QuestionQUESTION: Hi Roland, I have a 98 Chrysler sebring jxi convertible with a factory installed alarm. A couple of times my cars headlights, interior lights and horn along with red round light in dash would go off, everything flashing and honking. My husband took the horn fuse out which stopped that and usually the rest would stop in time by itself. My keyless remote wasn't working so we were using the key to open it. Yesterday I went to open door with key and it the locks opened and locked againand I had to open them again but then my car wouldn't start. There was no sound at all except ticking of alarm. It didn't try to turn over, no clicking as if it was the starter. I had a mechanic checked fuses under hood and inside car and said they were all good. Then he tried replacing ignition switch and that didn't work. Tested and tried jumping car and that didn't work. Chrysler said disconnect battery and reconnect and try remote starter that may do it because its an alarm issue and needs to be reset. Is there any way that I can do this so I don't have to tow it there and pay dealer prices? I should mention that only lights that come on dash when I try to start it is mileage and brake is lit up. All my interior lights work but no radio. I did try your on off trick but didn't see the odometer change at all. Thank you so much for any help you can give me.
Jennifer
ANSWER: Hi Jennifer,
Can you tell me which lights that you remember should come on are not coming on at the instrument cluster?
Does your vehicle also have the sentry key immobilizer system which is evidenced by the keys having a nylon moulded bulge in the head of the key?
Do you have a remote starter and is that an after-market device?
Without knowing the answers to those questions, let me just suggest that you try to lock then unlock the passenger side door using a door key. Then see if it will start and run.
The key lock at either front door will normally disarm an alarmed system, so that is why I suggest you try the passenger side.
Usually the alarm doesn't keep the engine from being cranked by the starter motor, rather it shuts down the engine after a few seconds of idling. What is your start attempt resulting in? Was it always like that from the inception of this situation, or had it changed due to the various interventions that have been tried? Has the starter refused to crank the engine since this started? It may be a starter circuit situation in that case, unrelated to the alarm system. What is the status of the alarm light on the dash?
Sorry for all the questions but almost anything is possible.
Roland
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QUESTION: Ok, um first on the instrument cluster the typical drip pan, lights and such usually come on when car doesn't start, but this is nothing and very quiet! It doesn't seem like I have the sentry key immobilizer system based on the key description you mentioned. the alarm is factory installed and I don't have a remote starter , just little keychain to lock and unlock car. I did try unlocking passenger side and it didn't start then either.
My start attempt is resulting in silence , with just odometer and brake light lit up and little flashing red circle for alarm that ticks and there has been no change even after the various attempts. I have never had this kind of a problem before. A couple times in the past it seemed slow to start but after giving it gas it would start, never complete silence. The flashing alarm light has randomly come on in the past and that when everything would start flashing/honking, locks locking and unlocking. When it does come on it has always done its thing and started again but this time was the exception. My interior lights and headlights did start flashing whenever I tried starting it today and yesterday and they eventually stop and the red light goes off. Then if I try to start it again the same process starts again. Hope this helps. Thanks for your speedy response .
Jen
ANSWER: Hi Jen,
Try two things:
a code readout by turning the ignition switch: "on-off-on-off-on and leave on" doing that in 5 seconds or less elapsed time. The watch the odometer window to see if the mileage reading changes to show 4-digit numbers preceded by a P. Let me know.
Then open the fuse/relay box in the engine compartment: Check fuse #8 in the box to be sure it isn't blown and doesn't have a subtle crack in its internal wire.
Then notice that the box has a rear section that is slightly below the level of the main box and then notice that there are 4 relays in that section (metal boxes). The front outboard relay is the starter relay. Have a helper try the starter while you touch/listen to that relay to see if it clicks. It should. If not, then try moving the gear shift lever slightly off the detent position of Park and of Neutral to see if it will then click.
Let me know if anything of interest happens. I think the issue may be the starter motor itself because the theft system doesn't disable the starter motor.
Roland
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QUESTION: Hi,
ok well I tried the on-off-on-off-on and leave on in 5 seconds and nothing happened, no codes, mileage stayed like before. Yesterday a mechanic checked all the fuses and said they were good, however I was unable to open it myself so as soon as my husband gets home in a little bit I will have him help me and try the rest.
Thanks so much for your help.
Jen
AnswerHi Jen,
When you are checking the underhood box and the starter relay, also look at fuse 10 along with 5; and then also check in the fuse box behind the left end-cap of the dash to see if 5, 9 and 11 are ok there as well because they run the body computer.
Roland
