QuestionI have a 1996 Chrysler Sebring Convertiable, with the 6 cyclinder in it. My question is this, when the car is at a slow pace (under 15 mph) or even at a stop, I can press the acclerator to the floor and it acts like it is going to die. So I replaced the spark plugs, the spark plug wires, and fuel filter. Thought that was my problem. If i pat the accelarator then it will increase speed and about 20 mph i can press the accelarator and it will pick up and go, no problem. I do detect a miss when idling but when RPMs are up i do not detect a miss. No codes in the system and I have the ODB II codes they are as follows: 12,41,46,43,55. In that order. What is the problem, I have no power in the car?
Thanks for all your help and your time.
AnswerHi Michael,
The 41 and 46 are about the field coil control of the generator/alternator as is the 46 which says that the voltage output of the alternator is too high. Those together suggest that the wire which controls the field coil may be shorted to ground. Do you see the voltage meter on the instrument cluster reading High?
On the 43 that one is about the primary winding of the spark coil located in the distributor. I would wonder if that may be going bad. Because replacing the distributor is expensive I would not do that right away. Rather, I would check one other part first that you might find is at fault and which you can remediate yourself, namely the exhaust gas recirculation valve.
It is possible that the egr valve is stuck slightly ajar which thins out the mixture too much to allow the engine to idle well. The valve is located by first finding the egr solenoid, a round black object with a vacuum hose, just below the oil filler cap. Follow that vacuum hose around to the rear corner of the engine to find the valve, mounted sideways in a small exhaust pipe that comes from the rear exhaust manifold hidden behind the engine. It too has a round top attached to the other end of the vacuum hose, and then a flange that separates the round top from the body of the valve which is mounted in the small exhaust pipe. In the flange area you will see a rod which is the valve stem and it has a circumferential slot into which you can insert the tip of a screwdriver so as to move the stem back and forth, against spring-action in one direction whose purpose is to close the valve. If that stem gets gummy then the stem may not move to the full closed position. So spray some WD-40 on the stem where it enters the valve body and then work the stem back and forth to be sure it moves freely and that it closes to a dead stop via the spring. Then see if that corrects the poor idle. If not, then we can check into the code 43.
Codes 12 and 55 are not significant issues. 12 means the battery was disconnected recently and 55 verifies that a code readout occurred.
Roland
