Mitsubishi›Eclipse Spyder›1999›2.0L/mitsubishi/eclipse-spyder/1999/2-0l/

1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder — 2.0L

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1999 Eclipse Spyder 2.0L.

Body PASSENGER CAREngine 2.0LTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder arrives as a passenger-car convertible powered by a 2.0-liter engine paired with a four-speed automatic, sipping 4.7 quarts of oil rated for viscosities from 20W-40 down to 5W-30 and returning EPA figures of 18 city, 25 highway, and 20 combined mpg. Owner-reported data tallies 138 complaints for this model year, with the power train emerging as the leading trouble area and 12 recalls on record. Across the broader 2000–2012 span the nameplate peaked at 99 complaints in 2006 and bottomed out at just one in 2010, placing the 1999 Spyder in the middle of a reliability curve that would later improve markedly.

Model year1999 1998 1997 1996

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.7 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type20W-40 / 10W-30 / 5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque65-80 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy18/25/20 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 86 · 525 CCA battery, OE oil filter MZ690072. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 86 · 525 CCAOEM · verified

Tail / brake / turnHOTOEM · verified

Tire sizeP195-70HR14OEM · verified

Wheel / rim5.5-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	MZ690072 alt M05281090
Engine air filter	MB906051
Fuel filter	MB868457 alt MR188221
Spark plug	MS851233 alt MS851881
Front wiper blades	MZ690131 alt 8250A098
Serpentine belt	MD310617 alt MD186124
Thermostat	MD315301 alt 04573560AE

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	18 / 25 / 20 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuel	Premium Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.7 qt of 20W-40 / 10W-30 / 5W-30 API engine oil, 85W-90 · 80W-90 in the differential, DOT 3 · DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 65-80 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 25.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 3 · DOT 4
Differential Gear Oil	85W-90 · 80W-90
Differential Gear Oil Capacity	1.9 Pints
Engine Coolant	ETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil	20W-40 · API · 10W-30 · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity	4.7 qt
Engine Oil	10W-30 · API · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity	4.5 qt

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts	14-22 ft-lbs
Cylinder Head Steps	Final torque: 53 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts	70 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	Bolts: 14 nuts: 26 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	21 ft-lbs
Main Bearings	Bolts 1-10: 55 ft-lbs; Bolts: A-K: 20 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	25.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs	17 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	65-80 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	167 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub	166 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	800, DOHC: 750 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	100 rpm
Ignition Coil Primary Resistance	.70-.86 DOHC ohms
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance	11,300-15,300 ohms
Spark Plug Torque	13.0 ft-lbs
Ignition Timing	5, Not adjustable degrees
Ignition Timing Acceptable Variance	3 degrees

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.00-2.00 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Standard BCI Group Number	86
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	525 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	23 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	14-18 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	195 °F
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (Without Vacuum)	47.0-50.0 psi
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)	38.0 psi
Injector Primary Resistance	11-15 @ 68 degreesF ohms
Engine Compression	Turbo: 138-163, Non Turbo: 170-234 psi
Engine Compression	145-192 psi

Brakes

Brake Application	WITH 9.00 inch DRUM BRAKES / WITH REAR DISC
Torque Caliper to Bracket	54 ft-lbs / 65 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	40 ft-lbs / 87-101 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.080; Rear: 0.080 in
Minimum Shoe Thickness	0.039 in
Brake Application	WITH 9.00 inch DRUM BRAKES / WITH REAR DISC
Drum Nominal Diameter	9.016 in / 7.992 in
Drum Discard at-or-over	9.094 / 8.071

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

20 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90

20 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 4 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Coat bolt threads with clean engine oil.

1	55.0 ft. lbs.	55 ft. lbs
2	Loosen bolts 360 degrees in reverse order	360 degrees
3	90 degrees	90 degrees
4	90 degrees	90 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 60,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 mi	Brake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · Clutch Master Cylinder (inspect fluid level) · Power Steering System (inspect)
Every 15,000 mi	Axle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect)
Every 30,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Drive Axle Assembly (drain & refill) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect)
Every 60,000 mi	Balance Shaft Drive Belt (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect) · Fuel System (inspect) · Spark Plug Wires (replace) · Timing Belt (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder exhibits significant issues, with its top complaint areas being Power Train (24), Structure (22), Engine & Engine Cooling (18), and Suspension (11). This volume of complaints is notably higher than the 2000 model, which recorded only 3 complaints and 1 recall. Across the generation, complaint volumes are inconsistent, ranging from a low of 1 in 2010 to a peak of 99 in 2006, while recalls generally fluctuate between 0 and 4 per year. Positioned at the beginning of this sequence, the 1999 model shows a high early concentration of mechanical and structural complaints, including 10 crash-related and 3 fire-related reports, though the data does not specify the root causes. Given the high number of powertrain and structural complaints relative to the immediately following year, this is not a recommended year to buy.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

138

Owner complaints

10 involved a crash · 3 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’00 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’12

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 138 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Power Train24

Structure22

Engine & Engine Cooling18

Suspension11

Service Brakes, Hydraulic8

Steering7

Latches/Locks/Linkages6

Electrical System5

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 11 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

04V428000Equipment:Other:LabelsReported 01/09/2004

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, 'OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION.' THE BILINGUAL ENGLISH/SPANISH REMOVABLE AIR BAG WARNING LABELS AFFIXED TO THE… Remedy: MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN WILL MAIL A CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION LETTER CONTAINING A WRITTEN DESCRIPTION AND A GRAPHIC OF THE BI-LINGUAL DASHBOARD AIR BAG WARNING LABEL. IN ADDITION, ALL…

00V421001Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball JointReported 18/12/2000

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE RUBBER BOOTS ON THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINTS OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION WERE DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY, DIRT AND WATER CAN INTRUDE. ALSO, MMC HAS ADDED THE POTENTIAL OF… Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE LOWER LATERAL ARM BALL JOINT FOR WEAR. BALL JOINTS THAT EXHIBIT WEAR BEYOND THE ESTABLISHED TOLERANCE WILL BE REPLACED WITH NEWLY DESIGNED LATERAL ARM…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 51 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
TSB-22-54-003	2022-04-07	Exterior Lighting	This Technical Service Bulletin was sent to dealers to explain the difference between…
TT253	2019-11-26	Equipment	This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TSB-19-00-008	2019-07-30	Equipment	This is a Technical Service Bulletin sent to dealers. This bulletin supersedes…
TT237	2018-02-26	Equipment	This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT218	2015-08-28	Engine And Engine Cooling	This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Eclipse Spyder. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 86 battery Vehicles taking 4.7 qt Engine oil filter MZ690072 Engine air filter MB906051 Fuel filter MB868457 Spark plug MS851233

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1999 Eclipse Spyder 2.0L take?

4.7 qt of ABOVE 32 degrees F: 20W-40 API, ABOVE -10 degrees F: 10W-30 API, BELOW 60 degrees F 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1999 Eclipse Spyder have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 12 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the 2.0L get?

EPA figures are 18 city / 25 highway / 20 combined mpg.