steering MITSUBISHI CARISMA 2000 1.G Owners Manual

SEATS AND SEATBELTS
3–2
Seat adjustmentEG21A-Ud
Adjust the driver’s seat so that you are com-
fortable and that you can reach the pedals,
steering wheel, switches etc. while retaining
a clear field of vision.
WARNING
(1) If required, always adjust the
seating before the vehicle is in
motion. After adjustments are
made, ensure the seating is
locked in position by attempting
to move the seat and seatback
forward and rearward without
using the adjusting mechanism.
WARNING
(2) It is extremely dangerous to ride
in the luggage area (inside or out-
side) of a vehicle. Also, the lug-
gage area and rear seats should
never be used as a play area by
children. In a collision, people or
children riding unrestrained in
these areas are more likely to be
seriously injured or killed.
Do not allow people or children to
ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats
and seat belts, and make sure
that everyone travelling in your
vehicle is in a seat and wearing a
seat belt, or in the case of a child
is strapped in a child restraint.
In the interest of their safety,
children should not be allowed to
adjust the seats.
WARNING
(3) To minimize the risk of personal in-
jury in the event of a collision or
sudden braking, the seatbacks
should always be in the almost up-
right position while the vehicle is in
motion. The protection provided
by the seat belts may be reduced
significantly when the seatback
is reclined. There is greater risk
that the passenger will slide
under the seat belt, resulting in
serious injury, when the seatback
is reclined.

SEATS AND SEATBELTS
3–11
Seat beltsEG28ABQ
To protect you and your passengers in the
event of an accident, it is the most important
that the seat belts are worn correctly when
you drive.
The front seat belts have pre–tensioners.
These belts are used the same way as con-
ventional seat belts.
Refer to “Seat belt with pre–tensioner mech-
anism and force–limiter mechanism” on
page 3–14.
WARNING
(1) Never wear the shoulder portion
of the seat belt under the arm or
other position which is incorrect.
(2) One seat belt should be used by
only one person. Doing other-
wise can be dangerous.
(3) The seat belt will provide its
wearer with maximum protection
if the seatback recliner is placed
in fully upright position. When the
seatback is reclined, there is
greater risk that the passenger
will slide under the belt, especial-
ly in a forward impact accident,
and may be injured by the belt or
by striking the instrument panel
or seatbacks.
WARNING
(4) Seat belts should always be worn
by every adult who drives or rides
in this vehicle, and by all children
who are large enough to wear
seat belts properly.
(5) Remove any twists when using
the belt.
(6) No modifications or additions
should be made by the user
which will either prevent the seat
belt adjusting devices from oper-
ating to remove slack, or prevent
the seat belt assembly from being
adjusted to remove slack.G28A089a
WARNING
(7) To reduce risk of serious or fatal
injury in an accident, including
from a deploying driver air bag,
the driver should adjust the
driver’s seat to the rear most
position that still allows good vis-
ibility and good control of the
steering wheel, the brake and ac-
celerator, and vehicle controls.
(8) Never hold a child in your arms or
on your lap when riding in this ve-
hicle, even if you are wearing
your seat belt. To do so risks se-
vere or fatal injury to your child in
a collision or sudden stop.
(9) Always adjust the belt to a snug
fit.

SEATS AND SEATBELTS
3–23
WARNING
(3) Seat belts reduce the risk of being
thrown from your vehicle in a
collision or roll-over.
WARNING
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO BE
PROPERLY SEATED.
A driver or front passenger too close
to the steering wheel or instrument
panel during air bag deployment can
be killed or seriously injured.
Air bags inflate very fast, and with
great force.
If the driver and front passenger are
not properly seated and restrained,
the air bags may not protect you
properly, and could cause serious or
fatal injuries when it inflates.
(1) Before driving, adjust the driver’s
seat as far back as possible while
still maintaining complete control
of the vehicle.
(2) Before driving, adjust the front
passenger seat as far back as
possible.
(3) Make sure all vehicle occupants
are always properly restrained
using the available seat belts.
(4) With seat belts properly fastened
the driver and front passenger
should sit well back and upright
without leaning against the win-
dow or door.
G28G157a
WARNING
(5) Do not sit on the edge of the seat,
or lean head or chest close to the
steering wheel or instrument
panel. Do not put feet or legs on or
against the instrument panel.
(6) Place all infants and small
children in the rear seat and
properly restrained using an ap-
propriate child restraint system.
The rear seat is the safest for in-
fants and children.

SEATS AND SEATBELTS
3–26
When the impact sensors detect an impact
of sufficient frontal or side force, an auto-
mated circuit ignites materials in the inflator
to generate gas and inflate the air bags. The
air bags deployment produces a sudden,
loud noise, and releases some smoke and
powder, but these conditions are not injuri-
ous, and do not indicate a fire in the vehicle.
People with respiratory problems may feel
some temporary irritation from chemicals
used to produce the deployment; open the
windows after air bag deployment, if safe to
do so.
The air bags deflate very rapidly after de-
ployment, so there is little danger of ob-
scured vision.
The time required from the sensors detecting
an impact to deflation of the air bags after de-
ployment is shorter than a blink of an eye.
CAUTION
Air bags are inflated at an extremely
rapid speed. In certain situations,
contact with inflating air bags can re-
sult in light cuts, bruises, and the like.
G28G012a
Driver’s and passenger’s front air
bag system
EG29C-A
The driver’s air bag is located under the
padded cover in the middle of the steering
wheel. The front passenger air bag is con-
tained in the instrument panel above the
glove box.
The driver air bag and the front passenger air
bag are designed to inflate at the same time
even if the passenger seat is not occupied.

SEATS AND SEATBELTS
3–27
G28L085d
Deployment of front air bags
The front air bags ARE DESIGNED TO DEPLOY when...
The front air bags are designed to deploy
when the vehicle suffers a moderate to se-
vere frontal impact. Typical conditions are
shown in the illustration:
1-Head-on collision with a solid wall at a
speed of approximately 25 km/h
(15 mph) or higher
2-Moderate to severe frontal impact
within the shaded area between the
arrowsThe front air bags will deploy if the severity of
the impact is above the designed threshold
level, comparable to an approximately
25 km/h (15 mph) collision when impacting
straight into a solid wall that does not move
or deform. If the severity of the impact is
below the above threshold level, the front air
bags may not deploy. However, this thresh-
old speed will be considerably higher if the
vehicle strikes an object that absorbs the im-
pact by either deforming or moving (for
example, another stationary vehicle, pole or
a guard rail).Because frontal collisions can easily move
you out of position, it is important to always
properly wear your seat belts. Your seat belts
will help you to keep a safe distance from the
steering wheel and instrument panel during
the initial stages of air bag deployment. The
initial stage of air bag inflation is the most
forceful and can possibly cause serious or
fatal injuries. Moreover, the seat belts in your
vehicle are your primary means of protection
in a collision. The SRS (Supplemental Re-
straint System) air bags are designed to pro-
vide additional protection. Therefore, for your
safety and the safety of all occupants, be
sure to always properly wear your seat belts.

SEATS AND SEATBELTS
3–30
G28L088d
The front air bags MAY DEPLOY when...
The front air bags may deploy if the bottom
of the vehicle suffers a moderate to severe
impact (undercarriage damage).
Examples of some typical conditions are
shown in the illustration:1-Collision with an elevated median/is-
land or curb
2-Vehicle travels over a deep hole/po-
thole
3-Vehicle drives down a steep slope and
hits the groundBecause the front air bags may deploy in
certain types of unexpected impacts as
shown in the illustration that can easily move
you out of position, it is important to always
properly wear your seat belts. Your seat belts
will help you to keep a safe distance from the
steering wheel and instrument panel during
the initial stages of air bag deployment. The
initial stage of air bag inflation is the most
forceful and can possibly cause serious or
fatal injuries if you contact it at this stage.

SEATS AND SEATBELTS
3–31
G28G326a
WARNING
(1) Do not attach anything to the
steering wheel padded cover,
such as trim material, badges,
etc. It might strike and injure an
occupant if the air bag inflates.
(2) Do not set anything on or attach
anything to the instrument panel
above the glove box. It might
strike and injure an occupant if
the air bag inflates.
WARNING
(3) Do not attach accessories to or
put them in front of the wind-
screen. These objects could re-
strict the air bag inflation or strike
and injure an occupant if the air
bags inflate.
(4) Do not put packages, pets or
other objects between the air
bags and the driver or front pass-
enger. It could affect air bag per-
formance or could cause injury
when the air bag inflates.
(5) Right after the air bag inflation,
several air bag system compo-
nents will be hot. Do not touch
them; you could be burned.
(6) The air bag system is designed to
work only once. Once the air bags
have deployed, they will not work
again. They must promptly be re-
placed and the entire air bag sys-
tem inspected by an authorized
MITSUBISHI dealer.
(7) If the vehicle is involved in a
frontal collision but the air bags
are not inflated, have the air bag
system checked and, if necess-
ary, replaced by an authorized
MITSUBISHI dealer.
G28L015a
Side air bag system
(front seat only)*
EG29D-A
The side air bags are contained in the driver
and front passenger seatbacks.

SEATS AND SEATBELTS
3–37
WARNING
If any of the following conditions
occur, the SRS is not working proper-
ly and you should immediately have it
inspected by an authorized MITSUBI-
SHI dealer.

The SRS warning lamp does not
illuminate when you start the ve-
hicle.

The SRS warning lamp does not
go out after several seconds.

The SRS warning lamp illumi-
nates while driving.
SRS servicingEG29G-A
The entire SRS including air bag and pre-
tensioner seat belt must be inspected by an
authorized MITSUBISHI dealer after
10 years.
WARNING
(1) Any maintenance performed on
or near the components of the
SRS must be performed only by
an authorized MITSUBISHI
dealer. Do not permit anyone else
to do service, inspection, main-
tenance or repair on any SRS
components or wiring; similarly,
no part of the SRS should ever be
handled or disposed of by any-
one except an authorized MITSU-
BISHI dealer.
Improper work on the SRS com-
ponents or wiring could result in
inadvertent deployment of the air
bags or could render the SRS in-
operative; either situation could
result in serious injury.
WARNING
(2) Do not modify your steering
wheel, seat belt retractor or any
other SRS components. For
example, replacement of the
steering wheel or modifications
to the front bumper or body struc-
ture can adversely affect SRS
performance and lead to possible
injury.
(3) If your vehicle has received any
front-end damage, you should
have the SRS inspected by an
authorized MITSUBISHI dealer to
ensure it is in proper working
order.
(4) On vehicles with the side air
bags, do not modify your front
seats, centre pillar and centre
console.
It can adversely affect SRS per-
formance and lead to possible in-
jury.
Also, if you have found any tear or
open seam in the seat fabric at the
portion near the side air bag, have
the seat inspected at an author-
ized MITSUBISHI dealer.

INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
4–13
E11D026a
Turn/lane-change signalsEE11D-N
The turn-signal lamps flash when the switch
is operated (with the ignition switch “ON”). At
the same time, the turn signal indicator
flashes.
1-Turn-signals
When making a normal turn, use posi-
tion (1). The lever will return automati-
cally when cornering is completed.
There are times when the lever will not
return after cornering. This occurs
when the steering wheel is turned only
slightly.
In such cases, return the lever by
hand.
2-Lane-change signals
When changing lanes, use position
(2). It will return to the neutral position
when released.NOTE
If the lamp flashes unusually quickly, the bulb
in a turn–signal lamp may have burned out.
Have the vehicle inspected by an authorized
MITSUBISHI dealer.
E01G011a
Headlamp levelling switchEE01GMF
The angle of the headlamp beam varies
depending upon the load carried by the ve-
hicle.
The headlamp levelling switch can be
used to adjust the headlamp illumination
distance (when the lower beam is illumi-
nated) so that the headlamps’ glare does
not distract the drivers of approaching ve-
hicles. Set the switch (referring to the fol-
lowing table) to the appropriate position
according to the number of people and the
load in the vehicle.

INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
4–22
E23A001a
Horn switchEE23A-Ac
When the ignition switch is in the “ON” or
“ACC” position, pressing the “” mark on
the steering wheel, causes the horn to
sound.
E19A134a
Room lampsEE19AAZ
Vehicles without sunroof
Room lamp1(OFF)
-The lamp goes out.
2()
-The lamp illuminates when a
door or the tailgate is opened
and goes out when it is closed.
3(ON)
-The lamp illuminates.
F19A037a
Spot lamps*4 - The lamp goes out.
5 - The lamp illuminates.