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Old 03-18-2010, 12:59 PM
 
Location: Somewhere over the Rainbow
625 posts, read 3,626,848 times
Reputation: 447

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I have a 2000 mitsubishi eclipse. I've had it for 5 years and love my baby it's never let me down

Well I decided to take her to Midas last week for an oil change. I wanted to go to a new place because I felt like my mechanic wasn't putting in enough oil all of a sudden 4 months after an oil change my oil light would come on (no leaks) and I would be completely out of oil. I usually put 10w40 in my car. Midas put 5w30 and now if I am sitting in traffic my thermostat idle will creep toward HOT but it doesn't sound like it's overheating and as soon as I begin moving it drops back down to below the half way point (where it use to always stay) between hot and cold. What does this mean?? What did they do to my baby??
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Old 03-18-2010, 01:03 PM
 
Location: Vancouver, B.C., Canada
11,153 posts, read 29,139,769 times
Reputation: 5479
If the car overheats at idle and cools back down once you get moving its probably a problem with the radiator fans; normally one of the fans runs at half speed to keep air flowing when the car is stopped or moving slowly and once you accelerate it relies on the car's speed to force air through the radiator. Odds are you have a dead resistor pack between the two fans; a good way to test this is turn on the AC when the car is at idle...both fans should turn on at full blast. If they don't come on with the AC check the fuse and then start looking for a break in the circuit.
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Old 03-18-2010, 01:28 PM
 
Location: Somewhere over the Rainbow
625 posts, read 3,626,848 times
Reputation: 447
So you don't think it has anything to do with the oil being changed?
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Old 03-18-2010, 01:31 PM
 
Location: Vancouver, B.C., Canada
11,153 posts, read 29,139,769 times
Reputation: 5479
Motor oils are rated in terms of viscosity. The oils you cite are what are called multi-viscosity oils. That is, their viscosity character changes in a non-linear way with temperature.

Single viscosity oils thin as they get hotter, thicken as they get colder. A common oil some years ago ws 30 weight. In fact, simple power tools (lawnmowers) often still suggest such oils, they work well when air temperatures are stable such as in the summer.

Multi-viscosity oils have the properties of the first number when cold (below 30degF) and the properties o the second number when hot (say abouve 100degF). These oils enable better winter operation, fuel economy and engine durability.

So, a 10weight oil is thicker than is a 5 weight oil. You need to read your owners manual carefully as the oil you use is very important.. Generally, modern cars like 5W30 year round. Older cars had larger bearing clearances and actually required the heavier 10W30 or 10W40 oils though, so check

Your 5W30 is an all season oil .
From snowy climates to desert climates.
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Old 03-18-2010, 01:35 PM
 
Location: Minneapolis
191 posts, read 348,333 times
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I agree with GTO, start with that!

How many miles are on the car? How much oil was the previous mechanic putting into it? The oil has to be going somewhere, it's more than likely burning oil and maybe not heavy enough for you to notice. I would doubt your heating issue is related to the oil change but heck anything is possible. It could also be something as simple as the gauge acting up as well, stock gauges aren't known for their accuracy/reliability and the car is ten years old.
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Old 03-18-2010, 01:42 PM
 
Location: Somewhere over the Rainbow
625 posts, read 3,626,848 times
Reputation: 447
I have 92300 miles on my car. I am going to check it tomorrow and see if any of that works. I checked the manual and I didn't see the preferred oil listed in there. I think the mechanic was putting in 3 or 4 quarts.
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Old 03-18-2010, 02:32 PM
 
232 posts, read 628,946 times
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As GTOlover pointed out, it's probably your radiator fan, nothing to do with oil. I never owned a Mitsu, but the general path to fixing it is probably the same, but I have no idea where your stuff is locatated.

At home, open up your radiator cap when the car is nice and cool. Make sure you have coolant.

Run your car till the fan should come on. If the fan never comes on even though your coolant temp is ..past half mark?...then try:

Pull your fuse for the radiator fan. if blown replace.

Swap your radiator fan relay with one just like it (in my car, many of the relays are the same and many are running non-essential crap) and run the car again to see if the fan kicks on.

After disconnecting your battery, jumper the connectors on your radiator switch/sensor together. Reconnect battery and then turn your car key to power on your systems without actually cranking the motor. Your fan should start spinning. If it does, then replace the radiator switch/sensor. If not, then it's probably the fan motor itself.

Then there is also the fan timer which runs your fan after you turn the car off, but my car doesn't have that so I never read much about it.
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Old 03-22-2010, 05:41 PM
 
Location: Somewhere over the Rainbow
625 posts, read 3,626,848 times
Reputation: 447
Okay so I think I figured it out. When I turn on the AC it doesn't come on it just rattles. Does this mean my fan is broken? How much does something like that cost?
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Old 03-22-2010, 05:45 PM
 
Location: Eastern Washington
17,106 posts, read 56,712,890 times
Reputation: 18365
You could buy a used fan assembly from a junkyard and put it in yourself, probably get off the hook for less than $50. Probably a good indy shop would do the deed, parts and labor, for roughly $200 (I don't own a Mitsu, so I am just guessing).

Meantime if you have to drive it in traffic, try to have the heater on at least some, that should help control the temperature cycling.

You don't want to let it go on like this, it wears the head gasket more among other things.
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Old 03-22-2010, 06:55 PM
 
Location: Somewhere over the Rainbow
625 posts, read 3,626,848 times
Reputation: 447
Thanks Mitch. I like to figure out what the problem is myself and get a rough idea of the cost so I don't go into the auto repair shop completely clueless
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