MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER XL 2011 Owners Manual

7-84 Vehicle care and maintenance
7
During cold weatherSalt and other chemicals spread on winter roads in some geo-
graphical areas can have a detrimental effect on the vehicle
underbody. You should flush the underbody with a high pres-
sure hose every time you wash the outside of your vehicle.
Take special care to remove mud or other debris which could
trap and hold salt and moisture.
After washing your vehicle, wipe off all waterdrops from the
rubber parts around the doors to prevent the doors from freez-
ing.
CAUTION
!
When washing the underside of your vehicle or the
wheels, wear a pair of gloves to protect your hands.
If your vehicle has rain sensor wipers, place the
wiper switch lever in the “OFF” position to deacti-
vate the rain sensor before washing the vehicle. Oth-
erwise, the wipers will operate in the presence of
water spray on the windshield and may get damaged
as a result.
Never spray or splash water on the electrical parts
in the engine compartment. This may damage them.
Be careful also when washing the underbody to
ensure that water does not enter the engine com-
partment.
Avoid automatic car washers that use rotating
brushes. These brushes may scratch the paint sur-
face and make it dull.
Scratches are more noticeable on darker colored
vehicles.
Some hot water washing equipment uses high pres-
sure and heat to clean your vehicle. Because hot
water can damage plastics parts and seep inside
your vehicle, make sure you do the following when
using such equipment:
• Keep the washing nozzle at least 16 inches (40 cm)
away from the vehicle body.
• When washing around the door glass, hold the
nozzle at a distance of more than 20 inches (50 cm)
and at a right angle to the glass surface.

Make sure to do the following when using an auto-
matic car wash, with help from either this manual or
the car wash operator, to avoid damaging your vehi-
cle:
• Fold the outside rearview mirrors.
• Remove the antenna.
• Tape or remove the rear wiper arm assembly.
• If your vehicle is equipped with a rear spoiler or
roof rails, check with the car wash operator before
using the car wash.
• If your vehicle is equipped with the rain sensor
wipers, place the wiper switch lever in the “OFF”
position to deactivate the rain sensor.CAUTION
!
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Vehicle care and maintenance
7-85
7
NOTE
When the door is frozen, opening it by force may tear off
or crack the rubber gasket installed around the door. Pour
warm water to melt the ice. Be sure to thoroughly wipe off
the water after opening the door. To prevent freezing of
the weatherstripping on the doors, hood, etc., treat with
silicone lubricant.Waxi n g
N00946000205
Wax your vehicle once or twice a year, or when water does not
bead up on the paint.
Use a soft cloth to put a small amount of wax on the painted
surfaces. After the wax has dried, polish with a dry soft cloth.
Do not wax your vehicle in direct sunlight.
You should wax when the painted surfaces are cool.
CAUTION
!
Waxes containing high abrasive compounds should
not be used. These waxes remove rust and stain
effectively from the paintwork, but are harmful to
the finish of the paint, because they also remove
paint/clearcoat.
They are also harmful to other glossy surfaces such
as the grille, trim, moldings, etc.
Do not use gasoline, benzine, kerosene or paint thin-
ners to remove road tar or other dirt from the vehi-
cle surface.

Do not put wax on the areas having black matte
coating because it can cause uneven discoloration,
patches, blurs, etc. If these get wax on them, wipe
the wax off right away with a soft cloth and warm
water.
On vehicles with sunroof, be careful not to apply any
wax on the weatherstrip (black rubber) when wax-
ing the area around the sunroof opening.
If stained with wax, the weatherstrip cannot main-
tain a weatherproof seal with the sunroof.
CAUTION
!
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7-86 Vehicle care and maintenance
7
Polishing
N00946100046
If painted surfaces have been severely damaged and lost their
original luster and color tone, polish the surface lightly with a
fine polishing compound. Avoid limiting your polishing to the
damaged surface only; polish a somewhat wider area, moving
the polishing cloth in one direction. After polishing, flush the
compound from the surface and apply a coat of wax to regain a
beautiful luster.Damaged paint
N00946200047
Small cracks and scratches in the paint coat should be touched
up as soon as possible with touch-up paint to prevent corrosion.
Check body areas facing the road or the tires carefully for dam-
age to the paint caused by flying stones, etc. The paint code
number for your vehicle can be found on the vehicle informa-
tion code plate in the engine compartment.
Cleaning plastic parts
N00946300194
Use a sponge or chamois to clean these parts.
If a vehicle wax sticks to a gray or black rough surface of the
bumper, molding or lights, the surface may appear white in
color. In this case, wipe it off using lukewarm water and a soft
cloth or chamois.Chrome parts
N00946400052
To prevent spots and corrosion of chrome parts, wash with
water, dry thoroughly, and apply a nonabrasive automotive
wax. If the chrome is severely damaged or pitted, use a com-
mercially available chrome polish.
CAUTION
!
Do not use a scrubbing brush or other rough scrub-
ber as these may damage the plastic surface.
Do not use wax containing compounds (polishing
powder) which may damage the plastic surface.
Do not let plastic parts get soiled with gasoline, oil,
brake fluids, engine oils, greases, paint thinner, and
sulfuric acid (battery electrolyte), as such substances
will cause stains, cracks, or discoloration.
If any of these get on a plastic part, wipe them up
with a soft cloth or chamois and a mild solution of
soap and water. Then rinse them immediately with
water.
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Vehicle care and maintenance
7-87
7
Aluminum wheels (if so equipped)
N00946500183
1. Remove dirt using a wet sponge.
2. Use a mild detergent on any dirt that cannot be removed
easily with water.
Rinse off the detergent after washing the wheel.
3. Dry the wheel thoroughly using a chamois leather or a soft
cloth.Window glass
N00946600054
The window glass can usually be cleaned using only a sponge
and water. Glass cleaner can be used to remove wax, oil,
grease, dead insects, etc. After washing the glass, wipe it dry
with a clean, dry, soft cloth.
Wiper blades
N00946700068
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 clean the wind-
shield and rear window properly.Cleaning the sunroof (if so equipped)
N00946800069
Clean the inside of the sunroof with a soft cloth. Hard deposits
should be wiped away with a cloth dipped in warm, neutral
detergent solution. Wipe away the solution with a sponge
dipped in fresh water.NOTE
The surface treatment on the inside of the glass may be
removed if a hard cloth or organic solvent is used.Engine compartment
N00947000071
Never spray or splash water on the electrical accessories in the
engine compartment. This puts the engine at risk of being dam-
aged.
Do not bring the circumferential parts, the plastic parts and so
on into contact with sulfuric acid (battery electrolyte) which
may crack, stain or discolor them.
If they are in contact, wipe off with soft cloth, chamois or the
like and an aqueous solution of neutral detergent then immedi-
ately rinse the affected parts with plenty of water.
CAUTION
!
Do not use a brush or other hard implement on the
wheels.
Do not use any cleaner that contains an abrasive
substance or is acidic or alkaline. Doing so could
cause the coating on the wheels to peel or become
discolored or stained.
Do not directly apply hot water using a steam
cleaner or by any other means.
Contact with seawater or road salt used for de-icing
can cause corrosion. Rinse off such substances as
soon as possible.
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8
Customer assistance/Reporting Safety Defects
Consumer information
(For vehicles sold in U.S.A.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8- 2
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8- 3
Important facts to know in case of an accident . . .8- 5
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8-2 Customer assistance/Reporting Safety Defects
8Consumer information (For vehicles sold in
U.S.A.)
N01047100171
This information is provided in compliance with the require-
ments of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
Department of Transportation. It provides the purchasers
and/or prospective purchasers with information on reporting
safety defects. Uniform tire quality gradingDOT quality grades - All passenger vehicle tires must conform
to Federal Safety Requirements in addition to these grades. The
specific grade rating in each grade category is shown on the
side wall of the tires on your vehicle. Treadwear The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear
rate of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course. For example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and one-half (1
1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100. The relative perfor-
mance of tires depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction AA, A, B, C The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B and
C. Those grades represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pave-
ment as measured under controlled conditions on specified
government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance.
Temperature A, B, CThe temperature grades are A (the highest), B and C, represent-
ing the tire’s resistance to the generation of heat and its ability
to dissipate heat when tested under controlled conditions on a
specified indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustained high tempera-
ture can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire fail-
ure. The grade C corresponds to a level of performance which
all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehi-
cle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher
levels of performance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
WA R N I N G
!
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction tests, and does not
include acceleration, cornering, hydroplaning, or
peak traction characteristics.
WA R N I N G
!
The temperature grade for this tire is established for
a tire that is properly inflated and not overloaded.
Excessive speed, underinflation, or excessive load-
ing, either separately or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire failure.
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Customer assistance/Reporting Safety Defects
8-3
8 Reporting Safety Defects
N01047200361
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect which could
cause a crash or could cause injury or death, you should
immediately inform the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) in addition to notifying Mitsub-
ishi Motors Corporation.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open an
investigation, and if it finds that a safety defect exists in a
group of vehicles, it may order a recall and remedy cam-
paign. However, NHTSA cannot become involved in indi-
vidual problems between you, your dealer, or Mitsubishi
Motors Corporation.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle Safety Hotline
toll-free at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to
http://www.safercar.gov; or write to:
You can also obtain other information about motor vehicle
safety from http://www.safercar.gov.
For vehicles sold in U.S.A.To contact Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. call 1-
888-648-7820 or write to:For vehicles sold in CanadaIf you live in Canada, and you believe that your vehicle has
a safety defect, you should immediately notify Transport
Canada, in addition to notifying Mitsubishi Motor Sales of
Canada, Inc. You may write to:
To contact Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada, Inc. call 1-
888-576-4878 or write to: NHTSA Headquarters
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
West Building
Washington, DC 20590Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.
Customer Relations Department
P.O. Box 6400
Cypress, CA 90630-0064
Transport Canada
330 Sparks Street
Tower C
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N5
Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada, Inc.
Customer Relations Department
P.O. Box 41009
4141 Dixie Road
Mississauga, ON L4W 5C9
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8-4 Customer assistance/Reporting Safety Defects
8
For vehicles sold in Puerto RicoTo contact Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Caribbean, Inc.
call 1-800-981-0452 or write to:For vehicles sold in GuamTo contact Triple J Enterprises Inc.
call (671)649-3673 or write to:For vehicles sold in SaipanTo contact Triple J Motors
call (670)234-7133 or write to:
For vehicles sold in American SamoaTo contact Pacific Marketing Inc.
call 684(699)9140 or write to:
Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Caribbean, Inc.
Customer Service Department
P.O. Box 192216
SAN JUAN PR 00919-2216
Triple J Enterprises, Inc.
P.O. Box 6066
TAMUNING
GUAM 96931
Triple J Motors
P.O. Box 500487
SAIPAN, MP96950-0487Pacific Marketing, Inc.
P.O. Box 698
PAGO PAGO,
AMERICAN SAMOA AS, 96799
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Customer assistance/Reporting Safety Defects
8-5
8 Important facts to know in case of an acci-
dent
N01047300098
We hope you will never be involved in an accident, but there is
always that potential danger. So, please be sure to buckle up
and drive safely. In the event of an accident
Remain calm.

Check for injuries. Report all injuries to the police, and, if
necessary, call for an ambulance.

Record all the details of the accident. This will provide
you with accurate records of the accident for discussions
with your insurance company and other persons who may
be acting on your behalf. Key information to discuss with your insurance
company
Understand your repair estimate before approving repairs.

Choosing the repair shop and the brands of parts that they
use on your vehicle is your decision.

Ask for genuine Mitsubishi Motors parts. Many times, to
save money, your insurance company will recommend
imitation parts that do not meet the original specifications
of fit, finish, corrosion resistance or workmanship. Mitsubishi Motors built-in protection The strength and integrity built into your Mitsubishi vehicle is
the result of a specific design referred to as “Energy Manage-
ment”. Individual body parts are designed to act as one unit in
the event of an accident. Shock waves are absorbed by protec-
tive panels or are channeled around the passenger compart-ment. This important feature is possible because high tensile
steel is used in Mitsubishi panels and structural parts, some-
thing that cannot be guaranteed by the manufacturers of imita-
tion parts. All Genuine Mitsubishi body panels and support
brackets are designed and constructed as important protection
features in the event of an accident. By replacing body parts
with imitations, your vehicle may no longer meet original
equipment specifications.
Consumer rights (For vehicles sold in U.S.A.)As a consumer requesting repair on your vehicle, you have
consumer rights. Across the country, State Insurance Commis-
sioners have begun considering rules on the use of non-OEM
parts. This could mean that repair shops will have to disclose to
the consumer, when they intend to use non-OEM parts. Since
regulations are not consistent on this point, remember you have
a choice. So, if you want genuine Mitsubishi Motors parts, you
may have to specifically request them. Make certain your
insurance company understands imitations are not to be used in
the repair of your vehicle. You deserve the best genuine Mit-
subishi Motors parts. Genuine Mitsubishi Motors partsGenuine Mitsubishi Motors parts are built with the high quality
and durability standards you expect. Genuine Mitsubishi
Motors replacements parts are your guarantee that your vehicle
will have all the technological advantages and maintain the
style and protection of a brand new Mitsubishi Motors.
Remember to ask for genuine Mitsubishi Motors parts.
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