General Unfound GSX Questions

[Mitsubishi-Kid]

Ok, so I am new to this forum and this is my first post, I am sure that you guys get a lot of questions for Mitsubishi enthusiasts but the questions I have are more for just understanding my car. with my car being stock I'd rather start to understand it before i decide to go modding it.

I have moderate experience with understanding my car I know some things but the more I know the better.

My Questions;

1) When you remove the front cover to the actual bumper and look to the right under the headlight, there is a black boxy looking part that looks like a Kerosene can. I understand that this is a filter but, a filter for what? and how would it benefit my car when i see people who mod the GSX's always seem to remove that part.

2) My Ex-Girlfriend had a 1G Eclipse and her Oil Cooler was neatly yet tightly tucked away, where is my Oil Cooler on my 2G GSX?

a quick back story, I purchased the car for $3,000 from a very nice 50+ year old man, he kept the car in very nice condition i have had it for about a year since, with no problems, check engine light came on once and it was because 1 of my spark plugs went, a tune up fixed it. then sometime later i had a car accident that ruined my cars air intake system. currently it is in the shop being repaired, i made a promise to devote myself to the car so I have spent the money on repairing it like new again, $2,500. I want the car to hold me about 5 years before i am ready for an Evo X.

3) when i purchased the car, i noticed the ending part of the muffler system was well rusted to a point where i found it pointless to have, so i took it off, been driving "muffler-less" since but I want to purchase place the stock double tip muffler on the car again, although a friend of mine in a VW car club has urged me to not do that and to instead buy a 3" End pipe. would there be any benefit to owning an aftermarket single tip exhaust compared to the stock double tip? isn't it stocked double tipped for a reason?

4) When I think back to my car accident I wonder how an Evo would have helped me handle it, by this i mean in the upgraded features of the Evo's AWD system. could I do a AWD train swap off of an Evo or if not can I add features to my GSX's AWD system like my personal favorite, Automatic YAW control?

5) Does anyone know the actual name of the GSX AWD system? kind of like how the GTR's system is called ATTESA E-TS? or is it just a system Mitsubishi designed but did not give a name?

6) a few months back, I went toe to toe with a Subaru STi with my stock GSX, for those of you in or familiar with Long Island New York, the Northern State Parkway is pretty nice when there is no traffic, and well, that was the best street race i could ever take part in, because that STi had me pushing my limit and I had him loosing his edge, friends of mine say that maybe the STi driver was inexperienced and that I shouldn't have been able to keep pace with him like that, I am curious to know how the STi and GSX compare, Stock for Stock. is it THAT much faster than the GSX?

7) I want to install remote start, but i worry of the electronic failures that can come from it, even though the GSX supports this feature are there any recommendations for a reliable remote start product?

8) has anyone seen the warning label in the trunk by the door latch about the key and unlocking? I have been having issues recently with my trunk to where it is a jiggle fight to unlock it with a key and using the indoor lever leads to me having to sometimes hold it while another person lifts the trunk door open and i want to know if this is common or if i have a bad trunk latch release.

9) a lot of the GSX/GS-T Valve covers have come in different colors, was this a stock thing? and where can I find these Valve covers? I am looking for a red one. mine is green.

10) My anti-lock light has been flashing in my dash for some time, the previous owner explained to me that the drivers side wheel has a bad sensor, at times though it goes away and never comes back, a friend of mine told me the sensor could be loose, i checked myself but could not find where the sensor is, can anyone tell me or give an image of where I can find that sensor?

11) The badges on the back of my car that label "GSX" are fading off and personally, I am not fond of that, can anyone tell me where I can get a new set? I have searched but found nothing so a link with purchase price would be nice if possible.

12) is it possible to have sway bars on the top and bottom of the GSX? or do they come top only?

13) does anyone know any new information on the Mitsubishi RA Concept? to me it really is an Eclipse reborn with Evo inspired parts but is Mitsubishi actually going to release it?

14) being dubbed the "bullet proof engine" yet having a meme on the net captioned "4G63, if your not breaking stuff, your not going fast enough" i see they come with a metal block, and I see that after my car accident I was able to drive home but how durable are these engines? I understand that there is a Hybrid version of these engines too? can a swap be done in the GSX with one? my vehicle is currently at 170K miles. if I treat it right, will she continue to hold up? although i spent a lot of money to fix her after my accident, when i do finally get it out of the shop, will it run right?

15) The Sunroof: when i reach a certain proper highway speed or I am making a slight turn at a proper highway speed, i hear a "pop" from my sunroof and then the sound of air passing the seals of the sunroof, continuing at that speed will cause the passing air on the sunroof to make the sunroof rattle, is it my chassis being old that maybe bends slightly? or are the sunroof joints loose from age? the sunroof does not leak or have trouble opening or closing generally but when enough g-force from highway speeds are gained, the sunroofs seems to slightly loosen the seal from air pressure and then rattle the whole ride. can I tighten this joint myself and how? most of my friends say it has to be a loose joint somewhere.

I think for now, these are the only questions I have. I am sure more will come in time. I look forward to anyone's answers.

 

[Leonthefaded]

You have a lot of good questions which can all be answered in a simple search, and with google. But here is some of the answers.

Ok, so I am new to this forum and this is my first post, I am sure that you guys get a lot of questions for Mitsubishi enthusiasts but the questions I have are more for just understanding my car. with my car being stock I'd rather start to understand it before i decide to go modding it.

I have moderate experience with understanding my car I know some things but the more I know the better.

My Questions;

1) When you remove the front cover to the actual bumper and look to the right under the headlight, there is a black boxy looking part that looks like a Kerosene can. I understand that this is a filter but, a filter for what? and how would it benefit my car when i see people who mod the GSX's always seem to remove that part.
That's apart of your EVAP system, leave that alone unless you're putting on a FMIC and need to delete it.

2) My Ex-Girlfriend had a 1G Eclipse and her Oil Cooler was neatly yet tightly tucked away, where is my Oil Cooler on my 2G GSX?
Your oil cooler should be located directly infront of the AC condenser infront of the radiator. Its a metal tube thing that recircs back around into the engine bay.

a quick back story, I purchased the car for $3,000 from a very nice 50+ year old man, he kept the car in very nice condition i have had it for about a year since, with no problems, check engine light came on once and it was because 1 of my spark plugs went, a tune up fixed it. then sometime later i had a car accident that ruined my cars air intake system. currently it is in the shop being repaired, i made a promise to devote myself to the car so I have spent the money on repairing it like new again, $2,500. I want the car to hold me about 5 years before i am ready for an Evo X.

3) when i purchased the car, i noticed the ending part of the muffler system was well rusted to a point where i found it pointless to have, so i took it off, been driving "muffler-less" since but I want to purchase place the stock double tip muffler on the car again, although a friend of mine in a VW car club has urged me to not do that and to instead buy a 3" End pipe. would there be any benefit to owning an aftermarket single tip exhaust compared to the stock double tip? isn't it stocked double tipped for a reason?

You can just go to a local exhaust shop and have a new muffler welded on I suggest a Borla Straight trough setup. 2.5"

4) When I think back to my car accident I wonder how an Evo would have helped me handle it, by this i mean in the upgraded features of the Evo's AWD system. could I do a AWD train swap off of an Evo or if not can I add features to my GSX's AWD system like my personal favorite, Automatic YAW control?
No

5) Does anyone know the actual name of the GSX AWD system? kind of like how the GTR's system is called ATTESA E-TS? or is it just a system Mitsubishi designed but did not give a name?

6) a few months back, I went toe to toe with a Subaru STi with my stock GSX, for those of you in or familiar with Long Island New York, the Northern State Parkway is pretty nice when there is no traffic, and well, that was the best street race i could ever take part in, because that STi had me pushing my limit and I had him loosing his edge, friends of mine say that maybe the STi driver was inexperienced and that I shouldn't have been able to keep pace with him like that, I am curious to know how the STi and GSX compare, Stock for Stock. is it THAT much faster than the GSX?
STY are you street racing in a stock gsx. Get real. Luck, bad driver call it whatever. Be careful about talk of street racing in these forums

7) I want to install remote start, but i worry of the electronic failures that can come from it, even though the GSX supports this feature are there any recommendations for a reliable remote start product?
Google

8) has anyone seen the warning label in the trunk by the door latch about the key and unlocking? I have been having issues recently with my trunk to where it is a jiggle fight to unlock it with a key and using the indoor lever leads to me having to sometimes hold it while another person lifts the trunk door open and i want to know if this is common or if i have a bad trunk latch release.
That is a common problem I believe you need to change you Lift support shocks on the trunk you can find them at your local auto part store or on ebay. Replacing them takes less than 20 mins and requires simple hand tools.

9) a lot of the GSX/GS-T Valve covers have come in different colors, was this a stock thing? and where can I find these Valve covers? I am looking for a red one. mine is green.
Somone painted your valve cover... strip it and paint it. I recommend one of the Freelancers here on DSMtuners to powdercoat it.

10) My anti-lock light has been flashing in my dash for some time, the previous owner explained to me that the drivers side wheel has a bad sensor, at times though it goes away and never comes back, a friend of mine told me the sensor could be loose, i checked myself but could not find where the sensor is, can anyone tell me or give an image of where I can find that sensor?

11) The badges on the back of my car that label "GSX" are fading off and personally, I am not fond of that, can anyone tell me where I can get a new set? I have searched but found nothing so a link with purchase price would be nice if possible.

: JNZ Tuning


12) is it possible to have sway bars on the top and bottom of the GSX? or do they come top only?
You can do top and bottom, but from my searching I have concluded that the bottom Strut tower Bars you are referring to are pointless. Again they are Strut Tower Bars.

13) does anyone know any new information on the Mitsubishi RA Concept? to me it really is an Eclipse reborn with Evo inspired parts but is Mitsubishi actually going to release it?

14) being dubbed the "bullet proof engine" yet having a meme on the net captioned "4G63, if your not breaking stuff, your not going fast enough" i see they come with a metal block, and I see that after my car accident I was able to drive home but how durable are these engines? I understand that there is a Hybrid version of these engines too? can a swap be done in the GSX with one? my vehicle is currently at 170K miles. if I treat it right, will she continue to hold up? although i spent a lot of money to fix her after my accident, when i do finally get it out of the shop, will it run right?
Bullet Proof my ass.

15) The Sunroof: when i reach a certain proper highway speed or I am making a slight turn at a proper highway speed, i hear a "pop" from my sunroof and then the sound of air passing the seals of the sunroof, continuing at that speed will cause the passing air on the sunroof to make the sunroof rattle, is it my chassis being old that maybe bends slightly? or are the sunroof joints loose from age? the sunroof does not leak or have trouble opening or closing generally but when enough g-force from highway speeds are gained, the sunroofs seems to slightly loosen the seal from air pressure and then rattle the whole ride. can I tighten this joint myself and how? most of my friends say it has to be a loose joint somewhere.

I think for now, these are the only questions I have. I am sure more will come in time. I look forward to anyone's answers.

 

[synthetek]

2) My Ex-Girlfriend had a 1G Eclipse and her Oil Cooler was neatly yet tightly tucked away, where is my Oil Cooler on my 2G GSX?

You don't have the same type of oil cooler, your oil is water cooled there are coolant lines that run down by your oil filter that go to a cooler between the filter and filter housing. You don't have the external air to air oil cooler like early 1gs have.

 

[Mitsubishi-Kid]

You have a lot of good questions which can all be answered in a simple search, and with google. But here is some of the answers.

Thank You, not all can be found with Google, the age of the Eclipse GSX has made web searches hard. the most i get are mods this and mods that with internet searches but never things about the car itself unless it a web based review someone posted back in 99 to 2001.

in terms of my situation with the STi and my GSX being stock, i get from my friends all the time, "do this, do that, buy this, buy that" I know my vehicle won't be stock forever and I know that i won't last under peer pressure but I am coming from owning a Nissan which are known for having good acceleration, but the GSX with it's Turbo and AWD do have more aggressive acceleration, and honestly, stock is already fast to me. at times a bit scary when i feel the air passing under the tires. so in my head figured there was no need to mod anytime soon and when i do, will i be able to keep up with the control?

if i mod to say, 500HP, are there things i can get to help maintain that HP? steering mods, AWD traction control mods etc? or will i be modding to go fast in a straight line? I know that sounds cheesy, but that's why I asked about the Automatic YAW control.

and then another big question, when i mod it, how will the integrity of the engine hold up? being that it has 170K on it, i feel like i should just mod it now while it has the life in it but it could be as bad as giving an Old lady Red Bull and Monster with 5 hour energy. so i remained stock because I am on the fence about it.

Thank You for answering some of these questions though, and that link has just what I needed.

You don't have the same type of oil cooler, your oil is water cooled there are coolant lines that run down by your oil filter that go to a cooler between the filter and filter housing. You don't have the external air to air oil cooler like early 1gs have.

Holy crap, i had no clue. being a noob i have to ask then, how does my water/oil cooling system work? is it relying on my radiator coolant or A/C coolant? if not then would a situation arrive where i need to refill this system with a special coolant?

 

[synthetek]

Holy crap, i had no clue. being a noob i have to ask then, how does my water/oil cooling system work? is it relying on my radiator coolant or A/C coolant? if not then would a situation arrive where i need to refill this system with a special coolant?

Its shares the same coolant that is in your radiator

 

[Mitsubishi-Kid]

Its shares the same coolant that is in your radiator

WTF that is some news to me that cooling system sounds pretty complex. when i was in car my accident, my radiator was slightly pushed back on one side moving the overflow bottle out of place, of course this is being fixed now but should i check for anything to ensure that the entire cooling system isn't jeopardized?

speaking of the radiator, would it be convenient to swap out the the stock side mount intercooler for a bigger front mount one? granted the intercooler operates separate from the liquid cooling system.

 

[Leonthefaded]

WTF that is some news to me that cooling system sounds pretty complex. when i was in car my accident, my radiator was slightly pushed back on one side moving the overflow bottle out of place, of course this is being fixed now but should i check for anything to ensure that the entire cooling system isn't jeopardized?

speaking of the radiator, would it be convenient to swap out the the stock side mount intercooler for a bigger front mount one? granted the intercooler operates separate from the liquid cooling system.

PUNISHMENT RACING FMIC KIT: 1995-99 ECLIPSE/TALON ****ON SALE**** - Punishment Racing

If you want to swap out your SMIC (side mount intercooler) to a FMIC that's the one you want right there. I don't care what anyone says. The Punishment Racing FMIC even with the stock T25 turbo on the GSX rocks, and its the easiest install. Also you cant beat that price

Not speaking from experience, I'd have to say maintence would be your biggest concern. At 170k miles if you are looking to attain 500HP you are definitely looking at more than just rebuilding the top and bottom end of the motor. I am lead to believe that you would be looking at a lot of internal engine upgrades and a high budget at that, but I'm sure you are prepared for. As far as stability and control I cannot speak on that at all with any real definitive. But I can say that At 500HP If I was driving in a straight line I would want a pretty good suspension setup, and a well maintained steering system. Driving in a Auto X or street scenario at 500HP using full or near full potential I would want the best suspension setup and a moderately upgraded steering system.

 

[Mitsubishi-Kid]

PUNISHMENT RACING FMIC KIT: 1995-99 ECLIPSE/TALON ****ON SALE**** - Punishment Racing

If you want to swap out your SMIC (side mount intercooler) to a FMIC that's the one you want right there. I don't care what anyone says. The Punishment Racing FMIC even with the stock T25 turbo on the GSX rocks, and its the easiest install. Also you cant beat that price

that is nice. it supports up to 40psi, how much HP or WHP did you make on yours after it was installed with the stock T25?

 

[Leonthefaded]

that is nice. it supports up to 40psi, how much HP or WHP did you make on yours after it was installed with the stock T25?

I haven't spent any money on a Dyno run at the local AWD dyno. I'm sure I wouldn't have any significant numbers worth the $125. But I will say overall, the leaky POS stock intercooler system that was on my GSX pales in comparison to this PR FMIC I have now. Worth every penny. I live in Hawaii and it was at my door within 5 business days, free shipping.

I would also recommend this BOV with it. http://www.ngrperformance.com/blackngr.php

IMO its just like a Greddy.

 

[Mitsubishi-Kid]

I haven't spent any money on a Dyno run at the local AWD dyno. I'm sure I wouldn't have any significant numbers worth the $125. But I will say overall, the leaky POS stock intercooler system that was on my GSX pales in comparison to this PR FMIC I have now. Worth every penny. I live in Hawaii and it was at my door within 5 business days, free shipping.

I would also recommend this BOV with it. SPECIAL! - NEW BLACK NGR Type-S BOV

IMO its just like a Greddy.

I figured when i am ready to modify it, I would take it to a dyno stock to see what i am working with at high mileage, and then after mods, dyno it again.

with BOV, i have noticed a lot of people i know who place on custom BOV's always end up ruining the car somehow, i fear that more than any other modification to my car. a mechanic told me it's all about doing it right and not getting crazy with the psi mods but i am still skeptical.

i figured that with 500hp i would have enough to drive with spirit (New York doesn't really give you much open roads to go full throttle on) without costing myself any crazy issues to the car, maintenance is key at 170K miles, i actually have, new stock oem parts on the car to keep it up.

the stock oem parts i have placed on it are;

shocks/struts
gaskets
belts (timing belt as well)
tires (new not used)
brakes
fuel pump/regulator
wheel bearing and rotors
air and oil filters
oil flushes
fuel flushes

the list goes on, this stuff was put on the car last summer, i guess with the money i spent i could have just mod and tuned it. but those are minor maintenance things to me. i haven't done anything extensive yet but my vehicle has no leaks and its driving feel performance can compare to an eclipse with lower milage.

i guess starting with the intercooler is fine, but i really worry about my comfort with the BOV.

 

[synthetek]

An intercooler is more of a supporting mod, you probably are not going to see any HP gains installing it with a stock turbo, you wouldn't really see the benefit of it until you upgrade your turbo. You don't need to be afraid of installing a BOV as long as you recirculate it properly, you will have to at least change to 1g BOV at some point if you start modding your engine. You should read through all the upgrade paths here Tech Guide - DSMtuners

 

[Mitsubishi-Kid]

An intercooler is more of a supporting mod, you probably are not going to see any HP gains installing it with a stock turbo, you wouldn't really see the benefit of it until you upgrade your turbo. You don't need to be afraid of installing a BOV as long as you recirculate it properly, you will have to at least change to 1g BOV at some point if you start modding your engine. You should read through all the upgrade paths here Tech Guide - DSMtuners

in your opinion, a 1G BOV is better than the 2G BOV's? i'm curious to know why that is. are there different advantages/disadvantages in the 1G and 2G BOV's?

I checked out a little bit of the Tech Guide going stage 1, i never thought I would find something like this. Thanks.

 

[Cdc1221]

There really is no advantage to having a 2g bov. It will start leaking by at around 14 psi. The 1g bov is a very inexpensive solution to this. They've been known to hold at 30 psi and up

 

[Mitsubishi-Kid]

There really is no advantage to having a 2g bov. It will start leaking by at around 14 psi. The 1g bov is a very inexpensive solution to this. They've been known to hold at 30 psi and up

why would Mitsubishi do that though? there has to be some technical reason behind it. is the air leak on the 2G BOV to help protect the intake? maybe it's designed like that on purpose for that reason?

 

[Cdc1221]

It was only designed to run a set boost pressure, normally 11 psi. Its not really protecting anything. Actually, if you try to exceed that 14 psi with the stock bov and turbo, it will destroy the turbo, as it will never open the waste gate to bleed off the unneeded back pressure, which overworks the turbo, usually resulting in extreme thrust play

 

[Mitsubishi-Kid]

It was only designed to run a set boost pressure, normally 11 psi. Its not really protecting anything. Actually, if you try to exceed that 14 psi with the stock bov and turbo, it will destroy the turbo, as it will never open the waste gate to bleed off the unneeded back pressure, which overworks the turbo, usually resulting in extreme thrust play

so even with my stock turbo, changing the BOV will enhance the peak performance of the T-25?

 

[Cdc1221]

If you plan to stay at stock boost, no. But if you ever want to go to 14-15 psi, then yes. But that's the absolute max I would go on that tiny thing

 

[handsome_black]

The 2G BOV is also plastic, where as the 1G is metal and just all around better. If you plan of modding the car at all in the future invest in the very least a 1G valve. You will need new upper intercooler pipeing though, as the 1G mounts differently to the pipe.

I know someone who shaves, takes all the lines and the DOHC and 16 VALVE letters, off the cover and it makes it look very very nice and clean, also paints them in all kinds of colors and designs. PM me if you would like more info, as I am not trying to sell something without being in the classified section.

 

[Mitsubishi-Kid]

If you plan to stay at stock boost, no. But if you ever want to go to 14-15 psi, then yes. But that's the absolute max I would go on that tiny thing

come to think of it, what is my stock psi on my GSX? 11? and how do i adjust the psi again?

being on the topic of Turbo's, i have a question to add to that, of the choices what do you think would be the best one?

Stock T-25 with dual wastegate setup?

Stock T-25 with (any brand) big turbo setup for high and low RPM boost gain?

Dual T-25 or similar small turbo setup?

Dual big turbo setup?

single big turbo setup?

single big turbo setup with dual wastegate?

or any other combination of the above?

with any of these combinations, would it be best to keep it all in the engine bay or do a turbo set up at the muffler line (back pipe)?

I am sure each one would have it's own advantage or disadvantage but which is best? and has anyone swapped out the turbo for a supercharger (i probably wouldn't do that) or done a combo of turbo and supercharger set up? I am curious to know what that would be like.

The 2G BOV is also plastic, where as the 1G is metal and just all around better. If you plan of modding the car at all in the future invest in the very least a 1G valve. You will need new upper intercooler pipeing though, as the 1G mounts differently to the pipe.

I know someone who shaves, takes all the lines and the DOHC and 16 VALVE letters, off the cover and it makes it look very very nice and clean, also paints them in all kinds of colors and designs. PM me if you would like more info, as I am not trying to sell something without being in the classified section.

you know, i wondered why that BOV was plastic in my car but i never thought much of it. so with the change to 1G BOV I feel as though i may as well, grab the air intake off a 1G as well, but the smaller intake provides better velocity (right?) so i may as well stick with it. now, besides the 1G BOV can i also do the same for the Evo? i know some parts for the Evo would fit the 2G GSX, Evo III if i'm not mistaken, would i have similar benefits of the 1G if swapped that BOV?

You can just go to a local exhaust shop and have a new muffler welded on I suggest a Borla Straight trough setup. 2.5"

how is the sound on that muffler compared to the stock double tipped one? as strange as this sounds, I like the Evo mufflers because i hear them coming from a block away, but they are not too obnoxious. it's like a low tone bass compared to a high revving Honda Civic which sounds like it's screaming Hooooooon-Duuuuuuuuuh.

 

[luv2rallye]

10) My anti-lock light has been flashing in my dash for some time, the previous owner explained to me that the drivers side wheel has a bad sensor, at times though it goes away and never comes back, a friend of mine told me the sensor could be loose, i checked myself but could not find where the sensor is, can anyone tell me or give an image of where I can find that sensor?

The sensor is in the knuckle arm that the wheel hub goes through. However most of the time an intermittent light is due to the red ABS connector behind the glove box door. Mine does this and reseating the connector (or often just jiggling it) fixes it. To unplug you have to raise the lever and hold the button down while pulling it apart. Either discharge the system or keep your head out of the way should it blow off (although mine never has).

 

[Mitsubishi-Kid]

The sensor is in the knuckle arm that the wheel hub goes through. However most of the time an intermittent light is due to the red ABS connector behind the glove box door. Mine does this and reseating the connector (or often just jiggling it) fixes it. To unplug you have to raise the lever and hold the button down while pulling it apart. Either discharge the system or keep your head out of the way should it blow off (although mine never has).

thats something i did not know. thank you for this, I'll try it and let you know how it goes

 

[luv2rallye]

Update: Sorry I meant air bag connector - not ABS connector. So keep your head out of the way of the passenger air bag should it go off while diddling with the connector.

 

[synthetek]

how do i adjust the psi again?

You need a boost controller

 

[Mitsubishi-Kid]

Update: Sorry I meant air bag connector - not ABS connector. So keep your head out of the way of the passenger air bag should it go off while diddling with the connector.

so the flashing Anti-Lock light in my dash is intertwined with my Air Bag sensor? or am i confused?

You need a boost controller

I understand what it does, but would it be of much help when i'm stock? and would I need to flash my computer to install it?

 

[Leonthefaded]

I don't believe he needs a boost controller to up the boost. Isn't there a restrictor in the EBC that comes stock on the GSX?