1999 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE Electrical System Problems

CAR WILL COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. WILL HAVE TO TRY TO RESTART THE CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. , .SEVERAL MECHANICS AND EVEN THE MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP HAD HOOKED IT UP TO THE COMPUTER, AND THEY WILL NOT GET ANY READINGS FOR THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID IT WAS BECAUSE OF BUILD UP IN THE EXHAUST, AND THEY CLEANED IT OUT, AND NOT EVEN 5 MILES DOWN THE ROAD IT STALLED AGAIN. REPLACED BELTS,GASKETS,SPARK PLUGS AND HOSES. THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. WELL IF THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT I WOULDN'T BE SCARED TO DRIVE IT WITHOUT GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT. *AK

Mileage: 70,000

RECENTLY PURCHASED USED VEHICLE FOR COLLEGE STUDENT, WITH EXCELLENT SERVICE RECORD. HAS STALLED WITH NO WARNING WHILE OPERATING UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS THREE TIMES IN THE PAST 30 DAYS (5/15/05-6/10/05). MY SON STATES HE WAS TAKEN TOTALLY BY SURPRISE BY SUDDEN FAILURE. HE WAS MAKING A TURN AND REALIZED THAT HIS POWER STEERING WAS NOT OPERATING, ONLY TO NOTICE THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT ON. HE NEARLY LOST CONTROL, BUT WAS ABLE TO "MUSCLE" THE CAR THROUGH THE TURN. DEALER HAS INSPECTED THE CAR, NO PROBLEMS FOUND.

1ST INCIDENT: APRIL 2002: 1999 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE GS LOCKS UP (TRANSMISSION) CONSTANTLY JUMPS AND THE SPEEDOMETER WILL SHUT OFF. THIS PROBLEM WAS CHECKED BY OFFICIAL MECHANICS OF MITSUBISHI AND SUPOSEDLY CORRECTED BY THEM AS WELL. *AK TODAY: MARCH 12, 2005: ON MY HOME, THE CAR LOCKS UP, JUMPS, BUT COMPLETELY SHUTS OFF, LUCKILY I WAS ONLY A BLOCK AWAY FROM MY HOME WHEN THIS HAPPENED. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS I DID START THE CAR AGAIN BUT THE SPEDOMETER IS NOT RESPONDING AND WHEN SHIFTING FROM NEUTRAL TO DRIVE OR REVERSE THE CAR JUMPS. SAME PROBLEM ALL OVER AGAIN. MITSUBISHI SAID THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED BACK IN APRIL OF 2002, PARTS WERE REPLACED. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A CAR ACCIDENT OR INJURY IF I WERE ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY.

Mileage: 70,000

DRIVING ON FREEWAY WHEN BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. SHORTLY AFTER HIGHLIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF. THEN VEHICLES LIGHTS IN DASH TURN ON AND OFF, WIPERS TURN ON AND OFF, AND VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOSES POWER AT 75 MPH. BATTERY APPEARED TO HAVE EXPLODED. BATTERY ACID OVER ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WILL NOT START AFTER NEW BATTERY IS TRIED.

DRIVING ON FREEWAY WHEN BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. SHORTLY AFTER HIGHLIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF. THEN VEHICLES LIGHTS IN DASH TURN ON AND OFF, WIPERS TURN ON AND OFF, AND VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOSES POWER AT 75 MPH. BATTERY APPEARED TO HAVE EXPLODED. BATTERY ACID OVER ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WILL NOT START AFTER NEW BATTERY IS TRIED.

DRIVING ON FREEWAY WHEN BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. SHORTLY AFTER HIGHLIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF. THEN VEHICLES LIGHTS IN DASH TURN ON AND OFF, WIPERS TURN ON AND OFF, AND VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOSES POWER AT 75 MPH. BATTERY APPEARED TO HAVE EXPLODED. BATTERY ACID OVER ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WILL NOT START AFTER NEW BATTERY IS TRIED.

SINCE THE FIRST MONTH I HAVE OWNED THE CAR, THE CAR FREQUENTLY IDLES LOW (~500RPM) WHEN THE WEATHER IS WARM. CAR HAS NO POWER AND WILL SOMETIMES STALL WHEN I REMOVE MY FOOT FROM THE GAS. CAR HAS A 5SP MANUAL TRANSMISSION. HAS BEEN INTO THE DEALER 14 TIMES FOR THE SAME FAILURE WITHOUT RESOLUTION. TYPICALLY, THEY RESET THE "CURB IDLE" WHICH RESULTS IN THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT COMING ON 15 MILES DOWN THE ROAD. THE DEALERSHIP HAS ALSO REPLACED THE IAC MOTOR AND THE MFI RELAY. LAST TIME, THEY ADJUSTED THE TPS SWITCH AND THE BASE IDLE. THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS.*AK

THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED, IT APPEARS THAT THE FIRE STARTED UNDER THE DASH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WHERE THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG IS LOCATED. NLM

CAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN A SHORT DISTANCE. THE DRIVER GOT OUT OF THE CAR WHEN IT SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHTON FIRE. TRUE CAUSE AND ORIGIN OF THE FIRE IS UNKNOW AS MITSUBISHI DOES NOT WISH TO SPEAK WITH US, OR EXAMINE THE CAR.*AK

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE WILL CUT OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, CAUSING LOSS OF ALL POWER. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. *AK