Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Oil Change: The 1.5 Turbo

The Eclipse Cross arrived for 2018 as a sportier compact crossover than the Outlander Sport, and in the US it has used one engine the whole time: a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with direct injection, driving a CVT and, on most trims, Mitsubishi's S-AWC all-wheel drive. Carson City owners like it for the climb up US-50 toward Spooner Summit, where the turbo keeps its power at altitude. That same turbo is the reason clean oil of the right grade matters on this car.

At a glance

• 1.5-liter turbo four (4B40), 0W-20, about 4.5 qt with filter (AutoPadre listing; confirm in the owner's manual)
• Schedule 2: oil and filter every 7,500 miles or 6 months (Mitsubishi 2023 maintenance manual)
• Schedule 1: every 3,750 miles or 3 months
• Coolant first change at 120,000 miles or 96 months
• S-AWC models add transfer and rear differential oil checks

The turbo and its oil

A turbocharger spins on a thin film of engine oil and gets very hot, and when the engine shuts off that oil sits in a hot housing. Over time, old or wrong-grade oil leaves deposits there. That is not a reason to change the oil early as a blanket rule; it is a reason to follow Mitsubishi's book closely and use the grade it calls for.

Capacity listings such as AutoPadre show 0W-20 and about 4.5 quarts with the filter for the 2023 and newer Eclipse Cross. We read the cap on every car, including the early 2018 to 2022 models, and fill a full synthetic in that grade.

Picking the column in Mitsubishi's book

Mitsubishi's 2023 manual covering the Eclipse Cross prints two schedules. Schedule 2, for ordinary use, changes the oil and filter every 7,500 miles or 6 months. Schedule 1 halves that to 3,750 miles or 3 months and applies if you primarily drive on dusty, rough, muddy or salt-spread roads, tow, idle a lot, make repeated short trips in freezing weather, drive in sandy areas, or spend most of your time in heavy traffic above 90 F.

Carson City averages about 146 nights a year at or below freezing on the NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals, and the roads over Spooner and Kingsbury get treated in winter. A car that runs short winter errands around town and climbs to the lake on weekends fits more than one Schedule 1 line.

Altitude, heat and the climb to Tahoe

Our Carson City service center sits at about 4,683 feet (USGS elevation data), and Spooner Summit on US-50 sits well above it. A turbo makes up for thin air by working harder, which means more heat in the oil on every long climb. Coming back down, a short cool-down before you shut off in the driveway is easy on the turbo.

The high-altitude driving guide covers what else changes up here, from coolant to tire pressure.

CVT, S-AWC and coolant

The Eclipse Cross uses a CVT, and Mitsubishi's book checks the fluid level and condition on Schedule 1 and changes it on an interval. We use the CVT fluid type the manual names. All-wheel-drive cars add a transfer case and rear differential with their own gear oil, and Mitsubishi asks for those to be checked on schedule.

Coolant gets its first change at 120,000 miles or 96 months and then every 90,000 miles or 72 months, per the 2023 manual. A coolant flush uses a coolant compatible with Mitsubishi's long-life type.

What we check before it leaves

• Grade on the cap, full synthetic, new filter, the service reminder reset
• Engine air filter, which feeds the turbo, and the cabin filter on request
• Coolant level and condition, brake fluid, washer fluid
• Under-car look at the transfer case and rear differential on S-AWC cars
• Tire pressure, lights, wipers and a battery test at participating locations