A small pile of noobie questions.

[bgugi]

So I just bought my eclipse, and i got quite a deal because the previous owner wasn't too bright when it comes to cars. Unfortunately this has left me with a few messes to clean up. While i have slight experience, and consider myself somewhat capable, i have a few things leaving me a bit puzzled. I apologize for asking any questions answered more than a few times before, but i'm having a bit of trouble finding the answers i need.

Firstly, i have noticed that my front springs have started to fold in on themselves. like, random coils touching under no load. Seeing as i have no idea what the age of the struts are, should i be replacing both springs and struts? Should i just replace the front two, or should i replace all four? Which parts are compatible between turbos, nonturbos, fwd and awd? I'm on a budget, so i'm looking at oem-spec.
Anywhere in particular i should order these, or will monroes shocks and moog springs from advance auto parts work? Will I need alignment after changing these?

Secondly, my oil pressure gauge does not work. I have two wires coming out of the bridle near the alternator plug. One is yellow, one is yellow/red. I'm not sure where they're supposed to go.

I have a three gauge a-pillar mount, with only one gauge, a boost gauge. It's branded as "nitrous," with almost no other manufacturer markings. Can i trust its reading? What other gauges are most important to fill up this pillar?

My clutch requires excessive force in order to engage first or revers gears. Like, push it through it's normal range, then another inch or two towards the floor. I assume this isn't normal. Reverse also tends to grind a bit when engaging after driving forward, and while reversing allowing the clutch to fully engage causes violent shaking regardless of throttle and speed. All other gears seem to work normally.

The engine also does not have its original oil dipstick, but rather some kind of adjustable generic one. It appears to be improperly adjusted. If somebody could tell me their length from cap to full, that would be great. otherwise, if you could point me towards somewhere to order an oem stick that would be alright. But i'd rather work with what i have.

I performed my first oil change yesterday, and some numbskull had overfilled the oil... it overflowed the 8L pan i drained into, spilling out into the driveway. I refilled with 4.5L of oil, and called it a day.

well, that's about all i can think of for now.

 

[eclipsyco]

Wow to many questions!
Ok so to start first do al maintenance and go oem always.
About the wires please take a picture would be helpful.
A about the springs and studs well that depended on the condition they are if your shocks are not leaking or something like that just change the springs on al four.
Yes N/A models and turbo model share many parts but mostly body parts. They have different engines.
No don't trust you boost gauge get a quality one
Fill the rest of the pods with a wideband and an oil pressure gauge.

 

[Dsmkauai]

I would definelty get the suspension fixed and if it were me do all 4 corners. Sounds like the hacked the springs thus making them weaker and why your having a problem. As far as brand finding oem or comparable is fine, or think about the future for the car and maybe do a upgrade now, either coilovers or a good matched spring and strut like kyb's and say eibach. For the oil pressure gauge there is a sender attached to the oil filter housing right by alternator and the wires you found. I believe its only one wire that goes to the top of that sender for the gauge to operate. Gauges it's hard to say if you can trust it but its probably fine. But a good boost gauge and wideband o2 sensor are a must for tubro cars and tuning. Try searching for the jacks trans video on how to properly bleed the clutch, go thru all that first then let us know if you still have issues. For a brand new oem dipstick and tube go to the vendors section and look for STM, extremepsi, or sim for oem replacement parts at the best price. I know for a fact STM has oem dipsticks and even the 1g metal type that doesn't break as easy as the plastic 2g ones and yes you can use a 1g dipstick in your 2g with no issues, I do in all mine. Holy crap that's alot of oil!! Good thing you checked! Oh and bro I grew up in Winthrop harbor and Zion!!!! Haha small world I used to live at 915 park ave.

 

[bgugi]

You want to talk about small world? i was born one island over, in honolulu!

so i'm looking at my ofh, and I can't for the life of me figure out where my pressure sending unit is. Here's an album of all the pictures i've taken today. This is all from the driver's front wheel well and around the ofh.

eclipse strut and oil filter housing - Imgur

 

[Dsmkauai]

What no ways bro hahahaha, why the xxxx would you leave island life for the harbor?? Ok your first picture, look to the right of that Allen plug and it is that big round thing (sending unit) attached to the ofh. You will notice on the center there is a bolt and looks like alittle wire still stuck in it. That's we're the wire for the sending unit goes, I can't remember the wire color thou sorry. Your third picture is the sending unit! And I would get a new suspension setup your springs rusted and broke and I'm sure your struts are blown.

 

[bgugi]

aahh, i was but a wee lad, and have no memories of the island, only a birth certificate.

either way, so it's the big top-hat looking thing? It doesn't appear to have any kind of connecter, only that little (brass?) nipple. there does appear to be a fragment of a braided cable hanging on to that. which wire attaches to it?

 

[Dsmkauai]

Ya the top hat looking thing is it and no connector just that screw at the end and you can use one of these circle connectors on the cable to attach. Just see which wire streches over to the sensor and that's probably it its one or the other . Just have someone watch the gauge while you touch the wire to the sensor and they can tell you if it moves with the key on of course. And that's cool bro just joking if you ever come visit the islands hit me up. And are you going to factory mod this year its sept 21 and ill be in town and able to go!! You should hook up with the others that Cruz down in there dsm's should be a blast.

 

[luv2rallye]

Here's some pics that may help:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=68187&d=1159354383
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=148183&d=1352527276.
The connector that attaches to the oil pressure gauge sender: http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=148183&d=1352527276

The yellow wires are a little confusing. At the oil pressure low switch (sender) it's a flexable yellow-black that connects to a yellow which goes to the dash light. At the oil pressure gauge sender it's a short flexable green in a casing (this might be missing on yours) that connects to a flexable yellow in a casing that connects to a yellow-red that goes to the oil pressure dash gauge.

On my 99 from the dip stick ridge that stops it from going in any further (top of tube) to the full notch it measures 16 1/2".

 

[bgugi]

thanks for the help, guys. I don't see any connectors on my loose wires, only frayed/clipped ends.

also: I bled my clutch cylinder. I see a tube that runs from the cylinder to the "clutch dampener," then off to... somewhere. does it draw from the same clear reservoir as the brakes, up near the driver's side firewall?

after bleeding and taking another trip around town, being very careful to feel how everything shifts, i believe my first symptoms may have been misdiscribed. basically, the first and reverse take quite a bit of force to shift into if they aren't rev-matched. I believe my dad and i had an instinctual reaction to press harder on the clutch when receiving resistance on the shift. but putting the clutch on the end of its natural range, i can shift fine into first.

reverse is still grinding, though, and still shakes quite aggressively under power and reduced clutch release.

edit: I also have the ability to scope out the throw lever, as i've heard it could have to do with the stud the throw arm rests on.

 

[Dsmkauai]

Hmm check your motor mounts for wear. Check the shifter plate bushings for wear and also shifter cables at both ends. You can replace the old crappy bushings on the shift cables by the trans with bearing type.