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Thread: Cold Weather - Not great car

  1. #31
    I was getting there. Probably after a few more pages. I was hoping he’d sell it to me cheap.


    Mirage videos:

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE wussie cvt edition. 1.2 automatic: 37.7 mpg (US) ... 16.0 km/L ... 6.2 L/100 km ... 45.3 mpg (Imp)


  2. #32
    Moderator Eggman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 01-7700 View Post
    why has no one suggested the heater core goo problem yet?
    We're all in denial.

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)


  3. #33
    Senior Member AtomicPunk's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eggman View Post
    We're all in denial.


    So, how widespread is this heater core goo problem? All years?

  4. #34
    Member pawpaw's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AtomicPunk View Post
    So, how widespread is this heater core goo problem? All years?
    Interesting question.

    I just noticed the issue in my 14 this winter so it could still be tip of the iceberg on this one.

  5. #35
    Senior Member Top_Fuel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AtomicPunk View Post
    ...how widespread is this heater core goo problem? All years?
    The issue has definitely been identified in 2014-2015 models. My 2015 was built in December of 2015 and it has the problem.


    Why don't more of us have this problem?

    • The condition develops slowly over time. Your heat just doesn't stop completely working one day.

    • Without properly testing the output temperature of your vents, you may think your heat output is normal when it's not.

    • The heat output is weak on the passenger side long before it starts to decline on the driver side. So if you never have a front passenger when it's really cold, you may have no idea that the passenger side heat output is non-existent in colder temps.

    • The condition doesn't become obvious until you operate the car in really cold temperatures. If your winter temps never get below 30F, you can get by with a partially restricted heater core and have OK heat. But once the car gets into temps closer to 0F or below, that's when you really realize the heat output is inadequate.



    Here's an example of what I'm talking about. This vehicle had about 70,000 miles. Notice the huge temperature variation between the far left and far right vents. If you had to drive this car in 0F temps, it's not going to be pleasant.

    Sometimes a picture is worth 1000 words...

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    Last edited by Top_Fuel; 11-17-2019 at 03:37 PM.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)


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  7. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by pawpaw View Post
    Interesting question.

    I just noticed the issue in my 14 this winter so it could still be tip of the iceberg on this one.
    A simple flush of your heater core with a garden hose may be a good place to start. If may or may not give you some improvement? In the clip below, his heater core wasn't all that dirty, & he gained about 25F by doing a simple reverse water flush this way.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9SIafVsqyc

    It's something simple that I would try first. If it doesn't help, then you know that you may have a bigger issue.

  8. #37
    Senior Member AtomicPunk's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pawpaw View Post
    Interesting question.

    I just noticed the issue in my 14 this winter so it could still be tip of the iceberg on this one.

    Is Mitsubishi aware of the issue? And would an early drain and fill be beneficial? Or total flush?

  9. #38
    Senior Member Top_Fuel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AtomicPunk View Post
    Is Mitsubishi aware of the issue?
    By now Mitsubishi has probably replaced enough heater cores that the Tech Line people are aware of the problem. Individual dealerships may not have a clue...unless you live in a very cold part of the country that has a lot of 2014-2015 Mirages running around. My dealership had not performed a heater core replacement in a Mirage when I brought it to their attention last winter.


    ...would an early drain and fill be beneficial?
    Probably not. The substance restricting the heater core is not corrosion. It appears to be a manufacturing by-product inside the heater core that has a consistency similar to petroleum jelly.

    Here's Doax's factory heater core that he replaced around 77,000 miles (from what I remember)...

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    As a side note... Other manufacturers have had a similar problem (like VW). Their solution was not to flush the core...but to replace it. So I'm guessing there's no magic chemical that will easily remove this gunk.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)


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  11. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by Top_Fuel View Post
    By now Mitsubishi has probably replaced enough heater cores that the Tech Line people are aware of the problem. Individual dealerships may not have a clue...unless you live in a very cold part of the country that has a lot of 2014-2015 Mirages running around. My dealership had not performed a heater core replacement in a Mirage when I brought it to their attention last winter.

    As a side note... Other manufacturers have had a similar problem (like VW). Their solution was not to flush the core...but to replace it. So I'm guessing there's no magic chemical that will easily remove this gunk.

    It's surely something to watch for! For all we know, the more current 2017+ Mirages may develop the same issue. It just hasn't shown up yet.

    If an early flush & replacement of coolant would resolve the issue, Mitsubishi would be foolish to ignore that. Then again, they may gamble on most customers not keeping their Mirages for that long or the problem may not develop until after the warranty period.

    It's still stupid to ignore this if it is an issue. People buying used Mirages and having to replace heater cores are not going to be happy customers. Bad practices do take their toll. I think Nissan is already starting to feel the impact of that. Nissan has lost me as a potential future customer for now at least.

    The heater core is not a safety issue, except a fogged up windshield is unsafe. Does anyone expect Mitsubishi to come clean on this issue? I'm not holding my breath on that one!

  12. #40
    Senior Member AtomicPunk's Avatar
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    That's some serious slime. I know I've seen it somewhere before....


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