alright so i have this commuter car since august and has been pretty good. i have been having a small issue with this car and maybe you guys can help. the heat in the car sorta sucks, and yes i live in minnesota, so heat is kind of important especially when it gets -40 below. it seems like it takes a really long time to get good constant heat going. i mean it takes a good 15 minutes until i roll around in town. the heat it kicks out is sufficient enough to keep me warm enough and defrost the front but its nowhere near hot like previous cars i have owned. seems like if i travel long distance or make multiply stops around town it eventually kicks out normal very hot heat and require to turn the notch up towards cooler, but i have never had a problem like this. are these cars just prone to have slow heat, or as i recall someone once told me there is an issue and maybe you guys can fill me in on a fix. oh and it doesnt blow hot,cold,hot cold in the vents like theres bubbles in the air vent, its more constant being just not very warm, until i romp on the gas and it gets a slight extra kick. also to note there was a small leak on the upper hose and was going to get a new hose and clamp, i just tightened it and thought i would get to it before it got cold, but i got sort of lazy and now plan to do that sunday and also think maybe replacing thermostat might help but if anyone can help me out, please let me know.thanks in advance!

oh and by the way its the 2.4L

 

My opinion is the engine is small there is a lot of hollow space around it in the engine compartment and the aluminum block doesnt help either i think a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator would let it heat up enough.a couple of people is having the same issue on the forum.

 

Little heat after 5 min in the cold at IDLE is normal. The fastest way to get heat is to drive it then turn on the heat. Letting the car idle is the most inefficient way to get heat.One notch down from half is close to normal, somewhere around 180 degrees or so. I would guess half way is a bit over 200.

 

WTF are you talking about? all 3G eclipse first of all have an iron block not alluminum. not to mention the 6G72 motor completely fills the engine compartment with very liitle extra space. The 4G64 takes up plenty of the engine compartment as well.

Heating the car has NOTHING to do with anything you have listed, and only a complete moron would cover the car's radiator with cardboard.

All 3G eclipse's take a long time to fully warm up. I mean a long time. Drive 15 minutes or so in the winter before the car is warmed fully from a cold start. Starting and leaving the car idle for any length of time does not help as the car will only feel luke warm in the interior at best, until you drive it.

 

Listen to me ejmonkey3 some people here are from California have no idea what they talking about in siberia we use radiator curtain (that's what is called here) that's how you keep the heat. Although you can regulate the coverage with a switch. If you don't believe me try it just for 5 min you'll see the difference.If you do it wrong you'll overheat your engine!!!I USED THE "CARDBOARD" JUST FOR EXAMPLE BECAUSE I AM PRETTY SURE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT THING HERE IN US.Anyways all the other cars have no problem heating up very quickly.

 

It is not an issue. THese car all do the same thing. I have owned 4 of them myself. They DO NOT heat up until you drive them. They get luke warm at most period, Just idling the car will not get your interior hot plain and simple. Cardboard in front of your radiator is only going to cause issues.

You want to question my intellegence yet you seem to think that the mitsu 3G uses and alluminum block ... yea, and I am the one who doesn't know what I am talking about


Ej Do not listen to some random new member with 5 total posts who doesnt even have enough common knowledge to know the 3G's all run iron blocks . If you want real 3G eclipse help go to Club3g.com

 

replacing thermostat might help. Mine warming up a 10-15 minutes too. O BTW may be you have a air in the cooling system?

 

I think the Thermostat is the issue with these cars. It is a factory thing. They all do it. They only get luke warm on idle and dont fully blow hot air untill you drive the car