Operation Under Adverse Driving Conditions - Mitsubishi Colt Owner's Manual

For emergencies
Operation under adverse driving
conditions
If your vehicle becomes stuck in sand,
mud or snow
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, sand, or
mud, it can often be moved by a rocking motion.
For vehicle with manual transmission, move the
gearshift lever alternately between 1
while applying slight pressure to the accelerator ped-
al.
With an automated manual transmission vehicle,
place the allshift lever in the "A" (automatic mode)
position to select automatic mode or select 1
nd
2 gear in the manual mode or place the allshift lev-
er in the "R" (Reverse) position for reverse. Con-
firm that there is an "A", "1", "2" or "R" in the all-
shift indicator display, then gently press the acceler-
ator pedal. Do not press the accelerator pedal while
moving the allshift lever.
Avoid racing the engine or spinning the wheels. Pro-
longed efforts to free a stuck vehicle may result in
overheating and transmission failure. Allow the en-
gine to idle for a few minutes to let the transmis-
6
sion cool between rocking attempts.
If the vehicle remains stuck after several rocking at-
tempts, seek other assistance.
6-22
WARNING
l When attempting to rock your vehicle out
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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 for-
ward or backward, causing injury or dam-
age to nearby people or objects.
st
and Reverse,
On a flooded road
l Avoid flooded roads. Water could enter the
brake discs, resulting in temporarily ineffec-
tive brakes. In such cases, lightly depress the
brake pedal to see if the brakes operate prop-
st
or
erly. 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. 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 operation, sudden acceler-
ation, abrupt brake application and sharp cor-
nering.
l Depressing the brake pedal during travel on
snowy or icy roads may cause tyre slippage
and skidding. When traction between the
tyres and the road is reduced the wheels may
skid and the vehicle cannot readily be
brought to a stop by conventional braking
techniques. Braking will differ, depending
upon whether you have anti-lock brake sys-
tem (ABS). As your vehicle is equipped with
anti-lock brake system (ABS), brake by press-
ing the brake pedal hard, and keeping it press-
ed.
l Allow extra distance between your vehicle
and the vehicle in front of you, and avoid sud-
den braking.
On a bumpy or rutted road
l Drive as slow as possible when driving on
bumpy or rutted roads.
CAUTION
l The impact on tyres and/or wheels when
driving on a bumpy or rutted road can
damage the tyre and/or wheel.