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Archive-name: autos/chrysler-faq/general/part4
Posting-Frequency: 365 days Last-modified: 2009/1/25 Version: 4.3 See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge IMPORTANT. Do not attempt to respond to faq@allpar.com. Due to spam this address DOES NOT GO ANYWHERE. Instead, use the contact form at allpar.com. Thank you. - - - - - - - - - - - - DISCLAIMER: The author and contributors assume no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages from the use of the information. Some of the information is opinion. The writers and the maintainer are not authorities. Any part of this FAQ may be reproduced IF credit is given to the writers and the maintainer; it is not published in any form without the prior written permission of the maintainer; the maintainer receives, without needing to ask, a FREE copy of the final material; and no changes are made without the permission of the maintainer. The maintainer, David Zatz, works at http://www.toolpack.com/ - - - - - - - - - - - - PART IV - Engines: Idling, power, stalling, mileage; transmissions There is a separate Neon FAQ. Also see: Part 3 - Classic cars Part 5 - Funny noises, oil leaks, temperature stuff Part 6 - Other stuff * Many problems are caused by poor battery connections to the cables, which can cause signals to the computer to be incorrect. Check and clean the battery terminals and cables first! * If your antifreeze was just changed and your car started to overheat, purge the system of air bubbles. * Additional information on troubleshooting and repairs is on the web site at http://www.allpar.com/ ** Index ** Note: there are *several* entries for some problems. Try using the "search" or "find" feature of your word processor, or browse through the entries. We have eliminated some relatively uncommon entries. 1. Stall/hesitation/sag 2. Idle speed jumps OR Intermittent idle speed problems (2.2/2.5) *** (see also #28 and other items) 3. Transmission noise: when shifting/stopping, buzzng/ratcheting 4. Cold / freezing weather problems 5. Power drops dramatically (engines with carb - esp 2.6) / icing of carburetor and other parts 6. Magnum V-6 engine problems 7. Power drop, black smoke, 2.6 liter 8. TBI engine hesitation (2.2/2.5) 9. 3.9 liter (pre-1993) common problem - PREVENT IT 10. Jeep 4.0 stalling 11. Power loss or gas mileage loss (2.2 / 2.5 engines) 12. Mitsubishi 2.6 cold start / drivability 1. Stall, hesitation, or sag See http://www.allpar.com/fix/ for full diagnostics ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Transmission noise: when shifting/stopping, buzzng/ratcheting Chrysler four-speed automatic transmissions tend to make a buzzing/ratcheting noise when shifting gears or pulling to a stop. This noise is normal and comes from the solenoids. It is most noticeable from outside the car. A continuous buzz or whine could indicate low fluid or a bad pump, but a fair bit of noise is normal and you can find it, to one degree or another, on anything from an Acclaim to a brand new Town & Country. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. Fast idle on startup (Bohdan Bodnar): This is normal for [some] Chrysler products. The throttle body temperature sensor is used ONLY during hot restarts; during a hot restart, it is the dominant temperature sensor for the first 10 seconds only. So, if the engine runs funny for almost exactly 10 seconds during a hot restart, consider cleaning the contacts of that sensor. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. Cold weather problems Glen Larche said a MAP relocation kit is available to prevent problems in freezing temps (rough cold idle, stalling) for older 2.2 and 2.5 liter four cylinder cars: Kit for turbo vehicles- 4419402 Kit for EFI vehicles- 4419401 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. Power drops dramatically (engines with carb - esp 2.6) In cold weather, some vehicles with the 2.6 liter 4-cylinder engine may have severe power loss (e.g. after running about 20 minutes between 60 and 65 mph). If one steps on the gas, black smoke may come out of the tailpipe. The solution (from Dave Witte): A de-icing kit to heat the intake air enough to prevent freezing. SOME engines had this kit at the factory. The kit is not expensive. --- My manual shows that the 2.6 had a carb air heater. The tube that comes up from the exhaust manifold, will be on the back side of the engine, and hard to reach. When the engine is cold, make sure that the vacuum actuator in the air horn leading to the air cleaner housing is working. In cold weather, with the engine cold, it should redirect all of the air flow through the stove on the exhaust manifold. (Jeff Wieland) --- The problem was freezing of the carb. and the answer was to moved the hose that feeds outside air to the air filter compartment and position it somehwere to the rear of the engine. This prevents the outside cold air from making its way over to the carb.(Ken) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. Magnum V-6 engine problems Problem: 1992 Dakota 4x4 with Magnum V-6. Engine faltering badly sometimes when cold, sometimes when hot. On cold starts, the engine will sometimes act as though it's getting gas only at idle, won't accelerate. It will cough and sputter awhile, then "catch" and take off, running fine from then on. Other times, it will "skip a beat or two" at speed, under mild acceleration. David Wright: Some Magnum engines came with "mis-phased" distributors, causing intermittent missing. Jerald Barker: Replace the back pressure transducer and EGR valve. The Back Pressure Transducer lies next to the EGR valve just above the left valve cover. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Power drop, black smoke, 2.6 liter >After running for about 20 minutes the power drops out to the point >where I have to pull over. If I am in "Park or Neutral" and step on the >gas pedal, black smoke comes from the tail pipe. With 2.6L engined minivans ... the airflow goes right over the carburetor ... freezing it solid. Seconfd you stop, engine heat thaws it out (which is why you can stop, restart, and it seems a lot better). I put a metal shield in front of the carburetor to deflect wind around it and it worked. -- Jonathan N. Deitch ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8. TBI engine hesitation (2.2/2.5) 2.5 liter, TBI: Intermittent engine hesitation under high speed driving ONLY or under moderately high speed and heavy acceleration. The problem NEVER occurs during moderate driving or heavy acceleration at low to moderate speeds. The brass pin you see from the top of the injector -- they didn't make it a tight enough fit. Eventually the pin begins to back out and the ECM keeps shortening the injector pulse to compensate for the change in mixture. The process can take several months before it produces symptoms. The pin backs out to a point that the ECM can no longer compensate for and you get driveability problems. (dotto) First check fuel pressure, around 14.5 psi engine off (using DRB in actuator test) I have seen the distributor pick-up unit on these cut out intermittently. When the computer loses the signal from the distributor, it shuts fuel/spark off. The Hall-effect plate tends to get loose. One TSB involves re-locating the MAP sensor from the logic module(right kick panel) to the right strut tower. EGR failures are also common. They sometimes get stuck open and cause hesitation; try disconnecting the vacuum hose from the EGR valve. The car will probably ping on acceleration, but hesitation should cease. The valve is located on the driver's side end of the exhaust manifold. You may have to remove the air cleaner housing to see it. Faulty TPS sensor can cause this type of problem. It may have a "dead spot" (Eric Eleazar) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9. 3.9 liter (pre-1993) common problem - PREVENT IT My 1992 Dakota 3.9L needed a new timing chain and gears at 49,000 miles. This was originally diagnosed as "mis-phased" distributer, and "fixed" to some degree. ... According to one of the service managers, the 1992 Magnums had a "single roller" roller chain. The 93+ engines have the more typical double roller. This may be a common problem for the pre-93s. The misfiring had been happening sometimes on upshifts, but worsened as performance sagged. The misfiring occurs when the rotor gets enough out of phase that the spark gets fed to the wrong cylinder. Ignition timing is not changed by this problem, valve timing *is*, and distributer rotor "phase" is. Get it fixed SOON. (Ron Luse) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10. Jeep 4.0 EFI engine stalls at a stop (Jeep 4.0 stalling). The problem is the flywheel sensor. It is located by following the wires from the along the firewall and along the bellhousing. These sensors get worn out from debris and it also might be just the wires going to it. I had the same problem and took it to a dealer and they couldn't figure it out either. (Ken Talley) -------------------------------------------- 11. Power loss or gas mileage loss (2.2 / 2.5 engines) Vaughn Smith's 2.5 was losing power and mileage. While replacing a burnt rotor (one thing to look at), he took off the Hall effect sensor. He saw that it read when each "vane" on the distributor shaft passed the pickup point; the inner surface of the vane, though, was extremely dirty. He replaced the rotor and cleaned the vane, and found that gas mileage and power increased. He also found this problem on a 2.2 TBI and a 2.2 Turbo, with some improvement in each case. -------------------------------------------- 12. Cold start/initial run problem - MMC 2.6 (Courtesy Marvin Stockman) The Mitsubishi 2.6's carburetor choke pulloff tends to break; the only fix is a $700 replacement. I have made a twisted loop (like a hangmans noose) of soft metal wire and place the noose section around the stud that holds the air cleaner duct. I let the twisted straight section hang down into the throat of the carburetor. I try to get the wire as close to the wall of the carburetor as I can. This has the effect of preventing the choke plate from closing completely, and eliminates any cold running problem. It is important to use thin wire ( I used soft aluminum wire) in order to keep the opening small, otherwise the initial idle is very high. Another solution would be to drill a small hole in the choke plate. During very cold weather, I pump the accelerator 4 to 5 times and the car starts right up. ------------------------------------------- For more, visit http://www.allpar.com/fix/ http://www.allpar.com/fix/ -------- For more, visit http://www.allpar.com/fix/ User Contributions: |
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