check engine light MITSUBISHI CARISMA 2000 1.G Owners Manual

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
5–27
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.

VEHICLE CARE
7–5
During cold weatherThe salt and other chemicals spread on the
roads in some areas in winter can have a
harmful effect on the vehicle body. You
should therefore wash the vehicle as often
as possible in accordance with our care–in-
structions. It is recommended to have a pre-
servative applied and the underfloor protec-
tion checked at an authorized MITSUBISHI
dealer before and after the cold weather sea-
son.
After washing your vehicle, wipe off all water-
drops from the rubber parts around the doors
to prevent the doors from freezing.
NOTE
To prevent freezing of the weatherstripping
on the doors, bonnet, etc., they should be
treated with silicone spray.
WaxingEK33A-N
Waxing the vehicle will help prevent the ad-
herence of dust and road chemicals to the
paintwork. Apply a wax solution after wash-
ing the vehicle, or at least once every three
months to assist displacing of water. Do not
wax your vehicle in direct sunlight. You
should wax after the surfaces have cooled.
CAUTION
(1) Waxes containing high abrasive
compounds should not be used.
Such waxes remove rust and
stain effectively from the paint-
work but they are harmful to the
lustre of the painted surface.
Further, they are harmful to
glossy surfaces such as grille,
garnish, mouldings, etc.
(2) Do not use petrol or paint
thinners to remove road tar or
other contamination to the
painted surface.
(3) Do not apply wax on the areas
having black mat coating as it can
cause uneven discolouration,
patches, blurs, etc. If stained with
wax, immediately wipe off with a
piece of soft cloth and warm
water.
(4) On vehicles with the sunroof, be
careful when waxing the area
around the sunroof opening, not
to put any wax on the weather-
strip (black rubber). If stained
with wax, the weatherstrip cannot
maintain a weatherproof seal with
the sunroof.
PolishingEK04A-Ac
The vehicle should only be polished if the
paintwork has become stained or lost its
lustre. Matt - finish parts and plastic bumpers
must not be polished, polishing these parts
will stain them or damage their finish.
Damaged paintEK08A-Ac
Small cracks and scratches in the paint coat
should be touched up as soon as possible
with MITSUBISHI touch - up paint to prevent
corrosion.
Check body areas facing the road or the
tyres carefully for damage to the paint coat
caused by flying stones, etc. The paint code
number for your vehicle can be found on the
vehicle information code plate in the engine
compartment.
Chrome partsEK06A-Aa
In order to prevent spots and corrosion of
chrome parts, wash with water, dry thor-
oughly, and apply a special protective coat-
ing. This should be done more frequently in
winter.

FOR EMERGENCIES
8–6
N22A086a
7. Insert the bar (E) into the wheel nut
wrench (F). Then set the end of the bar
to the shaft’s jack end, as shown in the
illustration.
Slowly rotate the wheel nut wrench
until the tyre is slightly off the ground.
WARNING
(1) Raise the vehicle so the tyre just
clears the ground. It is dangerous
to raise the vehicle any higher.
(2) Never get under the vehicle while
using the jack. Avoid jarring the
raised vehicle or leaving it sup-
ported on the jack for any long
time. Both are very dangerous.
(3) Do not start or run the engine
while the vehicle is on the jack.
The vehicle might start moving
and the jack might get out of the
body.
(4) Do not turn the jacked up wheels.
The tyres remaining on the
ground may turn, causing the ve-
hicle body to fall down from the
jack.
(5) No one should stay in the vehicle
while the jack is used.
CAUTION
Use only the jack included with the
vehicle, and use it only for changing
wheels.
N03A064a
Spare wheelEN03ABBaCheck the air pressure in the spare tyre
weekly, making sure it is ready for emerg-
ency use. Maintaining the spare wheel at the
highest specified air pressure will ensure that
it can always be used under any conditions
(city/high–speed driving, varying load
weight, etc.).
WARNING
When used, set to the correct tyre
pressure.

MAINTENANCE
9–5
3. With the engine idling and the brake
pedal fully depressed, move the trans-
mission selector lever through all the
positions from the ”P” (PARK) to ”L”
(LOW) (with INVECS–II 4A/T), the ”P”
(PARK) to ”D” (DRIVE) (with INVECS–
II Sports Mode 4A/T), stopping mo-
mentarily at each position.
4. Move the selector lever to the ”N”
(NEUTRAL) or ”P” (PARK) position.
5. Remove the dipstick and wipe it with a
clean lint–free cloth.
6. Reinsert the dipstick as far as it goes.
7. Remove the dipstick and read the oil
level. The fluid level should always be
between the two marks on the dip-
stick.
8. Use only the following transmission
fluid to ensure optimum transmission
performance: ”DIA QUEEN ATF SP
III”.
WARNING
Do not spill the fluid onto a hot ex-
haust manifold during topping up or
inspection, or a fire may occur.
Petrol–powered vehicles
N26A034a
Engine coolantEM36ALY
A translucent coolant reserve tank is located
in the engine compartment. The coolant
level in this tank should be kept between the
two marks on the reserve tank when
measured while the engine is cold. The cool-
ing system is a closed system and normally
the loss of coolant should be very slight. A
noticeable drop in the coolant level could
indicate leakage. If this occurs, have the sys-
tem checked at an authorized MITSUBISHI
dealer as soon as possible.
If the level should drop below the ”LOW”
level on the reserve tank, open the lid and
add coolant.
Also, if the reserve tank is completely empty,
remove the radiator cap and add coolant
until the level reaches the filler neck.
Diesel–powered vehicles
N26A160a
NOTE
On diesel–powered vehicles, the radiator
has no filler port. Supply coolant from the filler
port in the reserve tank.
WARNING
Do not open the reserve tank lid or
radiator cap while the engine is hot.
The coolant system is under pressure
and any hot coolant escaping could
cause severe burns.

MAINTENANCE
9–9
Use brake fluid conforming to DOT3 or
DOT4. The brake fluid is hygroscopic. Too
much moisture in the brake fluid will adverse-
ly affect the brake system, reducing the
brake performance.
In addition, the brake fluid reservoir is
equipped with a special cap to prevent the
entrance of air, and this cap should not be re-
moved.
The brake fluid level is monitored by a float.
When the brake fluid level falls below the
“MIN” mark, the brake fluid warning lamp
lights up.
WARNING
(1) Take care in handling brake fluid as
it is harmful to the eyes and may
also cause damage to painted sur-
faces. If fluid is spilt, wipe it up as
soon as possible.
(2) Use only the specified brake fluid.
Also, the additives in different
brands may result in a chemical re-
action when mixed together, so
avoid mixing different brands if
possible.
(3)Normally, keep the reservoir tank
cap closed to prevent the brake
fluid from deteriorating.
Petrol-powered vehicles
M09A029a
Power steering fluidEM09A-Oa
Check the fluid level in the reservoir while the
engine is idling.
Unscrew the reservoir cap; the level in this
tank should be kept between the “MAX” and
“MIN” lines.
Use “ATF DEXRON II”.
Diesel-powered vehicles
M09A030a