2012 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE recommended oil

Driving safety
4-5
4 Driving during cold weather
N00629400168

Check the battery, including terminals and cables. During
extremely cold weather, the battery will not be as strong.
Also, the battery power level may drop because more
power is used for cold starting and driving.
Before driving the vehicle, check to see if the engine runs
at the proper speed and if the headlights are as bright as
normally. Charge or replace the battery if necessary. Dur-
ing extreme cold weather, it is possible that a very low
battery could freeze.

Warm the engine sufficiently. After starting the engine,
allow a short warm-up time to distribute oil to all cylin-
ders. Then drive your vehicle slowly.

Stay at low speeds at first so that the manual transaxle oil
or the automatic transaxle fluid has time to spread to all
the lubrication points.

Manual transaxle can be harder to shift in cold weather
conditions. This is normal and shifting will get easier as
the transaxle warms up.
Check the engine antifreeze.
If there is not enough coolant because of a leak or from
engine overheating, add high-quality ethylene glycol anti-
freeze and water. The recommended blend is about 50 %
water and 50 % anti-freeze. Use a higher concentration
(not over 60 %) when the outside temperature is -31 °F
(-35 °C) or lower. When the engine is working very hard
(for example, during mountain driving and/or when the
outside temperature is high), use a 50 % concentration.
This blend will provide adequate protection from corro-
sion and boiling.
WA R N I N G
!
The battery gives off explosive hydrogen gas. Any
spark or flame can cause the battery to explode,
which could cause serious injury or death.
Always wear protective clothes and a face mask
when working with your battery, or let a skilled
mechanic do it.
WA R N I N G
!
Never open the radiator cap when the radiator is
hot. You could be seriously burned.
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Vehicle care and maintenance
7-7
7 Engine oil and oil filter
N00937700828
To check and refill engine oil It is normal for an engine to use oil. You may need to add oil
between the recommended oil change intervals. Before starting
the engine, check the engine oil level. Refill if necessary.
To check the oil level, remove the dipstick, wipe it off, and
gently insert it all the way into the crankcase. Slowly remove it
again. The oil level must not go above the line on the dipstick.
If the level does not reach the line, which shows the smallest
amount of oil required, remove the oil filler cap on the engine
valve cover, and fill to within the “Good” range. 2.4 liter engine
Good
CAUTION
!
Overfilling the crankcase will cause oil aeration and
loss of oil pressure, which could damage the engine.
WA R N I N G
!
Used engine oil is poisonous, and can damage your
skin. Prolonged and repeated contact may cause
serious skin disorders, including dermatitis and can-
cer. Don’t let used oil touch your skin. Wash thor-
oughly after working with it.
Keep used oil out of the reach of children.
Good 3.8 liter engine
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Vehicle care and maintenance
7-9
7
Recommended engine oil viscositySAE 5W-20 engine oil is strongly recommended for optimum
fuel economy and cold starting.
To replace the oil filterThe oil filter should be replaced at the time or mileage speci-
fied in the “WARRANTY AND MAINTENANCE MAN-
UAL”.
Only use high quality replacement filters on this vehicle. The
manufacturer’s specifications for Genuine Mitsubishi oil filters
require that the filter can withstand a pressure of 256 psi
(1.8 MPa). A Genuine Mitsubishi oil filter is the best replace-
ment filter.
Follow the installation instructions printed on the filter.
CAUTION
!
Take care not to bend the oil filter cover when
replacing the oil filter.
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Vehicle care and maintenance
7-47
7 Replacement of light bulbs
N00942900219
Before replacing a bulb, be sure the light is off. Do not touch
the glass part of the new bulb with your bare fingers; the oil
from your skin will stay on the glass and dim or destroy the
bulb when it gets hot.NOTE
If you are unsure of how to carry out the work as required,
it is recommended that these procedures be carried out by
an authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer or a repair facility
of your choice.

Be careful not to scratch the vehicle body when removing
a light and lens.

When it rains, or when the vehicle has been washed, the
inside of the lens sometimes becomes temporarily foggy.
This is the same phenomenon as when window glass mists
up on a humid day, and does not indicate a functional
problem.
When the light is switched on, the heat will remove the
fog. However, if water gathers inside the light, please
have it checked by an authorized Mitsubishi Motors
dealer or a repair facility of your choice.
Bulb capacity
N00943000099
The bulb should only be replaced with a new bulb with the
same rating and type. The type and rating are listed on the base
of the bulb.
CAUTION
!
Bulbs are extremely hot immediately after being
turned off.
When replacing a bulb, wait for it to cool sufficiently
before touching it. You could otherwise be burned.
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7-74 Vehicle care and maintenance
7
During cold weather Salt and other chemicals spread on winter roads in some geo-
graphical areas can have a detrimental effect on the vehicle
underbody. You should flush the underbody with a high pres-
sure hose every time you wash the outside of your vehicle.
Take special care to remove mud or other debris which could
trap and hold salt and moisture.
After washing your vehicle, wipe off all waterdrops from the
rubber parts around the doors to prevent the doors from freez-
ing.NOTE
When the door is frozen, opening it by force may tear off
or crack the rubber gasket installed around the door. Pour
warm water to melt the ice. Be sure to thoroughly wipe off
the water after opening the door. To prevent freezing of
the weatherstripping on the doors, hood, etc., treat with
silicone lubricant.
CAUTION
!
When washing the underside of your vehicle or the
wheels, wear a pair of rubber gloves to protect your
hands.
Never spray or splash water on the electrical parts
in the engine compartment. This may damage them.
Be careful also when washing the underbody. Do not
spray water into the engine compartment.
Avoid automatic car washers that use rotating
brushes. These brushes may scratch the paint sur-
face and make it dull.
Scratches are more noticeable on darker colored
vehicles.
Some hot water washing equipment uses high pres-
sure and heat to clean your vehicle. This heated
water may damage your vehicle’s resin parts. It can
flood the interior of the vehicle. Therefore, be sure
of the following:
• Keep the washing nozzle at least 20 inches (50 cm)
away from the vehicle body.
• When washing around the door glass, hold the
nozzle at a distance of more than 20 inches (50 cm)
and at right angles to the glass surface.
• It is recommended that the water should be
sprayed at a 45° angle to the side windows and top
seals. (ECLIPSE SPYDER only)

Make sure to do the following when using an auto-
matic car wash, with help from either this manual or
the car wash operator, to avoid damaging your vehi-
cle:
• Fold the outside rearview mirrors.
• Remove the antenna.
• Tape or remove the rear wiper arm assembly.
(ECLIPSE only)
• As your vehicle is equipped with rear spoiler,
check with the car wash operator before using the
car wash.CAUTION
!
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Alphabetical index
5
Replacement 7-66
Light dimmer control 3-109
Loading information 4-7
Low-fuel warning light 3-108
Lubricants 9-9
Luggage hooks 3-180
M
Manual transaxle 3-66
Fluid 9-9
Oil 7-14
Shift points (recommended speed) 3-68
Mirror
Inside rearview mirror 3-56
Outside rearview mirrors 3-58
Modifications to and racing of your vehicle 1-7
Multi center display 3-114
N
Notepad holder 3-177
O
Octane requirement 1-2
Odometer 3-106
Oil
Engine oil 7-7
Manual transaxle oil 7-14
Oil pressure warning light 3-113
Operation under adverse driving conditions 6-22Outside rearview mirrors 3-58
Overheating 6-6
P
Parking 4-6
Parking brake 3-54
Parking brake lever stroke 7-30
Parking and side-marker lights
Bulb capacity 7-48
Replacement 7-53
Pen holder 3-177
Polishing 7-75
Power brakes 3-80
Power door locks 3-15
Power outlet 3-168
Power steering
Fluid 7-16
,9-9
System 3-89
Power windows 3-26
Puncture (Tire changing) 6-9
R
Radiator cap 7-11
Radio
AM/FM electronically tuned radio with CD autochanger-
Type 2 5-39
AM/FM electronically tuned radio with CD player-Type 1
5-26
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