brakes MITSUBISHI I-MIEV 2011 Owners Manual

Approx.
ambient tempera- ture Phenomena Corrective action
Approx. -25 °C or
lower (including
the phenomena of approx. -15 °C or lower) Startup and driving
l
Driving performance decreases by approximately 50%. Continue driving. (As the traction battery
temperature rises, the output restriction
will gradually be removed.)
Charging and battery l
Charging
may become impossible. (When the traction battery tem-
perature is -25 °C or lower, charging is limited to protect the trac-
tion battery.) When you have finished driving, charge
the traction battery before its temperature
falls.Approx. -30 °C or
lower (including
the phenomena of approx. -15 °C or
lower and -25 °C or lower) Startup and driving l
The
ready indicator* 3
does not come on, and startup may not be
possible.
l In the worst-case scenario, the vehicle may become undrivable
(with the energy level gauge and cruising range indications still
shown). In the daytime, wait for the temperature
to
rise. When the temperature in the vicin-
ity of the traction battery has risen, start
up. (Once you start driving, the traction
battery temperature will rise. Provided
the traction battery has some power, the
vehicle will not stop.)
l Regenerative braking performance may decrease.
To decelerate, press the brake pedal.
(The deterioration in regenerative brak-
ing performance is like a deterioration in
engine braking in a petrol- or diesel-en-
gine version. If you press the brake ped-
al, the brakes will work.)NOTE
l *1
: Refer to “Power down warning lamp” on page

4-11. Illumination of the power down warning lamp does not indicate a malfunction.
l *2
: Refer to “Energy level gauge” on page 4-06.
l *3
: Refer to “Ready indicator” on page 4-09. General information
07
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NOTE
l Depressing
the brake pedal repeat-
edly may turn on the brake warn-
ing lamp and brake warning buz-
zer. It is normal if the lamp goes
out and the buzzer stops sounding
after a few seconds. CAUTION
l
In
the situations listed below,
brake performance may be com-
promised or the vehicle may be-
come unstable if brakes are ap-
plied suddenly; consequently,
avoid driving at high speeds or
applying the brakes suddenly.
Furthermore, the vehicle
should be brought to a stop in a
safe location and to have it
checked. • The brake warning lampdoes not illuminate when
the parking brake is applied
or does not turn off when
the parking brake is re-
leased.
• The brake warning lamp re- mains illuminated during
driving.
• The brake warning lamp and ABS warning lamp are
both illuminated at the
same time. Refer to “ABS
warning lamp” on page
5-14.
• The brake warning buzzer will not stop sounding. CAUTION
l
The
vehicle should be brought
to a halt in the following man-
ner when brake performance
has deteriorated. • Depress the brake pedalharder than usual.
Even if the brake pedal
moves down to the very end
of its possible stroke, keep it
pressed down hard.
• Should the brakes fail, use regenerative braking to re-
duce your speed and careful-
ly pull the parking brake lev-
er.
Depress the brake pedal to
operate the stop lamp to
alert the vehicles behind you.
NOTE l Operation

sounds of the brake elec-
tric vacuum pump may be heard
from the electric motor unit room
just after the electric motor switch
has been turned “ON” or when the
brake pedal is depressed.
This occurs when the brake elec-
tric vacuum pump is operating nor-
mally and does not indicate faulty
operation. Auxiliary battery charge warn-
ing lamp
E00502701219
This

warning lamp will illuminate when
there is a fault with the charging system
of the auxiliary battery.
Normally, when the electric motor
switch is turned to the “ON” position,
this warning lamp will illuminate. When
the electric motor unit is started, the
lamp goes out. CAUTION
l
If
it illuminates while the ready
indicator is illuminated, there is
a problem in the charging sys-
tem. In this case, immediately
park your vehicle in a safe
place and we recommend you
to have it checked. Door ajar warning lamp
E00503300840
This

lamp illuminates when either of the
doors (also, the tailgate) is not complete-
ly closed.
If the vehicle speed exceeds about
8 km/h (5 mph) with a door ajar, the warn-
ing lamp will flash 16 times and, at the
same time, the buzzer will sound 16
times to notify the driver that a door is
ajar. Instruments and controls
4-10
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WARNING
l Avoid sudden regenerative braking when
driving on wet or icy roads. Using sudden
regenerative braking under these condi-
tions could cause the vehicle to skid, re-
sulting in a serious accident.
NOTE l When

the traction battery level is nearly full
or the traction battery temperature is low, the
regenerative braking performance may be
weakened. In this case, drive the vehicle at a
low speed.
“C” COMFORT
This position gives weaker regenerative braking
than the “D” (DRIVE) position. It enables relaxed
driving in circumstances in which you do not accel-
erate or decelerate much (for example, suburban
driving). It is intended for long cruising. Driving the vehicle
E00629700016
Operation of the transmission E00629800020 CAUTION
l
Before
selecting a position with the elec-
tric motor unit 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 transmission is engaged, the brakes
should only be released when you are
ready to drive away.
l Depress the brake pedal with the right
foot at all times.
Using the left foot could cause driver move-
ment delay in case of an emergency.
l Operating the accelerator pedal while the
other foot is resting on the brake pedal
will affect braking efficiency and may
cause premature wear of brake pads.
Waiting E00630900018
For short waiting periods, such as at traffic signals
the

vehicle can be left in selector lever position and
held stationary with the service brake.
For longer waiting periods with the electric motor
unit running, place the selector lever in the “N”
(NEUTRAL) position and apply the parking brake,
while holding the vehicle stationary with the serv-
ice brake. CAUTION
l
Never
hold the vehicle stationary while in
transmission on a hill with the accelera-
tor, always apply the parking brake and/
or service brake.
Parking E00631000016
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.
If you are going to leave the vehicle unattended, al-
ways switch off the electric motor unit and carry
the key.
NOTE
l On a slope, be sure to apply the parking
brake before moving the selector lever to the
“P” (PARK) position. If you move the selec-
tor lever to the “P” (PARK) position before
applying the parking brake, it may be diffi-
cult to disengage the selector lever from the
“P” (PARK) position when you next drive
the vehicle, requiring application of a strong
force to the selector lever to move it from the
“P” (PARK) position. Starting and driving
5-11 5
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Inspection and maintenance
following rough road operation E00606700383
After
operating the vehicle in rough road condi-
tions, be sure to perform the following inspection
and maintenance procedures:
l Check that the vehicle has not been damaged
by rocks, gravel, etc.
l Carefully wash the vehicle with water.
Drive the vehicle slowly while lightly depress-
ing the brake pedal in order to dry out the
brakes. If the brakes still do not function prop-
erly, we recommend you to have the brakes
checked as soon as possible.
l Remove the insects, dried grass, etc. clog-
ging the radiator core.
l Check the inside of the vehicle. If water en-
try is found, dry the carpet etc.
l Inspect the headlamps, If the headlamp bulb
is flooded with water, we recommend you to
have it drained. Braking
E00607001830
All
the parts of the brake system are critical to safe-
ty. We recommend you to have the vehicle
checked at regular intervals according to the serv-
ice booklet. CAUTION
l
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 fading.
Brake system
The
service brake is divided into two brake cir-
cuits. And your vehicle is equipped with power
brakes. If one brake circuit fails, the other is availa-
ble to stop the vehicle. If you should lose the pow-
er assist for some reason, the brakes will still work.
In these situations, even if the brake pedal moves
down to the very end of its possible stroke or re-
sists being depressed, keep depressing the brake ped-
al down harder and further than usual; stop driving
as soon as possible and have the brake system re-
paired. WARNING
l Do
not turn off the electric motor unit
while your vehicle is in motion. If you
turn off the electric motor unit while driv-
ing, the power assistance for the braking
system will stop working and your brakes
will not work effectively. WARNING
l If
the power assist is lost or if either
brake hydraulic system stops working
properly, have your vehicle checked im-
mediately.
Warning lamp
The
brake warning lamp illuminates to indicate a
fault in the braking system. Refer to “Brake warn-
ing lamp” on page 4-09.
When brakes are wet
Check the brake system while driving at a low
speed immediately after starting, especially when
the brakes are wet, to confirm they work normally.
A film of water can be formed on the brake discs
or brake drums and prevent normal braking after
driving in heavy rain or through large puddles, or
after the vehicle is washed. If this occurs, dry the
brakes out by driving slowly while lightly depress-
ing the brake pedal.
When driving downhill
It is important to take advantage of regenerative
braking by shifting to the “B” (BRAKE) position
while driving on steep downhill roads in order to
prevent the brakes from overheating. Starting and driving
5-12
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WARNING
l Do not leave any objects near the brake
pedal or let a floor mat slide under it; do-
ing 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. Make sure the floor
mat is securely held in place.
Brake pad and linings l Avoid hard braking situations.
New

brakes need to be broken-in by moder-
ate use for the first 200 km (125 miles).
l The disc brakes are provided with a warning
device which emits a shrieking metallic
sound while braking if the brake pads have
reached their wear limit. If you hear this
sound, have the brake pads replaced immedi-
ately. WARNING
l Driving
with worn brake pads will make
it harder to stop, and can cause an acci-
dent. Brake assist system
E00627000174
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. CAUTION
l
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. Starting and driving
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Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
E00607101394
The
anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps prevent
the wheels from locking during braking. This helps
maintain vehicle drivability and steering wheel han-
dling.
Driving hints
l Always keep a safe distance from the vehicle
in front of you. Even if your vehicle is equip-
ped with ABS, leave a greater braking dis-
tance when:
• Driving on gravel or snow-covered roads.
• Driving with tyre chains installed.
• Driving on uneven road surfaces.
l Operation of ABS is not restricted to situa-
tions where brakes are applied suddenly.
This system may also prevent the wheels
from locking when you drive over manholes,
steel roadwork plates, road markings, or any
uneven road surface.
l When the ABS is activated, you may feel the
brake pedal pulsation and the vibrations of
the vehicle body and steering wheel. It may
also feel as if the pedal resists being pressed.
In this situation, simply hold the brake ped-
al down firmly. Do not pump the brake,
which will result in reduced braking per-
formance.
l An operation noise may be emitted from the
bonnet room in the following situations. The
sound is associated with checking the opera-
tions of the anti-lock brake system.
At this time, you may feel a shock from the
brake pedal if you depress it. These do not in-
dicate a malfunction.
• When the electric motor switch is turnedto the “ON” position. • When the vehicle is driven for a while af-
ter the electric motor is turned on.
l The ABS can be used after the vehicle has
reached a speed over approximately 10 km/h
(6 mph). It stops working when the vehicle
slows below approximately 5 km/h (3 mph). CAUTION
l
The
ABS cannot prevent accidents. It is
your responsibility to take safety precau-
tions and to drive carefully.
l To prevent failure of the ABS, be sure
wheels and tyres are of the specified size
and the same type.
l Do not install any aftermarket limited-
slip differential (LSD) on your vehicle.
The ABS may stop functioning properly.
ABS warning lamp E00607201207 If there is a malfunction in the system, the ABS
warning lamp will come on.Under normal conditions, the ABS warning lamp
only

comes on when the electric motor switch is
turned to the “ON” position and goes off a few sec-
onds later. CAUTION
l
Any
of the following indicates that the
ABS is not functioning and only the stand-
ard brake system is working. (The stand-
ard brake system is functioning normal-
ly.) If this happens, we recommend you to
have your vehicle inspected as soon as pos-
sible. • When the electric motor switch isturned to the “ON” position, the warn-
ing lamp does not come on or it re-
mains on and does not go off.
• The warning lamp comes on while driv- ing
If the warning lamp illuminates while
driving E00607301338
If only the ABS warning lamp illuminates
Avoid
hard braking and high-speed driving. Stop
the vehicle in a safe place, put the selector lever to
the “P” (PARK) position and turn off the electric
motor unit.
Restart the electric motor unit 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 warning lamp does not disappear,
or if it comes on again when the vehicle is driven,
we recommend you to have the vehicle checked. Starting and driving
5-14
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CAUTION
l
The person in the vehicle being towed
must pay attention to the brake lamps of
the towing vehicle and make sure the
rope never becomes slack.
l Avoid sudden braking, sudden accelera-
tion and sharp turning; such operation
could cause damage to the towing hooks
or the tow rope.
People in the vicinity could be injured as
a result.
l When towing or being towed down a long
slope, the brakes may overheat reducing
the effectiveness. In this situation, have
your vehicle transported by a tow truck.
l When the vehicle is to be towed by anoth-
er vehicle with all wheels on the ground,
make sure that the towing speed and dis-
tance given below are never exceeded,
causing damage to the transmission.

Towing speed: 30 km/h (19 mph)
Towing distance: 30 km (19 miles)

For the towing speed and the towing dis-
tance, follow the local driving laws and
regulations.
Towing another vehicle
Your
vehicle cannot be used to tow another vehicle. Operation under adverse driving
conditions E00801702717
On a flooded road l Do

not drive on a flooded road. If you drive
on a flooded road, not only the electric motor
unit stops but also a failure like electric leak-
age or short circuit may occur.
If you inevitably had to run on a flooded
road and the vehicle was exposed to water,
be sure to have your vehicle inspected by a
MITSUBISHI MOTORS Authorized Service
Point.
l If there is water on the brakes after driving
through puddles or washing the vehicle, re-
sulting in temporarily ineffective brakes. In
such cases, lightly depress the brake pedal to
see if the brakes operate properly. If they do
not, lightly depress the pedal several times
while driving in order to dry the brake pads.
l When driving in rain or on a road with many
puddles a layer of water may form between
the tyres and the road surface.
This reduces a tyre’s frictional resistance on
the road, resulting in loss of steering stability
and braking capability.

To cope with this, observe the following items:
(a) Drive your vehicle at slow speed.
(b) Do not drive on worn tyres.
(c) Always maintain the specified tyre inflation pressures. On a snow-covered or frozen road
l When
driving on a snow-covered or frozen
road, it is recommended that you use snow
tyres or tyre chains.
Refer to the “Snow tyres” and “Tyre chains”
sections.
l Avoid high-speed driving, sudden accelera-
tion, sudden braking, and sharp turns.
l Depressing the brake pedal during travel on
snowy or icy roads may cause tyre slippage
and skidding. Tyres may slip if the ability of
the tyres to grip the road surface lessens.
This may make it more difficult to stop the
vehicle with normal braking operations. For
vehicles with an anti-lock brake system
(ABS), firmly depress and hold down the
brake pedal.
l Allow extra distance between your vehicle
and the vehicle in front of you, and avoid sud-
den braking.
l Accumulation of ice on the braking system
can cause the wheels to lock. Pull away from
a standstill slowly after confirming safety
around the vehicle. CAUTION
l
Do
not press the accelerator pedal rapid-
ly. If the wheels break free of the ice, the
vehicle could suddenly start moving and
possibly cause an accident.
On a bumpy or rutted road
Drive
as slow as possible when driving on bumpy
or rutted roads. For emergencies
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WARNING
vehicle. They may cause heat distortion
and damage to the vehicle resin parts and
may result in flooding of the vehicle inte-
rior.
Therefore; • Maintain a distance of approx. 70 cmor more between the vehicle body and
the washing nozzle.
• When washing around the door glass, hold the nozzle at a distance of more
than 70 cm and at right angles to the
glass surface.
l After washing the vehicle, drive the vehi-
cle slowly while lightly depressing the
brake pedal several times in order to dry
out the brakes.
Leaving the brakes wet could result in re-
duced braking performance. Also, there
is a possibility that they could freeze up
or become inoperative due to rust, render-
ing the vehicle unable to move.
l When using an automatic car wash, pay
attention to the following items, referring
to the operation manual or consulting a
car wash operator. If the following proce-
dure is not followed, it could result in dam-
age to your vehicle.
• The outside mirrors are retracted.
• The antenna is removed.
• The wiper arms are secured in placewith tape.
• If your vehicle is equipped with a rear spoiler, consult a car wash operator be-
fore using the car wash. During cold weather
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 ve-
hicle as often as possible in accordance with our
care-instructions. It is recommended to have a pres-
ervative applied and the underfloor protection
checked before and after the cold weather season.
After washing your vehicle, wipe off all water-
drops from the rubber parts around the doors to pre-
vent the doors from freezing.
NOTE
l To prevent freezing of the weatherstripping
on the doors, bonnet, etc., they should be trea-
ted with silicone spray.
Waxing E08400800012
Waxing the vehicle will help prevent the adherence
of

dust and road chemicals to the paintwork. Apply
a wax solution after washing 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
l
Waxes
containing high abrasive com-
pounds should not be used. Such waxes re-
move rust and stains effectively from the
paintwork but they are harmful to the lus-
tre on the painted surface and the plated
surface.
Further, they are harmful to glossy surfa-
ces such as grille, garnish, mouldings, etc. CAUTION
l
Do
not use petrol or paint thinners to re-
move road tar or other contamination to
the painted surface.
l Do not apply wax to sections that have a
black mat paint coating, as doing so
could cause uneven discolouration, spots
or stains. If wax gets on such areas, wipe
it off using lukewarm water and a soft
cloth.
Polishing E08400900013
The vehicle should only be polished if the paint-
work

has become stained or lost its lustre. Do not
polish parts with a mat coating and the plastic bump-
ers. Doing so could cause stains or damage the finish.
Damaged paint E08401000011
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 care-
fully for damage to the paint caused by gravels,
etc. The paint code number for your vehicle can be
found on the vehicle information code plate. (Refer
to “Vehicle information code plate” on page 9-02.)
Cleaning plastic parts E08401100012
Use a sponge or chamois leather.
If

a car wax adheres on a grey or black rough sur-
face of the bumper, moulding or lamps, the surface
becomes white. In such a case, wipe it off using
lukewarm water and soft cloth or chamois leather. Vehicle care and Maintenance
8-04
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