warning MITSUBISHI CARISMA 2000 1.G Service Manual

STARTING AND DRIVING
5–18
I04A187a
In the main gate, selector lever has 4 posi-
tions, and is equipped with a lock button (A)
to avoid inadvertent selection of the wrong
gear.
I04A209a
Button must be pushed while the
brake pedal is depressed to move
the lever.
Button must be pushed to move the
lever.
Button need not be pushed to move
the lever.
WARNING
(1) If the button is always depressed
to operate the selector lever, the
lever may be accidentally shifted
into the “P”, “R”, “2”, or “L” posi-
tion. Be sure not to depress the
button (A) when performing the
operations indicated by
 in the
illustration.
(2) Always depress the brake pedal
when shifting the selector lever
into a gear from the “P” (PARK) or
“N” (NEUTRAL) position.
When beginning to drive, do not
shift the selector lever form the
“P” (PARK) or “N” (NEUTRAL)
position while depressing the ac-
celerator pedal, doing so is dan-
gerous because the vehicle will
“jump” forward or backward.
NOTE
If the brake pedal is not depressed and held,
the shift-lock device activates to prevent the
selector lever from being moved from the “P”
(PARK) position to another position.

STARTING AND DRIVING
5–19
Except for vehicles with Sports mode
I04A229a
Indicator lamps
A- Selector lever position indicator lamp
B- “N” indicator lamp
The indication lamps in the instrument panel
are for indication the selector lever position
and one of them will be illuminated when the
ignition is switched “ON”.
I04A257a
Vehicles with Sports mode
CAUTION
If the “N” (NEUTRAL) indicator lamp
in the selector lever position indicator
flashes while you are driving, there
could be a malfunction in the auto-
matic transmission. (If the selected
lever position is in the “P” (PARK),
“R” (REVERSE) or “N” (NEUTRAL)
position, the indicator lamp does not
flash.) Identify and rectify the problem
in accordance with the following pro-
cedure.
CAUTION
[The “N” indicator lamp flashes rapid-
ly (twice per second)]
The automatic transmission fluid is
overheating.
Park your vehicle in a safe place but
do not turn off the engine. Move the
selector lever to the “P” (PARK) posi-
tion and open the bonnet. Keep the
engine idling.
After a while, move the selector to the
“D” position and confirm that the “N”
indicator lamp stops flashing. It is safe
to continue driving if the “N” indicator
lamp no longer flashes.
Be sure to carry out this check with
the selector lever in the all forward
position except for “P” (PARK), “R”
(REVERSE) or “N” (NEUTRAL). The
“N” indicator lamp warning function
operates only in these positions.
If the “N” indicator lamp continues
flashing or flashes intermittently,
have your vehicle inspected by an
authorized MITSUBISHI dealer.

STARTING AND DRIVING
5–20
CAUTION
[The “N” indicator lamp flashes slow-
ly (once per second)]
The automatic transmission safety
device may be operating due to a mal-
function.
Have your vehicle inspected by an
authorized MITSUBISHI dealer as
soon as possible.
Selector positionsEI04BALb
P - PARKThis position locks the transmission to pre-
vent the vehicle from moving. The engine
can be started in this position.
R - REVERSEMove the lever to this position only after the
vehicle has come to a complete stop.
CAUTION
Never shift into the “P” (PARK) or “R”
(REVERSE) position while the vehicle
is in motion. If the lever is shifted into
the “P” or “R” position while the ve-
hicle is in motion, the transmission
may be damaged.
N - NEUTRALAt this position, the transmission is disen-
gaged. It is the same as the neutral position
on a manual transmission, and should be
used when the vehicle is stationary for an ex-
tended length of time during driving, such as
in a traffic jam.
WARNING
(1) Never move the selector lever to
the “N” position while driving.
A serious accident could occur
since you could accidentally
move the lever into the “P” or “R”
position and engine braking
would be lost.
(2) On a slope gradient, the engine
should be started in the “P”
(PARK) position, not in the “N”
(NEUTRAL) position.
(3) Always keep your right foot on
the brake pedal when the vehicle
is in “N” (NEUTRAL), or when
shifting into or out of “N” (NEU-
TRAL), to minimize the risk of
loss of control.
D - DRIVEThis position is for normal driving.
The transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear for your speed and acceler-
ation.
Engine braking is automatically applied
when necessary, depending on road condi-
tions.
Please refer to “Uphill/downhill driving” on
page 5–24.

STARTING AND DRIVING
5–21
3 - THIRD/2 - SECOND
(Except for vehicles with Sports
mode)
This position is for extra power when driving
up moderately steep hills, and for engine
braking when descending moderately steep
gradients.
L - LOW
(Except for vehicles with Sports
mode)
This position is for driving up very steep hills
and for engine braking at low speeds when
descending steep gradients.
WARNING
This position can be used for maxi-
mum engine braking.
Be very careful not to shift into “L”
suddenly. Sudden engine braking
may cause the tyres to skid.
Select this position according to the
road conditions and vehicle speed.
I04J053a
A/T mode changeover switch
(Except for vehicles with Sports
mode)
EI04JADa
Two drive modes, “AUTO” and “HOLD”, can
be selected.
Each time you press the switch, the “AUTO”
and “HOLD” modes will switch alternately.
When the “HOLD” mode is selected, the
“HOLD” indicator illuminates on the instru-
ment panel.
AUTOSelect this position for normal driving.
In this position, your vehicle runs with econ-
omical fuel consumption when the acceler-
ator pedal is depressed moderately, and
runs powerfully when the pedal is depressed
heavily.
I04J020a
HOLDSelect the “HOLD” mode when starting your
vehicle on a slippery road surface for
example snow, and the vehicle will start
smoothly.
If you start your vehicle with the selector
lever in other than the “L” position, the ve-
hicle starts in 2nd gear.
When the vehicle speed reaches between
20 to 50 km/h, the gear is fixed in the highest
gear of the selected lever position.
(For example, if you select “D” position, the
vehicle starts in 2nd gear. As the vehicle
speed increases, the gear is shifted up and
when the vehicle speed exceeds approxi-
mately 50 km/h, the gear enters the 4th and
held in the 4th.) Therefore, you can drive like
driving the vehicle with manual transmission
by fully using the selector lever positions.
In the “HOLD” mode, depressing the accel-
erator pedal fully also causes the kick-down
operation.

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
5–29
I24A040a
Warning lamp
The ABS warning lamp should illuminate
when the ignition switch is turned ”ON”, and
should go off in a few seconds.
CAUTION
If the warning lamp stays on or does
not illuminate when you start the ve-
hicle, it indicates that the ABS is not
functioning and that only the stan-
dard brake system is in operation. (In
this condition the standard hydraulic
brake system will still function.)
Please contact your nearest author-
ized MITSUBISHI dealer for inspec-
tion.
If the lamp illuminates while
driving
(1) Since there will always be a possibility of
the vehicle becoming unstable when
brakes are applied rapidly, ensure that
brakes are applied gently and that high–
speed driving is not attempted; further-
more, bring the vehicle to halt in a safe
location.
Restart the engine and check to see
whether the lamp goes out after a few
minutes driving; if it then remains off dur-
ing driving, there is no problem.
However, if the lamp does not go out, or
if it lights up again when the vehicle is
driven, have the vehicle checked by an
authorized MITSUBISHI dealer as soon
as possible.
(2) After starting the engine using jumper
cables, if you attempt to drive the ve-
hicle before the battery is sufficiently
charged, the engine will run irregularly
and the ABS warning lamp will illumi-
nate indicating that the vehicle should
not be driven.
This situation, however, is caused
merely by insufficient battery voltage
and is not an abnormal situation.
If such a situation occurs, run the engine
at idle for some time to charge the bat-
tery.
Front
I24A053a
NOTE
(1) Immediately after the vehicle starts
moving after engine start up, a whining
sound of a motor will be heard from the
engine compartment, and if the brake
pedal is depressed at that moment, a
pulsating is felt. These sound and shock
are due to the self–diagnosis operation
of the ABS and does not indicate a mal-
function.

STARTING AND DRIVING
5–30
Rear
I24A052a
(2) After driving on snowy roads, remove
any snow and ice which may have be-
come adhered to the wheel areas.
When doing this, be careful not to dam-
age the wheel speed sensors (A) and
cables located at each wheel.
(3) The ABS becomes operative after the
vehicle has accelerated to a speed in
excess of approximately 10 km/h. It
stops operating when the vehicle de-
celerates to a speed below approxi-
mately 5 km/h.
G09A017a
Steering wheel height
adjustment
EG09A-Ci
To adjust the steering wheel height, release
the tilt lock lever while holding the steering
wheel by hand, and raise or lower the steer-
ing wheel to the desired height.
After adjustment, securely lock the lever by
pulling it upward.
1-Locked
2-Released
WARNING
(1) After adjusting to the desired
height, check to be sure that the
lever is locked.
(2) Do not attempt to adjust the steer-
ing wheel while you are driving
the vehicle.
(3) When releasing the tilt lock lever,
move it to the release position (2)
and hold the steering wheel by
hand to prevent it falling to the
lowest position.

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
5–32
WARNING
The sense of distance that you get
from an object you see on the inner
side of the mirror boundary line
differs from the sense of distance that
you get from an object you see on the
outer side.
An object you see on the outer side of
the boundary line of the mirror will
look farther away than it actually is
(farther away than if you see in a nor-
mal flat mirror) as compared with an
object you see on the inner side.
I08B041a
Manual remote-controlled
outside rear-view mirrors*
EI08BAAb
Adjust the mirrors by operating the lever as
indicated by the arrows.
1-Left and right
2-Up and down
LHD
I08B040a
Electric remote–controlled
outside rear–view mirrors*
EI08BBRa
The outside rear–view mirrors can be oper-
ated when the ignition switch is in the “ON”
or “ACC” position.
Place the lever (A) to the same side as the
mirror whose adjustment is desired.
L– Left outside rear–view mirror adjust-
ment
R– Right outside rear–view mirror ad-
justment