Ask the Car People.SM


Chrysler 300M Starting/Stalling problems

195 messages,  Last post on May 16, 2013 at 9:57 AM

You are in the Chrysler 300M Forum.

What is this discussion about? Chrysler 300M, Sedan

This topic covers any issues related to hard starting, no starts, stalling and erratic idling problems.

Messages Page 20 of 20

#186 of 195 chrysler300m 1999 by manda2509

Mar 15, 2013 (11:19 am)

im having issues out my 99 chrysler 300m thermostat went bad replaced it replaced my intake gasket just not starting i have a ground wire that is touching but not sure where to look,its causing my injectors not to come on or turn over from inside the car.it will turn over from the fuse box!!!please help i absolutly love this car and would like to get her running again

#187 of 195 99 300m starts and stops by homeautotech

Mar 17, 2013 (4:46 am)

i have a 99 300m that was in a fender bender. the computer was damaged in the accident. I replaced the computer and tryed starting it but it ran and shut down 3 times then nothing at all.I had to get it recoded at a dealership due to unverifying key. now it will start and idle fine but when pushing the accelerator at all it stalls out. some time it will start right back up and idle again and sometimes it will start and stall. Ran a code reader on it and it is saying PO106 PO122 PO113 and PO405. Basically voltage low on sensors any help would be great. Also would love to recieve a disk for this vehicle Nicole Frazier 202 Tonkin St. Beaverton Mi 48612.

#188 of 195 99 chrysler 300m wont start by danimomma

Apr 12, 2013 (7:44 pm)

Ok so my problem is i have to jump start my car everywhere i go..i got a new battery a new starter a new altantor new cattery cables and i had someone look at it they know its not the battery or the altantor and or the ground wire...doea anyone know what it is...also when my car gets started the airbag light comes on and right after that the check engine light comes on and all my gauges go to 0. The only one that works is my gas gauge.any tips or advice would be much appreicated

#189 of 195 Re: 99 chrysler 300m wont start [danimomma] by pitmanoeuvre

Apr 13, 2013 (8:08 pm)

Replying to: danimomma (Apr 12, 2013 7:44 pm)
I have heard this before , and only experienced the same dead battery scenario with FORD. No matter what you do , the battery keeps dying. The very first success I had with this is to consider what type and power of battery you are replacing or installing. Replacing a battery which is not completely suited to the vehicle (OEM or not) , is a mistake. Replacing the battery with the highest possible CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) is necessary. The reason is , that on an older vehicle , the wiring harness has aged , and may not have been of the highest quality to begin with. Taking this into consideration , you could even test a 1000 CCA battery , which will do a few things to prove that such is the case. Firstly , when the 1000 CCA battery turns the starter and the aged motor , it will take less from the battery - regardless of whether or not the engine starts quickly or it takes a few turns. This means , that the alternator will trickle charge the loss of power back into the battery as normal at a higher battery level. The opposite of which , is that the battery is more drained , where the alternator and it's voltage regulator automatically set themselves to run at fully charge , for however long it takes to replenish the lost power (energy) back into the battery. My Ford pickup did just that - where the battery light kept coming on , and it wore out starters and alternators - until I put a 1000 CCA battery into the battery box. After that it was ok for years. So , what we are really considering , is the calibration of the OEM battery to the entire system - not just the starter , or engine application. With an older vehicle , this may be the only way to even be able to get any results to verify that this is the area that is not being considered or realized. Obviously , if things suddenly work for weeks / months or years on end , then the battery calibration was poor in respect of the vehicle's components. If this doesn't work , then there must be a battery power drain somewhere - a full time constant drain (short) would be the answer. Somewhere , there is a wire touching the frame etc. Plus , there are other electronic modules to consider : Like - THE CAB / THE BODY CONTROL MODULE ETC. Even the computer could have a constant short in it.
Within all this , you have to consider that the alternator is NOT a battery charger , it is a battery MAINTAINENCE DEVICE ONLY. Which coincides in theory , that it can't improve a battery that is abnormally being drained. All it can do is trickle charge the battery (even when it is in full charge mode) , at the level in which the battery exists. Sure , a battery will charge up , but it's condition (a case where you test to see if the battery is as good as it was before taking power from it) . Alternators are not capable of renewing lost battery condition , they are limited - or else they would burn up the battery when the rpm's are high.

#190 of 195 Re: 99 chrysler 300m wont start [danimomma] by pitmanoeuvre

Apr 13, 2013 (8:43 pm)

Replying to: danimomma (Apr 12, 2013 7:44 pm)
There is 1 other case , where the battery is constantly dying , even after having the vehicle thoroughly checked throughout by dealership diagnostic / electronics (DRBIII) testing. In a few cases , something as simple as a burned out light bulb can cause a constant power drain on the system. This is usually found in the front or rear turn signal bulbs , where they have 2 filaments. 1 filament in the bulb is for a marker or parking light , and the 2nd (usually the filament is made thicker to create a difference between the parking bulb brightness and the signal light brightness and reliability - the flashing on and off functions) is for the signal , both encased in 1 bulb. What happens is , the turn signal or the parking light filament burns or breaks at the very end (the contact points) , but is still attached on 1 side , and is strong enough to remain that way. Then it actually touches the other filament inside the bulb (usually shorting the parking lights constantly). When you have daylamps , this can be common because of their extensive useage during daylight hours , where some parking/signal or individual bulbs (which have dual filaments in 1 bulb) , get alot of use automatically. So... any time you have electrical problems , you should test the signals and all lights firstly , to avoid having this scenario hiding behind a lense where you can see it happening or existing. I learned the hard way , I fould this after hours of toil. Basically as a last resort , or in a mood where I couldn't find the problem. I was surprised to say the least , that after changing the bulb , the problems were gone.
 
Further , you can also find the same problems with the dash dimmer switch , where the rheostat switch has a short , and is effectively always on- even though the interior lights are not effected. A rheostat switch is a wire wound around a non-conductive material , which allows more current to flow at it's beginning end , and less at the other - for example. It is much like a coil . But if the adjustable metal slider/contact plate becomes burnt , corroded or otherwise , doesn't ever disconnect at the rest positions (off) , then this can occur. This was more prevalent with the older vehicles where the headlamp pull switch had a built-in rheostat dimmer (which would dim the dashpanel lights). So , it can still happen when the 2 are seperate units. This is difficult to determine , unless you replace the dimmer switch with an absolutely new or working unit , and see that the battery no longer drains. When the units are encased in plastic , you have no real other choice than to measure with a meter , but the meter can't show you that it is worn inside. This is very much like if you were to hold a wire in a wiring setup , where a bulb is lit. But the bulb sometimes doesn't light , even though the wires are connected (drawing power , but not lighting). Bad connection , components. Basically , if you left all of your lights on , or your interior lights on - then the battery would suffer greatly. Even when they didn't light up. A low current flow , low enough so the bulbs are not reaching a level where they light up.
With this in mind , someone who changes the battery cables can mistakenly attach the new cable to the battery positive fuse link (which is corroded and not properly conducting) , thereby reducing or eliminating the positive connection flow of current. This fuse link gets very hard , and should be replaced if a continuity test shows that the fuse link connection is intermittent or non-existent. Intermittent means , sometimes current flows and sometimes it doesn't - even when 2 meter probes are touching it's bare surface - with the meter on the ohms scale , or in continuity mode. While the 2 meter probes are in direct contact with the bare fuse link material (wire) , hold 1 probe still - and slide the other probe along the bare wire. If the meter jumps , sways up and down (the fuse link is not working correctly). You should be able to hold 1 probe firmly on the wire , while sliding the other - while the meter reading remains completely constant. Just like any new piece of cable or bare wire will.

#191 of 195 '02 300M Intermittent Starting Problem by tangomike

May 10, 2013 (10:08 am)

Searching for the keywords in the title of this post brings up pages of forum threads dating back years, some of which duplicate approximately what I'm seeing, but many do not. I'm posting this in the hope that someone can do more than my local Chrysler dealer, who basically says that without looking at the car when it malfunctions, they can't do anything. Which, under the circumstances, means that I'm out of luck, and here's why.
 
First start of the day is always fine. At some point later, and it might be after a series of short trips running errands, or after sitting for a few hours, the engine will turn over but will not start. I'm no mechanic to speak of, but to me that means a problem with fuel, spark, air, or maybe the infamous ECM/PCM. None of these incidents ever throw a code, so I assume that it's not (likely?) to be a computer-related problem.
 
Generally after about 10 minutes of sitting, the car will start right up and might do so multiple times for the rest of the day. Which tells me that this isn't a problem with the battery, battery cables, starter, solenoid, etc., which don't fix themselves by being left alone for ten minutes. It also means, of course, that by the time a Chrysler mechanic looks at it, the car will start fine. "Could not duplicate" is not going to help.
 
It could be a spark issue, but not with an individual ignition coil-on-plug, which wouldn't keep the car from starting, and all of them wouldn't fail at the same time. To me, that means it might be a component that controls the spark to all the cylinders.
 
It could be a fuel-related problem, and I've read comments about trying a flood clearing start, which if successful might indicate a bad fuel pressure regulator or leaky fuel injectors. The next time it happens, I'll try that.
 
The primary frustration comes from seeing ideas in the forums that appear to be totally unknown to a Chrysler service rep, and I find it incomprehensible that Chrysler doesn't have a better answer than, "We'll have to look at it when it's happening." Over the years, multiple Chrysler service personnel have dealt with this problem and fixed it.
 
Can anyone direct me to a source of information that I can take with me to the dealership and tell them what they need to do to troubleshoot this problem without stumbling around in the dark?
 
Thanks in advance for any assistance.
 
Tango Mike

#192 of 195 Re: '02 300M Intermittent Starting Problem [tangomike] by pitmanoeuvre

May 10, 2013 (9:11 pm)

Replying to: tangomike (May 10, 2013 10:08 am)
When it comes to intermittent starting , the problem is usually electrical , but the problem can also be related to other things at the same time - such as an inadequate fuel flow etc.
 
If you are interested , I have a 10,000+ page authentic Chrysler Service Manual , which completely explains all systems & components (their locations/functions & purposes) , which I provide on CD by mail ONLY. Because of dishonest forum users (who would like to have this TOTALLY FREE) , and not even pay for postage , it is only available by sending $6 to my Paypal email address : bhthwhyahoo.ca . As soon as I see a payment made , I am notified and send the disk out to the payee the following business day. But , to ensure you receive the disk to the proper address , you should also send your correct postal address to the same email address. This will give you uncommon informations which you can refer to when dealing with any dealership mechanic/technician/supervisor etc.
 
As far as your vehicle goes (or anyone's for that matter) , if you bring your vehicle into the appropriate dealership in poor condition throughout - you are generally in for a rough ride from your point of view - regardless of the manufacturer or dealership. This is where the NON-DEALERSHIP garages live and breathe their incomes from (right into their own pockets in some cases). It's always best to know what you are talking about through positive and authenticated knowledge on any subject dealing with your vehicle. Dropping your keys off and trusting someone who is charging you up to $100+/ hr. for labour alone - can sometimes leave you on the defense of your actions. For example : BMW charges $500.00 to do a safety check /inspection (which does not mean your vehicle passes this inspection , nor is qualified to receive a safety inspection certification).
 
Any decent garage will ONLY have mechanics who work on vehicles who DON'T act like they know it all , and have seen it all. They are : the "bring it on types". Yet , if you frequent those garages and talk to some of the customers (who do pay their bill , who do take care of their vehicle and don't expect it to be an F1 racer on a daily basis) , you sometimes find out that their informations and their actions are not only incorrect , but they laugh at customers who are struggling to pay the bill etc.
 
Let me give you 1 example : I was in Michigan and I had a problem with a vehicle which was not my own. It was a company vehicle. The air conditioning clutch was burning out repeatedly. After driving this same vehicle from Quebec , the first time , the air conditioning compressor clutch had to be replaced. I told the mechanic (who was working for Penske , and had the service contract for the vehicle and did a good job of maintainence - which also included a wash bay for their contract customers) , that I thought the air conditioning compressor was the problem itself , because the compressor heated up far too quickly , within a minute of startup. This , created an environment where the clutch pad was overheating (being in direct connection with the compressor body). He shrugged , put on a brand new compressor clutch , and I was on my way. Then , it was gone (worn down to less than 1/8" of pad in Michigan within a couple weeks). Which had to be replaced again in Michigan. Then Penske asked me to bring the vehicle in because the manufacturer had decided I was right , and they were going to have to preplace the compressor itself. It was overheating , and the unit was completely replaced under warranty. Months later , while I was still driving the same vehicle for business , it was fine. And it was still fine after I stopped driving it , a year down the road. NO MORE CLUTCH REPLACEMENTS.
 
On a second note in Michigan : I spoke with the mechanic who did the 2nd replacement of the air conditioner clutch pad , and he told me that : "it's a joke". He said that he makes more money on fleet maintainence , than he ever could working at any garage. Why? Because , all of the costs are sent directly back to the manufacturer , due to the work being done mostly under warranty periods (Fleet Leasing). Fleet leasing allows the manufacturer's customer to lease new vehicles , which are always under warranty of some kind. And he also said that , as a result , manufacturer interests are on the climb , in terms of the fact that they view and operate under the idea that they are making more sales this way. When in fact , they pay nationwide in the US , to any licensed garage , when a repair falls under warranty. This is a PUSH HERE type of operation , which does not support QUALITY , just QUANTITY. And this is also why , no 2 vehicles are identical anymore. Not to mention that every vehicle that comes in with the same problems , so he would only have to repeat the same things , over and over. There was not any mechanics involved. He laughed. Just replacements.
 
Typically , you have to find a garage where the mechanic has still got that urge to learn , via fixing something. They value this type of thing , not just what they get paid , and how quickly. And when you have pertainent informations , you have all you need to find someone who will do the job based on : theory / application / success and proof. Trouble is : these guys are hard to find , and you will definately not see their garage at idle , at any time , on any day , any month - plus the horror stories are practically non-existent. Just lots of repeat customers , who are servicing their vehicles through a reputable repair shop / garage.

#193 of 195 2001 300m goes dead by snowdaddy3

May 16, 2013 (5:06 am)

Whenever I get my car up to speed and let off the accelerator, the engine goes dead. The car cranks right back up and runs fine just goes dead when you let off the gas. I've replaced the crank sensor and the camshaft position sensor but still the same problem. Any ideas?

#194 of 195 Re: 2001 300m goes dead [snowdaddy3] by pitmanoeuvre

May 16, 2013 (6:11 am)

Replying to: snowdaddy3 (May 16, 2013 5:06 am)
This type of condition is sometimes related directly to having a dead or dying/corroded/dry cell within the battery. Each cell in a battery produces 2 volts , which is why the engine will start and idle , but when under full load the flow of current is interupted during (what is essentially : a constant speed or current feed requirement) any set cycling activity within the battery. This can also happen , when a really bad battery is used to start an engine , but when the accelerator is pressed - there doesn't seem to be any power. Which can lead to misdiagnosing the actual problem , as some sort of engine problem - while measurement of the battery fluids with a hydrometer shows that each cell is practically useless. ONLY the combination of the power of the 6 cells allowed the engine to be cranked and started. To test a battery correctly , you will need a hydrometer , and you also need to see that each cell has an equal amount of fill. The fill of a battery is 64% water & 36% sulphuric acid. The mixture is of the utmost importance so that the plates in the battery are not damaged and conduct between each other correctly. This mixture ratio must be between the positive and negative plates in the battery for electricity to flow , and for charging to occur. Corrosion between the 2 different types of plates is the enemy - and if you see corrosion on the plates , it's probably too late. The mixture keeps the corrosion to a minimum , but if you reduce the sulphuric acid content (by adding water) , you accelerate the corrosion , and you reduce the fill's ability to become "charged". In other words , you are measuring the equality of each cell - one to the other. Problem is - if you add water to a cell that is low , you will have effectively ruined the battery's fluid equality consistency. The best way to "top-up" cells in a liquid battery , is to use fluid from another battery (or buy sulphuric acid powder , which is mixed with water , and then added). This , in fact is the way that small (lawnmower and motorcycle) batteries are when you buy them - you have to mix the packaged contents with water and fill it yourself. This way , batteries can be shipped empty and are much safer. Your hydrometer should read 1275 , or an amount equal (or close thereof) , to each other. Never put water on it's own in any cell of a battery.
 
Just because a voltmeter shows 12-14 volts (14 volts is the maximum , any higher measurement determines a "shorting cell") , when connected across the positive and negative terminals , that doesn't mean that you "are not" just measuring 1 good cell and a connection to the battery posts. You must check each cell's condition / fill level / and measure it's electrostatic charge with a hydrometer - to determine that the battery is either , good or not so good overall. In some cases , you can even find totally dead cells , which are chalk full of corrosion (don't work at all) , yet somebody said the battery is OK because 12 volts is measured across it's terminals. INCORRECT.
 
The rule of thumb is : any time there is an electrical problem , the battery must be "tested" / checked. And NOT the lazy way , the professional way. There is also the possibility that a condition exists where the charging system is being shut down (for safety) , because 1 of the battery cells is bad. What happens is , when you get up to speed , only the voltage regulator is in control (between the alternator and the battery). Without a voltage regulator in the alternator (as you sped up , the voltage would soar with no control - burning up the battery) , so at highway speed , the alternator's voltage regulator reaches it's peak. But ... if there is a bad cell in the battery , a short can occur (where the computer etc. recognizes this and shuts the system down through the ASD Relay [automatic shutdown relay]. The ASD Relay works 2 ways. If the current to the ASD Relay is too low , the engine will not start , & if the current to the ASD Relay is too high , it effectively works like a circuit breaker , and shuts the engine down. It's a safety relay. This is a "current overload" condition.
 
With all this is mind , you should also be aware that running the wrong sparkplugs in an engine can also cause these problems. The wrong sparkplugs can cause current calibration errors that the electrical system will react to. Too hot a sparkplug , "current overload" , too cold a sparkplug "inconsistent current". Both will cause the ASD Relay to trip. The correct sparkplugs are Laser Platinum , and their exact applicable type should be on a sticker on the radiator crossmember or available from the dealer. Any other applications have proved to be different enough to cause electrical system calibration problems - where (if you change the plugs , you must also reprogram the entire applicable electrical settings). You don't want to go there , as these settings can shorten the life of the stock engine , and are really for RACE applications only. So... changing to the wrong sparkplugs on these all aluminum motors is not a recommended venture. IE : stalling , running hot , poor acceleration , won't cold start , won't hot start , uncalibrated shifting points of the transmission etc.

#195 of 195 Re: '02 300M Intermittent Starting Problem [pitmanoeuvre] by tangomike

May 16, 2013 (9:57 am)

Replying to: pitmanoeuvre (May 10, 2013 9:11 pm)
I may take you up on the offer of the CD and I don't expect to get it free.
 
On the other hand, I'm not all that interested in scouring 10,000 pages looking for what to tell a mechanic about how to troubleshoot the car. And for the record, the opening line in your third paragraph makes all that follows non-applicable to the question I asked. The car has about 40k miles on it and is anything but "in poor condition throughout."
 
On Monday we took the car to a local mechanic after waiting three days for a return call from the service department at the dealership in response to two messages, which gave me even less confidence in them than I had before I made the calls.
 
We handed the mechanic a written description and explained exactly what was happening. Based on that conversation, in which I made it very clear that effective troubleshooting had to include something more than waiting for the problem to occur, an event which might take a few weeks or more based on our experience with it.
 
I just found out that their only tactic has been to drive the car around for the past three-plus days "with sensors hooked up," whatever that means, as if it's okay to keep the car until something happens. That's not the answer.
 
Is there not a portable monitoring system that can be connected and left in place while we use the car as we normally do so that when it fails to start the next time, the monitor will record the event? That question will be asked when I visit the shop in about an hour. If it's the same old song and dance, we'll take the car deal with the problem until we can see our way clear to get rid of it.

Messages Page 20 of 20

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement