QuestionQUESTION: Hi Roland,
I have a 2003 Concorde with almost 139,000 miles. It is a 2.7 L engine. Today I was running errands and had no problems until my last errand. I stopped to send a package, and when I pulled in the parking lot, the car felt as if it were running rough. I killed it, ran inside for less than 2 minutes, and when i came out the car would not start. I noticed a puddle of what smelled like water just under the muffler, but I had driven 50 miles and I dont think it was condensation. I attempted starting several times, and it finally started when i held down the accelerator, but was very rough and I also had black smoke coming out of the exhaust. I made it to work, and it smoked and ran rough for the 5 miles I had to drive, and the check engine light started blinking. The on-off-on-off-on key readout gave me a code 0456. The exhaust also had a weird smell, like maybe the catalytic converter is going bad. Is there a way I can test the converter, or should I do something different?
Thank you,
Clay
ANSWER: Hi Clay,
The 0456 is about there being a small leak in the gasoline vapor collection system, such as a loose gas cap or a loose hose connection. So check those out.
I am not thinking that would be enough to cause the problem you experienced. The catalytic converter is best tested with a pollution control sensor and is usually done by a muffler shop. It could be that your egr valve may be sticking slightly ajar which messes up the mixture at idle and when slowing down or accelerating. So that might be a device you would want to remove and clean out the passageways so the valve might function more positively to close. Absent other codes I can't think of any other cause.
Roland
PS Please 'rate' my answer, and where you see the question about a nomination to be "volunteer of the month" consider giving a 'yes' response.
Thank you
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: I also noticed either my fuel gauge is broke or I used a LOT OF GAS in my 20 mile trip. Like over a fourth of a tank! I've drove 85 miles since my fill this morning, and it's almost down to half a tank
AnswerHi Clay,
Judging mileage is tricky unless you fill the tank, then run for a known distance, and then refill the tank The gauge can be misleading. But nonetheless try looking over the evaporative hoses and the gas tank cap which could also be malflunctioning, and consider checking the egr, and finally keep looking for new codes. Without any other than the 0456 code I can't suggest why you would have the sort of issue you seem to be describing. See PS below about the apparent relenting of the problem.
Roland
PS Thanks much for the rating and nomination. As to the egr, this was being phased out in this time '03/'04 frame although my '04 Chrysler shop manual shows how to deal with an egr, but that doesn't mean your particular engine has one. If it did you would find it at the rear of the engine, underneath the the throttle body and it would be supplied by a small pipe coming from the right side exhaust manifold and it would have a two pipes that go to the end of the intake manifold on each side.
I am glad to learn that the problem seems to have subsided.
