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Archive-name: autos/chrysler-faq/general/part1
Posting-Frequency: 15 days Last-modified: 2009/1/24 Version: 6.1 See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge This section is generally revised every 300 days. - - - - - - - - - - - - IMPORTANT. Do not attempt to respond to faq@allpar.com. Due to spam this address DOES NOT GO ANYWHERE. Instead, go to allpar.com and provide feedback from there. Thank you. - - - - - - - - - - - - * Important Note * Chrysler generally refers to the full Chrysler Corporation (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth, DeSoto, Eagle, Simca, Rootes Group, Sunbeam, Singer, Hillman, Humber, and AMC). DISCLAIMER: The author and contributors assume no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information or opinions contained herein. Some of the information is presented as opinion rather than fact. The maintainer does not claim to be an authority. Information below may be reproduced in any way IF credit is given to the writers and maintainer; and it is not published in book or magazine form without the prior written permission of the maintainer; that the maintainer receives, without asking, a FREE copy of the final material; and that no changes are made (except for formatting) without the express permission of the maintainer (David Zatz - contact me via allpar.com). - - - - - - - - - - - - The latest copy may be obtained from http://www.allpar.com/faq.html which links to rtfm.mit.edu - - - - - - - - - - - - CONTENTS Part 1 - Related Resources (groups, Web sites, recall/TSB info) Before You Post, Read This! Frequently Asked Chrysler/Mopar Questions Up and Coming The Newsgroup: charter, notes, rationale Part 2 What should I do... 1. ... before I post? 2. ... if I have problems with Chrysler? 3. ... if I own this car? (list of models and what to look for) Oil Filter Discussion List of All Engines Since 1966 1. Guide to V-8s List of All Body Styles Since 1966 Part 3 Engine Codes Classic Car Troubleshooting Reading codes without a scan tool (computer controlled, carbureted engines) Crankcase inlet air filter, 2.2/2.5 engines. Part 4 Driveability: engine idling, power, mileage, stalling Transmissions This part will be discontinued Part 5 Funny noises Oil leaks Temperature stuff This part will be discontinued Part 6 Troubleshooting (except what is covered by parts 3, 4, and 5) This part will be discontinued Related FAQs: Neon - maintained by the Neon mailing list. ************************************************************************ BEFORE POSTING WITH COMPLAINTS/QUESTIONS 1. Check the FAQ. 2. Paranoia, overposting, and thoughtless posts are common. Show off your intelligence and maturity. 3. Do not confuse Chrysler with your dealership, the zone office, or the guy who picks up the phone. 4. If you are having problems with Chrysler or your dealer, read the relevant parts of the FAQ (1, 2) and the Web site. 5. The natural inclination of people who have been mistreated is to respond to many posts. However, all companies sometimes make lemons or fail to treat customers well. Try to restrain anger. ************************************************************************ - Related Resources: http://allpar.com/ - major owner/enthusiast site * Models, history, repair, performance info Phone Numbers 1-800-992-1997 Chrysler Customer Service - USA 1-800-465-2001 Chrysler Canada 1-800-255-9877 adapting new vehicles for people w/disabilities. 1-800-626-1523 Mopar catalog of manuals, videos, books (free) 1-800-677-5782 local 5-Star Dealer locator Mopar Performance Tech Line: 1-888-528-HEMI. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM ET. Other Resources Plymouth Owners Club (Plymouth & Fargo 25+ years old) 203 Main St., Cavalier, North Dakota 58220 Great magazine! http://www.plymouthbulletin.com/ WPC Restorers' Club (Walter P Chrysler Club) Also a good magazine! http://www.chryslerclub.org/ Chrysler Canada Customer Service: Chrysler Center, P.O. Box 1621 Windsor, Ontario N9A 4H6 Chrysler Europe NV Woluwedal 106-108, 1200 Brussels, Belgium - Europe The Chrysler Historical Foundation, at 12501 Chrysler Freeway, CIMS 410-11-21, Highland Park, MI 48288, can supply you with service manuals, build records, and stock photos for a reasonable fee (1967 or older cars). Other cars, http://www.acarplace.com/ Valiant series, http://www.valiant.org/ PT Cruiser, http://www.ptcruizer.com/ Newsgroups rec.autos.makers.chrysler rec.autos.makers.jeep+willys alt.hi-po.mopars alt.hi-po.mopars.neon alt.autos.dodge.trucks others in rec.autos.* . wiz.mopar Chrysler was the first make in the rec.autos.makers.* hierarchy, but Volkswagen was the first make to have a Big Seven newsgroup. Chrysler beat both GM and Ford to having a Big Seven newsgroup! The first request for discussion was filed by David Zatz on July 28, 1994. ************************************************************************ Thanks to Gene Fusco for the Mopar Mailing List's FAQ; thanks also to Lloyd R. Parker, Wayne Toy, Bohdan Bodnar, and Dan Stern. *************************CONTENTS***************************** This is divided into corporate and car sections. I. CORPORATE 1. What does DCX mean? DaimlerChrysler DCX is/was DaimlerChrysler's stock symbol. The company will be / was renamed Daimler in summer 2007. The former Chrysler Group became Chrylser, LLC, part of Chrysler Holdings, LLC, a privately owned company 80% owned by Cerberus and 20% by Daimler. A current deal has Fiat exchanging access to all of its small car technologies and designs, in exchange for a 35% share of Chrysler, LLC. Cerberus will also give equity to the UAW for the health care fund, retaining only equity in Chrysler Financial. The Fiat deal will once again push a majority ownership outside the United States, but will also give Chrysler access to technologies and an infrastructure that it no longer has thanks to nine years of Daimler ownership. 2. What is Chrysler's US customer service number? 800-992-1997 3. What is Chrysler's e-mail address? Contact Chrysler via a Web form - see "contact us" on their brand web sites (e.g. dodge.com, chrysler.com, jeep.com). 4. What about the merger / takeover? Chrysler execs got about $60 million in personal profit. Daimler bought Chrysler, doubling their profits, then reportedly siphoned off Chrysler profits via accounting tricks to make Mercedes look more profitable. Daimler spent Chrysler's $8-10 billion war chest. Only one Chrysler rep on the board left from original four. Many plants were sold. Others are being sold. Decontenting to fix Mercedes' losses became noticeable. Chrysler was transferred to Cerberus, a private equity firm, in summer 2007, with Daimler retaining about 20% of the new Chrysler Holding, LLC. Chrylser, LLC was part of Chrysler Holding with the other part being Chrysler Financial. 5. What about building cars in China? See http://www.allpar.com/cars/concepts/dodge/china-car.html for the current status. At this point Chrysler appears to be readying itself to build cars in the US.based on Fiat designs. 7. What's the deal with Chrysler and Mitsubishi? The Avenger/Sebring and Caliber were jointly developed - Chrylser was leading both, though they used newer Mitsubishi basic platforms. (MMC has now decided not to use the mid-sized sedans.) Partnerships with Mitsubishi appear to have ended. You can read about Chrysler's future vehicles at http://www.allpar.com/model/upcoming.html 9. How reliable are Consumer Reports' ratings? See the discussion at http://www.allpar.com/cr.html 10. How can I get help for problems Chrysler won't fix? See the discussion at http://www.allpar.com/trouble.html. Keep trying the Chrysler Customer Center. Know the TSBs. Visit http://www.nhtsa.gov ... keep trying and keep your cool. 11. What's the deal with Chrysler Europe, Simca, and Talbot? Chrysler owned Simca and Rootes until the late 70s, but sales kept going up and down (usually down). Peugeot bought them and sold the Omni as the Talbot. They had Simca/Sunbeam engines (Lloyd Parker). The Centura sold in Australia was a Simca (Dan Stern). See http://www.allpar.com/world/ for many details. These cars and the former Rootes Group brands, such as Singer, Sunbeam, Hillman, and Humber, are covered by http://www.rootes-chrysler.co.uk/ ******** 14. Should I use high octane gas? Only if your car was designed for it (see your owner's manual) or if you've advanced the timing or your engine is knocking. According to Chrysler and others, many high-octane gasolines have a low driveability index, which can cause long cold start times, warm-up sags, hesitations, and driveway die outs. Under the law, ALL gasolines sold in the US must meet certain standards for detergent; if you really need to "drive your engine clean" get a bottle of Techron or Mopar engine cleaner. Chrysler turbo engines are all designed to use premium. The 3.5 V6 and 5.7 Hemi use midgrade. SRT engines use premium. 20. Is X good for my engine? (includes Slick50) The Toyota FAQ (Todd Haverstock) sez: "Independent labs as well as engine manufacturer Briggs and Stratton have rendered a verdict that Slick 50 and similar oil treatments are useless." The Gasoline FAQ says most gasoline additives are useless. Others have weighed in on that score, and DuPont sued to prevent Slick 50 from using Teflon (unsuccessfully). 22. Did the first-gen Mini really use a modified Neon engine? Yes, it's a smaller version of the Neon engine designed for European Neons and a small Chrysler that never materialized (due to Daimler-Benz). The factory was a joint venture with Rover. 23. What does SOHC, SMPI, etc mean? What do I have? Note: No current Chrysler has a distributor or throttle body injection. * DIS means distributorless ignition system. No rotor! * SOHC and DOHC refer to the number of camshafts; one or two. * EFI means electronic fuel injection, such as the following: * TBI - throttle body injection; one or two injectors spray fuel into the air as it heads to the cylinders. * MPI uses one fuel injector for each cylinder. It sprays fuel in the intake manifold, firing at the intake valves. Smoother than TBI, with more power *and* better mileage. * SMPI is sequential multiple-point injection; the injector only fires when the fuel can go straight through the valve and into the cylinder instead of splashing onto a closed valve. * Direct injection sprays fuel directly into each cylinder. This is mainly used in diesel engines (thanks, Michael Turley!) -- Note: all current Chrysler products use DIS and returnless SMPI. Mitsubishi is pioneering direct injection for gas engines. The current system is coil on plug ignition which provides a separate coil for each spark plug, located right on top of the plug, for the best control and spark power. 25. What kind of oil should I use in my four cylinder engine? On February 7, 1995, a Chrysler engineer said 5W30 was best for all four-cylinder non-turbo engines, for winter or year-round in climates such as that of New Jersey. All dealers I surveyed incorrectly recommended and used 10W30! - In 1993 and 1998 Chrysler said 5W30 was best for all its cars. - Dan Stern says synthetic 10W30 is better than natural 5W30. - The benefits of 5W30 or synthetics seem greatest in cold weather when oil is most viscous (before the engine warms). - Even GM recommends 5W30 on their Vortec V8s. - 5W30 was recommended for all years of the 2.0 in most climates. **** - Hemi uses a different weight than most engines CHECK YOUR MANUAL. For my car, recommended oil changes are at 6 months / 7,500 miles. I change it at 6 months or 6,000 miles. GM says many owners do not need to change oil until 10,000 miles! If you are concerned, use synthetic and change at 6,000. ** CHECK YOUR MANUAL **. Dealers often suggest things like changing your antifreeze every three months to get easy money. If you exceed Chrysler's recommendations, do the easy work yourself. PS> Overheating after a an antifreeze change/radiator flushing means your mechanic didn't purge the system correctly. Be careful to thoroughly purge the system of air bubbles - or invest in head gaskets. This is VERY important. AGAIN - Check your owner's manual and don't rely on mechanics, who often rely on out of date memories for their information. If you have a turbo, we recommend synthetic oil. Follow the recommended oil change intervals. GM says many owners do not need to change oil until 10,000 miles! But follow the book, not the 3/3,000 mentality. Most people do not need to follow the severe service schedule, according to GM and others. 26. What kind of engine do I have ??? Raise the hood and check the emissions sticker. You can decode your vehicle ID number (VIN) using most car manuals. The emissions sticker will tell you the displacement of the engine. 27. What is a Mopar? Do I have one? Mopar is slang for a Chrysler-produced car. Some extend it to AMCs and to MMC products (e.g. Colt) sold by Chrysler; some restrict it to high performance only. It is the name of Chrysler's parts division. Mopar stands for MOtor PARts. MoPar is a registered trademark. 28. Which are the Diamond Star models? Diamond Star models are those built by the Diamond Star (DSM) plant in Illinois. This was a joint venture but is now 100% MMC. The Stealth, Colt, Sapparo, Ram 50, and FWD Challenger were re-badged Mitsubishis made in Japan. 29. What are the K-cars? Herb DaSilva: ... Chrysler used the components on the Aries/Reliant (K) in many of its other platforms. These platforms... share similar distance between the wheels on the same axle, and have the same suspension design. Most K variants can swap struts (H is an exception). K derivates include: Laser (pre-88)/Daytona (G), Shadow/Sundance (P), LeBaron/New Yorker (J), LeBaron sedan (pre-90)/Lancer (H), Dynasty/New Yorker/Imperial (C), Acclaim/Spirit/LeBaron sedan (AA). Each derivative has a different wheelbase and floor pan. First-generation minivans are also loosely based on the K. These cars are collectively referred to as EEKs. There is a mailing list for them at http://www.eekcars.com/ 30. How do I find the fault codes stored in my engine computer? See Part 3 of this FAQ. 32. How often should I change my trans fluid? Check your service manual. The severe service definition means that the vehicle is operated *primarily* in one of those conditions. MODERN TRANSMISSIONS WILL BE DESTROYED IF YOU USE THE WRONG FLUID. See http://www.allpar.com/fix/trans.html Even some 3-speed transmissions are NOT compatible with Dexron - read your manual !!! 34. What kind of gas should I use? Use the octane level your owner's manual recommends and the brand you have had good luck with. If your engine knocks adjust the timing. 35. No longer relevant; deleted. 36. What about lemons? To quote the rec.autos FAQ -- every auto manufacturer has manufactured a lemon or two; even Honda admits to this. Please don't waste everyone's time by announcing to the world that your `brand x' automobile is terrible, so all brand x automobiles are terrible, so no one should ever buy a car from the brand x company. Such articles are worse than useless, because they cause wasted bandwidth while carrying little or no useful information. 37. Are K&N filters worth it? David Cooley reported on a magazine test of aftermarket air filters. The paper filters were respectable, but the K&N and Accell filters flowed almost 3 times as much air when dirty as clean paper filters of the same size. The K&N passed less particulate matter than the paper filter; as it got dirtier outside, they sprayed on a new coat of oil (without cleaning) and found it filtered even better. K&N filters change your engine sound, rarely need replacement, and flow better when dirty. Other than that, you may not notice much difference unless you have a high-efficiency exhaust and performance engine. There has been debate over the actual filtering ability of these filters; the power boost on TBI cars is negligible. So. . .probably not. 38. Is there anything special I should do if I have ABS? Marv Miller suggests replacing brake fluid every 2-4 years regardless of car make. Use only the brake fluid the car maker recommends!!! Fully depressurize the system before adding or changing brake fluids. Note - ABS is now far more reliable than it used to be. The primary source of failure is dirt in the sensors, which can easily be cleaned. 39. What kind of transmission fluid should I use? Is Dexron OK? Use ONLY what it says in your owner's manual to use. Many Chrysler transmissions are NOT compatible with standard fluid! ATF+3 is usually the best one to use with automatic transmissions before 2001, ATF+4 after. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT and very misunderstood issue. You should really visit http://www.allpar.com/fix/trans.html if you have a four-speed or five-speed Chrysler automatic. Even most three-speed automatics are required to use ATF+4. 40. Are Chrysler transmissions still junk? Not if you use the right transmission fluid. By the way, the 545 is actually based on the old, reliable 727. See #39 and Part 2 of the FAQ. 42. Aren't Chryslers junk? / Has Mercedes improved Chrysler quality? Chrysler was working on quality before the takeover, yielding the PT Cruiser - which is beating the Honda Civic on quality surveys - and the Jeep Liberty, which is also doing very well. Chrysler has been making great strides in quality. Mercedes, if anything, damaged those efforts by emphasizing an "expert" approach rather than a Toyota-style inclusive/participatory approach to quality. Look at Mercedes' quality reports, then at Chrysler's. Generally, Chrysler quality TROUNCES Mercedes. So how did Mercedes help? 43. Engine sludge - what's the deal? Early 2.7 liter engines in some models had a more than normal occurence of oil degredation resulting in a thick substance called "sludge" which can cause major engine damage. This problem also afflected some Toyotas, Hondas, and other makes. If you have a 2.7 made before 2004, you may want to use synthetic oil (which can also lengthen your oil change intervals). This is rare but nasty. The problem appears to have been resolved as of 2005. 86. All other questions. Check the computer codes or replace the ballast resistor (if you have one!). ******************* UP AND COMING ****************** This section has been replaced by http://www.allpar.com/news/ and http://www.allpar.com/model/upcoming.html Dual-clutch, automatically shifted manual transmission to increase acceleration AND gas mileage: http://www.allpar.com/corporate/auto-manual-transmission.html Brand new line of V6 engines with state of the art gadgets: http://www.allpar.com/mopar/phoenix-engines.html Hemi upgrades: http://www.allpar.com/mopar/new-mopar-hemi.html Big changes to the Ram? http://www.allpar.com/model/ram/2009-ram.html And of course the new minivans! http://www.allpar.com/model/m/2008-minivans.html *********************** AUTOMATIC TRANS FLUID ********************** Many people have destroyed their transmissions by using the wrong fluid. Some people have had bad transmission problems go away when they changed the fluid. Follow Chrysler's recommendations. Ignore the alternative fluid (as in "if Mopar is unavailable, use..."). See http://www.allpar.com/fix/trans.html for details. Note that this is also true of Toyotas (as per http://www.toyoland.com ) *********************** NEWSGROUP CHARTER *********** (This section never changes. The newsgroup was created around 1994.) - The Newsgroup Rec.Autos.Makers.Chrysler -- CHARTER COVERAGE. Rec.autos.makers.chrysler was set up to cover issues related to cars and trucks made by Dodge, Plymouth, Chrysler, Fargo, DeSoto, Jeep, Eagle, and all other makes sold or marketed by Chrysler Corp. BEHAVIOR. Political comments and commercial advertising will be discouraged. However, *short* product announcements, preferably restricted to the name, availability, and a very brief description of the product's function (where applicable) are acceptable. Discussion of whether Chrysler products are of good or bad quality, lengthy comparisons to Hondas or other cars, and similar arguments and flamewars with no foreseeable conclusion are heavily discouraged. Participants are asked to be kind, considerate, and supportive, and to generally keep an open, warm atmosphere so that the function of this newsgroup may be maintained. RATIONALE. This group is proposed to help Chrysler (CC) vehicle owners to support each other, save money, and maximize enjoyment of their autos. As in rec.autos.vw, Chrysler owners need a forum where they feel unreservedly welcomed, and where they can obtain esoteric information from involved people with similar experiences and vehicles. This newsgroup should be general enough for those who know little about cars to get a broad range of information and advise from, while allowing those more into the products to exchange their views and advice. In a world dominated by GM, Ford, and VW (Europe) products, Chrysler owners often find discussions difficult. Most aftermarket parts and advice are for GM and Ford owners; knowledge about Chrysler is hard to find. The press don't cover CC as well as they could -- and CC's dissemination of information to the press and the public is poor. Chrysler products have quirks which most mechanics don't seem to be aware of, leading them to replace transmissions when the fault is in a 20 cent vacuum hose, or to replace the engine computer instead of plugging in a hose or changing a sensor. Chryslers are often seen as ordinary American cars (unlike makes which many mechanics will admit they are not familiar with) -- but what will work on a GM or Ford will often not work on a Dodge. There is a vast ocean of experience in Chrysler products out on the Internet which may help owners to save time, money, and trouble. CC vehicles are common enough, yet idiosyncratic enough, to deserve their own place in the Net hierarchy -- just as Volkswagens are. In addition, it is important for CC vehicle owners to have a place to discuss the problems and benefits of ownership, to exchange detailed information and personal experiences, in a supportive and positive atmosphere. In short, I hope to develop a group as vibrant and helpful as the Mopar mailing list or the rec.autos.VW group have been, while making this group accessible to all Dodge, Plymouth, Jeep, Eagle, and Chrysler owners, even those who don't know what a Mopar is. FAQ maintained by David Zatz who works at http://www.toolpack.com/ (end of FAQ part 1) rec.autos.vw, Chrysler owners need a forum where they feel unreservedly welcomed, and where they can obtain esoteric information from involved people with similar experiences and vehicles. This newsgroup should be general enough for those who know little about cars to get a broad range of information and advise from, while allowing those more into the products to exchange their views and advice. In a world dominated by GM, Ford, and VW (Europe) products, Chrysler owners often find discussions difficult. Most aftermarket parts and advice are for GM and Ford owners; knowledge about Chrysler is hard to find. The press don't cover CC as well as they could -- and CC's dissemination of information to the press and the public is poor. Chrysler products have quirks which most mechanics don't seem to be aware of, leading them to replace transmissions when the fault is in a 20 cent vacuum hose, or to replace the engine computer instead of plugging in a hose or changing a sensor. Chryslers are often seen as ordinary American cars (unlike makes which many mechanics will admit they are not familiar with) -- but what will work on a GM or Ford will often not work on a Dodge. There is a vast ocean of experience in Chrysler products out on the Internet which may help owners to save time, money, and trouble. CC vehicles are common enough, yet idiosyncratic enough, to deserve their own place in the Net hierarchy -- just as Volkswagens are. In addition, it is important for CC vehicle owners to have a place to discuss the problems and benefits of ownership, to exchange detailed information and personal experiences, in a supportive and positive atmosphere. In short, I hope to develop a group as vibrant and helpful as the Mopar mailing list or the rec.autos.VW group have been, while making this group accessible to all Dodge, Plymouth, Jeep, Eagle, and Chrysler owners, even those who don't know what a Mopar is. FAQ maintained by David Zatz who works at http://www.toolpack.com/ (end of FAQ part 1) User Contributions: |
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