QuestionHi, I have a 99 eclipse GS 2.0L manual tranny. I just ran into problems shifting so I brought it into the shop. They said the clutch was gone and it would be $1100 to replace it. This seems extremely high to me. I'm worried that i'm getting screwed.
The car has barley 50,000 on it, so I don't think the clutch would be gone yet. I don't beat the car or anything, I drive it with care.
Also I didn't have any problems with the clutch until it started getting cold here over night. It worked fine on Friday night, then first thing Saturday morning I had trouble putting it in gear, so I initailly thought it wasn't a blown clutch but maybe something to do with the cold. Any insight you could shed on this would be greatly apprecitated.
AnswerJustin,
When the weather gets cold, any parts of your car that require lubrication can develope problems. If you've never changed your transmission fluid, it can really cause some problems. Old or the wrong grade of tranny fluid will become very thick as the temperatures drop. This will put strain on the entire transmission system. $1100 is high for a clutch replacement. I would call around to other shops for lower estimates. A non-turbo, non-AWD drive Eclipse clutch replacement shouldn't be more than about $700 to install. You may want to buy the clutch yourself, and find a shop that will install it. That will save you money.
50,000 miles for a clutch replacement isn't unheard of. It is relatively early to go bad for the average driver, but it does happen. But if you buy a clutch yourself, make sure it has a good warranty, and find a trustworthy shop to install it for you. Most Japanese cars are a pain to change the clutch, and the Mitsubishi is no exception.
Good luck!
