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Mitsubishi Eclipse - 2005 and earlier

497 messages,  Last post on Jun 11, 2013 at 5:09 PM

You are in the Mitsubishi Eclipse Forum.

What is this discussion about? Mitsubishi Eclipse, Coupe, Hatchback

Messages Page 14 of 50

#127 of 497 2002 Manual GS by dony_b

May 28, 2003 (1:27 pm)

Hi! This is my first post in Town Hall, and I have many things to say and ask. Which means that this is going to be a long post! I really enjoy reading your posts. Almost as much as I enjoy driving my 2002 Mitsu Eclipse GS, manual shift, dark red, premium Infinity stereo, sunroof, and that cool aluminum fuel tank cap (makes me run anxiously to fill up the tank!... not really). Today, 17 months and 20K miles later, I am as happy with it as ever. Except for a few minor glitches that I will tell you later, I am not disappointed at my little Mitsu. The main reasons I decided to buy it are: (a) I am a big fan of Jackie Chan, and if you haven't noticed it, Mitsubishi has been sponsor of his great movies, oldies (Dragons Forever, Armour of God, Project A2, Heart of Dragon) as well as newies (Who am I? and First Strike). It isn't the main reason, but I decided to mention it firstly anyway. (b) I wanted an exciting sporty car, and my Eclipse delivers (at least in my inexperienced street-racing opinion): I love to swing off the ramp onto I-40 at 80+ mph and feel how tightly the Bridgestone Potenzas adhere to the pavement. Still, I am sure some Yokos wouldn't do harm! (c) I fell in love with its gorgeous, sleek style, that makes it stand out even today, when you can see new Eclipses almost on every corner. Its standard features list is impressive considering the price, also. (d) Its affordable price and the 0-0-0 Plan (perfect for somebody with no cash and some debts after the wedding expenses!). My plan was switching to a cheaper credit right before my first payment, while saving money for a healthy down payment, and finally trimming one year from the original loan term to cut financial cost. Now, with an interest rate 5% lower, 31 months remaining in the loan, payments $100 less than those estimated for the original credit, nearly out of Upside-downville 11 months after making my first payment, oh! and with all my credit cards balances paid off, I am sure that, if you manage well your finances, this plan is an awesome win-win situation. Now, my gripes: I have noticed a rattling/squeaking at the front right section of the dash, probably somewhere at the base of the windshield. It happens only when driving on rough pavement, and I haven't been able to duplicate the noise when I take it to the dealer for inspection. Someone in this same discussion (Msg#42) had a similar problem. Another problem is a rattling (more like a buzzing-whirring-humming) that comes from somewhere in the driver's footwell. It comes up when driving at highway speeds and gets louder when climbing steep hills. Again, I haven't been able to duplicate it with a technician riding with me. Both noises seem to have faded away recently, but still I hear them ocassionally. Do any of you have a similar problem with your Eclipse? The only other problem was that the back cover of the cruise control stalk kept popping out of place. After a couple of trips to the service dept., they decided to replace the entire unit. Blessed remedy! Would I buy another Mitsu? I am not sure. It sure feels sturdy when you lift the hood, the trunk, open the doors, or even the central console and the glove box. If it keeps holding up as well as so far, I might give it a try, specially now that the equipment level was improved for 2003-2004 models, and the prices are down. But not from the same dealer, I am sure of that! Poor rookie me, the salesman tricked me into paying extra bucks for dealer-added stuff and, after cutting $1,500 off MSRP, I ended up paying close to the original MSRP, but far from TMV. I felt even worse when, after getting home I realized I fell into the same game that Edmunds refers to in their article "Blinded by Chrome: High Priced Dealer Add-Ons" (http://www.edmunds.com/news/column/lowdownlowpayments/47677/ article.html), which I had read the day before! Besides, I am starting to wonder how well would a Subaru Impreza WRX do in winter over here. The Nissan 350Z, and the new Mazda RX-8 are also pretty neat choices too. Then again, I am planning to keep my Eclipse for a while, yet. One final question: While washing my car this weekend, a stranger stopped by and, after praising its looks (when just washed it looks so sexy), he asked me if I had ever topped it. I told him that I tried once, and it reached 115-117 mph. He told me that I should remove the governor chip, below the dash. He told me he has a '97 Eclipse (didn't mention the trim) and it reaches 140mph after he removed the chip. Makes sense? where is that chip located? What is your advice? And one more thing, A coworker of mine let me drive her Mazda 6, and it was great! After asking permission to race it, I pushed it to the red line twice in less than a couple of seconds, even though it was automatic! I honestly envied her control panel, it looked so modern and upscale. And she said that she paid around as much as what I paid for my Eclipse almost two years ago. Of course, she did her homework before going out shopping, which I didn't.

#128 of 497 Hi dony_b - Welcome to the Hatchbacks Message Board... by revka

May 29, 2003 (5:21 am)

and thanks for your message. Glad to hear your Mitsubishi Eclipse has been serving you well.
 
While you're waiting here for feedback, you may also want to plug your vehicle into Edmunds' Maintenance Guide to see if you can find any TSBs that might be related to the items (i.e. rattling) you've mentioned. Good luck, and please keep us posted.
 
Also, a suggestion for the next time you post a long message: break your message up into smaller paragraphs. This will make it much easier for others to read. People will be more likely to read the entire post if it's easy on the eyes. Okay?
 
Happy motoring, and see you around Town Hall!
 
  Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards

#129 of 497 Just a few observations by nyccarguy

Jun 02, 2003 (9:57 pm)

When I got my driver's liscense in 1992, one of the cars on my dream list (but couldn't have it due to insurance) was an Eclipse GSX. I even drove one a few times (awesome car) I liked the way it evolved through the years and even liked the last GSX with the high spoiler (and I'm not a fan of high spoilers). The new body style came out in (2000?) with the V6 and FWD only which I didn't like too much (as I'm sure many of you felt the same way), but I was into the styling and I understand that the masses make money for Mitsubishi, not the enthusiasts. Very sleek looking exterior. I like the 17" wheels. I was kinda disapointed when it came to the interior design and quality of interior materials. The interior is definitely what turned me off. I ended up finding a leftover 2001 Prelude Type SH last April that I bought and am completely happy with.
 
The Elcipse Spyder is nice looking and the features/dollar quotient as compared to other convertibles is great too.
 
I'm sure this has been discussed, but why had Mitsubishi decided to only puit the SOHC V6 in the car as opposed to their DOHC 24V V6 that last saw a home in the engine bays of 3000GTs and Stealths? That was one sweet engine. My Mom had a 1995 Stealth R/T (no turbo) and even with the slushbox that engine loved to rev.
 
I'd like to see some better interior bits and design as well as a larger back window for the convertible top as some improvements. But please give us an ultra-performance version of the eclipse with either the NA 3.0L DOHC V6, TT 3.0L DOHC V6, or at least the Turbo 4 (for better weight distribution).

#130 of 497 by kidevo1

Jun 04, 2003 (7:03 am)

He told me that I should remove the governor chip, below the dash. He told me he has a '97 Eclipse (didn't mention the trim) and it reaches 140mph after he removed the chip. Makes sense?
 
The only models which were capable of reaching near 140mph were the GST and GSX. The GSX topped out at around 137 though. A GST might have been able to hit 140, but they all came with H-rated tires, hence the 130mph governor. Even though the GST spyder's came equipped with V-rated tread, they still kept the governer in them.
 
As far as it being as simple as removing a chip....well, it would actually require opening up the ECU, pulling out a soldering gun and adding a resistor somewhere.
 
ummm....no thank you!

#131 of 497 general info about the eclipse by rigors1

Aug 25, 2003 (10:36 pm)

this is my first post, so please go easy on me. i am very interested in getting an older model of the eclipse to customize. i am looking at older ones due to their unbelievably low price considering how cool they are, and because they seem reasonbly cheap to modify and customize. i just would like any information as to what years i should stay away from, or if there is a certain defect or common problem that many have experienced; i.e. the dodge intrepid and eagle vision often have problems with the transmission because the older models utilized a tranny that was too small for the car to be front wheel drive. some info like that would be most helpful. i would also know how many miles would be acceptable to start off with. thanks for any additional advicve also. peace

#132 of 497 1998 Eclipse RS Door Handles by franhalp

Sep 02, 2003 (3:33 pm)

Last year the door handle on the driver side broke.
Since my car had only 21000 miles on it, the Dealer replaced it at no charge.
Yesterday, the door handle on the passenger side broke.
I contacted Mitsubishi to find out if this was a problem with the 1998 Eclipse.
They advised that it was not.
They stated to ask Dealer to evaluate and possible replace free of charge.
 
Any comments?

#133 of 497 Early Eclipse info by rph74

Sep 03, 2003 (10:39 pm)

If you are looking for an earlier model Eclipse/Talon, buy either a 90,91, or 92 built before April 92. These models had the 6-bolt motor which is MUCH more durable then the later 7 bolt models. Many 7 bolt motors (primarily the 95+ cars)suffer from "crankwalk" which is really, really bad, it will eventually kill the motor. The best car to get is the 92 built before April 92 because it has the 6-bolt motor with the 4 bolt rear end. The earlier models had a 3 bolt rear end which is not as strong, and will not put up with as much launching at the drag strip. I have a 91 GSX with 186,000 miles on it, and I run it at the drag strip, I've done many upgrades to it, including clutch,turbo,intercooler,fuel system upgrades. Any Eclipse aficionado will tell you the early Eclipses are the best ones to buy. I've read somewhere that the 2g Eclipse(95-99) are for ricers, while the 1g's 90-94 own the racetracks.

#134 of 497 broken dipstick tube by hotmama

Sep 21, 2003 (4:10 pm)

have a 98 gs; found dipstick tube broken from block; is this common? ; how easy/hard is this to fix?

#135 of 497 1998 Eclipse RS Door Handles by edwardsdna

Sep 30, 2003 (11:12 am)

My driver side door handle just broke. I think there is a problem with not only the door handles but other plastic parts. My car has 100,000 but has been well maintained. The plastic molding around the interior rear mirror controls are broken on both sides and in the same place. The plastic housing for the electronic windows control broke. All this may seem a bit trivial but the cost really adds up. The dealer wants close to $80 for a door handle.

#136 of 497 2001 oil light by jwack

Dec 24, 2003 (7:00 pm)

i have a 2001 eclipse and recently the oil light has been coming on. the light does not stay on solid but flickers on and off. there is plenty of oil in it. the tech can't find any thing wrong with it. does any body have any idea what i can do? it is also for sale and this problem makes it harder to sell.

Messages Page 14 of 50

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