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Ok i figured out the code it is 13 55 i did it three times and it was the same numbers.
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Ok it is a V-6 I dont know if i did the code thing right or not it only blinked twice. Will try it again. The battery on this car was completely dead and we put a new ignition switch on. I will try the code thing again. I really appreciate you trying to help me. Marie
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I just got a 1989 Chrysler newyorker Landau it hasnt been started in a couple of years we can hear a noise comming from the fuel pump and as long as a starter fluid is spayed in the fuel system it will start but dies in a second. What can i do this car was a gift to me.
Answer -
Hi Marie,
When you write back, let me know if it is 2.5L 4 cyl or a 3.0L V6 engine in the car. First I would begin by reading out any fault codes stored on the engine control computer. Turn the ignition key on-off-on-off-on and leave it on, accomplishing this within a period of 5 seconds (on means to the run position, not to the starter motor position).
Then watch the check engine light to come on for a few seconds and then to begin to flash multiply, pause, flash multiply, pause, etc. The last two groups of flashes will be 5 in each. As you count the flashes between pauses make a mental note or have a helper write it down. Then take the numbers so-recorded and group them in pairs to form two digit numbers, e.g. the last number so-formed will be 55 which is the code for "end of readout". Write back and tell me any other two digit numbers that came out. You can repeat the readout as often as you like to make sure that you get it right. Then we'll go from there.
Roland
Answer -
Hi Marie,
I may have mislead you about counting the flashes in that the first blink should have been counted as a flash, so what you really have is a code 12, which is merely telling us that the battery was disconnected recently, which we are already aware of.
Because the car seems to want to run on the starter fluid, it is more likely that there is something amiss in the fuel system than in the ignition system. If the car sat for several years I suspect that there is water condensation in the tank, or at least that the gasoline in the tank has degraded, or that there has been some degradation of the tank lining leading to a build up of particulate crud in the fuel filter. If you want to verify whether or not you are getting any fuel to the combustion chamber you could remove the center wire of the distributor cap and then crank the engine for a few (less than 5)seconds (this allows you to crank without any spark), then remove one sparkplug to see if it is wet with fuel or not. (See below for a test you can do at the very same time you are having the engine cranked to test the fuel supply to verify the ignition system is also o.k.)
Then of course replace the sparkplug and the central wire into the distributor cap. If you aren't getting significant fuel on the spark plug you could begin by changing the fuel filter which is located in front of the gas tank, underneath the car on the right hand side in association with the fuel supply line and return line which run forward to the engine compartment along the right underside of the chassis. The filter is round and has a couple of fuel lines that need to be released and a strap that holds it in place with a single bolt. The system will be under a bit of pressure if you have operated the starter recently so you will want to have some rags or toweling nearby when you loosen the hose fittings so as to capture the gasoline and not get it sprayed around or on your body. After you change the filter it might also be helpful to put a can of fuel system water dispersant in the gas tank to help break up any puddles of water in the gas. (That is what should have been done when the car went into "storage").
If the car still won't start, then it would be appropriate to check that the pressure in the fuel system is up to specification (50-55 lbs.) using a fuel pressure gauge to verify that the pressure regulator is working properly. If the pressure in the system was too low that would also be a reason for insufficent fuel coming from the injectors. Another possible fix is to drain the old fuel from the tank and put in fresh fuel.
But if all goes well you won't have to get into that process.
Do read out the codes again, and verify that you only have a 12 and a 55 code. Then change the fuel filter and add put the additive in the tank. And if you can borrow a battery charger keep the battery charged up so you can crank the engine over long enough to clear the fuel supply system of the stale fuel/water and get a decent supply of fuel to the injectors.
One other test, just to be sure that the ignition system is working properly, is while you have the central wire of the dirstributor removed (the test I described to see if the spark plug is wet with fuel or not) hold the wire by its rubber insulation with the metal tip positioned 1/4" from the cylinder head or block (any metal part of the engine will do) and while someone else cranks the starter observe that you get a blue spark jump the gap between the tip of the wire and the engine metal surface during a full 5 seocnds of cranking. You should. If it only lasts for a couple of seconds then we may have check the ignition system further.
Roland
AnswerHi Marie,
Good work, and if you have found that it is a 13 code that has possibilities for explaining why it won't start. That code means the Manifold Absolute Pressure sensor is not doing the job (which is to provide info to the engine controller as to the proper air/fuel mixture to run the engine). It may be due to several possibilites: the air hose between the sensor and the intake manifold is not air tight due to a cracked hose or a loose fitting at either end, the electrical plug to the sensor is loose or a wire has been damaged in the circuitry, or the MAP sensor itself has stopped functioning. I would begin by finding the sensor: it is mounted on the alternator bracket (the alternator is near the firewall of the car, and has a drive belt that turns it, and it is therefore aligned with the front of the engine (passenger side of the car) and it is the highest device driven by the belts) so it is pretty easy to see and to evaluate. It is usually black in color and has a three wire plug-in on the bottom and an air hose attached that is routed to the middle of the top of the engine where the intake manifold is located. Check the hose for cracks and the clamps for looseness or for a crack in the hose at the cleam attachment point. If you find a bad hose connection tighten it or if the hose is cracked buy a replacement vacuum hose of the same internal diameter from any parts store (this is a common hose type, sold in bulk, unless the one for this engine has special fittings in which case get it from a Chrysler dealer). The try to start the engine.
The three-wire plug is usually pretty will secured, but you could verify that: it has a little ear-like tab that you have to lift with your finger tip in order to release the plug from its socket on the bottom of the sensor. So if you can release it, do so, and look at the three terminal pins for any signs of corrosion. If that all looks good. plug it back together; if you find corrosion then clean and spray it with contact cleaner from an a electronic supply store. Then see if the engine will start.
If you found no problems with the hose and plug, then presumably the sensor has gone bad. There is no easy way to check this unless you have a volt-ohmmeter. The sensor costs about $70 from a Chrysler dealer and I would buy one there rather than a parts store. It is simply screwed into the bracket on the alternator. Replace it and see if the engine will then start.
The code 13 will not erase from the memory of the controller even though you fix the problem, until you on-off the ignition switch 50-100 times.
I hope that you will find something wrong with the hose or the plug, but even if you spend $70 for a sensor and by chance that doesn't solve the problem you still will have a spare sensor ( and these sensors do wear out).
So lets go with the code readout, but there are no guarantees in this business. Any code usually is reliable that there is something wrong with the device in question or its attachements.
Roland
