Chrysler Repair: 1998 Chrysler Concorde LXI wont shut off, chrysler concorde lxi, 1998 chrysler concorde lxi

Question
Turn key off, take keys out, car keeps running, but heat blower goes off, window power is dead, BUT you can still put in gear and drive it. You must then pull the fuel auto relat fuse under the hood in the long, black fuse box. Then when you start it again, the air conditioning comes on and you must shut off by same procedure, UNLESS you turn the key off within 20 seconds, then it will turn off. Various mechanics are stumped. They tried changing the fuses under the hood and the black gaget in the steering console and the remote starter was completely taken out before all the work mentioned above. It has 59,000 miles. Help!
Paul

Answer
Hi Paul,
I am not familiar with the remote starter feature, just the remote door unlock. But that certainly would be a suspect item were it to be energized as far as the engine controller and autoshutdown relay being enabled which would certainly by-pass the ignition switch (that is how it works, presumably). Because I don't have a manual that is new enough to cover the remote starter you may need to get such a manual from Chrysler, or go to a Chrysler dealer and speak with the service manager to see if they have the knowledge to correct this. To remove a computer based system like the remote starter may require a unique set of steps to really defeat it. For example you can't just remove the theft module to disable it, or the car will go into an antitheft mode that requires a diagnostic readout to correct. This may have happened when they removed the remote starter module only it was left in the activated state as far as the engine controller is concerned. The diagnostic readout box (drb III) may be needed to truly defeat that module because it can interact with the engine controller and change its settings.
Those are my ideas. If local Chrysler has already been involved then ask for a regional rep to get involved. And the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or saying that you are contemplating reporting it to them, may get Chrysler Corp. on the stick to correct this for you.
You might also call the corporate headquarters in Detroit and see if there has been a recall. NHTSA in Washington might be interested to know about this because of safety issues. Normally I would suspect the ignition switch (is that the "black gaget" which you said was changed)?
Please let me know how this is resolved.
Roland