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For the last 3 months my eclipse will randomly take about 10-20 minutes to start. Sometimes when it does start it will idle at about 500 RPMs and if I give it gas it will die automatically. In that situation the gas smell is so bad I have to get out of the car.

If I stop any time and wait for about 10 seconds the car will sometimes die, in which case I throw it in to neutral and the idle jumps to about 750 and doesn’t die.

I took the car in to a friends shop and he tried to run diagnostics on it since the check engine light finally came on. His diagnostic machine couldn’t find anything so they took it to a Mitsu dealer to have them run it. Go figure they get a lean fuel code but the car starts right up for them every time they have tried it and it hasn’t died yet.

They are saying since it hasn’t died they don’t really have a place to start on trying to get it fixed. They are telling me to continue to drive it around until it “gets worse” but I don’t want to wait until it won’t start at all and have to get it towed all the way back to the shop.

So basically I am asking for suggestions here. The car has about 99k miles on it, is 2.0 liter NON turbo. It only gets about 22 miles to the gallon which is odd because it’s not modified in any way.

The car has a brand new air filter. Never had a tune up or timing belt allignment. It’s never had a new fuel filter or fuel pump. I’ve been in a rental for the last few days and can’t wait to get my car back. Hopefully you guys can give me a little helpful advice.

It is most likely a failed O2 sensor. A failed sensor will reduce your mpg and adverse affect on driveability.

Even if the CEL went out, the code should still be stored..

admin Auto Air Filter, Cel, Check Engine Light, Driveability, Few Days, Fuel Filter, Fuel Pump, Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Mpg, Rpms, Timing Belt

What’s that you say, you own stock in oil companies and want to use as much gas as possible? Well, have we got some guzzlers for you; and since the summer is about to begin, how about looking at a list of the five thirstiest convertibles on the road?
5th Place: Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT Automatic
(EPA 16/24: Combined 20 mpg)
Compared to the other cars in this list, the Eclipse Spyder is a stealth choice — it’s hard to believe that this convertible is as thirsty as it is. Then again, it’s a 3700-lb car with a 3.8-liter V-6 and a five-speed automatic.
With an entry price of just under $29,000, the Eclipse is the cheapest entry into the open-top guzzler crowd — of course it’s also the slowest of the bunch, so expect some dirt in your eyes as the others leave you behind.
4th Place: Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Automatic
(EPA 15/25: Combined 20 mpg)
Compared to other cars with as much performance capability as the Corvette has, it’s actually a fuel miser. If you drive it nicely, it’ll get you 25 over mpg on the highway. Then again, if you’re going to drive nicely, we recommend skipping the Vette — after all, this is a muscle car. And muscles deserved to be flexed.
The Corvette is a fantastic value — performance for dollar — and once you become addicted to that V-8 grumble, there’s little chance you’ll be seeing MPG numbers anywhere near that 25 mark.
3rd Place: Jaguar XKR Convertible
(EPA 15/23: Combined 19 mpg)
There’s no more fabulous way of guzzling in sporty open-air style than from behind the wheel of the supercharged Jaguar XKR. Its gorgeous proportions broadcast to the world that you’re one sexy beast–and the maniacal whine from its supercharger make sure the peasants all run for cover. Oh, and it masks the slurping sounds coming from the fuel tank.
2nd Place: Mercedes SL Convertible
(EPA 11/18 to 13/21: Combined 14-16 mpg)
The SL is the surprise of the bunch — while it certainly looks rich, we wouldn’t have thought it was a much of a guzzler as it is. With engines ranging in size from a 5.5-liter V-8 to a 6.0-liter V-12, we shouldn’t be surprised.
Even the base SL is powerful enough to suck its tank dry at a shocking rate, but if you’re looking for gross excess, it would have to be the V-12 cars (SL600 and SL65 AMG), both of which manage only 11 mpg in the city. Now that’s fabulous excess.
1st Place: Bentley Azure
(EPA 9/15: Combined 12 mpg)
6.8 liters, eight cylinders, a couple of turbochargers and 6000 lb of luxury to move around? That’s a recipe for conspicuous consumption, and the $330,990 Bentley delivers in spades. With the only single-digit city fuel economy here, there’s no quicker way than to suck the oil wells dry.
Well, okay, the Bugatti Veyron might actually use more fuel, but since it’s not a convertible, the peasants fighting for crumbs on the street won’t be able to see your face as clearly.

admin Auto Air Style, Chevrolet Corvette, Convertibles, Eclipse Spyder Gt, Fuel Miser, Fuel Tank, Guzzlers, Jaguar Xkr, Little Chance, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder Gt, Muscle Car, Oil Companies, Performance Capability, Sexy Beast, Slurping, Spyder, Value Performance, Vette