Mitsubishi Eclipse heater problem

mdaudioguy

2009 Eclipse with automatic climate control... I'm sitting in the dealer waiting room right now. Normal operation is to set the blower to auto and the other control to auto (under dash, dash vents, defrost, etc). Then I normally set the temperature to 70. It's worked fine like that for two winters now - heat blows out from under the dash in winter, and cool air from the dash in summer. Tuesday, it starts blowing cold air from the dash, even though the temperature outside was about 30! I bring it in for them to check it out, and a mechanic tries to tell me everything is normal. I just need to set the temp up above 85! And then he argued with me when I said that's not how it should work.

I suspect there's something obstructing the coolant flow. Any chance they might admit I'm right or that they were wrong??

mdaudioguy

So, after further checking, they're still telling me there's nothing wrong with it and everything is normal. It's not. Frustrating. I'm waiting for the service manager to return...

concealer404

Heater core is probably clogged. Or it is possible that the circuit that controls temperature is toast. Not as likely though, unless the build quality is really that bad.

RuSsMaN

So if you actually turn the heat on (not auto), does it work or not?

Vette C6.r

Seriously doubt the heater core is blocked in a 09.

First and foremost, please check the coolant level. Low coolant could cause that problem.

The first and easiest thing that comes to mind is the mechanical part of the heat. Check that the thermostat is working in the correct manner. Upon start up check to see that the upper hose is NOT letting coolant flow. It should have a fair amount of pressure built up.

Also check another mechanical piece the radiatior cap. The higher the pressure of the system the lower the boiling temp of the coolant. Make sure it is sealed correctly.

Just a thought before you tear anything apart.

Not to say it isn't anything electrical....just start with the easy stuff.

mdaudioguy

Ok, so when I put it on AUTO climate control, I get cold air for every setting up to 89 degrees -then... full blast hot air. It's under warranty, otherwise I'd never set foot in a dealership service shop.

Tony - First thing I did was check the coolant level. Btw, it's the Mitsu dealer right up the street from you. I'll post more about my experience later. It's ridiculous how I was treated, and I lost 4 hours of work to boot. More on that later when I'm not posting from my phone!

mdaudioguy

The problem is as explained above. It's under warranty, so I called the dealer. He says to bring it in and they’ll look at it right away. A mechanic has it for 20 to 30 minutes and he calls me out to say that it does have heat. He tells me to place my hand in front of the vent. I say, dude, that’s because you have it set at 89 degrees. He replies that this is how the automatic climate system works. I look at him and say, no, it does not. Yes, it does. No, it doesn’t. Yes, it does – I’ve had all the training on the automatic climate systems. I tell him that it should heat the car up to a comfortable 70 degrees when I have it set to 70. It was 35 outside and this thing was blowing unheated air in his face when set at 70, and he tells me that’s normal. I say, well for the last 14 months, it worked exactly as I explained. So he says he’ll check it over thoroughly.

An hour later, he can’t find anything wrong, so he once again says it’s fine. The assistant service manager seems to agree with me, but says that he has to go with what the techs tell him. He says I need to talk to the service manager, who stepped out for a few minutes… I tell him I’ll wait, and he returns… an hour later. And, he starts telling me the same thing. He says he has a Nissan and a Chrysler and they both function exactly like my car does in this (broken) state. We go back and forth several times, where he repeats over and over that there’s nothing wrong with my car, and I repeat that there is. Finally, I ask him to pull a 2011 model, virtually identical to mine into the shop and we let them both warm up, for a side-by-side comparison. And, what do you know? With the same settings on both cars, the 2011 is blowing hot air out of the under-dash vents, and my 2009 is blowing cold air out of the in-dash vents. Duh!

So, before I was able to prove my point, I was chatting with these two guys while the cars were warming up, (I remained cordial the whole time) and one of them mentioned a dealership that they both used to work at. It turned out that my brother-in-law was the chief mechanic there for over 15 years. They both knew him and thought highly of him… and then their tune started changing!

Anyhow, I’m taking it in on Monday, and since they are completely baffled about the problem, they’re not predicting a quick fix. I’m still a little frustrated, since they aren’t offering me a loaner. And it’s also frustrating that I had to be so persistent in order to get some help. And I’m also irritated that it took a common connection (my brother-in-law) for me to get this guy to take me seriously. I feel sorry for their customers who aren’t as knowledgeable or persistent. It’s got to be intimidating for some folks when they think something might be wrong with their car, and the so-called expert that they took it to tells them there’s nothing wrong. Know what I mean?

Wow, it was good to get that out!

joeparaski

Well at least you're getting somewhere. I understand you frustration...it's a good thing you kept your cool (no pun intended).

Joe

mdaudioguy

joeparaski wrote: »

Well at least you're getting somewhere. I understand you frustration...it's a good thing you kept your cool (no pun intended).

Joe

You made me LOL - for real! I guess what I really need to do is lose my cool!

Ed

disneyjoe7

Look in manual and find the manufacturer number to call them directly. See if that doesn't get you anywhere.

mdaudioguy

disneyjoe7 wrote: »

Look in manual and find the manufacturer number to call them directly. See if that doesn't get you anywhere.

They actually gave me a number to call, but jeez, can't a guy just be taken seriously and not have at least two people attempt to play him for a fool? When I go back, I should present them with an invoice for my lost wages...

C'mon, we all know how AUTOMATIC climate control is supposed to work - automatically, right? And to look me in the eye over and over and say this is normal?? C'mon man!

Oh, I'll eventually get this squared away, and I'll tell this dealership's general manager that this will factor heavily in my decision on where to buy my next car. But, for now, I'm not gonna lose any sleep on it, 'cause unlike my car, I'm blowing off a lot of hot air right now!

Vette C6.r

[QUOTE=mdaudioguy;1521757 Btw, it's the Mitsu dealer right up the street from you. ![/QUOTE]

Got totally new gear. Call me next time you're in the da hood.

mdaudioguy

Vette C6.r wrote: »

Got totally new gear. Call me next time you're in the da hood.

Will do! What did you get?

Vette C6.r

PM sent Ed.

mdaudioguy

An $11.95 temperature sensor fixed it. Wow. I have no idea how much labor was involved to diagnose and replace. But, at least I was able to shame them into getting me a rental car for the 2 days they had mine.

TNRabbit

The more complicated cars become, the harder it is to track down what may be wrong. There's an entire list of possibilities.. They didn't want to fool with it because it is a time-killer without much $$$ in return. They shouldn't have argued with you, though.

The labor they charge for diagnostics is down from what they can get on a straight job. The manual says it's 4.5 hours for job X, and if they can get it done in 1.5 hours, it's all profit for them as they still get paid the 4.5 hours.

sucks2beme

My favorite quote from a Lexus dealer my son worked at:
"You don't get paid to diagnose, you get paid to fix things."
That pretty much sums up the way modern dealerships think.
And the dealerships really wanted them to throw parts at it, because
the dealership could sent the factory the bill for that.
Diagnostic time paid by the factory for Lexus/Toyota is really
limited, so it forces them into this mode of operation.

mdaudioguy

Yeah, I know how it works. It's just frustrating when you buy something and they're promising to be there for you...

Oh yeah, the funny thing is, this dealership's new slogan is, "It's about you!" They should add, "unless you have a problem..."