sport mode MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE 2011 4.G Owners Manual

8 Quick index
Problem
Do this
Ref. page
The engine coolant tempera-
ture gauge indicator is at the
“H” (hot) position.
Steam comes out of the engine
compartment.
The engine is overheated.
Carefully stop the vehicle in a safe place.P. 6 - 6
The vehicle is stuck in sand,
mud, or snow.Move the gearshift lever or selector lever rhythmically between 1st and Reverse gears
(for vehicles with manual transaxle) or “Sports mode” and “R” (REVERSE) positions
(for vehicles with automatic transaxle), while pressing lightly on the accelerator pedal.P.6-22
WA R N I N G
!
When attempting to rock your vehicle out of a stuck position, be sure that no one is near the vehicle. The rocking
motion may cause the vehicle to suddenly lurch forward or backward, possibly injuring bystanders.
Avoid revving the engine or spinning the wheels. Prolonged efforts to free a stuck vehicle may result in overheating
and transaxle failure.
If the vehicle remains stuck after several rocking attempts, have a towing service pull the vehicle out.
BK0115900US.book 8 ページ ２００９年１０月２７日　火曜日　午後１２時１分

Quick index
9
Problem
Do this
Ref. page
The brakes are not functioning
properly after driving through
water. Dry out the brakes by driving slowly while lightly pressing the brake pedal. P.4-6
The automatic transaxle does
not shift when accelerating
and/or the vehicle does not
easily begin to move. There may be a problem in the automatic transaxle.
Have the vehicle inspected by an authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer or a repair facility
of your choice.
Shift the lever into 2nd gear of the sports mode when starting the vehicle. If the vehicle is
on a level road, shift the lever back to “D” (DRIVE) position.
(This method may or may not work depending on the type of malfunction.)P.3-80
A tire is punctured.
1. Park the vehicle in a safe place where the surface is flat and level.
2. Replace the flat tire with the spare tire.P. 6 - 9
BK0115900US.book 9 ページ ２００９年１０月２７日　火曜日　午後１２時１分

3-72 Features and controls
3
NOTE
During the break-in period or immediately after recon-
necting the battery, your vehicle may not shift smoothly.
This does not indicate a problem in the transaxle. Shifting
will become smoother once the transaxle has been shifted
several times by the electronic control system.Selector lever operation
N00513800182
As an additional safety precaution, models equipped with an
automatic transaxle have a shift-lock device that holds the
selector lever in the “P” (PARK) position. To move the selector
lever from the “P” (PARK) position to another position, follow
the steps below.
1. Press and hold the brake pedal down.
2. Move the selector lever to the desired position.NOTE
The selector lever cannot be moved from “P” (PARK) to
another position if the ignition key is at the “LOCK” posi-
tion, or has been removed, or if the brake pedal is not
pressed and held down.The transaxle has 4 forward (4-speed automatic transaxle) or 5
forward (5-speed automatic transaxle) gears and 1 reverse gear.
The individual gears are selected automatically, depending on
the position of the gear selector lever, the speed of the vehicle
and the position of the accelerator pedal.
The selector lever has 2 “gates”: the main gate (A) and the
manual gate (B).
NOTE
For information on manual gate operation, refer to “Sports
mode” on page 3-77.
BK0115900US.book 72 ページ ２００９年１０月２７日　火曜日　午後１２時１分

3-74 Features and controls
3
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.
Selector lever position indicator
N00513900327
When the ignition key is turned to the “ON” position, the cur-
rently position of the selector lever is indicated by the indicator
(A) shown on the instrument cluster {i.e. “P” (PARK), “R”
(REVERSE), “N” (NEUTRAL) or “D” (DRIVE)}.
In sports mode, the currently selected gear is indicated by the
indicator (A).

Always depress the brake pedal when shifting the
selector lever into a gear from the “N” (NEUTRAL)
position. When beginning to drive, do not shift the
selector lever from the “N” (NEUTRAL) position
while depressing the accelerator pedal. This will
cause the vehicle to “jump” forward or backward.
WA R N I N G
!
BK0115900US.book 74 ページ ２００９年１０月２７日　火曜日　午後１２時１分

Features and controls
3-75
3
When the selector lever position indicator flashes while you are
driving, there could be a malfunction in the automatic
transaxle.NOTE
In sports mode, the indication of the currently selected
gear flashes.

If the selector lever position is in the “P” (PARK), “R”
(REVERSE) or “N” (NEUTRAL) position, the indicator
does not flash.
or through or
CAUTION
!
If a malfunction occurs in the automatic transaxle
while driving, the selector lever position indicator
will flash.
In this case, immediately park your vehicle in a safe
place and follow these procedures:
{The selector lever position indicator warning func-
tion does not operate with the selector lever in the
“P” (PARK), “R” (REVERSE) or “N” (NEUTRAL)
position.}
[The selector lever position indicator flashes rapidly
(twice per second)]
The automatic transaxle 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) position and open the engine hood. Keep
the engine idling.
After a while, move the selector lever to the “D”
(DRIVE) position and confirm that the selector
lever position indicator stops flashing. It is safe to
continue driving if the selector lever position indica-
tor no longer flashes.
If the selector lever position indicator continues
flashing or flashes intermittently, have your vehicle
inspected by an authorized Mitsubishi Motors
dealer or a repair facility of your choice.
[The selector lever position indicator flashes slowly
(once per second)]
The automatic transaxle safety device may be oper-
ating due to a malfunction.
Have your vehicle inspected by an authorized
Mitsubishi Motors dealer or a repair facility of your
choice as soon as possible.
BK0115900US.book 75 ページ ２００９年１０月２７日　火曜日　午後１２時１分

Features and controls
3-77
3
“D” DRIVEThis position is used for most city and highway driving. Engine
shifting and braking are done automatically as needed, depend-
ing on road conditions.NOTE
For information on manual gate operation, please refer to
“Sports mode” on page 3-77.
Sports mode
N00514400169
Whether the vehicle is stationary or in motion, sports mode is
selected by pushing the selector lever from the “D” position
into the manual gate. To return to “D” range operation, push
the selector lever back into the main gate.
In sports mode, gear shifts can be made rapidly simply by mov-
ing the selector lever backward and forward. Sports mode
allows gear shifts with the accelerator pedal depressed.Manual gate+ (SHIFT UP)
Push the lever forward once to shift up one gear.
- (SHIFT DOWN)
Pull the lever backward once to shift down one gear.
SHIFT UP
SHIFT DOWN
BK0115900US.book 77 ページ ２００９年１０月２７日　火曜日　午後１２時１分

3-78 Features and controls
3
NOTE
In sports mode, only the 4 forward gears (4-speed auto-
matic transaxle) or 5 forward gears (5-speed automatic
transaxle) can be selected. To reverse or park the vehicle,
move the selector lever to the “R” (REVERSE) or “P”
(PARK) position in the main gate.

To maintain the required levels of vehicle performance
and safety, the system may not execute certain gear shifts
when the selector lever is operated, such as 4th or 5th gear
at low speed.

In sports mode, downward shifts are made automatically
when the vehicle slows down. When the vehicle stops, 1st
gear is automatically selected.
When pulling away from a standstill on a slippery road,
push the selector lever forward to the + (SHIFT UP) posi-
tion. This causes the transaxle to select 2nd gear, which is
better for safe driving on slippery roads. Push the selector
lever to the - (SHIFT DOWN) side to shift back to 1st
gear.

Move the selector lever gently between the manual and
main gates and between positions in the manual gate.
Excessive force could damage the selector lever.
CAUTION
!
Upward shifts do not take place automatically in
sports mode. The driver must make upward shifts in
accordance with prevailing road conditions, making
sure the engine rpm remains below the red zone on
the tachometer.
By rapidly moving the selector lever backwards
(SHIFT DOWN) twice, it is possible to skip one gear
(i.e., 3rd to 1st, 4th to 2nd or 5th to 3rd). Since sud-
den engine deceleration or acceleration can cause a
loss of traction, downshifts must be made carefully
in accordance with the vehicle’s speed.
BK0115900US.book 78 ページ ２００９年１０月２７日　火曜日　午後１２時１分

Features and controls
3-79
3
Operation of the automatic transaxle
N00514500186
Passing acceleration
N00514900047
To gain extra acceleration in “D” (DRIVE) position (when
passing another vehicle) push the accelerator to the floor. The
automatic transaxle will automatically downshift.NOTE
In sports mode, downshifts do not take place when the
accelerator is depressed all the way to the floor.Waiting
N00515000058
For short waiting periods, such as at traffic lights, the vehicle
can be left in gear and held stationary with the service brake.
For longer waiting periods with the engine running, the selec-
tor lever should be placed in the “N” (NEUTRAL) position.
CAUTION
!
Before selecting a gear with the engine running and
the vehicle stationary, fully depress the brake pedal
to prevent the vehicle from creeping.
The vehicle will begin to move as soon as the gear is
engaged, especially when the engine speed is high, at
fast idle or with the air conditioning operating, the
brakes should only be released when you are ready
to drive away.
Depress the brake pedal with the right foot at all
times.
Using the left foot could cause driver movement
delay in case of an emergency.
To prevent sudden acceleration, never run the
engine at high rpms when shifting from the “P”
(PARK) or “N” (NEUTRAL) position.
Operating the accelerator pedal while the other foot
is resting on the brake pedal will affect braking effi-
ciency and may cause premature wear of brake
pads.
Do not rev the engine with the brake pedal pressed.
This can damage the transaxle.
CAUTION
!
To avoid transaxle overheating, never try to keep
your vehicle stationary on a hill by using the acceler-
ator pedal. Always apply the parking brake and/or
service brake.
Unexpected acceleration may occur if the selector
lever is in a position other than “P” (PARK) or “N”
(NEUTRAL).
Prior to moving off after having stopped the vehicle,
make sure that the selector lever is in “D” (DRIVE)
position or “Sports mode” position.
BK0115900US.book 79 ページ ２００９年１０月２７日　火曜日　午後１２時１分

3-80 Features and controls
3
Parking
N00515100017
To park the vehicle, first bring it to a complete stop, fully
engage the parking brake, and then move the selector lever to
the “P” (PARK) position.When the automatic transaxle makes no speed change
N00515300064
If the transaxle does not change gears while driving, or your
vehicle does not pick up enough speed when starting on an
uphill slope, it may be that there is something unusual happen-
ing in the transaxle, causing a safety device to activate. Have
your vehicle checked at an authorized Mitsubishi Motors
dealer or a repair facility of your choice as soon as possible.
1. If your vehicle has difficulty moving uphill, shift the
selector lever into 2nd gear of the sports mode.
This method might not work depending on the type of
transaxle malfunction.
2. Once the vehicle is moving on a level road, move the
selector lever back to “D” (DRIVE) position.NOTE
When the selector lever position indicator in the instru-
ment cluster flashes, it means that there is an abnormal
condition in the transaxle. Refer to “Selector lever posi-
tion indicator” on page 3-74.
Service brake
N00517500187
Brake pedalOveruse of the brake can cause poor brake response and pre-
mature wear of the brake pads.
When driving down a long or steep hill, use engine braking by
shifting the transaxle into a lower gear (manual transaxle) or a
lower gear of the sports mode (automatic transaxle).
WA R N I N G
!
Do not leave any objects near the brake pedal or let
a floor mat slide under it; doing so could prevent the
full pedal stroke that would be necessary in an emer-
gency. Make sure that the pedal can be operated
freely at all times. Make sure the floor mat is
securely held in place.
CAUTION
!
It is important not to drive the vehicle with your foot
resting on the brake pedal when braking is not
required. This practice can result in very high brake
temperatures, premature pad wear, and possible
damage to the brakes.
BK0115900US.book 80 ページ ２００９年１０月２７日　火曜日　午後１２時１分

6-22 For emergencies
6
Towing with front wheels off the ground (Type C)Release the parking brake.
Place the gearshift lever in the “Neutral” position (manual
transaxle) or the selector lever in the “N” (NEUTRAL) posi-
tion (automatic transaxle).
Operation under adverse driving conditions
N00837200659
If your vehicle becomes stuck in sand, mud or
snow If your vehicle becomes stuck in snow, sand, or mud, it can
often be moved by a rocking motion. Move the gearshift lever
(manual transaxle) or selector lever (automatic transaxle)
rhythmically between 1st and Reverse position (with manual
transaxle) or “Sports mode” and “R” (REVERSE) position
(with automatic transaxle), while pressing lightly on the accel-
erator pedal.
Do not race the engine nor spin the wheels. Constant efforts to
free a stuck vehicle can cause overheating and transaxle fail-
ure. Let the engine idle for a few minutes to cool the transaxle
before trying again.
If your vehicle is still stuck after several rocking attempts, call
for a commercial tow truck service.
WA R N I N G
!
To prevent entry of exhaust gas from the towing
vehicle, set the selection switch to the recirculation
position.
WA R N I N G
!
When trying to rock your vehicle out of a stuck posi-
tion, make sure that there are no people nearby. The
rocking motion can make your vehicle suddenly
lurch forward or backward, and injure any
bystanders.
BK0115900US.book 22 ページ ２００９年１０月２７日　火曜日　午後１２時１分