QuestionHello Anthony,
As always I am going to trouble you once again :). Thanks for solving the issues I have.
I recently purchased a car.
2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT V6 3.0.
Miles: 34100 (33766 when bought)
5-Speed Stick Shift
17" Alloy Wheels
Location: Houston, TX
Usual Commute: Office to Work 4 miles and back
Before I did I had it checked by a station for around 40 $ or so and they give me a list of things as TO DO on the vehicle.
About the Vehicle:
They assessed the car as shown below:
http://home.graffiti.net/asanwal/eclipse2000gt/VehicleAssessment.JPG
He mentioned that the 30 K Mitsu Service might not have been done. I went through the papers and I found this at 31k.
Is this the proper 30 K Service ?
http://home.graffiti.net/asanwal/eclipse2000gt/Mits30kService.JPG
http://home.graffiti.net/asanwal/eclipse2000gt/ScheduledServiceRecomfromAllData....
SUMMARY:
Air Filter
Tyres
Battery
Oil Change
Fluids
- Change
- Leak
- Clutch Mechanism etc
WHAT I WOULD NEED ADVISE ON IS :
What is really critical out of the things listed here in terms of priority?
What are the things that can be fixed by an oil change?
What are the things that can be fixed by some kind of Oil Change PLUS?
Any ideas on how much it would cost at a local shop to get it fixed ?
Are there things that can be easily done by MYSELF ?
TIRES ?
http://home.graffiti.net/asanwal/eclipse2000gt/WheelBalance.JPG
http://home.graffiti.net/asanwal/eclipse2000gt/WheelBalance2.JPG
What brand/model of tyres would you recommend ? ( I ve been looking through tirerack.com and found a few brands with Summer, All Season and Winter Types with different Speed Ratings)
- I am not going to be racing, but Houston does have a lot of heavy rain every now n then (thunder storms)
- My usual highway trip is to Dallas n back ( 4 hours one way)
- But I might be interested in going for longer drives
BATTERY ?
What brand/type of battery would you recommend ?
OIL CHANGES ?
What kind of Oil would you recommend for Oil Changes ? Synthetic ? Any suggested brands ?
How often would you recommend the Oil Changes - in thousand miles (or time) ?
Please do advise on the above. I am not sure if they service people are trying to dupe me or not. I do not mind paying, or maybe do it myself (if not too difficult), but dont want to pay for something if it is not needed.
Kindly do advise on the above.
Thansk in advance. Appreciate your advise and effort you put into it as always. (Obliged).
Regards,
- Abhi
AnswerAbhi,
Thanks again for the thorough question.
As far as the air filter, I'd recommending changing it every 12 months. They aren't too expensive, and you can easily change it yourself. You can pick up a new air filter at just about any auto parts store.
Regular oil changes are very critical to maintain the life of your engine. If you have the desire and ability to do an oil change yourself, that will save you a lot of money. But if you don't mind paying someone to do it, I'd highly recommend a full synthetic oil. Full synthetic Mobil 1 oil (5W-30) plus a Mobil 1 oil filter will keep your engine running smoothly for a long time. If you use a full synthetic with a high-grade oil filter, you can easily go 5,000 miles between oil changes without worry.
Tires are also very important. Since Houston rarely sees snow, a summer tire or high performance all-season tire will be good. I believe the Eclipse GT comes with a V-rated tire. I'd recommend sticking with the V-rated or higher speed rated tire; W, Y, or Z). Tirerack.com is the best place to find good prices on high quality tires. Yokohama tires are very good. I've also had good luck with Kumhos. As long as you rotate your tires regularly and you have your aligment checked every 12 months or so, your tires will last tens of thousands of miles with no problems.
There's probably just as many types of batteries out there as their are tires. Sears sells quality batteries, as well as most auto parts stores. The most important thing to look for is the warranty. Find a battery with a really good warranty, and never loose the receipt. Many good warranties offer a 100% replacement if the battery goes bad within 3 years.
Fluids such as brake, transmission, and clutch can all be checked and maintained by you. If you can change your own engine oil, you'll be able to change your own transmission fluid. But paying a local mechanic $40 to change the transmission fluid is a reasonable price.
To sum up, any local garage can perform these jobs. The cost will vary depending on the shop. They all charge different rates and prices on parts. You may want to take your car to another garage for a second opinion, but the original diagnosis seemed accurate. All of the items that were listed as 'Needs Attention' or 'Immediate Attention' can be performed by you with some standard mechanics tools and service manual (available from the dealership or even in some auto parts stores). Your owners manual will instruct on how to perform many of those jobs too. One thing you need to keep your eye on is the engine coolant. You definitely want to be sure your coolant is in good condition during the extremely hot summer months in Texas. If that had just been flushed a few thousand miles ago, you should be in good shape. You may want to consider getting your brake pads and rotors inspect and replaced within the next 5000 miles or so. If they are at 45% of life left, that's enough to get you by without problems for maybe another year or so.
From what I can tell, your car is in good shape. It's right on schedule for having regular maintenance items fixed and inspected. Just stick with the maintenance schedule it's been on, and which is recommended by the manufacturer, and your car should last another 10 years.
Good luck!
