MITSUBISHI COLT 2011 Owner's Manual (in English)

Brake assist systemE00627000262
The brake assist system is a device assisting drivers
who cannot depress the brake pedal firmly when it
is necessary to do so (such as in emergency stop sit-
uations) and provides greater braking force.
If the brake pedal is depressed suddenly, the brakes
will be applied with more force than usual.CAUTIONl The brake assist system is not a device de-
signed to exercise braking force greater
than its capacity. Make sure to always
keep a sufficient distance between vehi-
cles in front of you without relying too
much on the brake assist system.
NOTE
l Once the brake assist system is operational,
it maintains great braking force even if the
brake pedal is lightly released.
To stop its operation, completely remove
your foot from the brake pedal.
l The brake assist system may become opera-
tional when the brake pedal is fully de-
pressed even if it has not been depressed sud-
denly.
l When the brake assist system is in use, you
may feel as if the depressed brake pedal is
soft, the pedal moves in small motions in con-
junction with the sound of the ABS opera-
tion, or the vehicle body and the steering
wheel vibrate. This occurs when the brake as-
sist system is operating normally and does
not indicate faulty operation. Continue to
firmly depress the brake pedal.
l You may hear an operation noise when the
brake pedal is depressed suddenly while sta-
tionary. This does not indicate a malfunction
and the brake assist system is operating nor-
mally.Anti-lock brake system (ABS) E00607100791
Environmental conditions can have an effect on
braking. During sudden braking when there is
snow, ice, oil, water etc. on the road surface, a skid
may occur. In this situation, steering control and
braking effectiveness is reduced and the stopping
distance is increased. The vehicle may also go into
an uncontrolled spin.
The ABS helps prevent the wheels from locking dur-
ing braking, thus maintaining directional stability,
ensuring controllability and providing optimum
braking force.
Driving hints l When using the anti-lock brake system (sud-
den braking), steering is slightly different
from normal driving conditions. Use the steer-
ing wheel carefully.
l Always maintain the same distance from the
vehicle in front of you as you would for a ve-
hicle not equipped with ABS.
Compared with vehicles not fitted with ABS,
your vehicle may require a longer stopping
distance in the following cases: • Driving on gravel or snow-covered roads.
• Driving with tyre chains installed.
• Driving on roads where the road surface
is pitted or has other differences in sur-
face height.
• Driving on bumpy roads or other poor driv-
ing surfaces.
Starting and driving
4-27
4

lOperation of ABS is not restricted to situa-
tions where brakes are applied suddenly.
This system may also operate to prevent
wheel lock when you are driving over man-
holes, steel road-work plates, or the vehicle
is driven over steps or level differences in
the road, road markings, or other surfaces
which are difficult for the wheels to grip.
l When the ABS is activated, you may feel the
brake pedal pulsating and hear a characteris-
tic noise. Also at this time, it may feel as if
the pedal attempts to resist being depressed.
In this situation, to let the ABS work for
you, just hold the brake pedal down more
firmly. Do not pump the brake. This will
result in reduced braking performance.CAUTIONl Even the ABS cannot prevent the natural
laws of physics from acting on the vehi-
cle. It cannot for instance avoid accidents
that may result from excessive speed on
bends or following another vehicle too
closely or aquaplaning. It should remain
the driver’s task to observe safety precau-
tions to judge speeds and brake applica-
tions correctly in such conditions.
l Be sure to use tyres of the same type and
size on 4 wheels.
If tyre types or sizes are mixed, ABS may
not function properly.CAUTIONl Never install a limited-slip differential,
which is not MITSUBISHI MOTORS gen-
uine parts, as the ABS may not function
properly.
We recommend to consult a
MITSUBISHI MOTORS Authorized
Service Point.ABS warning lamp E00607200835
The ABS warning lamp comes on and a buzzer
sounds in the event of a malfunction in the anti-
lock brake system. It will also come on as a self-
check for a few seconds when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON” position, and the lamp goes off
after a few seconds. Always make sure that the
lamp goes out before beginning to drive.
CAUTIONl If the warning lamp stays on or does not
illuminate when you start the vehicle, it in-
dicates that the ABS is not functioning
and that only the standard brake system
is in operation. (In this condition the stand-
ard hydraulic brake system will still func-
tion.) We recommend you to consult a
MITSUBISHI MOTORS Authorized
Service Point.If the warning lamp illuminates while
driving E00607301035
If only the ABS warning lamp illuminates
l Avoid hard braking and high-speed driving.
Stop the vehicle in a safe place.
Restart the engine and check to see whether
the lamp goes out after a few minutes driv-
ing; if it then remains off during driving,
there is no problem.
However, if the lamp does not go out, or if it
lights up again when the vehicle is driven,
we recommend you to consult a
MITSUBISHI MOTORS Authorized Service
Point.
Starting and driving
4-28
4

lThe ABS warning lamp can illuminate if the
battery voltage is insufficient when the en-
gine is started. In this case, it does not indi-
cate an ABS fault.
Charge the battery by allowing the engine to
idle for a while.
If the battery has been charged but the ABS
warning lamp continues to illuminate or illu-
minates intermittently, we recommend you
to consult a MITSUBISHI MOTORS Author-
ized Service Point.
If the ABS warning lamp and brake warning
lamp illuminate at the same time
l The brake force distribution function may
not work, so hard braking could make the ve-
hicle unstable.
Avoid hard braking and high-speed driving.
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and we rec-
ommend you to consult a MITSUBISHI
MOTORS Authorized Service Point.
NOTE l Immediately after the vehicle starts moving
after engine start up, a whining sound of a mo-
tor will be heard from the engine compart-
ment. If the brake pedal is depressed at that
moment, a brake pedal pulsating is felt.
This whining sound and pulsation are due to
the self-diagnosis operation of the ABS and
does not indicate a malfunction.
l After driving on snowy roads, remove any
snow and ice which may have become ad-
hered to the wheel areas.
When doing this, be careful not to damage
the wheel speed sensors (A) and cables loca-ted at each wheel on vehicles equipped with
an ABS.
l The ABS becomes operative after the vehicle
has accelerated to a speed in excess of approx-
imately 10 km/h (6 mph). It stops operating
when the vehicle decelerates to a speed be-
low approximately 10 km/h (6 mph).
Electric power steering system E00607400026
The electric power steering system reduces the ef-
fort required to turn the steering wheel. It operates
while the engine is running.CAUTIONl Do not stop the engine while driving.
With the engine stopped, the steering ac-
tion would become extremely heavy and
an unexpected accident might occur.
NOTE
l If you repeatedly turn the steering wheel
fully to either side (while parking, for exam-
ple), a protective function that prevents the
system from overheating will be activated,
making the steering action gradually heavier.
In this event, turn the steering wheel as little
as possible for a while. When the system’s
temperature decreases, the steering action
will return to normal.
l If you turn the steering wheel while the vehi-
cle is stationary with its headlamps on, the
headlamps may grow dim. This phenomenon
does not indicate a fault. The headlamps will
return to their original brightness after a
short while.
Electric power steering warning lamp E00612400024
The electric power steering warning lamp comes
on and a buzzer sounds in the event of a control ab-
normality in the electric power steering system.
Starting and driving
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4

When the system is normal, the electric power steer-
ing warning lamp comes on when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position and goes off
after a few seconds.CAUTIONl If the electric power steering warning
lamp comes on while the vehicle is mov-
ing, the steering action may become heavy.If the warning lamp illuminates while
driving E00613600049
1.Park your vehicle in a safe place and stop the
engine.
2. Turn the ignition switch to the “ON” posi-
tion. If the electric power steering warning
lamp comes on then goes off after a few sec-
onds, there is no abnormality. However, if
the lamp does not go off, or if it comes on
again when the vehicle is driven, we recom-
mend you to have the power steering inspec-
ted by a MITSUBISHI MOTORS Author-
ized Service Point.
Traction control system (TCL)/
Active stability control system (ASC)* E00611700176
The Traction control system (TCL)/Active stability
control system (ASC) takes overall control of the
anti-lock brake system, Traction Control System
and Active Stability Control system to help main-
tain the vehicle’s control and traction. Please read
this section in conjunction with the page on the anti-
lock brake system, Traction Control System and Ac-
tive Stability Control system.

Anti-lock brake system (ABS) ® p. 4-27
Traction control system (TCL) ® p. 4-30
Active stability control system (ASC) ® p. 4-31CAUTIONl Do not over-rely on the Traction Control
System (TCL)/Active Stability Control
system (ASC). Even when the Traction
Control System (TCL)/Active Stability
Control system (ASC) is operating, there
are limits to the system and its ability to
maintain control and traction. Reckless
driving may lead to accidents. Always
drive carefully, taking account of the
road conditions.
l Be sure to use the same specified type and
size of tyre on all 4 wheels. Otherwise,
there is a possibility that the Traction Con-
trol System (TCL)/Active Stability Con-
trol system (ASC) will not work properly.NOTE
l Immediately after the vehicle starts moving
after engine start up, a whining sound of a mo-
tor will be heard from the engine compart-
ment. If the brake pedal is depressed at that
moment, you can feel the brake pedal pulsat-
ing.
This whining sound and pulsation are due to
the self-diagnosis operation of the Traction
Control System (TCL)/ Active Stability Con-
trol system (ASC) and do not indicate a mal-
function.
l Some vibration will be felt in the vehicle
body and a whining sound of a motor will be
heard from the engine compartment when
the Traction Control System (TCL)/ Active
Stability Control system (ASC) functions.
This is a normal result of the Traction Con-
trol System (TCL)/Active Stability Control
system (ASC) operation, and does not indi-
cate a malfunction.
l The Traction Control System (TCL)/Active
Stability Control system (ASC) does not op-
erate while the ABS warning lamp is illumi-
nated.Traction control system (TCL) E00611800089
On slippery surfaces, Traction Control System
(TCL) prevents the drive wheels from excessive
spinning, thus helping the vehicle to start moving
from a stop. It also provides sufficient driving
force and steering performance as the vehicle turns
at accelerated speeds.
Starting and driving
4-30
4

CAUTIONlWhen driving a vehicle on a snowy or icy
road, be sure to install snow tyres and
drive the vehicle at moderate speeds.
NOTE
l When moving out of mud or fresh snow, press-
ing the accelerator pedal may not allow the
engine speed to increase.
Active stability control system (ASC) E00612000091
The Active Stability Control system (ASC) is de-
signed to help maintain the vehicle’s control in slip-
pery conditions, or during rapid steering manoeu-
vres. It works by controlling the engine output and
brake on each wheel.
NOTE l The Active Stability Control system (ASC)
functions at speeds of approximately
10 km/h (6 mph) or higher.
Traction control system (TCL)/Active
stability control system (ASC) indica-
tion lamp E00612100119
The Traction Control System (TCL) and Active Sta-
bility Control system (ASC) share the same indica-
tion lamp.
The indication lamp should illuminate when the ig-
nition switch is turned to the “ON” position, and
should go off after a few seconds. Always make
sure that the lamp goes off before begining to drive.
If the indication lamp stays on or does not illumi-
nate when the ignition switch is turned to the “ON”
position, we recommend you to consult a
MITSUBISHI MOTORS Authorized Service Point.
indication lamp blinks when the Traction Control
System (TCL) or Active Stability Control system
(ASC) is operating.
CAUTIONl When indication lamp blinks, the Trac-
tion Control System (TCL) or Active Sta-
bility Control system (ASC) is operating,
which means that the road is slippery or
that your vehicle’s wheels are slipping ex-
cessively. If this happens, drive slower
with less accelerator input.CAUTIONl If a malfunction occurs in the device, the indication lamp will continuously illu-
minate. Park your vehicle in a safe place
and stop the engine. Then, start the en-
gine again and check whether the indica-
tion lamp goes out.
If the
indication lamp remains on even
after your vehicle is driven a short dis-
tance after starting the engine, we recom-
mend you to consult a MITSUBISHI
MOTORS Authorized Service Point.
l If the vehicle is towed with the ignition
switch in the “ON” position and only the
front wheels or only the rear wheels
raised off the ground, the Traction Con-
trol System (TCL) may operate, resulting
in an accident. When towing the vehicle
with the front wheels raised, keep the ig-
nition switch in the “LOCK” or “ACC”
position. When towing the vehicle with
the rear wheels raised, keep the ignition
switch in the “ACC” position.
Refer to “Towing” on page 6-18.
Starting and driving
4-31
4

Cruise control*E00609100623
Cruise control is an automatic speed control system
that keeps a set speed. It can be activated at about
40 km/h (25 mph) or more.CAUTIONl When you do not wish to drive at a set
speed, turn off the cruise control for safety.
l Do not use cruise control when driving
conditions will not allow you to stay at
the same speed, such as in heavy traffic
or on roads that are winding, icy, snow-
covered, wet, slippery, on a steep down-
hill slope.
l On vehicles with M/T, do not move the
gearshift lever to the “N” (Neutral) posi-
tion while driving at a set speed without
depressing the clutch pedal. The engine
will run too fast and might be damaged.
NOTE
l Cruise control may not be able to keep your
speed on uphills or downhills.
l Your speed may decrease on a steep uphill.
You may use the accelerator pedal if you
want to stay at your set speed.
l Your speed may increase to more than the
set speed on a steep downhill. You have to
use the brake to control your speed. As a re-
sult, the set speed driving is deactivated.
Cruise control switches
A- “ON OFF” switch
Used to turn on and off the cruise control.

B- “COAST SET” switch
Used to reduce the set speed and to set the de-
sired speed.

C- “ACC RES” switch
Used to increase the set speed and to return to
the original set speed.

D- “CANCEL” switch
Used to deactivate the set speed driving.
NOTE l When operating the cruise control switches,
press the cruise control switches correctly.
The set speed driving may be deactivated au-
tomatically if two or more switches of the
cruise control are pressed at the same time.
To activate E00609300700
1.With the ignition switch in the “ON” posi-
tion, press the “ON OFF” switch (A) to turn
on the cruise control. The “CRUISE” indica-
tion lamp in the meter cluster will come on.
NOTE
l If the cruise control is on when the ignition
switch is turned to the “LOCK” or “ACC” po-
sition, cruise control will be on automatically
the next time you start the engine. The
“CRUISE” indication lamp will also be on.
l If the battery voltage is insufficient, the mem-
ory data for the cruise control may be erased.
As a result, the “CRUISE” indication lamp
may not come on when you restart the engine.
If this happens, press the “ON OFF” switch
once again to turn on the cruise control.
Starting and driving
4-32
4

2.Accelerate or decelerate to your desired
speed, then press and release the “COAST
SET” switch (B) when the “CRUISE” indica-
tion lamp is illuminated. The vehicle will
then maintain the desired speed.
NOTE
l When you release the “COAST SET”
switch, the vehicle speed will be set.
To increase the set speed E00609400479
There are 2 ways to increase the set speed.
“ACC RES” switch
Press and hold the “ACC RES” switch (C) while
driving at the set speed, and your speed will then
gradually increase.
When you reach your desired speed, release the
switch. Your new cruising speed is now set.
To increase your speed in small amounts, press the
“ACC RES” switch for less than about 1 second
and release it.
Each time you press the “ACC RES” switch, your
vehicle will go about 1.6 km/h (1 mph) faster.
Accelerator pedal
While driving at the set speed, use the accelerator
pedal to reach your desired speed and then press
the “COAST SET” switch (B) and release the
switch momentarily to set a new desired cruising
speed.To decrease the set speed E00609500409
There are 2 ways to decrease the set speed.
“COAST SET” switch
Press and hold the “COAST SET” switch (B) while
driving at the set speed, and your speed will slow
down gradually.
Starting and driving
4-33
4

When you reach your desired speed, release the
switch. Your new cruising speed is now set.
To slow down your speed in small amounts, press
the “COAST SET” switch for less than about 1 sec-
ond and release it.
Each time you press the “COAST SET” switch,
your vehicle will slow down by about 1.6 km/h
(1 mph).
Brake pedal
While driving at the set speed, use the brake pedal,
which disengages the cruise control, then press the
“COAST SET” switch (B) and release the switch
momentarily to set a new desired cruising speed.To temporarily increase or decrease
the speed E00609600149
To temporarily increase the speed
Depress the accelerator pedal as you would normal-
ly. When you release the pedal, you will return to
your set speed.
NOTE
l In some driving conditions, the set speed driv-
ing may be deactivated. If this happens, refer
to “To activate” on page 4-32 and repeat the
speed setting procedure.
To temporarily decrease the speed
Depress the brake pedal to decrease the speed. To
return to the previously set speed, press the “ACC
RES” switch (C).
Starting and driving
4-34
4

Refer to “To resume the set speed” on page 4-35.To deactivateE00609700889
The set speed driving can be deactivated as follows:
l Press the “ON OFF” switch (A) (Cruise con-
trol will be turned off.)
l Press the “CANCEL” switch (D).
l Depress the brake pedal.
The set speed driving is deactivated automatically
in any of the following ways.
l When you depress the clutch pedal (on vehi-
cles with manual transmission).
l When your speed slows to about 15 km/h
(9 mph) or more below the set speed because
of a hill, etc. (on vehicles with manual trans-
mission).
l When your speed slows to about 40 km/h
(25 mph) or less.
l When the Active Stability Control system
(ASC) starts operating. (if so equipped)
Refer to “Traction control system (TCL)/Ac-
tive stability control system (ASC)” on page
4-30.WARNINGl On vehicles with AMT, although the set
speed driving will be deactivated when
shifting to the “N” (NEUTRAL) position,
never move the allshift lever to the “N”
(NEUTRAL) position while driving.
You would have no engine braking and
could cause a serious accident.
Also, the set speed driving may be deactivated as
follow:
l When the engine speed rises and approaches
the tachometer’s red zone (the red-coloured
part of the tachometer dial).
CAUTIONl When the set speed driving is deactivated
automatically in any situation other than
those listed above, there may be a system
malfunction.
Press the “ON OFF” switch to turn off
the cruise control and have your vehicle
inspected by a MITSUBISHI MOTORS
Authorized Service Point.To resume the set speed E00609800457
If the set speed driving is deactivated by the condi-
tion described in “To deactivate” on page 4-35,
you can resume the previously set speed by press-
ing the “ACC RES” switch (C) while driving at a
speed of about 40 km/h (25 mph) or higher.
Under either of the following conditions, however,
using the switch does not allow you to resume the
previously set speed. In these situations, repeat the
speed setting procedure:
l The “ON OFF” switch is pressed.
l The ignition switch is turned OFF.
Starting and driving
4-35
4

l“CRUISE” indication lamp is turned OFF.Cargo loads
E00609901240
Cargo loads precautionsCAUTIONl When loading luggage, be careful to the
following. •Stow cargo and luggage in the luggage
compartment whenever possible.
• Distribute cargo or luggage evenly not
to be unbalanced in weight of a load.
• Do not place cargo or luggage on the
instrument panel.
Also, do not stack up cargo or luggage
on the front passenger’s seat or the
rear seats.
Having the driver’s vision blocked,
and your cargo being thrown inside
the cabin if you suddenly have to
brake can cause a serious accident or
injury.Trailer towing E00610000488
In order to tow a trailer with your vehicle, have a
trailer towing device that meets all relevant regula-
tions in your area, mounted consult a
MITSUBISHI MOTORS Authorized Service Point.
The regulations concerning the towing of a trailer
may differ from country to country. You are ad-
vised to obey the regulations in each area.CAUTIONl Danger of Accident!
A towing bar should be fitted according
to MITSUBISHI MOTORS guidelines.
NOTE
l 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 lis-
ted in the specifications.
(Refer to page 9-07.)
If you tow a trailer at an altitude of more than
1,000 m above sea-level, reduce your weight by
10 % of the gross combination weight for every in-
crease of 1,000 m above sea-level, as the engine out-
put is lowered owing to decrease in atmospheric
pressure.
Starting and driving
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4