Chrysler Repair: elusive hard start condition: 02 300m, positive crankcase ventilation, exhaust gas recirculation valve

Question
My 2002 Chrysler 300 am has a hard start condition. This seems to occur totally randomly. I hooked up a starting charging system analyzer to the battery and the battery volts- cranking amps were good. The starter cranking amps @ 175. The only codes I pulled were Trans related.HELP!!

Answer
Hi Roger,
I am assuming then that you don't believe the problem is the starter motor not cranking the engine over effectively. If the engine runs well once it starts and shows no other signs of missing, then I would believe the ignition system is OK, and because it doesn't register any fault codes. Under those assumptions we are left then with mixture or compression. My focus would start with mixture abnormalities. One part that impacts mixture and can also be intermittent and not well 'sensed' by the computer is the exhaust gas recirculation valve. That device can become gummed up and in so doing will randomly hang up slightly ajar as the internal spring-action can't always overcome the friction on the valve stem. So that would be worth taking a look at. I am not sure however whether the egr on your engine has an exposed valve stem but if it did you could spray some WD-40 on where it enters the body of the valve. If not, then removing it and checking it from the business end and for clogging of the exhaust gas passageway/valve interfact would be the only way to check it out. You might also check out the positive crankcase ventilation (pcv) valve. And check around the vacuum hoses attached to the intake manifold for and cracks/disconnects. One routine maintenance too would be to clean the throttle body "butterfly" plate and the throat and idle air side passageway as that too can impact mixture/idling if it is cruddy.
Those would be the approaches that I can recommend. Please let me know how this works out for you.
Roland


Roland