tow MITSUBISHI CARISMA 2000 1.G User Guide

STARTING AND DRIVING
5–7
(3)City traffic
Frequent starting and stopping in-
creases the average fuel consumption.
Use roads with smooth traffic flow
whenever possible. When driving on
congested roads, avoid use of a low
gear at high engine speeds.
(4) Idling
The vehicle consumes fuel even during
idling. Avoid extended idling whenever
possible.
(5)Speed
The higher the vehicle speed, the more
fuel consumed. Avoid driving at full
speed. Even a slight release of the ac-
celerator pedal will save a significant
amount of fuel.
(6)Tyre inflation pressure
Check the tyre inflation pressures at
regular intervals. Low tyre inflation pres-
sure increases road resistance and fuel
consumption. In addition, low tyre pres-
sures adversely affect tyre wear and
driving stability.(7)Load
Do not drive with unnecessary articles in
the luggage compartment. Especially
during city driving where frequent start-
ing and stopping is necessary, the in-
creased weight of the vehicle will greatly
affect fuel consumption. Also avoid driv-
ing with unnecessary luggage, etc., on
the roof; the increased air resistance will
increase fuel consumption.
(8)Cold engine starting
Starting of a cold engine consumes
more fuel.
Unnecessary fuel consumption is also
caused by keeping a hot engine run-
ning. After the engine is started, com-
mence driving as soon as possible.
(9)Air conditioning*
The use of the air conditioning will in-
crease the fuel consumption.Trailer towingEC21AMFg
In order to tow a trailer with your vehicle, a
trailer towing device that meets all relevant
regulations in your area has to be mounted.
The regulations concerning the towing of a
trailer may differ from country to country. You
are advised to obey the regulations in each
area.
CAUTION
Danger of accident!
A towing bar should be fitted by an
authorized MITSUBISHI dealer.

STARTING AND DRIVING
5–8
NOTE
Fitting of a towing bar requires specialized
skills and equipment. Contact an authorized
MITSUBISHI dealer for details.
If you are going to tow a trailer, pay careful
attention to the following points.
Maximum towable weight with brake
and maximum trailer-nose weight
Never exceed the maximum towable weight
with brake and the maximum trailer-nose
weight as listed in the specifications. (Refer
to pages from 10–6 to 10–9)
If you tow a trailer at an altitude of more than
1000m above sea-level, reduce your weight
by 10% of the gross combination weight for
every increase of 1000m above sea-level,
as the engine output is lowered owing to de-
crease in atmospheric pressure.C21A015a
Towing bar mounting
specifications
See the following table for fixing points (A) for
the towing bar.
mm
12345
1,0908051908580
678910
30518515535
1112131415
288187.5439501940
161718
4709401,002
C21A014a
Operating hints
(1) Do not let the clutch slip (vehicles with a
manual transmission only) and do not
increase the engine speed more than
necessary when starting.
(2)Be sure that the driving speed does not
exceed the 100 km/h for trailer oper-
ation.
It is also recommended that you obey
the local regulations in case driving
speed with a trailer is limited to less than
100 km/h.
(3)To prevent shocks from the overrun
brake, depress the brake pedal lightly at
first and then more strongly.
(4) To make full use of engine braking,
change to a lower gear before descend-
ing a slope.
(5) The body, brakes, clutch, and chassis
will be under additional strain when tow-
ing a trailer.

STARTING AND DRIVING
5–26
I07A045a
To release
1-Pull the lever up slightly.
2-Push the button at the end of the hand
grip.
3-Push the lever downward.
NOTETo prevent the parking brake from being re-
leased unintentionally, the lever must be
pulled upward slightly before it can be
pushed downward. Simply pressing the but-
ton does not enable the lever to be pushed
downward.
When parking on a hill, apply the parking
brake and turn the front wheels towards the
kerb on a downhill grade, away from the kerb
on an uphill grade.
CAUTION
Before driving, be sure that the park-
ing brake is fully released and the
brake warning lamp is off.
If a vehicle is driven without releasing
the parking brake, the brake will be
overheated, resulting in ineffective
braking and possible brake failure.
ParkingEI22A-Al
Parking on a slope
Fully engage the parking brake, and then
move the gearshift lever to 1st (on an uphill)
or reverse (on a downhill) position on manual
transmission vehicle. On automatic trans-
mission vehicle, move the selector lever to
“P” position. When parking on a hill, apply
chocks to wheels for greater safety.
Parking with the engine running
Do not keep the engine running in a closed
or poorly ventilated place. Carbon monoxide
gas is odorless and extremely poisonous
and dangerous.
Where you park
Do not park in a place where there are in-
flammable objects such as dry grass,
leaves, etc... because the exhaust system
with catalyst produces very high tempera-
tures. This may cause a fire.
When leaving the vehicle
Always remove the key from the ignition
switch and lock all doors when leaving the
vehicle unattended.
Always try to park your vehicle in a well lit
area.

STARTING AND DRIVING
5–27
Braking EI23AAFc
All the parts of the brake system are critical
to safety. Have the vehicle serviced by an
authorized MITSUBISHI dealer at regular
intervals according to the service booklet.
Brake system
(1)The service brake is divided into two
brake circuits so that when one brake
circuit fails, the other is available to
stop the vehicle. If this occurs, howev-
er, the brake pedal must be depressed
further than usual; stop driving as
soon as possible and have the brake
system repaired at the nearest autho-
rized MITSUBISHI dealer.
(2)The brake boosting force is lost after
the brake pedal is depressed once or
twice while the engine is off. If this oc-
curs, the brake will require greater
force than usual. This is especially im-
portant when the vehicle is being
towed.
Warning lamp
The brake warning lamp lets you know if
your brake system is working properly.
Read “Brake warning lamp” on page 4–8 .
When brakes are wet
Check the brake system while driving at a
low speed immediately after starting, es-
pecially when the brakes are wet, to con-
firm they work normally.
A film of water can form on the brake discs
and prevent normal functioning after driv-
ing in heavy rain or through large puddles,
or after the vehicle is washed. If this oc-
curs, 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 gear
while driving on steep downhill roads in or-
der to prevent the brakes from overheat-
ing.
Brake pads
(1)With new brake pads, avoid where
possible sudden full application of the
brakes for the first 200 km of driving.
(2)The disc brakes are provided with a
warning device which emits a shriek-
ing metallic sound while braking if the
brake pads have reached their limit. If
you hear this sound, have the brake
pads replaced by your MITSUBISHI
dealer.
CAUTION
(1) Do not leave any objects or place
a thick floor mat around the brake
pedal; doing so could prevent the
full pedal stroke that would be
necessary in an emergency.
Make sure that the pedal can be
operated freely at all times.
(2) Avoid driving habits that cause
heavy braking and never “ride”
the brakes by resting your foot on
the brake pedal while driving.
It causes brake overheating and
fade.

STARTING AND DRIVING
5–31
Power steering systemEC13A-Ah
When the engine is stopped, the power
steering system will not function and it will re-
quire greater manual effort to operate the
steering wheel. Keep this in mind in particu-
lar when towing the vehicle. Never turn off
the engine while driving.
Periodically check the power steering fluid
level.
CAUTION
Do not hold the steering wheel in the
fully turned position (either left or
right), for longer than 10 seconds.
This can cause damage to the power
steering pump due to reduced lu-
brication.
I08A027a
Inside rear-view mirrorEI08A-Be
The lever (A) at the bottom of the mirror can
be used to adjust the mirror to reduce the
glare from the headlamps of vehicles behind
you during night driving.
1-Normal
2-Anti-glare
WARNING
Do not attempt to adjust rear-view
mirrors while driving. This can be
dangerous.
Always adjust the mirrors before driv-
ing.
I08B091a
Outside rear-view mirrorEI08A-Za
On the driver’s seat side, a compound
curved-surface mirror is used, while on the
front passenger’s seat side, a single curved-
surface mirror is used.
The compound curved-surface mirror has
different curvatures between the inner and
outer sides of the boundary line (A).
The inner side of the boundary line provides
the same vision as that available from an
ordinary door mirror.
However, the outer side of the boundary line
provides a wider vision than an ordinary door
mirror.

STARTING AND DRIVING
5–33
RHD
I08B039a
NOTE
After adjustments, return the lever to (
)
position.
Press the switch (B) to the left, right, up or
down to adjust the mirror position.
1- Up
2-Down
3-Right
4-Left
WARNING
(1) Do not attempt to adjust the rear–
view mirror while driving.
This can be dangerous.
Always adjust the mirrors before
driving.
(2) Your vehicle is equipped with
convex type mirror on the driver’s
side. Please take into consider-
ation that objects you see in the
mirror will look smaller and
farther away compared to a nor-
mal flat mirror.
Do not use this mirror to estimate
distance of following vehicles
when changing lanes.
I08B044a
NOTE
The outside mirror can be folded in toward
the side window to prevent damage when
parking in narrow areas.

FOR PLEASANT DRIVING
6–28
(4) When storing compact discs, always
store them in their individual cases.
Never place compact discs in direct
sunlight, or in any place where the tem-
perature or humidity is high.
H12F003a
(5) Take care never to touch the flat surface
of the disc where there is no label. Doing
so will contaminate the disc surface and
might adversely affect the sound quality.
When handling a compact disc, always
hold it by grasping the outer circumfer-
ence and the centre hole.
(6) To clean the disc, use a soft, clean, dry
cloth. Wipe directly from the centre hole
toward the outer-edge; do not wipe in a
circular pattern.
Never use any substances such as
benzine, paint thinner, a disc spray
cleaner, or an anti-static agent on the
disc.
(7) Do not use a disc that is cracked or
badly warped. Doing so might cause a
malfunction of the disc player.
(8) Do not use a ballpoint pen, felt pen, pen-
cil, etc. to write on the label surface of
the disc, and do not attach any other la-
bels, seals, etc.
CD player laser warning
Use of controls or adjustments, or
performance of procedures other than
normal use, may result in hazardous
radiation exposure.
Avoid direct exposure to beam.

FOR PLEASANT DRIVING
6–34
RHD
H03H023a
-To keep the windscreen and door
windows clear of mist, and to keep
leg area heating (when driving in
rain or snow).
1-Set the air selection switch (A) to the
outside position.
2-Set the mode selection dial to the “
”
position.
3-Select the desired blower speed by
turning the blower speed selection
dial.
4-Select the desired temperature by
turning the temperature control dial.
5-Push the air conditioning switch (B).
(vehicles with air conditioning)
LHD
H03D113a
-For quick demisting
1-Set the air selection switch (A) to the
outside position.
2-Set the mode selection dial to the “
”
position.
3-Set the blower speed to the maximum
speed position.
4-Set the temperature to the maximum
temperature position.
5-Push the air conditioning switch (B).
(vehicles with air conditioning)
RHD
H03D114a
NOTE
(1)To demist effectively, direct the air flow
from the side ventilators towards the
door windows.
(2) Do not set the temperature control dial
around the max. cool position. Cool air
will blow against the window glasses
and form mist on them.

FOR PLEASANT DRIVING
6–42
H03D172a
-For quick demisting
1-Set the mode selection dial to the “
”
position.
2-Set the blower speed to the maximum
blower speed position.
3-Set the temperature to the maximum
temperature position.NOTE
(1) While the mode selection dial is set to
the “
” position, the air conditioning
will operate automatically and the out-
side air position will also be selected
automatically. This is done for opti-
mum performance.
(2) To demist effectively, direct the air flow
from the side ventilators toward the door
windows.
(3) Do not set the temperature control dial
around the max. cool position. Cool air
will blow against the window glasses
and form mist on them.
H04F113a
CoolingEH04FAGe
Set the mode selection dial to the “” posi-
tion.
Set the air selection switch (A) to the outside
position and push the air conditioning switch
(B).
Adjust the temperature by turning the tem-
perature control dial clockwise or anticlock-
wise. Select the desired blower speed.
NOTE
If the outside air is dusty or otherwise con-
taminated, or if high cooling performance is
desired, set air selection switch to the recir-
culation position and the temperature control
dial all the way to the left.
Switch to the outside position periodically to
increase ventilation so that the windows do
not become fogged up.

For emergencies
If the vehicle breaks down 8–2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Operation under adverse driving conditions 8–2. .
Tools and jack 8–3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Jacking up the vehicle 8–4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Spare wheel 8–6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wheel covers* 8–8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If a tyre is punctured 8–9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Towing 8–12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine overheating 8–15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Emergency starting 8–17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Bleeding the fuel system
(diesel-powered vehicles only) 8–21. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Removal of water from the fuel filter
(diesel-powered vehicles only) 8–21. . . . . . . . . . . . .
What to do if the engine speed becomes
unstable after the battery is replaced: 8–22. . . . . .
Fuses 8–22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing a fuse 8–25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Replacement of lamp bulbs 8–26. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .