. Make sure to always keep a suf-
ficient distance between your vehicle and a
vehicle in front of you without relying too much on the brake assist system.
Brake assist system
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NOTElOnce the brake assist system is operational,
it maintains great braking force even if the
brake pedal is lightly released.
To stop its operation, completely remove
your foot from the brake pedal.
l When the brake assist system is in use while
driving, you may feel the brake pedal at-
tempt to resist, the pedal moves in small mo- tions in conjunction with the operation
noise, or the vehicle body and the steering wheel vibrate. This occurs when the brake
assist system is operating normally and does not indicate faulty operation. Continue to
firmly depress the brake pedal.
l When the anti-lock brake system warning
lamp is illuminated, the brake assist system is not functioning.Anti-lock brake system
(ABS) E00607101248
Environmental conditions can have an effect
on braking. During sudden braking when
there is snow, ice, oil, water etc. on the road
surface, a skid may occur. In this situation, steering control and braking effectiveness is
reduced and the stopping distance is in-
creased. The vehicle may also go into an un- controlled spin.
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).
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
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CAUTIONlEven 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.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
6-40 , “Active stability control function OFF
indication lamp” on page 6-42.
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
6-38OVWX17E1Starting and driving6