Chrysler Repair: 2001 pt cruiser: hard to start, shuts down when warm, 4 digit numbers, fender bender

Question
The car will not start without a jump, but will once you jump it then it stays running until it starts to get warm then shuts off. Once it has shut down it will not take a jump you just have to let it sit for a couple of hours then it will take a jump. We have replaced several items on the car but engine components battery 6/09, ignition coil 4/10, camshaft sensor 4/10 radiator 12/09 due to a fender bender. We had the fuel pump tested it is good.I was wondering If you had any other possibilities or ideas minus the car computer?

Answer
Hi Brenda,
Try the ignition key:"on-off-on-off-on and leave on" doing that in 5 seconds or less elapsed time. Then watch the odometer window to see the mileage change to show any 4-digit numbers preceded by a P. Those are fault codes which may give us some direction on what to do first.
Roland

Roland,
Thanks but my wife Brenda forgot to mention, no codes show at all and also the fuel pressure is good and today I replaced the spark plugs and the car started up great and left it running at idle for about 10 minutes until it almost warmed up in the normal range and then shut down and would not start, engine will turn over but will not start until later..I am suspecting the computer..

Hi Tom:
The crankshaft sensor could be doing this without setting a code. If you want to check it out when it is failure mode you could measure the voltage between the black/light blue and gray/black wires of the sensor. With the ignition in the 'run' position, turn the engine by hand using a ratchet on the crank pulley bolt, and you should see the voltage pulse between 5V and 0.3V several times per revolution of the sensor is good. If you can't get to the sensor wires easily you will also find them at pins 32 and 43 of the pcm where you can probe through the insulation using straight pin to contact the conductors. Check it out cold, then compare when the engine shuts down and refuses to start. It could be that the signal is just degraded enough to stop the timing of the spark/injectors but not so bad as to 'set' a code. I hate to see you waste your money on a pcm if the sensor is the cause.
Roland