Archive for the 'Chrysler' Category
Roger’s question:
this is roger again,I asked about town and country van that I changed the brakes and does not stop,I loosen the bleeder valve when pushing the callipers back in the holes,you said if the padel goes down may be master cylinder problem, no the pedal does not go down its too tight and there is abs light comes .so what do think. thanks”
Answer:
If the pedal is too tight and the ABS light is on, then you either have a problem in the power booster (if it doesn’t boost the brake system, the pedal will be ROCK hard but will not stop quickly as there is no boost) AND OR you have a problem in the ABS system. Changing out the brake pads has absolutely no effect on the booster system directly, so I would suspect the problem is in the ABS system, because working on the brake system can cause ABS damage. The ABS system is very complex, and even something as simple as cracking a bleeder line can cause problems in the ABS system. Good Luck,
Roger’s question:
thanks for your advice on nissan, now one more its a town and country van 1993,3.3 engine. I changed the brakes those are too tight but does not work like a brake mean does not stop,any advice. thanks”
Answer:
Many times guys will change out the brake pads and NOT loosen up the bleeder valve when pushing the callipers back into their holes. This can destroy the brake master cylinder and then you’ve got to buy that part also. It’s a very common mistake. If your pedal goes to the floor now and won’t stop, odds are that’s what went wrong.
Wendy’s question:
My 2004 PT Cruiser keeps dying out at stop signs when I have the AC turned on. I’ve had tune ups, the idle valve changed out, and other things. But, it still dies at idle when the AC is on. Please tell me you’ve seen this before.”
Answer:
As a matter of fact, I have seen that before. Your PT Cruiser has a two speed fan that cools the radiator. It has low speed, and high speed. And many times the low speed circuit of that fan motor will burn out. SO, when you’re idling with the AC on, the low speed fan doesn’t work. Then the AC system builds up too much pressure from the heat, and strains the engine enough to make it stall. Have the low speed circuit checked on your radiator fan. Odds are it’s burned out and you just need to replace the fan motor. It’s a rather common problem with those Cruisers.
Darryl’s question:
My 2003 PT Cruiser is overheating. The check engine light was on, and the code came up at P0480. I looked it up on the net and it says “LOW SPEED COOLING FAN RELAY CIRCUIT ERROR.” I tried a new cooling fan relay on a guess, but no difference. It still overheats and the fan won’t come on. HELP>”
Answer:
Well, you had a good guess there, but it didn’t work. You could have a short in the wiring system or even a bad fan control module (which costs a small fortune) BUT I repaired one with the same problem a couple weeks ago. It turned out the ASD relay was bad on the Cruiser I was working on. You can get this ASD relay at any chrysler dealer, they can show you where it is on their computer screen if you have trouble finding it. Let’s hope this fixes your car as easily as the one I repaired.
Mac’s question:
“PT Cruiser ran hot. repaired mechanical. ran 5 minutes and lost spark. any ideas?”
Answer:
Now it depends upon how hot the engine got. If it got really hot, it could have melted the crankshaft position sensor. With no crankshaft sensor, you’d have no spark. Now pt cruisers have had LOTS of problems with their ignition coils, which may be damaged further by an overheating engine. I change out a lot of ignition coil packs on pt cruisers, so check to see if power is going into the coil, and not coming out to the spark. If you’ve got power going in, and none going out to the spark plugs, then the coil has gone bad. Good Luck,
Paul H’s question:
“I have a 2001 Chrysler Sebring LXi Convertible. I have a groaning/rubbing sound in the driver’s side front wheel area that seems to match the wheel rotation (at low speeds (5- 10 mph) I can hear individual groans, at high speeds just a constant sound). The sound is not present while accelerating, but picks back up as soon as I stop accelerating. There’s no sound when I’m not moving. It developed yesterday, and was pretty quiet. Today, it’s quite loud. I’ve driven around 10 miles total since I first heard the sound. It was raining today, if that’s relevant.”
Answer:
Odds are your front wheel bearing is wearing out. But, it might be something a whole lot cheaper, like a worn out brake pad. Pull the driver’s wheel off and check the brake pad thickness and the bracket hold down bolts to make sure they haven’t loosened up and allow the brake assembly to rub. If the brake looks fine, then the wheel bearing would be worn and need replacing. I’d assume this was the problem because brakes can wear and rub, but really only wheel bearings can make a groaning sound (other than people.)
Ike’s question:
“My vehicle, a ’96 Chrysler Concorde, has failed the emissions test here in Houston. The problem is a bad EGR solenoid. (I get a trouble code P0403 – an EGR circuit malfunction.) When I took it to Autozone, they provided a little more information about the bad transducer/solenoid. Based on this info, I don’t think I need a new valve, just the transducer/solenoid. I think I know where the parts are on my vehicle but it looks like it might be difficult to access without either some special tools or some kind of lift to get under the car. Are you familiar enough with the Concorde to know whether this is a repair that an owner should try or should it be left to a professional? Also, I’m having trouble locating the EGR transducer – Autozone only has the valve and gasket. Do you know of a good used or new parts store in the League City or Southeast Houston area? I don’t want to spend much money on this car if I can help it. Thanks, Scotty.”
Answer:
It’s Sunday today so I can’t call any of my suppliers, BUT from my experience, that’s a dealer only new part OR it’s time to take a trip to the local junk yard for a used one. Getting the EGR valve off is just a pain in the butt because of it’s poor design. There aren’t any special tools you need, just a lot of patience and the willingness to take everything off that’s in the way to access the bolts that hold it on. AND, you might just trace the wiring that goes to the transducer for shorts or rubbed off areas BEFORE replacing the part. Many chryslers will get a wiring short because of cheaper short lengthed wires that comes apart over time and turn the light on through the tiny electrical shorts that creates.
Tony’s question:
glad to know you’re still around. Have a 2000 chrysler concorde and replaced battery and told that alternator needed to be replaced but then someone else told us that the voltage regulator in this make and model is not in the alternator. What do you suggest? You have been a great help to us in the past and I have saved hundreds of dollars following your advice. So thanks in advance
Answer:
To be absolutely sure where the regulator is, get your VIN number out and contact a Chrysler dealer. They can tell you if the alternator has the regulator built in or not. BUT, on many of those Chryslers, the main computer of the car actually regulates the charging of the alternator. Of course, you must realize that the alternator itself could be bad in and of itself, regardless of where the regulator is located. Any good mechanic or auto parts store can run a test on the alternator to tell you if it’s bad or not. Just realize that in those Chryslers with regulators built into the computer, that if the alternator burns itself out, many times it will also burn out the regulator section of the main computer and require replacing the expensive main computer also. Hey, I don’t design these things, I just fix them. If I designed them, they would be quite a bit different than they are today.
Alberto’s Question: My 98 Concorde failed the state emissions test last week. It had the code for misfire on cylinder # 5. I changed out the spark plugs, the wires, and even the fuel injector on number five. Still won’t pass the test with the same misfire code. What am I missing?
Answer: Well, you covered the common problems for misfires on one cylinder. But of course, there can be many other causes–like a bad main computer, bad wiring, bad valve springs, or even a crack in the engine head. BUT, I was once bitten by a Concorde with the same problem as yours. I eventually fixed the car by replacing the intake manifold gasket. There was a TINY crack on the intake runner for the number five cylinder. I could only see it when I removed the intake manifold. There was carbon black around the crack where it had been leaking. SO, you might find someone with a smoke machine and see if they can smoke out a leak in the intake system. Since it’s misfiring on number five, pay close attention to the manifold gasket around number five.
