Help please

My 2000 Eclipse has a really bad shaking problem when put into reverse or drive. Also, it bogs down really bad when accelerating when first put into gear. It is the gs model. And I’ve searched everywhere online for an answer. It shifts fine. The idle drops down to around 500 when put into gear… Whats the problem

A good place to start would be for you to let us know the condition of your car. How many miles on it, is the check engine light on, if it is what are the codes? Advance Auto, AutoZone etc will read the codes for free, post them here, the format will be P123 or something similar. When were your plugs last changed? When was the air filter changed? When was the oil and filter changed? Share that info and we can give you better feedback. This could be anything from a clogged air filter to a clogged catalytic converter.

It could be anything. Visit a good independent mechanic and let them take a look at your Eclipse.

I would make a WAG and say you have a bad mount allowing the powertrain to move too far causing unmetered air to enter the intake boot.

+1 to Steve and/or missileman.
There’s too little information and far too many possibilities for anyone to make other than a wild guess. A tip of the hat to pete for stepping out on the limb.

The shaking and the poor acceleration are likely related. Poor accel is often caused by a problem with the ignition, fuel, or exhaust systems. Often the first thing a mechanic would do is read the diagnostic codes stored in the computer memory. Is the check engine light on?

I’ve seen new spark plugs and spark plug wires fix these symptoms on an Eclipse.

No check engine lights. Plugs wires and coils were changed within the past year and still appear to be fine. 167k on the engine and tranny. Just put a new egr valve on it because that’s the only code that was coming up. Gonna reboot the computer tommrrow and I’ll let you know about the code possibility. There is a hole in the exhaust but does it really make that big of a difference pm the accel? I’ve taken it to three mechanics so far and they can’t figure it out. My guess was the mounts and the exhaust but I didn’t think that would cause as much vibration as there is.

And also, checked the air filter and it’s brand newish still. Also all fluid ate fine and tranny fluid looks clean

The rough idle and vibration is very likely because of worn engine mounts. Three years ago my son bought a 2003 Eclipse that shook like a paint mixer. When I removed the mounts the rubber was a crumbing mess.

Hole in the exhaust?
If the exhaust leak is near the oxygen sensor the leak will affect the sensor input and fuel mixture.

Are you sure there is a performance problem or do you just expect more power. I have to assume your car has a 2.4 liter engine, I don’t know if both engines were offered in the “GS” model.

Yes it has the 2.4 but I’ve driven other 4 cyls before and they’ve always had more pull when first accelerating. Like. It’s ridiculous

sounds like a fuel problem

Basics: Fix what you know is wrong. Fix the exhaust system and report back.

you should have kept the Mach 5 dude…

Concur w/insightful, modern cars don’t run well if the exhaust system isn’t air tight from one end to the other. One problem with a broken exhaust system, air can get sucked in and the O2 content it brings into the exhaust stream will affect the O2 sensor and the reading will confuse the computer and it won’t know how much fuel to inject. If your problem seems to be worse, or doesn’t get better as the engine warms up, suspect the exhaust hole as a problem as a high priority. The O2 sensors aren’t read by the computer when the engine is still cold.

Since you had a code for the EGR, even though you replaced it, I’d test the EGR system too. A partially stuck or improperly controlled EGR will cause this symptom. Replacing the EGR won’t fix an EGR problem if the source is with the control signals. On my Corolla the way to test the EGR is to apply vacuum at idle, and if the EGR is working correctly it will stall the engine. But newer cars have more complicates EGR systems. Check your manual to see how to test the EGR system on your car.

And the advice above about checking the engine and transmission mount condition is spot on. You might get lucky and the only problem is a mount or two. Best of luck.

Okay. Found out the shaking is the motor mounts. So plus one for whoever mentioned that. But a new problem has arisen. After driving for awhile the other day. I noticed my temp gage was tacked out. Shut the engine off as soon as I noticed it. Talked to several people, and it’s down to either the thermostat or blown heads. My question is, if it was blown heads, wouldn’t you hear some odd noise coming from the engine? Because the engine sounds perfectly normal… I checked the oil and there’s no water or coolant in it, and it’s normal colored… Need help on this fast… Also. The part that is throwing me off, is no light had shown up, so there’s no codes to check or anything.

With the spark plugs out a compression test should always be performed; even on a low miles engine.

If there’s a mechanical issue then no amount of parts swapping will cure it. A low cylinder can cause a low idle, lack of power, vibration at idle, and so on.

Overheating is usually caused by a cooling system problem, low coolant level due to a leak, failed cooling fans, broken water pump belt etc.

Ignore a cooling system problem and you will have a warped cylinder head/failed head gasket as your friends described. After the engine cools check the coolant level in the radiator. Check the operation of the electric fans. Feel the upper and lower hose temperature when at operating temperature to verify circulation.

Done all but the lower two Nevada. And if it’s overheating, should I still do a compression text ok?

Did your replace the thermostat? Are the fans coming on?