QuestionI have a '93 Dodge Spirit that has started "chugging" when first applying the gas. I had the fuel filter changed about 6 weeks ago & had no problems afterward, but in the past few days it has started hesitating again when applying the gas. Might my fuel pump be on it's way out? The car has about 106,000 miles on it - it was my mother-in-law's car that she has given to my teenage daughter, but due to the cost of gas, I've been driving it. I work on a college campus that is on a steep hill & the past 2 days the problem has gotten much worse. This morning, I parked at the bottom of the hill for fear I couldn't pull the hill.
AnswerHi again,
Did you find any trouble codes? If not, then checkig the fuel pressure in the injector supply line would be a good option to follow. If you have the normal 2.5L engine the pressure should be about 39 lb/in2.
Hi t-rod3.
Whenever there is problem with the driveability of a moderm engine it is necessary to take advantage of the on-board diagnostic capabilities to help identify where the problem resides.
The most useful thing to do would be to try to get the fault codes that may stored in the engine controller memory to readout. Try using the ignition key: turn it "on-off-on-off-on" and leave it "on" (doing this quickly, no longer than 5 seconds). By "on" I mean just the normal position when the engine is running, not the cranking position. The 'check engine'light will remain on when you leave the key in the "on" position with the engine still not running. But then watch the 'check engine' light to begin flashing, then pause, flashing, pause, etc. Count the number of flashes before each pause and keep track of the numbers. Repeat the readout and verify the counts are correct. Then group them in pairs in the order that they came out, thus forming two digit numbers. You may notice that the pause is shorter between the digits of a given number, and longer between the numbers themselves. Then send me a 'follow-up' question telling me the results of your readout. By the way, 55 will be the last number (two groups of 5 flashes each) and that is the code for "end of readout".
I have the troubleshooting manual for several engines and we can look up the possibilities of what is wrong based upon what fault codes you show. When you write back tell me what engine is in the model of Chrysler you are driving.
There is also an essay on fault codes at the site:
http://www.allpar.com/fix/codes.html
which gives the meaning of the code numbers. But then you need to get specific info for what exactly might be the diagnostic tests or parts to replace to complete the repair.
Roland
