[Ash]

I am hoping someone can help me here.
I recently bought Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross 2020. In 45 days I have had the car, I have been to the dealership to get it serviced 4 times for check engine light.

The code that keeps coming up is P0014.

I was recommended premium gas or 91 octane and that's what I have been using.

Yesterday the check engine light came back on again.

I no longer want this car. Anyone know what's going on? Is it only me that's experiencing this issue?

 

[Lunatic59]

Welcome to the forums Ash. Sorry to hear you are having second thoughts about the Eclipse Cross. I really love mine and it's rapidly becoming my favorite car. In any case, I don't think your problem is the car, but the dealer.

P0014 is related to camshaft timing. See P0014 Mitsubishi - Exhaust Variable Valve Timing System Target Error Why they thought higher octane fuel would do anything (but get rid of you for a few days) is beyond me. It could be as simple as a poorly seated connection, disconnected sensor or a short in the wiring. It could also be a bad sensor itself, or the timing isn't adjusted properly -- which I would doubt on a brand new car.

If your avatar is your real picture, it is an unfortunate fact that women tend to get treated poorly by dealer service departments. It might be worth your while to ask a male friend or family member to accompany you to see if you're treated any differently, and then find another dealer. It's a shame that an otherwise good car's reputation is tarnished by lazy dealerships.

 

[Ash]

Hi..

Thank you so much for your response.. this helps a lot..

May I ask what octane rating do you use, how long have you been driving it and what model / year please?

 

[Lunatic59]

I have a 2019 SEL with the touring package. It's just about a year since I picked it up and have used nothing but regular (87 octane). My Eclipse Cross currently has about 10,500 miles on it.

 

[Telferstr]

Hi Ash and a warm welcome to the Eclipse Cross Forum. Hope you find it friendly and informative.
Sorry to read of your problem, and as Lunatic59 says, your Dealer does seem not to be up to the job. Here's hoping you can get the problem sorted out.
I have had my Eclipse Cross a 1 year and 5 months and am finding it a great car with few problems.
The fuel used here in Great Britain is premium 95+ 0ctane rating, which is recommended, and shown by a label on the inside of the fuel filler flap.
I believe this can vary, according to the different markets throughout the world that the car is sold in. However, this label found on the inside of your fuel filler flap, and if fitted to your car, should indicate the correct USA octane level required.( i.e. mine says, 95+ Octane for the GB market)

 

[Ash]

The manual says 87 or 91. What gas station do you use? They are giving me a run around to say only use shell or peterocan. I don't feel comfortable to be limited to one or two gas stations because I drive long distance to travel or camp. I need to feel comfortable enough to get gas from anywhere.

I have a 2019 SEL with the touring package. It's just about a year since I picked it up and have used nothing but regular (87 octane). My Eclipse Cross currently has about 10,500 miles on it.

 

[Lunatic59]

Wow, just wow. That sounds like the dealership from ... Danté's 7th level. I buy gas at the grocery store because they have a rewards program that gives me a discount. I will occasionally buy gas from Sunoco because the station is convenient. Gas is really all the same except for the octane, amount of ethanol they blend in and a few additives. If you use too low an octane you can get knocking or pinging and maybe on a worn engine the check engine light will come on, but no gas up to racing fuel will fix bad timing. That's either a sensor problem, a programming problem or a physical problem. I think it's time to complain to both Mitsubishi corporate and to your local consumer protection agency. These guys are either trying to get out of their responsibility or just plain incompetent.

 

[zarbs]

Welcome to the forum @Ash and I hope your journey improves. In Australia we don't have a decal on the filler lid but for us RON 91 is the minimum recommended. This may throw another term into the mix but suffice to say fuel that is 91 or higher is perfect for the EC. I used to run 95 in my Outlander because it had a higher compression ratio for that engine but the 1.5l turbo in the EC is happy with 91 here. Like others I have never had a check engine light come on since taking ownership in May 2019.

 

[Ash]

Thank you guys for your feedback.

Mitsubishi Canada is now involved with this issue. The dealership service department is working with Mitsubishi motors Canada technicians to resolve the issue. I am hoping this time would be the last time.

I have been getting gas at Costco for years. My colleague who own Mitsubishi also use Costco and has had no issues. I used Esso as well as petrocan and the light still came on.

Been told a bunch of BS and having a good knowledge about engines I could explain to the service manager that fuel is not the cause... . but I don't think he knows what he is doing. Hopefully technicians at Mitsubishi Canada can help him resolve the issue.

I joined this forum to see if this was an issue with the car or just mine in particular.. looks like it's just mine. But this has forever scarred me to be honest and I have lost faith in this manufacturer.

 

[Lunatic59]

That's a shame @Ash. I've been a satisfied Mitsubishi owner for over 20 years, but my first experience with the brand was a good one, following a disappointing experience with a Mazda. The only brand I don't think I'd ever own again is VW.

 

[Telferstr]

Photo of the inside of the Fuel Flap showing the unleaded fuel Octane for my car of 95+ which I always use. The Octane rating seems to be higher than what is being quoted for Canada and the USA, but none the less shows the engine is capable of running with this rated fuel plus even higher. Note Ethane levels of E 5 or E10. Most fuel station here now offer 95 or super unleaded rated at 98 Octane level. Some do however offer lower Octane level Regular Grade Petrol, being more suitable for older vehicles.

 

[Ash]

I looked at my car.. and there is no placard on the inside of the fuel flap on mine. The operating manual says 89 minimum or 91 recommend or (89+91)/2. I have tried 87 and 91 both.. but nothing worked.. both times the light came on.

I got my car back today. They changed the sensors on the intake and exhaust valves. So let's see if that works!!
.

 

[Telferstr]

Here's hoping that sorts the problem out Ash, and you can start enjoying your car.
I'm now wondering why we enjoy a higher Octane level than North America.
Do you have 95/98 Octane levels over there. I am sure you must have, but cannot remember the grade used on our visit to California a number of years ago.
The higher Octane fuel certainly gives the 1.5T plenty of punch for its size.

 

[Lunatic59]

We have regular (87), plus (89), premium (91) and super premium (93). In the states with high elevations like Colorado and Wyoming, they also sell 85 octane as regular to account for the thinner air.

 

[Duncan75]

I live in the United States (Pennsylvania) and although it states in the manual I can use 87 octane in my '19 EC it sure doesn't appreciate it. Where I live we have steep hills and unless I use sport mode and keep the transmission in a lower gear when a lot of throttle isn't necessary, the cvt stays in too high of a ratio causing rpms to drop and the engine pings like crazy (when climbing these hills). This is eliminated when I use 91 octane. My EC also has a noticably greater amount of torque on higher octane fuel. So much so that my wife in the passenger's seat can notice.

 

[betha_b1]

I have only run 87 ovtain and my car is fine. No problems which are gas related.

 

[mtgtnt]

RON - Reaserch Octane Number. (Used in Europe and elswhere in gas stations)
MON - Motor Octane Number.
AKI - Anti-Knock Index. This is the number that is posted on the gas station in the USA as "Octane". It is derived as (RON + MON)/2

Here it is in a chart.
The last number is US / Australia / Canada
The first number is Europe / UK

Edit: replaced image that seems to have just dissappeared

I think I got this right.
After moving to Europe from the US, I had to learn that 95 at the pump here is 91 back in the states.
I do remember that you could get 87 (Regular) in the states, the lowest Octane, but here in main land Europe (not sure about UK), the lowest is 95 (91 US). I think this has to do with the higher emissions regulations.

When you look at the pump at the station, you will see it tell you which above it is

PON (R+M)/2 Method:

RON:

 

[Telferstr]

Thanks mtgtnt, that helps to explain a lot.
It seems the regular grade we used to have, though still available in some areas, has been phased out as such. Hope the information below is of assistance for those in the UK/GB

Fuel Types Explained – UK 2020

Are you confused by all the different car fuel types there are to choose from? In this article, we explain all the main fuel types available in 2020, from petrol through to electric. Get all the information you need right here.

www.jct600.co.uk

 

[slippercream]

Hey, Ash - yeah, it's not a fuel issue. You may have a bad MIVEC solenoid, a hydraulic (oil) blockage to the exhaust oil control (MIVEC) valves, or something similar. If you don't have any other codes (Camshaft, crankshaft, or oil pressure DTCs) then it's isolated. So, your car should be safe to operate. HOWEVER, this is still a mechanical issue that needs diagnosing.

Per the FSM:

TROUBLESHOOTING HINTS (The most likely causes for this code to be set are: )
Exhaust engine oil control valve failed.
Harness damage in exhaust engine oil control valve circuit or loose connector contact.
Failed timing sprocket operation.
Clogged oil passage.
Exhaust camshaft failed.
ECM failed.

Has the dealer actually performed a proper diagnosis on the vehicle? Hooked it up to a MUT tool and checked what was truly causing the issue? Or are they just blowing you off?

I'm preaching to the choir, but this vehicle is completely under warranty. And, which dealership did you take the car to? You may have to check out other dealerships with more reputable service departments. For what it's worth, there are still some very good dealerships up in CA. I know of a few I'd steer clear from, but it's clear to me the service advisor was blowing you off - especially since you had a clear issue with a CEL code to back it up.

Good luck. Hopefully it's an easy fix. Good news is, it should be covered 100% under warranty. Bad news is, you still have to find a proper dealership who has good techs who actually know their shit.

 

[Pightlysitiful]

I too got p0014 tonight. My car has 600 miles, yes only 2 zeros. Its a 2020 LE. I cleared the code with the Torque app and it hasn't returned. I'm wondering if it was too cold (15 minutes in on my trip and I passed a guy) or of the oil viscosity is too heavy for the PNW. Either way, it was shocking.

Hoping to replicate it in the morning to see if I get the same code.