Most engines produced by the Chrysler Corporation, like those in their Dodge lineup of vehicles, are solid and dependable performers. In the Dodge Intrepid however, some early versions of the 2.7 liter engine experienced problems with sludge buildup in the crankcase which leads to premature wear of internal parts such as the timing chain. When these timing chains become worn they can jump the gears on the camshaft which will result in some telltale symptoms.
A jumped timing chain will result in the cylinders being unable to properly fill with the fuel and air mixture, lowering the energy they are capable of producing. This causes the engine to respond poorly at acceleration and have difficulty reaching highway speeds.
When a timing chain jumps gear teeth it results in an abrupt change of the valve timing. This results in a sudden loss of power and drastically altered performance. The engine will run very poorly and may die and be unable to be restarted.
A timing chain jumps the gears on the camshaft because it has become severely worn. A worn timing chain has too much slack in its connection to the crankshaft and camshaft. This slack alters the timing of the valves opening and closing and causes weak cylinder pressures and poor combustion. This is felt as misses during idling.
A jumped timing chain can cause the timing of valves in relation to the engines firing sequence to become out of synchronization. This causes the valves to remain partially open during the combustion cycle and results in backfiring through the carburetor.
A jumped timing chain causes the valves to open and close improperly. This results in the cylinders not filling with the proper amount of fuel and air mixture and reduces the overall compression of the fuel and air mixture. This will show up as low cylinder pressures when they are tested with a compression gauge.
