Mitsubishi›Eclipse›1996›2.0L/mitsubishi/eclipse/1996/2-0l/

1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse — 2.0L

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1996 Eclipse 2.0L. Covers both the standard and High Output 2.0L.

Body PASSENGER CAREngine 2.0LTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse 2.0L is a passenger car built around a 2.0-liter engine mated to a four-speed automatic transmission, delivering EPA fuel economy ratings of 17 city, 23 highway, and 19 combined mpg. Its 4.7-quart engine oil capacity is covered by recommended viscosities of 20W-40, 10W-30, or 5W-30 API, while the ownership record shows 189 total complaints and 12 recalls, with suspension standing as the most frequently cited trouble area. Positioned one year after the platform's 1995 complaint peak of 392, this model year registers a steep drop in reported issues across a 1990–2012 reliability record, evidence that the Eclipse's trouble profile was already in retreat as the line moved past its most troubled years.

Model year1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991

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 torque87-101 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy17/23/19 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 · 430 CCA battery, OE oil filter M05281090. 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 · 430 CCAOEM · verified

Tail / brake / turnOFFOEM · verified

Tire sizeP205-55HR16OEM · verified

Wheel / rim6-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	M05281090 alt MZ690116
Engine air filter	MB906051
Fuel filter	MR188221 alt MB868457
Spark plug	MS851357 alt MS851881
Front wiper blades	MZ690131 alt 8250A098
Serpentine belt	04668240 alt MB878687
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	17 / 23 / 19 mpg
Drivetrain	4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuel	Premium Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent published road-test results.

6.4–6.9 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.40 sec — 1996 GSX Coupe

210 hpHorsepower (as tested)

214 lb-ftTorque (as tested)

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
1996	GSX Coupe 2.0L Turbo I-4	6.40 sec	14.90 sec	210 hp	AWD
1996	Spyder GS-T 2.0L Turbo I-4	6.90 sec	15.40 sec	210 hp	FWD
1995	GS-T Coupe 2.0L Turbo I-4	6.40 sec	15.00 sec	210 hp	FWD
1995	GS-T Coupe 2.0L Turbo I-4	6.70 sec	15.20 sec	210 hp	FWD
1995	GS-T Coupe 2.0L Turbo I-4	6.90 sec	15.10 sec	210 hp	FWD
1995	GSX Coupe 2.0L Turbo I-4	7.00 sec	15.50 sec	210 hp	AWD
1995	GS Coupe 2.0L I-4	9.00 sec	16.60 sec	140 hp	FWD

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 87-101 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 25.0-33.0 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	2.8 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

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs	14 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts	14-22 ft-lbs
Cylinder Head Steps	Final torque: 53 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts	98 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	25.0-33.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	87-101 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	1.54-1.65 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.00-2.00 lbs
Standard BCI Group Number	86
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	430 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 engine oil and filter every 5,000 mi; 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 5,000 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill)
Every 7,500 mi	Brake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · Clutch Master Cylinder (inspect fluid level) · Power Steering System (inspect)
Every 10,000 mi	Engine Oil Filter (replace)
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) · Differential (inspect fluid level) · Drive Axle Assembly (drain & refill) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 50,000 mi	Fuel Filter (replace)
Every 60,000 mi	Balance Shaft Drive Belt (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect) · Fuel System (inspect) · Spark Plug Wires (replace)
Every 100,000 mi	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 1996 Eclipse sits near the peak of the generation’s complaint curve, with 189 complaints—well above the 43‑46 range of the early‑1990s but roughly half the 392 complaints recorded in 1995. Recall activity remains high at 12 recalls, matching the elevated levels seen from 1995 through 1998, while investigations stay low (2) and technical service bulletins climb to 58, the highest point before a gradual decline after 1999. The dominant complaint categories in 1996 are suspension (25), service brakes/hydraulic (22), engine & cooling (20) and power‑train (16), indicating that mechanical systems rather than electronics drive most issues, and crash‑related complaints (28) and fire reports (6) are modest compared with overall counts. Because 1996 reflects the generation’s upper‑mid‑range of complaints and recalls but does not exceed the extreme spike of 1995, it is a moderately risky year; buyers should budget for potential suspension, brake and cooling system maintenance, but the data does not suggest a systemic defect that would make it a poor purchase.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

189

Owner complaints

28 involved a crash · 6 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95’96’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’11 ’12

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 189 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Suspension25

Service Brakes, Hydraulic22

Engine & Engine Cooling20

Power Train16

Air Bags13

Structure11

Electrical System8

Seats7

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 11 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

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…

98V069001Power Train:Automatic TransmissionReported 26/03/1998

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. LOCKUP OF THE TRANSFER CASE CAN OCCUR DUE TO INSUFFICIENT LUBRICATION. Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLES FOR ADEQUACY OF THE TRANSFER CASE OIL VOLUME, TRANSFER CASE OIL LEAKAGE, AND OPERATIONAL DEGRADATION OF THE TRANSFER CASE MECHANISM. IF OIL…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 58 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. 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 M05281090 Engine air filter MB906051 Fuel filter MR188221 Spark plug MS851357

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 1996 Eclipse 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 1996 Eclipse 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 17 city / 23 highway / 19 combined mpg.