Subject:	Engine Knocking
Question:	I have a 92 eclipse 1.8, with 96,ooo miles on it. The transmission has been rebuilt and many other items replaced, most notibly the distributor. I now have a knocking in the engine. I thought it might be a lifter problem. I took a screwdriver and put it on the valve cover and listened. I can hear a clicking and it seems stronger on cylinders 3 & 4. Then I listened on the head by the sparkplugs and heard the noise again same place. The car burns oil (white smoke) sometimes heavier than others. The oil pressure starts out fine (almost to the top mark on the recommended range) then after 10 - 15 minutes of driving it stays on the minimum mark on the recommended range (different than the total L / H range) on the gauge in the dash. It does drop at idol than goes back to minimum when driving. I have double checked the timing (OK) and changed oil a couple of times. The pick up screen for the oil pump is clean (took pan off ot check). I am trying to stay away from major engine work. Should I replace the lifters or just do a valve job on the head? Is it worth it?
Answer:	Mark, Sounds like you'll probably have to remove the valve cover and change the valve cover gasket. That could be where your oil leak is coming from. You may also want to check your compression. That could be contributing to your low oil pressure. Usually burning oil is bluish and has an oily smell to it. If its white and has a sweet smell, its your coolant. You may be boiling coolant because your lack of oil pressure could be causing your engine to overheat slightly. Your oil pump may be going too. A faulty knock sensor may be causing your chattering valves. If you have a voltmeter, check the sensor per instrustions in a Haynes and/or Chiltons manual. Lifters rarely go bad when used under normal driving conditions, but a valve job may not be a bad idea if you've got the ability and time. Sometimes, the simplest things can cause low oil pressure. I was having very similar symptoms with my oil pressure. Most manuals and mechanics recommend using 5W-30 oil in your car, when in fact 10W-30 is recommend my Mitsubishi. That heavier weight can increase your pressure and can actually help with any leaks. You could even try a fuel injector clear with a full tank of premium gas next time you have to fill up. See if that helps your knocking. A nasty little problem with 1G Eclipses ('90-'94) is that the ECU (car's computer) was manufactured with crappy capacitors. This was mainly the case with the 2.0L turbo and non-turbo models, but the 1.8L cars may have been prone to this problem too. This can cause many strange problems when those bad capacitors leak on the ECU and short out parts of the board. Hopefully, this is not your problem, though it is the least messy to fix :-) If you find that your lifters, valves, springs, oil pump, and/or ECU are bad, it may be cheaper to sell the car and buy another Eclipse than it would be to fix it. Good luck!