MITSUBISHI L200 2004 Owner's Manual (in English)

STARTING AND DRIVING
5-25 Examples of incorrect use of the
rear differential lock
EI34C-Ab
WARNINGDo not use the rear differential lock
when driving on normal roads.
Incorrect use of it may make the
vehicles difficult to turn or may
change its direction abruptly. Be
sure to confirm that the operation
indication lamp is off when driving
on normal roads.
(1) If the rear differential lock is
used by mistake when driving
on a paved road: With the rear
differential lock on, the power to
drive the vehicle straight ahead
becomes very strong, which
may make it difficult to turn the
steering wheel.
(2) If the rear differential lock is
used by mistake when turning a
curve or making a right or left
turn at a crossing or the like: The
vehicle is unable to make a turn
and may go straight ahead.
(3) If the rear differential lock is
used by mistake except when
making an emergency escape
on snow or frozen road: It be-
comes difficult to make a steady
turn.
(4) In the case where the condition
of the road is different for the
right tyre to drive on than that
from the left tyre (such as one
tyre on a paved road and the
other on ice), direction of the
vehicle may change abruptly
when engine braking or acceler-
ating.
Do not use the rear differential
lock except when making an
emergency escape on a snow or
frozen road, but drive with 4WD.
I34B012
(3)
(4)
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STARTING AND DRIVING
5-26
Correct 4-wheel drive
operation
EI32ABDa
By shifting lock to 4-wheel drive (4H, 4L),
both axles of the vehicle are rigidly con-
nected with each other. This improves the
traction characteristics. When turning
sharp corners or moving forward and
backward repeatedly, however, the drive
line is stressed, which is felt as a braking
effect. A 4-wheel drive vehicle can accele-
rate more quickly and smoothly.
However, note that the braking distance is
not shorter than that of a rear-wheel drive
vehicle.
When using 4-wheel drive on rough roads
(snow, mud, sand, etc.), it is important to
operate the vehicle correctly.
NOTE
(1) The driving posture should be more
upright and closer to the wheel than
usual; adjust the seat to a good posi-
tion for easy steering and pedal oper-
ation. Be sure to wear the seat belt.
(2) After driving on rough roads, check
each part of the vehicle and wash it
thoroughly with water. Refer to the
“Vehicle care” section and “Inspection
and maintenance following rough
road operation” sections.Driving on dry paved road and highway
Select 2WD (2H) to drive on dry paved
roads. Especially on dry highway, never
select the 4WD (4H or 4L).
CAUTIONSelecting 4-wheel drive to drive on
dry paved road will increase the fuel
consumption with possible noise
generation and early tyre wear.
It may also increase the differential
oil temperature, resulting in possible
damage to the driving system. Fur-
ther, the drive train will be subjected
to excessive loading, possibly lead-
ing to oil leakage, component
seizure, or other serious faults.
Driving on snowy or icy roads
Set the transfer shift lever to “4H” or “4L” in
accordance with the road conditions, and
then gradually depress the accelerator
pedal for a smooth start.
NOTE
(1) The use of snow tyres and/or tyre
chains is recommended.
(2) Maintain a safe distance between
vehicles, avoid sudden braking, and
use engine braking (downshifting).
CAUTIONAvoid sudden braking, sudden ac-
celeration, and sharp turning; such
operations could cause skidding
and spinouts.
Driving on sandy or muddy roads
Set the transfer shift lever to “4H” or “4L”,
and then gradually depress the accelera-
tor pedal for a smooth start. Keep the
pressure on the accelerator pedal as con-
stant as possible, and drive at low speed.
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STARTING AND DRIVING
5-27
CAUTIONS(1) Do not force the vehicle to driver
recklessly on sandy surfaces. In
comparison with normal road
surfaces, the engine and other
drive-system components are
put under excessive strain when
driving on such a surface, and
this could lead to accidents.
(2) If any of following conditions
occur while the vehicle is being
driven, immediately park your
vehicle in a safe place and follow
this procedure:
• The needle in the temperature
gauge approaches the over-
heating zone.
Refer to the “Engine overheat-
ing” on page 8-23.
• A/T fluid temperature warning
lamp illuminates.
Refer to the “A/T warning
lamp” on page 4-8.
(4) If it is necessary to drive in extremely
muddy conditions, the use of tyre
chains is recommended. Because the
extent of muddy conditions is difficult
to judge and the vehicle could be-
come bogged down very deeply, op-
eration should be at a low speed. If
possible, get out of the vehicle and
check the conditions ahead before
proceeding.
(5) Driving over roads in coastal areas or
roads on which anti-skid preparations
have been spread can cause rust
on the vehicle; wash the vehicle
thoroughly as soon as possible after
such use.
WARNINGWhen attempting to rock your vehi-
cle out of a stuck position, be sure
that the area around the vehicle is
clear of people and physical objects.
The rocking motion may cause the
vehicle to suddenly launch forward
or backward, causing injury or dam-
age to nearby people or objects.
NOTE
(1) Avoid sudden braking, acceleration,
and turning; such operations could
result in the vehicle becoming stuck.
(2) If the vehicle becomes stuck in sandy
or muddy roads, it can often be
moved by a rocking motion. Move the
selector lever alternately between the
“D” (DRIVE) and “R” (REVERSE)
position, (with manual transmission,
between 1st and Reverse), while
applying slight pressure to the accel-
erator pedal.
(3) It is recommended to start the vehicle
with parking brake partially, but not
completely, applied by slightly pulling
the parking brake lever.
After the vehicle has become free, do
not forget to release the parking
brake.
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STARTING AND DRIVING
5-28 Climbing sharp grades
Set the transfer shift lever to “4L” to max-
imize the engine torque.
WARNING(1) Go straight up. Do not try to
traverse across a steep slope.
(2) If you begin to lose traction,
ease off the accelerator pedal
and gently turn the steering
wheel alternately left and right to
regain adequate traction again.
NOTE
(1) Choose as smooth a slope as possi-
ble with few stones or other obsta-
cles.
(2) The climbing ability is approximate
35° grade on dry pavement.
(3) Before attempting to drive up the
slope, walk up it to confirm that the
vehicle can handle the gradient.
Descending sharp grades
Set the transfer shift lever to “4L”, use the
engine brake (downshifting) and descend
slowly.
WARNINGAvoid snaking down a sharp gra-
dient. Descend the grade as straight
as possible.
NOTE
(1) When descending a sharp grade, if the
brakes are applied suddenly because
of an obstacle encountered, control of
the vehicle could be lost. Before de-
scending the slope, walk down it and
confirm the path.
(2) Before descending a grade, it is neces-
sary to choose the appropriate gear.
Avoid changing gears or depressing the
clutch while descending the grade.
(3) MITSUBISHI is not responsible to the
operator for any damage or injury
caused or liability incurred by the im-
proper and negligent operation of a ve-
hicle. All techniques of vehicle opera-
tion described herein depend on the
skill and experience of the operator
and other participating parties, and any
deviation from the recommended oper-
ating instructions above is at their own
risk.
Turning sharp corners
When turning a sharp corner in “4H” or
“4L” position at low speed, a slight differ-
ence in steering may be experienced
similar to as if the brakes were applied.
This is called tight corner braking and
results from each of the four tyres being at
a different distance from the corner.
The phenomenon is peculiar to 4-wheel
drive vehicles. If this occurs, either
straighten the steering wheel, or change
to rear-wheel drive.
Crossing a stream (fording)
4-wheel drive vehicles are not necessarily
waterproof. If the electrical circuits be-
come wet, further operation of the vehicle
will be impossible; therefore, avoid cross-
ing streams unless absolutely necessary.
If crossing a stream is unavoidable, use
the following procedure:
(1) Check depths of a stream and geo-
graphical features before attempting
to cross a stream and ford the stream
where the water is as shallow as prac-
ticable.
(2) Set the transfer shift lever to “4L”.
(3) Drive slowly at a speed of approxi-
mately 5 km/h (3 mph) to avoid
splashing too much water.
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STARTING AND DRIVING
5-29
CAUTIONNever cross a stream where the
water is deep.
Do not change gears while crossing
the stream.
Frequent crossing of streams can
adversely affect the life span of the
vehicle; consult an authorized
MITSUBISHI dealer and take the ne-
cessary measures to prepare, in-
spect, and repair the vehicle.
After crossing a stream, apply the brakes
to be sure they are functioning properly. If
the brakes are wet and not functioning
properly, dry them out by driving slowly
while lightly depressing the brake pedal.
Inspect each part of the vehicle carefully.
Refer to the “Inspection and maintenance
following rough road operation” section.
Cautions on handling of
4WD vehicles
EI49A-Ce
Tyres and wheels
Since the driving torque can be applied to
the 4 wheels, the performance of the vehi-
cle when operating in 4WD is greatly
affected by the condition of the tyres.
Pay close attention to the tyres.
• Install specified tyres on all wheels. Re-
fer to the “Tyres and wheels” on page
10-8, 10-14, 10-22.
• All tyres should be rotated whenever the
wear difference between front and rear
tyres is recognizable.
Good vehicle performance cannot be
expected if there is a difference in wear
between tyres. Refer to the “Tyre rota-
tion” on page 9-11.
• Check the tyre inflation pressure regu-
larly.
Inspection and maintenance
following rough road operation
After operating the vehicle in rough road
conditions, be sure to perform the following
inspection and maintenance procedures:
(1) Check that the vehicle has not been
damaged by rocks, gravel, etc.
(2) Carefully wash the vehicle with water.
Drive the vehicle slowly while lightly
depressing the brake pedal in order to
dry out the brakes. If the brakes still
do not function properly, contact an
authorized MITSUBISHI dealer as
soon as possible to have the brakes
checked.
(3) Remove the insects, dried grass, etc.
clogging the radiator core.
(4) If a stream has been crossed, check
the engine, transmission, and differ-
ential oil and propeller shaft grease. If
the oil or grease is milky or cloudy
because of water contamination, it
must be replaced with new oil.
(5) Check the inside of the vehicle. If
ingress of water is found, dry the car-
pet etc.
(6) Inspect the headlamps. If the head-
lamp bulb is flooded with water, have
the headlamp drained off at an autho-
rized MITSUBISHI dealer.
(7) Have an authorized MITSUBISHI
dealer replace grease in the wheel
bearing.
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STARTING AND DRIVING
5-30
CAUTIONAlways use tyres of the same size,
same type, and same brand, and
which have no wear differences. Us-
ing tyres which differ in size, type,
brand or the degree of wear will in-
crease the differential oil tempera-
ture, resulting in possible damage to
the driving system.
Further, the drive train will be sub-
jected to excessive loading, possi-
bly leading to oil leakage, compo-
nent seizure, or other serious faults.
Jacking up vehicle on 4-wheel
drive vehicles
CAUTIONDo not crank the engine while jack-
ing up the vehicle.
The tyre on the ground may turn and
the vehicle may roll off the jack.
Operate clutch pedal slowly and
positively
Quick or slight clutch engagement made
while the engine is running at high speed
will cause damage to the clutch and trans-
mission because the tractive force is very
great.
Operate the pedal slowly and positively.
Parking brakeEI07A-Tb
To park the vehicle, first bring it to a com-
plete stop, fully engage the parking brake,
and then move the gearshift level to 1st
(on an uphill) or Reverse (on a downhill)
position for vehicles with a manual trans-
mission or set the selector lever to the “P”
(PARK) position on automatic transmis-
sion vehicles.
Type 1
To apply
1 - Pull the lever up without pushing the
button at the end of the hand grip.
I07A008
1
Type 1
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STARTING AND DRIVING
5-31
To release
1 - Pull the lever up slightly.
2 - Push the button at the end of the hand
grip.
3 - Push the lever downward.When parking on a hill, apply the parking
brake and turn the front wheels toward the
kerb on a downhill grade; away from the
kerb on an uphill grade.
CAUTIONBefore driving, be sure that the park-
ing brake is fully released and the
brake warning lamp is off.
If a vehicle is driven without releas-
ing the parking brake, the brake will
be overheated, resulting in ineffec-
tive braking and possible brake fail-
ure.
Type 2
To apply
1 - Pull the lever out without pushing the
button at the end of the lever.
To release
2 - Push the button at the end of the
lever, and turn it to the right and then
push it in.
I07A036
1
2
3
I07A028
1
2
Type 2
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STARTING AND DRIVING
5-32
ParkingEI22A-Ak
Parking on a slope
Fully engage the parking brake, and then
move the gearshift lever to 1st (on an up-
hill) or reverse (on a downhill) position on
manual transmission vehicle.
On automatic transmission vehicle, move
the selector lever to “P” (PARK) position.
When parking on a hill, apply chocks to
wheels for greater safety.
Parking with the engine running
Do not keep the engine running in a
closed or poorly ventilated place. Carbon
monoxide gas is odourless and extremely
poisonous and dangerous.
Where you park
Do not park in a place where there are in-
flammable objects such as dry grass,
leaves, etc. because the exhaust system
with catalyst produces very high tempera-
tures. This may cause a fire.
When leaving the vehicle
Always remove the key from the ignition
switch and lock all doors when leaving the
vehicle unattended.
Always try to park your vehicle in a well lit
area.
BrakingEI23A-Me
All the parts of the brake system are cri-
tical 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, how-
ever, the brake pedal must be de-
pressed further than usual; stop driv-
ing as soon as possible and have the
brake system repaired at the nearest
authorized 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 important
when the vehicle is being towed.
(3) On diesel-powered vehicles, the
brake booster will no longer function if
the V-belt is broken, and the brake
failure warning lamp will illuminate to
inform the driver. If this happens, use
engine braking (down-shifting) to re-
duce the speed of the vehicle and
then depress the brake pedal withmore force than usual to stop the
vehicle in a safe place, and have the
brake system serviced at the nearest
authorized MITSUBISHI dealer.
Warning lamp
The brake warning lamp lets you know if
your brake system is working properly.
Read “Brake warning lamp” on page 4-9.
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
or brake drums and prevent normal func-
tioning 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 the en-
gine braking by shifting to a lower gear
while driving on steep downhill roads in
order to prevent the brakes from overheat-
ing.
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STARTING AND DRIVING
5-33 Brake pads and linings
(1) With new brake pads or linings, avoid
where possible sudden full applica-
tion of the brakes for the first 200 km
(125 miles) 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 emer-
gency. Make sure that the pedal
can be operated freely at all
times.
(2) Avoid driving habits that may
lead to sudden braking and
never “ride” the brakes by rest-
ing your foot on the brake pedal
while driving.
It causes brake overheating and
fade.
• Driving on gravel or snow-covered
roads.
• Driving with tyre chains installed.
• Driving on roads where the road
surface is pitted or has other differ-
ences in surface height.
• Driving on bumpy roads or other
poor driving surfaces.
(3) Operation of the ABS is not restricted
to situations where brakes are applied
suddenly. This system may also oper-
ate to prevent wheel lock when you
are driving over manholes, steel road-
work plates, or the vehicle is driven
over steps or level differences in the
road, road markings, or other sur-
faces which are difficult for the wheels
to grip.
(4) When the ABS is activated, you may
feel the brake pedal pulsating and
hear a characteristic noise. Also at
this time, it may feel as if the pedal at-
tempts 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.Anti-lock brake system
(ABS)*
EI24APD
Environmental conditions can have an ef-
fect 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 ef-
fectiveness 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 during braking, thus maintaining
directional stability, ensuring controllabi-
lity, and providing optimum braking force.
Driving hints
(1) With ABS fitted, steering during sud-
den braking (when the ABS functions)
differs slightly from when the brakes
are not being applied.
Steer the vehicle carefully in these
conditions.
(2) Always maintain the same distance
from the vehicle in front of you as you
would for a vehicle not equipped with
an ABS.
Compared with vehicles not fitted
with ABS, your vehicle may require a
longer stopping distance in the follow-
ing cases:
05engL2_240082_4 22-01-2004 13:05 Page 5-33

STARTING AND DRIVING
5-34
CAUTION(1) Even the ABS can not prevent
the natural laws of physics from
acting on the vehicle. It cannot
for instance avoid accidents that
may result from excessive
speed on bends, following an-
other vehicle too closely or
aquaplaning. It should remain
the driver’s task to observe
safety precautions to judge
speeds and brake applications
correctly in such conditions.
(2) Be sure to use tyres of the same
type and size on four wheels.
If tyre types or sizes are mixed,
the ABS may not function nor-
mally.
(3) Never install a limited slip differ-
ential, which is not MITSUBISHI
Genuine parts, as the ABS may
not function normally.
Please consult an authorized
MITSUBISHI dealer.
(4) On vehicles with rear differential
lock, the stability of the vehicle
position may be decreased on
some road surfaces during
brake application, when rear
lock is in operation as compared
with that secured while brakes
are applied without the rear dif-
ferential lock in operation even
though the vehicle is equipped
with the ABS Except when the
vehicle has to pull out, be sure
to keep the rear differential lock
in the OFF state. Refer to “Rear
differential lock” on page 5-23.
Warning lamp
A - Diesel-powered vehicles
B - Petrol-powered vehicles
The ABS warning lamp should illuminate
when the ignition switch is turned “ON”,
and should go off in a few seconds.
CAUTIONIf the warning lamp stays ON or does
not illuminate when the ignition
switch is turned “ON”, it indicates
that the ABS is not functioning and
that only the standard brake system
is in operation. (In this condition the
standard brake system will still func-
tion.) Please contact the nearest au-
thorized MITSUBISHI dealer for in-
spection.
I24A025B
A
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