Mitsubishi Space Gear 1997 User Manual

Users manual: Mitsubishi
Delica SpaceGear

Dr D John Pons

The following data have
been collected from
various sources,
including verbal
discussions and
opinions of others. The
author makes no claim
for the accuracy of the
data nor accepts any
liability in connection
with their use. Most of
the data are for the
1997 2.8 turbo diesel
model.

This manual may be freely reproduced.

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Credit: http://www.mitsubishi-motors.co.jp/NEWS/recall/h150701/10960.html

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Edition E12 December 2005

Contact me at [e-mail] to provide feedback, corrections, and any additional information.

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0 Vehicle details

Useful details when you buy spare parts

Year

Configuration

Registration
number

Engine type

Engine number

Model

Chassis number

Transaxle number

Color int opt

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1 Getting started

This is a quick driving tutorial.

1.1 Driving the Delica

(1) Gearbox must be in park mode (P).
(2) Turn ignition key until instrument lights are illuminated (see Figure 1).
(3) Wait until glow plug light (see Figure 1) is extinguished. This usually happens

very fast, or even instantly if the engine is already warm.
(4a) Turn the key further to swing the engine - release when successful.
(4b) If engine struggles to start2, then turn off ignition, switch on again immediately,

wait for glow plug light to go off, wait a further 5 seconds or so until a click is

heard from the engine, and then turn the engine [1].
(5) Footbrake must be applied before 'drive' can be engaged.
(6) Ensure drive is in appropriate range. Usually two wheel drive (2H) is fine for

town driving. Use ‘Super Select’ gear shift (on floor, see description below) to

change as necessary.
(7) Use column mounted gear shift to select reverse (R) or drive (D) as

appropriate.
(8) After driving, key can only be removed from ignition if automatic transmission

is in park (P).

1.2 Driving a diesel engine

Driving a diesel engine is much the same as a petrol engine. Except that the
acceleration is generally slower3, and the torque at low engine revolutions (revs) is
lower. Therefore it is generally better to keep the revs slightly higher than in a petrol
engine vehicle, especially if climbing hills. Diesel engines have better thermodynamic
efficiency under part load than petrol engines4.

2

For engines that are hard to start or emit copious smoke, there can be several causes and
solutions. These include replace batteries (both), clean or replace straps to glow plugs, replace glow
plugs, replace or service fuel pump. Search http://www.delicaclub.com
more clues.

3

Diesels tend not to accelerate much more when the pedal is floored. A tip that might be
useful: "A diesel however won't go much faster and any foot planting results in unburnt fuel going out
the tail pipe. When you get to that point where it won't go any faster try taking your foot off slightly and
you will find you won't go any slower and save a heap of fuel" [11].

4

The superior efficiency of a diesel compared to petrol engine is due to the different
thermodynamic cycle. Petrol engines throttle the air intake to reduce power, and this is inefficient
compared to the diesel method of injecting less fuel.

and http://www.pocuk.com/ for

3

2 Instruments

and gears

This section describes the main driver controls.

2.1 Instrument panel Delica 1997

Figure 1 Instrument panel

See Figure 1 for the layout.

1 Gearbox: Shows gear position for automatic gearbox. Also an ‘O/D off’

indicator if overdrive has been deselected by the driver.

2 ‘HOLD’ - usually off. If on, it shows driver has used the A/T switch to force

the gearbox to try to start in second rather than first gear (useful on ice or mud
to reduce slip).

3 ‘PWR’ - usually off. If on, it shows driver has used the A/T switch to force the

gearbox to a 'power' mode: faster acceleration by going to higher revs before
changing up a gear.

4‘A/T’ warning - usually off. Indicates over-temperature in gearbox if it comes

on while driving. Stop and idle for 5 minutes in park. Check ATF fluid level
with engine on and in neutral. Consider switching overdrive OFF.

5 Oil pressure warning - usually off. Indicates loss of engine oil pressure if it

comes on while driving - may cause major engine damage if driven in this
condition. Check oil level in engine.

4

6 <unknown>

7 Glow plug status (coil symbol)- usually on momentarily when ignition is

energised. Wait for this light to extinguish before turning the engine.

8 Engine revolutions per minute (revs). The information is of no real value if

you have an automatic gearbox and mainly use drive (D). But if you are
heavily laden, then it’s useful to check that the revs are not too low - low revs
under high load will generate more heat in the gearbox.

9 Battery charge warning - usually off when driving. If on (which it should be at

start-up), it shows that the battery is not being charged. If it comes on while
driving it means there is an electrical fault, in battery, alternator, or alternator
drive belt (the belt could be broken or simply slipping). You might be able to
continue driving for some time especially if you can limit the amount of
electrical load.

10 Fuel filter warning - usually off. If on, there is water that needs to be drained

from the base of the fuel filter.

11 High beam (brights)

12 Speed

13 <unknown>

14 Seat belt status - strap yourself in.

15 Door warning - lights up if a door is open when the ignition is on.

16 Temperature gauge - should be well below the ‘hot’ mark.

17 Fuel gauge.

18 4WD transmission status - shows what the driver has selected with the 4WD

selector. See Figure 2 for detail.

19-20 <unknown>

21 Low fuel indicator (lights when the tank is down to about 9 litres [ref 13]).

22-24 <unknown>

25 Anti-skid braking (ABS) - usually off. Performs self-test of ABS system when

ignition is turned on, and then light goes off.

26 Brake status - lights up if handbrake is on. Might also light up when brake

fluid is low or pads are worn?

27 Supplementary restraint system (SRS) - usually off. This is the air bag

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system. The light should come on for a few minutes when the ignition is
turned on - this shows that the self-test is being done. When the test is
completed successfully then the light is extinguished. If the light stays on then
it is a warning that the air-bag will not work.

28 Button for odometer - one push toggles the display (29) between odometer

and trip distance. A sustained push will reset the trip distance to zero.

29 Odometer display. Only on when ignition is on.

2.2 Selecting the right gear

2.2.1 Gear shift

The automatic gearshift is mounted on the steering column. The side of the steering
column shows the stepped gear pattern. Note that it is basically a valley with N at the
lowest point (furthest away from the driver).

Lift the gear directly towards your chest to move it out of park (P). Thereafter it is
away from your chest until it gets to neutral (N). From N to low gear (L) the gear
lever needs to again be lifted towards your chest.

2.2.2 Overdrive selection

Overdrive (O/D) is activated/ deactivated by a button at the end of the automatic
gearshift. When deactivated then the 'O/D Off' light illuminates (see Figure 1: 1).

Overdrive ON can safely be used for town driving and a lightly loaded vehicle.
Overdrive ON permits the automatic transmission control logic to make use of (1) an
overdrive clutch and (2) a lock on the torque converter [3]. Consequentially with
overdrive on the driver will feel several small gear changes between the three main
gears. With overdrive ON the vehicle effectively has another top gear.

Switch overdrive OFF if you need slower speeds with greater torque, e.g. heavily
loaded or difficult terrain. With overdrive OFF the gearbox controller is limited to
using only the three main gears. If the vehicles is repeatedly making multiple small
gear changes when under load, then move overdrive to OFF until conditions change.
This will make the vehicle easier to drive. This also has the important benefit of
reducing heat generation in the gearbox. Over temperature of gearbox will activate
the A/T warning light. (Stop and idle for 5 minutes in park.)

2.2.3 4WD transmission selection

The driver has to manually engage and disengage four wheel drive (4WD) using the
"Super Select" selection lever. This is typical of a full 4WD vehicle, and gives the
Delica full 4WD capability (the same capability as the Mitsubishi Pajero for

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example). By comparison some other vehicles (e.g. Mitsubishi RVR SportsGear)
have permanently engaged 4WD over which the driver has no control.

For driving in town and on sealed roads (bitumen or concrete), two wheel drive is
adequate.

The 4WD selection lever is floor mounted, see Figure 2.

2H Two wheel drive in high

range: Rear wheel drive ­suitable for driving in
conditions where a
normal car could go. Ideal
for town driving.

4H Four wheel drive in high

range: Front and rear
wheels drive (4WD) ­suitable for slippery or
rough or steep conditions

- wherever you need
better traction or steering.
“H” is for high range. You
can safely use 4H for
normal driving conditions
including bitumen and
concrete roads. But front tyre wear may be heavier than in 2H.

Figure 2: 4WD transmission selection.

Driver may shift from 2H to 4H and back while driving, but take your foot off
the accelerator pedal when you do, and preferably try to be steering straight
ahead (to minimise gear engagement forces).

Transmission may not immediately shift when commanded, but will wait until
the torque permits the change - dashboard lights Fig 1: 18 will flash during
this period.

4HLc Four wheel drive in high range with locked central differential: For extra

traction in low-grip terrain. This is the same as 4H, with the addition that the
transfer case (central differential) is locked. With standard 4H there is still the
possibility of slipping since all the power could go to one of the axles only.
With 4HLc this possibility is prevented: both the front and the rear axle will get
torque. Can this gear be engaged and disengaged while driving? Yes, it
should be possible [3] (some disagree [6]), but only engage on slippery
surface, don’t accelerate, and try to be steering straight.

Warning: Use locked centre differential only when surfaces are slippery or
have a lot of give for the tyres. Do not use on hard surfaces for extended time
as the transmission or tyres may be damaged.

4LLc Four wheel drive in low range with locked central differential: Same as 4HLc,

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but with a lower gear range. Vehicle will be slower, but will have increased
torque on wheels. Stop completely before engaging or disengaging this
gear. Same warning applies as for 4HLc, i.e don’t use on high-grip surfaces.

The low range ‘L’ always has locked central differential ‘Lc’. You can’t have
low range on its own with the Mitsubishi design.

2.3 Additional controls

2.3.1 Door controls

Controls located on the driver’s door are shown in Figure 3.

1 Switch to select left or right external mirror.
2 Switch to fold both mirrors in/out. Note, if a mirror

gets shoved in, do not force it out again manually.
Instead, use the motor drive to bring it fully in, and
then motor drive it out again.

3 Joystick pad to adjust mirror as selected by (1).
4 Door lock - locks/unlocks all doors.
5 Window lock - locks/unlocks all electrically driven

windows.
6 Driver side window control.
7 Passenger side window control.

Figure 3: Door controls

2.3.2 Sub-steering wheel

controls

The controls under the steering wheel
are shown in Figure 4.

1 Idle adjustment.
2 Bonnet catch - pull to release

bonnet (engine hood).
3 Turbo timer - after market

device, used to keep engine

running for a few minutes after

power down. This is supposed to

cool the turbocharger. Hard to

see why this would be necessary

in town driving but maybe it has

value for hard driving. Mitsubishi

designers have not included it as a standard feature.
4 Fuel tank catch - pull to release. The filler cap is between the front passenger

and sliding door.
5 Steering wheel angle adjustment - permits wheel to be adjusted for different

Figure 4: Controls under steering wheel.

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driver height.

2.3.3 Windscreen wiper controls

The controls are shown in
Figure 5.

1 Rear wiper - twist

anticlockwise to

activate. Water squirt

at the end of the

range in both

directions. Water fill

bottle is at left rear of

vehicle, see Figure 6.

2 Front wipers - rotate

downwards to

activate intermittent,

then normal wiper

speed, then fast wipers.

Figure 5: Windscreen wiper controls

Pull whole lever towards driver to spray

water on front windscreen. Front water fill

bottle is under the front bonnet. The rear

water bottle is at the back left - open the

rear hatch and find it as shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6: Fill location for rear
windscreen water spray.

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3 Solving simple

problems

3.1 Changing a wheel

The spare wheel is underneath at the rear.
The tools are inside at the rear right, see
Figure 7.

Figure 7: Jack and tools for changing
tyre. Extra socket for 12 V power also
visible (round black cap) - takes
cigarette lighter type fitting.

Remove the tools and use them to
unscrew the bolt next to the rear door
latch, see Figure 8. The bolt will need to
be turned anti-clockwise for many turns,
and it may be stiff.

Figure 8: Lowering the spare wheel. Use
the socket spanner to turn the bolt head
anti-clockwise.

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Once the bolt has been unscrewed
sufficiently, it lowers the cage holding the
spare wheel. The spare wheel can now be
removed, see Figure 9.

Remove the plastic wheel cap (if fitted) with
the tool provided, or a flat screwdriver, see
Figure 10.

Before you jack up the flat wheel, loosen all
the screws by a small amount, see Figure

11. The screws may be very tight.
Loosening them on the ground is necessary
because the wheel will turn if you try to do
this when it is raised.

Figure 9: Releasing the spare wheel.
Slide it out backwards.

You don’t want the van moving and falling
off the jack, so make sure the hand brake is
on. If the ground slopes, then put rocks or
bricks in front of and behind some of the
good wheels. Now use the jack to raise the
vehicle. Raise it until the tyre easily clears
the ground. Then remove all the wheel
screws completely, and take off the flat
wheel.

If possible, put some oil or grease on the
screw threads and where the head faces the
rim. This ensures that your tightening efforts
will go into clamping the wheel onto the van,
not just overcoming friction. Screws that
squeal, or need the spanner the whole way,
have too much friction and might be
ineffective. Obviously it is sometimes
impractical to lubricate the screws if you are
changing the wheel at the roadside.

Offer up the spare wheel to the hub. The wheel is heavy so be careful with your
back. The best position is to sit on the ground facing the wheel, with your feet on
each side of the tyre. Then you can use your feet to raise the tyre to its position, and

Figure 10: Remove plastic wheel cap,
by prising with flat bar or screwdriver.

Figure 11: Undoing screws on wheel.
Turn anti-clockwise to loosen, i.e. push
down from this position.

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you still have your hands free to insert the screws. If the wheel will not go on
properly, check that the vehicle has been raised enough. Tighten the screws as far
as you can. Turn them clockwise. You don’t want the wheel to be on skew, so tighten
each screw a little in turn: don’t concentrate all your effort on one screw.

Then lower the jack and remove it. Tighten all the wheel screws as tight as you can.
You can exert more force pulling the spanner up than pushing it down, so arrange
your position accordingly.

3.2 Roof racks

The vehicle will accept roof racks, but special types are required because of the high
roof, and the non-structural trim attached to the gutter.

The following products are candidates (prices at 2004):

(1) Thule roof rack kit 426. This has a special foot with (a) a long tongue and (b) a

special shape to the claw. It attaches to the gutter. Part (426) is unique to the

Delica, and only for high-top models from 1996 onwards. (A similar part, 425,

is for a low top Delica). Available in NZ from Hampco for NZ$430 for a set (4

feet plus two bars). In Australia the price is AU$250.

(2) Prorack pad mount rack SB1000. This is permanently rivetted to the roof5.

Available in NZ ex Repco for $230. Fitting by a panel beater is additional.

(3) Prorack track system. This has a pair of long tracks (ST14) which are

permanently attached to the roof, and then racks (SB3000) which slide into to

the track. Available in NZ ex Repco for $160 and $389 respectively. Fitting is

extra.

(4) Second hand car dealers may sometimes have racks that they have removed

at the time of import. Pajero racks can be modified to fit.

The Delica is already a high vehicle, and adding roof racks may mean that it no
longer fits into the garage! You could extend the radio aerial (at front right, high up)
as a reminder not to drive into low spaces.

5

One wonders how much load this type of design can take, since the stresses go into the flat

roof rather than the gutter.

12

3.3 Tow-bar

Tow bars are readily
available for the Delica.
However, the factory rear
chrome bars usually have
to be taken off. The
standard electrical wiring in
Australia and New Zealand
is a 7-pin flat plug. The
wiring of the pins is shown
in Figure 12.

Figure 12: Wiring for trailer 7-pin flat plug.

3.4 Jump starting

The following excellent description was provided by Exide [27] on starting the engine
when the battery is flat. The text applies to vehicles in general.

(1) “STEP 1- WARNING! Jump starting can damage the vehicle electronics.

Check the vehicle operating manual. If there are no specific instructions then

follow the steps below. If the failed battery is open circuit* do not attempt to

jump-start.

*Open circuit batteries can be detected by:

a) battery volts reading zero immediately a high rate discharge test is applied.

b) when the battery will not accept charge current.

(2) STEP 2 - Make sure both vehicle ignitions are switched OFF and all electrical

equipment is OFF.

(3) STEP 3 - Connect the vehicles in the following EXACT sequence and make

sure the jumper leads are clear of any moving parts.

a) Take the RED jumper lead and connect to the POSITIVE terminal

(marked “+” or POS) of the discharged battery.

b) Connect the other end of the RED jumper lead to the positive terminal

of the charged battery.

c) Take the BLACK jumper lead and connect one end to the NEGATIVE

terminal (marked “-“ or NEG) of the charged battery.

d) Make the final connection to the engine block or chassis of the stalled

vehicle. (Negative earth vehicles only).

(4) STEP 4 - After starting the vehicle with the discharged battery, allow the

engine to run at idle for five minutes before disconnecting the jumper leads.

This allows the electrical systems of both cars to balance.

(5) STEP 5- Remove the BLACK cable first from the vehicle with the discharged

battery then the opposite end from the charged battery. Repeat for the RED

cable.” [27]

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4 Engine

compartment

The overall view of the engine bay6 is
shown in Figure 13-16.

Not shown is the oil filter, which is
underneath at front right.

Figure 13: Overall view of engine bay. See
following figures for details.

1 Fuse box.

Figure 14: Right side of engine bay.

2 Brake fluid reservoir

and fill cap.

3 Air cleaner.

4 Dipstick for engine

oil (partly hidden by
hose).

5 Oil fill cap for

engine. Fill engine
oil here.

6 Dipstick for

automatic
transmission (AT).
Fill ATF slowly down
this pipe.

6

The Delica is unusual in having the engine at the front, whereas other coaches (e.g. Toyota)
tend to have it under the driver seat. The Delica layout is a consequence of the design philosophy that
adopts the Pajero layout. As a result, the bonnet for the Delica engine bay is short, and the firewall
wraps around the engine.

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7 Hose and clamp

for compressed
air flowing from
turbo-charger7,
through inter­cooler, and into
engine.

8 Intercooler - cools

down hot air ex
turbo-charger.

9 Fill cap for power

steering.

10 Battery terminal.

There are two

Figure 15: Left side of engine bay.

batteries in
parallel in this model. Other models may have only a single battery.

11 Reservoir and fill cap for radiator. Use anti-freeze and water.

12 Fill cap for front windscreen washer water.

7

A turbo-charger ('turbo') increases the power of an engine by forcing more air into it. This
means more fuel can be burned (because of the increased oxygen) and hence more power produced.
A turbo charger does work compressing air and needs energy. It gets this from the hot and slightly
pressurised exhaust gases which spin an internal part called a turbine. The turbine drives the
compressor (fan). The other way of increasing the power of a given engine size is a super-charger,
which is a shaft driven compressor. A turbo-charger is more efficient than a supercharger, but not as
responsive at low engine speeds.

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