QuestionQUESTION: Hi Roland, my 2000 Chrysler Sebring JXI convertible 2.5 will not start. Drove it on the morning on the 4th of July, parked it in the back so the fire works wouldn't mess up the top, got up on the 5th to take son to school and it wouldn't start. It turns but no start. For a few mouths before the no start she wouldn't start on the first key turn(s) but then would start after 2nd or 3rd. Also while waiting at traffic lights she would feel like she was going to shut off, but would power back up before the light changed. I took that not starting right away and feeling like she's about to turn off at the light as time for a tune-up. So I have changed the wire and plugs, but still no start. I don't want to just keep replacing parts that are not fixing the problem. I think its the ignition coil. What do you think is the problem?
ANSWER: Hi Edith,
You didn't mention whether you had checked for fault codes: "on-off-on-off-on and leave on" using the ignition key and doing that in 5 seconds or less elapsed time. Then watch the odometer to see if the mileage reading is replaced with a four-digit code number. Let me know if so.
If you have done that, and have spark and you hear the fuel pump run for a second when you first turn the key to the run position that makes a hum from inside the fuel tank, then we basically have one other possibility and that is that the egr valve is stuck slightly ajar which thins out the mixture too much to allow the engine to 'catch' and idle.
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 'no start'.
I agree that you buy no more parts until we try that, and see whether you have fault codes.
Roland
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QUESTION: Thanks Roland for getting back to me. I didn't find any fault codes, did notice no hum sound from the fuel pump. I check the EGR valve also, stem moves, I sprayed WD-40 on it to make sure, she still didn't start. So I guess that means its a fuel problem. How do I get started?
ANSWER: Hi Edith,
Because you said you heard no hum sound from the fuel tank, even for just a second of time, you would want to check fuses# 5, 8 and 10 in the power box under the hood. Look carefully at the internal wire of each fuse as it might be a slight crack rather than a frank blown fuse.
Roland
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QUESTION: Hi Roland
I said i didn't hear a hum but my husband checked and he said he heard a light noise when the key was turned to the run position. We also checked the fuses 5, 8, and 10 no slight cracks. What should we do next?
AnswerHi Edith,
Try verifying the sound he hears is coming from the fuel tank at the rear of the car. One of you turn the key to run while the other listens outside to hear a hum coming from the tank under the rear of the car for about a second.
If you have that, then I would check for whether you have spark by removing one of the spark plug wires at the plug, insert a screwdriver with a plastic handle into the cap so that its tip touches the metal wire deep inside, then hold the screwdriver and cap with two hands and move the shaft of the driver so that it is 1/4" from the cylinder head of the engine. Then have your partner try to start the engine and see if there is a spark that jumps across the gap between the shaft and the cylinder head.
Finally, it is not certain in my mind that this specific vehicle does present fault codes on its odometer window. So try the same on-off-on-off-on and leave on, then watch to see if the check engine light remains on and does it then start to flash, pause, flash, etc. Count the flashes before each pause, and then tell me the counts. I do believe that there should be either that or a readout in the odometer window such as the word 'done' to verify that it is reading for codes and found none. If you don't get anything like that then a plug-in code reader might be worth purchase for the alternative would be to have the vehicle towed to a shop to do the code readout.
Roland
