Driving During Cold Weather - Mitsubishi ECLIPSE 2011 User Manual

Driving during cold weather

Check the battery, including terminals and cables. During
extremely cold weather, the battery will not be as strong.
Also, the battery power level may drop because more
power is used for cold starting and driving.
Before driving the vehicle, check to see if the engine runs
at the proper speed and if the headlights are as bright as
normally. Charge or replace the battery if necessary. Dur-
ing extreme cold weather, it is possible that a very low
battery could freeze.
WARNING
!
The battery gives off explosive hydrogen gas. Any
spark or flame can cause the battery to explode,
which could cause serious injury or death.
Always wear protective clothes and a face mask
when working with your battery, or let a skilled
mechanic do it.
Warm the engine sufficiently. After starting the engine,
allow a short warm-up time to distribute oil to all cylin-
ders. Then drive your vehicle slowly.
Stay at low speeds at first so that the manual transaxle oil
or the automatic transaxle fluid has time to spread to all
the lubrication points.
Manual transaxle can be harder to shift in cold weather
conditions. This is normal and shifting will get easier as
the transaxle warms up.
Check the engine antifreeze.
If there is not enough coolant because of a leak or from
N00629400168
engine overheating, add high-quality ethylene glycol anti-
freeze and water. The recommended blend is about 50 %
water and 50 % anti-freeze. Use a higher concentration
(not over 60 %) when the outside temperature is -31 °F
(-35 °C) or lower. When the engine is working very hard
(for example, during mountain driving and/or when the
outside temperature is high), use a 50 % concentration.
This blend will provide adequate protection from corro-
sion and boiling.
WARNING
!
Never open the radiator cap when the radiator is
hot. You could be seriously burned.
I n f o r ma t i o n P r o v i d e d b y :
Driving safety
4
4-5