| Subject: | need help with 92'eclipse |
| Question: | it looks like the car is burning a little oil being sucked down the valve guides...is this possible with only 100kmi? if so, what may be an approximate cost on the repair and/or if you had ever experienced this type of problem yourself? Would you attempt fixing this yourself? thanks for your time, brian. Its an eclipse GS 92' 2.0 Liter, 16 valve engine. |
| Answer: | Brian, It's not uncommon for leaky valves for an Eclipse with 100k miles. Be sure you're using the correct grade of motor oil (10w-30, or 5W-30 for very cold climates) and check you pcv valve. If you have a clogged pcv valve, the high crankcase pressure will force oil down your valve guides. If you brought this to a mechanic, they would probably recommend a valve
job; which would be the correct recommendation. I have helped with valve
jobs before, but I was supervised by a qualified mechanic. There's a lot
of work involved and you could easily destroy your engine if it is performed
incorrectly (e.g. you set the timing wrong). You could expect to pay a
couple of hundred dollars in parts (valves, gaskets, etc...) and another
$200-$300 in labor alone. But it pays to shop around for the best mechanic
and prices. The DOHC engines in the Eclipses are very non-forgiving if
any head component is installed incorrectly. Those engines are known as
"interference" engines. Sound bad?.... it sure is. Have a qualified
technician check it out and determine if indeed you need a valve job.
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