QuestionQUESTION: I have a 93 concorde 3.5 liter. It stalls while I am driving with no warning. I put it in neutral and restart and its ok for a little while, but then it does it again.
I also have trouble with the gears not shifting.
I have had it in the shop a couple of times,and they tell me I need a new transmission or rebuild the one that is in it.
any help?
ANSWER: Hi Sharon,
If it always starts up after a stall, then I would be inclined to suspect the ignition switch is not maintaining its closed contacts necessary to operate the car. However it may have a component that is failing which might be recognized by the engine controller. I would take advantage of the self-diagnostic capability of the car. Use the ignition key:"on-off-on-off-on and leave on" doing that switching in 5 seconds or less elapsed time. Then watch the check engine light, which should remain "on" to begin to flash, pause, flash, etc. Count the number of flashes before each pause. Then repeat to be sure you have a consistent set of counts. Then let me know what the counts are, in the order that they appeared and we can go from there.
On the transmission, that too has a self-diagnostic capability but it has to be ascertained by means of a plug-in fault code reader. There is a blue socket under the dash to the left of the steering column which an independent (non-franchise) transmission shop should be able to use to access the transmission controller to find out what faults it has observed. Ask such a shop if they have a reader that can plug into the Chrysler Corp. "data link connector" and read the transmission fault codes. This is a reader that works with pre-'96 cars only so they may not actually have one. If you can't find a competent independent shop then go to a Chrysler dealer for a readout. Ask for the transmission code numbers, what they mean, what they recommend, and for how many $. Then let me know and we can go from there.
So basically, the best approach is do both of these kinds of readouts of the engine and the transmission before doing any else. If the shop has charged you for a diagnostic readout already, what were the fault code numbers? Both the engine and the transmission number are 2-digits, and overlap, so they have to be readout separately at different plugs or the light and the plug that I described above.
Roland
PS You can get back to me with the results by using the "thank/rate" tab so you don't have to wait for me to be 'available' to take a question. There is a comments section to let me know.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks again.
I did get a readout.
it was 123255.
I did it about half a dozen times,and got the same response.
Thanks for your help.
ANSWER: Hi Sharon,
The relevant codes are 12 and 32. The 55 just corroborates "end of readout". The 12 code means that sometime in the recent past (50-100 ignition key use cycles) that the battery power to the engine and transmission controller has been disconnected. If however you know that the servicing may have disconnected the battery, then keep checking for codes as after 50-100 cycles it should disappear if there is no battery connect problem. If it stays, then you have that problem.
If you don't know of a reason why the battery was disconnected at a shop/garage then I would take a look at the battery clamps to be sure they are tightly connected. There is a nut on each clamp to tighten, after you try twisting them from side to side as a test of tightness. The - post clamp is safe to touch with a wrench because almost every surface of the car is at the same electrical potential as that post (called ground potential) so you can't short circuit the wrench if it touches anything when it is on the clamp nut (except of course the + post of the battery would be a direct short if you touched it with the other end of wrench on the - post, and that would cause a huge current pulse and burn as the wrench got very hot very fast). For that reason you don't want to touch the + post with a wrench when the - post clamp is connected. So the safe way to check that clamp is to first loosen the nut on the - post clamp and remove it, then tighten the + post clamp, then reconnect the - post clamp and tighten it.
Also open the box next to the battery that has fuses and relays inside. You will see two rows of fuses; look for a 20 Amp fuse in the next to the rearmost position of the inboard row of fuses. It might be labelled "B". Remove that fuse and examine the internal conductive wire to see if it might have a subtle crack in it. If it does, replace that fuse as it is the one that supplies the battery, and also the engine controls and the transmission controls. If that crack spontaneously open the circuit it would cause the car to stop or it to shift badly without explanation. That too could cause the stall and the code 12.
One final possibility is that the cables attached to the - post clamp are not tightly connected at their far ends (one connects to the engine the other connects to the body nearby). So follow those cables and check their attactment points to be sure they are tightly bolted.
If you don't find any issue with the battery/fuse and the 12 code goes away, then I would suspect the ignition switch is the problem.
The code 32 means that the exhaust gas recirculation valve is not responding properly which also can cause a code (particularly if the car is hard to start or dies when you come to a stop). You can simply check the vacuum hose to the valve and valve controller, and also lubricate the valve stem which may just be sticking in the slightly ajar position instead of closing. I would need to give you the details on how to find it, or if you have a mechanically inclined friend to do it that would be good compared to going to a shop for this simple maintenance task.
So check out these possibilities and let me know about your interest in checking out that egr valve due to its showing the fault code.
Roland
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Is the EGR valve the same as the oxygen sensor?
If not,where is the EGR valve?
AnswerHi Sharon,
No the oxygen and the egr are different.
The exhaust gas recirculation valve is located at the back side of the engine, below but near the air duct intake to the throttle valve. It is mounted in a small metal pipe that runs between passenger's side exhaust manifold and the air intake manifold, so look for that small pipe and follow it to the egr. The valve is mounted horizontally and has a valve stem located between its round vacuum actuator top and the body of the valve attached to the pipe, inside the flange that connects the two parts. The stem has a slot into which you can insert the tip of a flat-bladed screwdriver so as to lever the stem back and forth against spring action which should move freely and close tightly. If the stem seems to be sticky so that stem doesn't close all the way by spring action, then you can try spraying some penetrating solvent like WD-40 on the valve stem to freeup its motion.
If the valve is sticking slightly ajar it will make for a rough idle and poor acceleration such as you describe because the mixture is too dilute. It is one of the most common causes of this symptom. So see if you can find the valve and check/lubricate the stem. To check it in motion you can rev the engine from idle to 2500 rpm and back to idle and watch to see if the valve stem moves freely in both directions to the extreme open and closed positions. It may be that the interior of the valve is cruddy so that might require that it be unbolted from the pipe where it it attached and cleaned. But chances are good it will only be a sticky stem. Also notice that the top of the valve has a vacuum hose that connects it to a round 'actuator' which itself also has a vacuum line. Check that the vacuum lines are not detached or cracked.
Feel free to write back with the results and other questions you might have.
Roland
