QuestionI have a '96 Mitsubishi Eclipse, 2.0L, GS, Manual.
Well, I too have had almost everything that could possibly happen to my car happen. To give you a little history I have had a valve job, new radiator installed, timing belt including bearing replacement, and I have also had have a warped cylinder head redone. Just last year when I took my car to get the oil changed, they put the wrong oil filter on my car, overfilled the crankcase and caused an oil leak that they supposedly fixed. The problem that I am having seems to be resulting from the oil leak. The oil leak is coming from the same place which is the front driver's side. In addition to that I heard a tapping noise only when the car is idling and it tends to slightly misfire. It is not very noticeable but I know my car and I can tell the difference. Because of the combination of the oil leak and the tapping I do not drive the car for fear that it could be something major. I have had my ignition wires replaced as well as spark plugs last year. Oh yeah, whenever I check the oil dipstick, it is always full. Do you have any idea what could be wrong?
AnswerLatrelle,
The tapping noise is pretty typical with older Eclipses. That's caused by low oil pressure in the hydralic lifters. When oil does not pass through the lifters adequately, the valves start clacking. That's not really a problem as much as it was a design flaw by Mitsubishi. The tapping won't cause any problems, other than it can be annoying when your car is at idle or when the engine is cold.
If you believe that oil definitely is leaking, you should see your oil level go down. If you do see oil leaking from the front driver's side, that could be a crankshaft oil seal leakage, the oil pump seal, or possibily the leak could be coming from the oil pan.
Just keep a close eye on the oil level and look for oil puddles on the ground around your car. In the warmer months, use a thicker oil; like 10W-30. In the colder, winter months, 5W-30 is best.
Good luck!
