Does anyone know of any recalls or issues relating to the 2001 Eclipse Spyder? My boyfriend is literally going on radiator #3 after only replacing radiator #2 a little under a year ago. Any tips or ideas?
New or used radiators?
What is the reason for replacing them?
If these radiators are aftermarket then any perceived problem due to the car having a Mitsu. badge on the back end of the car would not be valid.
We need to know the mode of failure. If the car has been wrecked, I would suspect that the part the radiator bolts to is not flat, causing stress on the radiator.
If the seals between the aluminum core and the plastic end caps are failing, I would suspect that he is using coolant that is not compatible with those seals. I did that once and the radiator failed in two years.
Sorry,I was half asleep when I was posting. Full disclosure - the car was in 1 front end accident about 2-3 years ago and everything was fixed.
After the accident and subsequent fixing of the car, it was fine for about a few months then the radiator started to develop a small crack on the front end. The crack grew and the radiator was replaced, brand-spankin’ new.
Now, 1 year later, this radiator has developed a crack that has grown quickly. I’m thinking it has to do with the suspension of the car because it shakes quite a bit and always has since the day it was purchased. evidently he was told thats just how it drives b/c its a convertible and rides better/smoother with the top down.
I’ll look at the caps and type of coolant being used…
I think Manolito was on the right track. Since the vehicle suffered front end damage I would almost bet the radiator mounting surfaces are not properly aligned. This can cause flexing and eventual failure of the radiator due to cracks and breakage. A small deviation in alignment can destroy a radiator over time due to tension.
I suspect Manolito is right and the mounts are flexing the radiator assembly due to the old front end damage. Installation with proper shimming using washers (a rubber washer would work) would stop that.
The car should not “shake quite a bit”. No car should. I’d recoommend having the chassis look over by a good chassis shop, perhaps even a body shop, to find out why it’s shaking.
I’m sure he was told this shaking was normal by the guy selling the car and a buyer should never believe anything the seller says…especially, apparently, this seller. Some convertables will handle more sloppily than their hardtop counterparts when pushed, but none should shake.
It should not be shaking. This could be caused by an engine performance problem or a bad motor mount.
If a motor mount fault is suspected check the lower front mount as that one is the most prone to failure.