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Thread: 3000 mile update, 2015 Mirage purchased 5/9/15

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    3000 mile update, 2015 Mirage purchased 5/9/15

    Oil check, level same, looks as clean as it comes out of the can.
    Fortunately for me not a single chip in the paint and only a couple of very minor marks in the windshield.
    On a meet up with some members of ecomodder driving a very mileage friendly route, I managed 72.6 mpg for just over 40 miles.
    Lifetime average mpg is just under 54.
    The ONLY issue with this car the misalignment of the right rear axle and the left front toe, which I had adjusted when I checked the alignment, total cost $40, from an independent shop. I wanted to get a print out before I went to the dealership and my understanding is they are not doing anything at this time.
    The directional stability improved significantly with the adjustment of the toe (LF) from -.25 to -.05 (spec -.15 to +.15).
    If Mitsubishi can't fix the alignment, I'll do it myself.
    Other that that I find this small inexpensive car to be one of my best vehicle purchases in almost 50 years driving.

    regards
    mech


        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage de 1.2 manual: 55.7 mpg (US) ... 23.7 km/L ... 4.2 L/100 km ... 66.9 mpg (Imp)


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    Loved your post!!! I feel the same way!!! Since I bought mine. The only problem I've had is keeping these idiots from Dinging the side of my Door!! I do have good news my last Ding that I Thought did damage was just a paint mark on my door I washed it off!! So I'll have to park Farther away from everybody to Protect my Blue Saphire Diamond!!! From Getting Scrathed up!! ��and I've had a Air Bag senser need replaceing. Other then that NO Problems
    hello from bluejellybean

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage DE 1.2 automatic: 38.4 mpg (US) ... 16.3 km/L ... 6.1 L/100 km ... 46.1 mpg (Imp)


  4. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by old mechanic View Post
    Oil check, level same, looks as clean as it comes out of the can.
    Fortunately for me not a single chip in the paint and only a couple of very minor marks in the windshield.
    On a meet up with some members of ecomodder driving a very mileage friendly route, I managed 72.6 mpg for just over 40 miles.
    Lifetime average mpg is just under 54.
    The ONLY issue with this car the misalignment of the right rear axle and the left front toe, which I had adjusted when I checked the alignment, total cost $40, from an independent shop. I wanted to get a print out before I went to the dealership and my understanding is they are not doing anything at this time.
    The directional stability improved significantly with the adjustment of the toe (LF) from -.25 to -.05 (spec -.15 to +.15).
    If Mitsubishi can't fix the alignment, I'll do it myself.
    Other that that I find this small inexpensive car to be one of my best vehicle purchases in almost 50 years driving.

    regards
    mech
    Impressive mileage! You using 1,3,5 shift pattern?

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 automatic: 40.5 mpg (US) ... 17.2 km/L ... 5.8 L/100 km ... 48.6 mpg (Imp)


  5. #4
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    Not really skip shifting but short shifting. I'll run any gear down to 1500 if I'm not trying to accelerate. Started coasting with the engine off, works really good for higher mileage driving around Colonial Williamsburg in 25 mph zones.

    Coasting distances with the rear axle in specs and particularly with 0 toe improved considerably, allowing me to coast into my neighborhood and make it .3 mile home even though my initial speed is barely more than 21mph. I can do it right or left turns as long as traffic cooperates.

    I find that some of my downhills can be combined 2 into 1, some of them approaching .5 mile, even though the elevation change is only about 10 feet and initial speed 32-4 mph.

    Coming home from west to east, I can actually extend last coast coast almost 1 mile total. I can get the mpg reading above 60 ina little over 4 miles, from a cold start then climibng 10 feet uphill to get from my garage to the road. Over 50 mpg in less than2,5 miles from the same cold start.

    regards
    mech

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage de 1.2 manual: 55.7 mpg (US) ... 23.7 km/L ... 4.2 L/100 km ... 66.9 mpg (Imp)


  6. #5
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    6100 miles now, with rear wheels aligned, this Mirage is the machine. I think I can get 40-50k out of the OE tires. Got a replacement set in the works with another board member. Unlike others I have no serious paint chipping (just checked today after washing), no significant windshield chips, unlike my Scion XB that had a windshield replaced at about the same mileage.

    I have no issues with the Ensaves, the rolling resistance is exceptional and I can still go around corners fast enough to make my wife gasp and grab the handle above her door, at 50 psi.


    regards
    mech

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage de 1.2 manual: 55.7 mpg (US) ... 23.7 km/L ... 4.2 L/100 km ... 66.9 mpg (Imp)


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    What was your solution for the toe? I saw it on ecomodder but couldn't see anything in the picture.

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    two stainless .325 diameter rods with both ends bent almost 180 degrees. Short one on the left (pictured), long one on the right (you can see the left end), connected to a turnbuckle (pictured) that allows tension to be created between the lower coil spring perches. Right side rod (not shown) is at rear of perch, left side is slightly more forward (right side had more toe so more tension to get thrust angle closer).

    regards
    mech
    Last edited by deleted user; 09-08-2015 at 05:23 PM.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage de 1.2 manual: 55.7 mpg (US) ... 23.7 km/L ... 4.2 L/100 km ... 66.9 mpg (Imp)


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    9451 miles as of today, just finished a trip to the outer banks of NC. Running the speed limits with very little hypermiling, I still managed 57 mpg, with the mpg meter reading 59, without any resets.

    Front tires are now at 7/32nds, rears at between 7 & 8/32nds, about half the wear of the fronts as it should be on a fwd car. Wear is perfectly even across all 3 main grooves on every tire, read with my ancient milton, made in Chicago, tread depth guage. Pressures currently set at 50 psi.

    No significant paint chips. No significant chips in the windshield. No other issues whatsoever, outside of the rear axle alignment, which I have had "tweaked now for close to 7 k miles. Properly rotated the tires should last me 50k miles and I have another set of Ensaves to replace the originals (got them from a forum member here).

    Oil level exactly where it was when changed. I actually had to drain some from the original factory fill, to get the level down to the top of the full mark, removed the filter, dumped it, and reinstalled the same filter at about 1k miles.

    regards
    mech

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage de 1.2 manual: 55.7 mpg (US) ... 23.7 km/L ... 4.2 L/100 km ... 66.9 mpg (Imp)


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  12. #9
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    The more I look at this car the more I appreciate the thoughtfullness behind it's design. A good example is the procedure for adjusting the belt tension. It takes one tool and a couple of minutes, no real "experience" required.

    As cars evolved into mechanics nightmares over the last 50 years, it's refreshing to see a car that allows a simple belt tension adjustment to be SIMPLE. Not only that but there is no "automatic" tensioner to fail either in the bearing or tensioner itself. The serpentine belt is fantastic, a single adjustment is all that is needed.

    Compared to having to remove the whole engine to replace the knock sensor in a 96 300 ZX at about 10-12 hours labor, the Mirage is more similar to Grandpa's Model A Ford that they swapped the engine to the work boat on Monday and back into the car on Friday using the boats own boom for the swap.

    regards
    mech

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage de 1.2 manual: 55.7 mpg (US) ... 23.7 km/L ... 4.2 L/100 km ... 66.9 mpg (Imp)


  13. #10
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    How many miles before it needed belt adjustment?


        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 46.4 mpg (US) ... 19.7 km/L ... 5.1 L/100 km ... 55.7 mpg (Imp)


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