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Archive-name: autos/chrysler-faq/general/part6
Posting-Frequency: 15 days Last-modified: 2004/4/13 Version: 4.4 See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge DISCLAIMER: Effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information in this compilation, but the author and contributors assume no responsibility for errors, omissions, or damages resulting 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 PROVIDED that credit is given to the writers and the maintainer; that it is not published in any form without the prior written permission of the maintainer; that the maintainer receives, without needing to ask, a FREE copy of the final material; and that no changes are made without the express permission of the maintainer (Dr. David Zatz - http://www.toolpack.com/ surveys and organizational development consulting - he also hangs out at http://www.ptcruizer.com/ ). - - - - - - - - - - - - IMPORTANT. Do not attempt to respond to (e-mail address removed). Due to spam this address DOES NOT GO ANYWHERE. Instead, reply to faq2 at that allpar /dot/ com address. Thank you. - - - - - - - - - - - - Please do NOT ask me car-related questions, as I have a limited. personal knowledge. Thank you. See http://www.allpar.com/trouble.html or rec.autos.makers.chrysler instead. - - - - - - - - - - - - PART VI - Other Troubleshooting / Quick Fixes There is a specific Neon FAQ. This section of the FAQ may be eliminated soon. Other parts of this FAQ: Part 3 - Classic cars Part 4 - Driveability and transmission Part 5 - Funny noises and oil leaks and temperature stuff * Many problems are caused by poor battery connections to the cables, which can cause signals to the computer to be incorrect without (or with) fault codes being registered. Check and clean the battery terminals and cables first! * Additional information on troubleshooting and repairs is on the web site at http://www.allpar.com/ * Some of these issues are discussed in detail at http://www.valiant.org/ (a site dedicated to A-bodies like the Dodge Dart and Plymouth Valiant and Plymouth Duster.) Note: there are *several* entries for some problems. 1. Fuel leak - ALL 2.2 engines 2. Rampage (maybe other models) - water leaks 3. Loose steering 5. Doors freezing shut 8. Air conditioner (a/c) smell 9. Caravan/Voyager door won't open/close 11. Check Engine light went on 13. DING sound when hard cornering 20. Speedometer doesn't work 21. ABS jerky 24. Brake rotor warping 29. Smoky exhaust 32. Water leak in Shadow/Sundance hatch 36. Control/status panel/console acting funny 52. ABS note - Chrysler and GM minivans (see also #64) 55. Service engine light goes on. 56. Cruise control problems 57. Battery charging problems 58. Sundance/Shadow (possibly others) hatchback leak 59. Car/minivan will not start; makes CLICK noise instead 60. Spongy / mushy brakes 61. Squeal when a/c is/goes on; adjusting belt tension 63. Weatherstrip repairs 64. Preventing ABS problems 66. Jeep 4.0 noise 67. LH clunk on acceleration 68. Stratus/Cirrus/Breeze wipers acting funny 69. 4-speed auto trans problems - misc 70. Shimmy under acceleration - 35-45 mph 72. Gas gauge acting funny 74. Backfiring 75. PREVENTION - 3.0 liter engine 78. CV boot replacement 81. Rear defrost activated by brake lights 84. Odd behavior when starting (e.g. wiper activation) 86. Fluid leaks (inside the car) ================================================================ 1. FUEL LEAKS: There was a recall for fuel line replacements on some vehicles in 1988. A rigid line was replaced with a flexible one between the metal line and fuel pressure regulator. (Sherrie Settle). All 2.2 turbo owners should check their fuel clamps for leaks on a regular basis. This is VERY important. Tighten them if needed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Water leaks (Rampage, possibly other L bodies) Gary Howell <(e-mail address removed).net> says: Under the windsheild at each lower corner, holes rust through. The best fix is to remove the windsheild and have the body work done properly. The cheap fix is to remove the windsheild trim and fill the holes with RTV. The holes are not always visable to the eye, sometimes the holes are under the glass or like a micro screen. If a speaker wire has been run through the door seal, water will sometimes follow the wire past the seal. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. Loose steering Check the ball joints and tie rods. For M-bodies and A-bodies, try replacing the current steering box with a new police-type steering chuck from Mopar Performance (or used from a police car or taxi). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. Doors freezing shut Jim Van Damme suggestd: 1. Open the door panel and undo the nuts that hold the door latch onto the door. Slide the whole latch down (or was it up?) to allow the handle to engage sooner. 2. Lubricate it well (de-ice with WD-40) when you've got the panel off. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8. A/C smell David Ta believes the a/c smell comes from condensation collecting on the horizontal fins of compressors used on some models. One way to prevent this is to blow hot air for a couple of minutes before turning off the ignition. There is a Chrysler extra warranty of 7/70 on LH evaporators). This is a problem on many different makes and models, and normally the dealer will try to solve it using fungicide. David Ta also said a GM friend of his mixed water and baking soda, and poured it into the drain area next to the firewall, later rinsing with a water hose. He did this once a year when he winterized. A new solution (sent by David Ta) was described by Popular Mechanics, in November 1996: AC Delco's kit No. 15-8632 and relay (if necessary) 15-8264, to run the blower for 5 minutes, an hour after the ignition is turned off if the a/c has been turned on for at least 4 minutes. The article also gives a short-term fix with GM spray can and verifying the evap drain hole at the firewall is not blocked. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9. Caravan/Voyager stuck doors: Mike Stallcup couldn't get his minivan door to close, so he turned the power locks on and off a few times. Fixed it. Someone else found the problem to be a loose trim panel held to the back of the door. The roller on the track at the top/inside of the door was also out of alignment; the bolts had loosened and the door was not closing tight. Check the tightness of the bolts. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11. Check Engine light goes on: 1. This may be due to the need for a periodic service. 2. It may be the oxygen sensor (Steve Sheldon) 3. Check computer codes (see part 3) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13. DING sound when hard cornering Paul Schikora suggested this might be the low gas alert being sounded due to the gas sloshing around in the tank. Pete Morrissette said he also had a dinging sound, but not the same kind: his Voyager's sliding door pinged/dinged on bumps and turns. Paul Schikora said the bolt connecting the door to the arm (which slides in the track at the front top of the door) sometimes loosened. To check, grab the door there and try to push/pull it; if it moves in and out, the bolt must be tightened. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 20. Speedometer doesn't work There is a TSB out on this problem with the Shadow/Sundance. Take it to your dealer, they should fix it for free. The TSB was issued in 1994. The problem is the speed sensor connector; a new one must be spliced in. Details from Neil Emiro on replacing the speed sensor yourself follow. They probably apply to all K-based (and extended K-based) cars: To get it out, you will need a 10mm wrench, a flat blade screwdriver, and if your car has cruise, a 19mm wrench. Jack the car up. If you look underneath at the oil pan plug, and look back on the car, to where the axle goes into the tranny, you will see it. It's mounted in the top of that extension housing. If your unit is round, just unplug it and remove the cable if there is one, and pry it up, putting the screwdriver between the black body of the sensor, and the natural color base. If your unit is kind of short and diamond shaped, disconnect the wiring and cable, and there's a 10mm bolt on the far side that you'll probably be able to feel better than see. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 21. ABS jerky Dealer reprogramming the PCM fixes the brakes. (Steve Chu) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 24. Brake rotor warping The dealers have received a bulletin saying that if cars come in with less than 30,000 miles with worn out brake pads and rotors in need of turning they are to do it under warranty. (Mary Bucy) If lug nuts are over-tightened, it places too much stress on the rotors resulting in warpage soon thereafter. I always go over each lug with a torque wrench set at 90 ft lbs. (Ted Ruscha) Jeff Brinkerhoff <(e-mail address removed)> wrote that rotors are a frequent problem, but that replacing them with aftermarket rotors usually works well. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 29. Smoky exhaust From: (e-mail address removed) (Mo Brooks) Smoke Color / Reason Black = Too much fuel (probably bad sensor or dirty air cleaner) Blue = Oil White = Water Black smoke on acceleration in early 2.2l engines may come from the fuel pressure regulator vacuum hose at the elbow; may be a bad injector; or may be duel to high fuel pressure. You may want to check for restrictions in the fuel return line. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 32. Water leak in Shadow/Sundance hatch Tim Drake fixed his 1987 Sundance trunk leak by taking the light cover off and treated the gaskets and drilled small holes in the bottom of the light covers, so the water could leak out the bottom. From: (e-mail address removed) (Wade M. Goldman) fixed the water in his trunk and right tail light assembly (which caused on tail light to be dimmer than the other). After replacing the light socket he corrected a gap between the light assembly moulding and the car with RTV silicone. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 36. Control/status panel acting funny Test the Control Panel by holding down the trip and reset buttons, turning ignition on, releasing the buttons, then pressing the US/Met button. Read the speedo. Press the US/Met button and you should see a six. Also check the codes in the engine computer -- (Matt Rowe) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------- 52. ABS note See http://www.allpar.com/fix/ABS.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- 55. Service engine light goes on. Service the engine. The light can be shut off with a special tool. Or remove the bulb. -------------------------------------------- 56. Cruise control problems Many older cars used both a speed sensor and a speedo cable, so the speed sensor could go with affecting the speedometer. Fault codes might not appear if the speed sensor is giving an incorrect signal. -------------------------------------------- 57. Battery charging problems Check the battery cables, then check the alternator with a test light and/or a voltmeter or an alternator/charging system analyzer. There are usually four connections on a Chrysler alternator, one large terminal (power out), one ground, and two field control wires. To check the field control wires, test both for voltage with the engine running. One should show battery voltage, the other a reduced voltage. If both show battery voltage, the problem could be in the computer (not providing a ground for the second field circuit). If one has battery voltage and the other shows a much reduced voltage, the computer probably is trying to "full field" the alternator and therefore the alternator is probably the problem. Check output voltage. If output voltage is extremely high (20 volts or more) check the circuit from the output terminal to the battery for an open. If the voltage is battery volts but not a charging voltage and the fields seem correct, suspect the alternator. -------------------------------------------- 58. Hatchback water leaks From: (e-mail address removed).com (25312-lazaro) Water enters the trunk by running down the side of the hatch opening and when it reaches the tail lights, it flows into them. From there, it pours into the trunk through the holes that the tail light bulbs fit through. From inside the trunk, remove the tail light bulb cover panel. Now unfasten a few of the tail light bulbs and let them hang into the trunk. With a long 1/4 inch drill bit (or similar size), drill a few holes in the bottom of the tail light lens by sticking the bit through the holes the the bulbs occupied. This allows the water that enters the tail lights to drain out these holes and onto the ground instead of accumulating in the tail lights and pouring into the trunk through the bulb holes. I drilled about 3 or four 1/4 inch holes per each bulb location. Did the trick. The trunk has been bone dry ever since.I replaced the water-damaged carpet backing with 1/2 inch household carpet backing that I got at a home improvement store and cut to size. It improves the sound deadening, too. The cardboard floor (spare tire cover) was water damaged too, so I got a new one for ~$25 at the dealer. Make sure you air dry the trunk real well. I had so much water that I had to pull the drain plug at the bottom of the spare tire well to let it out. I know of Ford Probes suffering this same problem (with similar solution) due to the same hatchback & tail light configuration. -------------------------------------------- 59. Car / minivan will not start, CLICK!s instead David J. Allen quoted (e-mail address removed).mil as saying that, when his 89 Caravan sometimes made a loud CLICK instead of starting, he saw that the starter solenoid contacts were eroded down the thickness of a penny. Vandamme soldered a real copper penny, filed to the shape of the missing electrode, into the space. David J. Allen wrote: [On my 88 Caravan,] I tore the starter down and found that the contacts had worn down to the point of only providing intermittant contact when engaged. A friend of mine brought me a couple of strips of 1/8" copper from work which I cut and formed into new contacts. They fit right in and I haven't had a problem yet (1 1/2 years). -------------------------------------------- 60. Spongy / mushy brakes Mushy / spongy brakes, especially after brake servicing: Have the brake fluid bled *properly* (most mechanics will not do it the correct way). Jim Murphy says that Chrysler has a new procedure involving pumping the brakes to pressurize the system, then opening the bleed screw to allow the fluid and air to rush out. The details: 1: Pump pedal three or four times and hold it down before bleeder screw is opened 2: Push pedal toward floor and hold it while bleeder screw is opened 3: Release the pedal after the bleeder screw is closed 4: Repeat steps 1 through 3, four or five times, at each bleeder screw to pass a sufficient amount of fluid to expel all the trapped air from anywhere in the system. CAUTION: Just cracking the bleeder screw often restricts fluid flow, and a slow weak fluid discharge will NOT get all the air out. Open the screw at least one full turn. -------------------------------------------- 61. Squeal when a/c is on; adjusting belts You can replace the idler pulley and belt to stop the squeal on the minivans and some other vehicles. It may go away given a month. On some vehicles you may need to adjust belt tension, but do not overtighten, or you will need many expensive new parts! NOTE Adjusting Caravan belts: A tensioner is below the alternator. Put a 15mm wrench on it and pull down (like you were tightening that bolt) and the tensioner will rotate and take the tension off of the belt. Much easier from underneath by removing the splash sheild. That is held by 4 10mm screws. BUT BE CAREFUL!!! I own 2 CC products; an '88 Caravan 2.5L and an '89 Sundance 2.5L. AC clutch went on both at about 80,000 mi, again on both about 30,000 mi later, again, etc., etc. Found out that if the belts are not tightened within specs., it wipes out the bearings SOON!!! Only use a Burroughs belt tension gauge - about $50.00. NO MORE PROBLEMS!! Hope this helps. By the way, the Sundance has over 200,000 mi, and the Caravan has 135,000 - no other serious problems, other than CV boot replacements. -------------------------------------------- 63. Weatherstrip repair Marvin Stockman <(e-mail address removed).navy.mil> reports: I usually purchase a caulking gun sized tube of black GE Silicon II sealant. Clean off the damaged weatherstripping with alcohol or other suitable cleaner. Apply an appropriate amount of sealer to damaged area. Cover area with plastic kitchen wrap and with sealer covered form to an appropriate shape. Close door. Car can be used and door can be opened and closed, but don't remove plastic for 3 or 4 days. Don't use Saran wrap as most silicone sealers need moisture to set and Saran is too good a vapor barrior. I have done this for many years on many cars. -------------------------------------------- 64. Preventing ABS problems Marv Miller cautions: Due to the fact that the ABS-10 uses an accumulator, which acts as a "pressure reservoir", the fluid level in the master cylinder varies. When the pump pressurizes the accumulator, the fluid level in the master cylinder drops by about 1/2 inch - the fluid went into the accumulator. This is why you are supposed to completely depressurize the system by fifty or more depressions of the pedal before checking the fluid. The accumulator will empty back into the master cylinder reservoir. If you don't depressurize the system to check the level, when the accumulator pressure drops (in deteriorating systems this sometimes happens overnight), brake fluid will overflow out of the master cylinder caps. -------------------------------------------- 66. Jeep 4.0 noise >We recently bought a 95 Cherokee with the 4.0l 6cyl engine. After a >couple thousand miles, it started making a knocking sound at idle. It >sounds to me like one valve is out of adjustment. Don Ferrario responded: This is typical of the 4.0L engine. Other than the sound, which is admittedly alarming, it should not cause any other problem. (note: In 1996, the 4.0 was redesigned to lower noise.) -------------------------------------------- 67. LH clunk Michael Kell and others wrote about a clunking noise in LH models when people coast and then accelerate again. Retorquing the front axle nuts to 120 lb ft may fix it - but it may not (see below). David Ta's dealer pointed him to TSB 02-04-95, which says to replace the outer C/V joints. Mr. Ta was kind enough to inform the FAQ maintainer in e-mail. -------------------------------------------- 68. Stratus/Cirrus/Breeze wipers acting funny This may simply be the speed-sensitive wiper speed feature at work. However, some, including Pierce Leonberger, found that the problem was only solved when the dealer recalibrated the wiper module, which controls the wiper timing. There may be a TSB out on this problem. -------------------------------------------- 69. Misc 4-speed automatic transmission problems See http://www.allpar.com/fix/trans.html for a full and up to date list. ***NEVER USE DEXRON IN A CHRYSLER 4-SPEED AUTOMATIC ***FLUSH THE SYSTEM AND RETRAIN THE COMPUTER IF DEXRON IS IN IT -------------------------------------------- 70. Shimmy under acceleration - 35-45 mph (e-mail address removed).net responds to a complaint of shimmy in a 96,000 mile 1986 Dodge Aries from 35-45 mph under accleration. He said that the inner CV joint housing on the passenger side axle is worn. Probably easiest repair is to replace passenger side axle with rebuilt unit. There is a possiblity of it being in the drivers axle. But it is more common in the passenger axle based on your complaint. -------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- 72. Gas gauge acting funny (e-mail address removed): on a 1987 Caravan, the gas gauge kept creeping up to full. The problem was a small circuit board, part 4375318. Dean Seaman added the board is no longer used, but did dampen pointer movement. Some gauges used a thick liquid instead. -------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- 74. Backfiring Ty Young reports that his 143,000 mile 1985 Caravan's backfiring (on sudden decelaration) was cured by using 89 octane gas instead of 87. (But was the timing OK?) -------------------------------------------- 75. 3.0 liter PREVENTION Drop the oil pan after 100,000 miles and clean the screen on the oil pick-up. Mine was choked down to an opening about the size of a dime. The oil seems to get charred in the head closest to the firewall and works its way down. -------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- 78. CV boot replacement From: (e-mail address removed) (Old Mcgroin) replaced the CV boots on his 88 Daytona: "There is one bolt on each wheel you have to take off first. Remove each hub then the axles will just slide out of the tranny (along with the fliud so catch it in a pail) On each CV joint there is one snap ring holding everything together. Once inside the CV there are a few ball bearings and a cage, it all fits together very straightforward. This was my first time with no problems." -------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- 81. Rear defroster activated by brake lights Rivas Patrick writes that his 88 Shadow's rear defroster went on when he hit the brakes. The problem was that the wires going to the hatch from the roof had broken their insulation and were touching each other when the hatch was closed. -------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- 84. Odd behavior when starting (e.g. wiper runs) With regard to funny electrical things (in this case, the rear window washer or rear wiper coming on) when starting a vehicle, or the vehicle acting like it has a low battery, Ken Bessler <(e-mail address removed)> advises: The problem is one of two things: your ignition timing (no - really!) is just a hair too far advanced or you battery is getting old. When ignition timing is too far advanced, the engine tries to fire before the piston gets all the way up. The piston tries to go the wrong way, fighting the starter and causing a big voltage drop across the whole van. This messes up the logic circuits. Listen to the way your engine cranks over before it fires. This sound should be fairly even and smooth. If not, back your timing up a bit. If your engine turns over smoothly, then your battery is suspect. -------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- 86. Fluid leaks (inside the car) Bob Meyer <robert_(e-mail address removed)> writes: If the fluid is antifreeze (green, sweet smell, hot), you may have a heater core leak (or loose hose connections). If the fluid is water, most likely the AC condensation tube is blocked (note: this refers to a Sundance/Shadow/Duster). When the AC runs on a humid day, a puddle of water should form underneath this drain if it is working correctly. Look on the firewall behind and below the power steering pump - you should find a rubber tube. Make sure that nothing is blocking the tip. If this doesn't help, you may have a bunch of leaves and junk inside blocking it. Some times you can back flush it with a garden hose or fish out the leaves with a wire. If the condensation drain is open and working, and you still have water on the floor, make sure the cowl drains are clear. The last thing would be to check the gasket that seals the blower fan (under and behind the glove box). If this is leaking, loosen the accessable lower screws, force a bit of strip caulk into the seal gap, and retighten. -------------------------------------------- User Contributions: |
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