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Jim
Grant has been working in the automotive industry for over twenty
years. In addition, Jim is an ASE Master Technician with advanced
L/1 certification. He works as manager and technician in his
family's automotive business in New Hampshire. He writes weekly
automotive consumer columns and is editor of an automotive newsletter
that is circulated throughout North America. |
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Jim Grant's Tech Tips
'96 Chrysler Sebring, Dream or Nightmare
Q:
My
wife has found her dream car in a ‘96 Chrysler Sebring JXI convertible
that seems to go in to a degenerative state of idle @ about 350 rpm. Even
this is not consistent. It will at times pull itself up to the 750 rpm
range, run for 10 to 15 seconds and then degrade back to the 350 rpm and
then just before it dies it will pull itself back up to the 750 rpm idle
and will continue this indefinitely. You can't press on the accelerator
or it will die. Does this seem to indicate a fuel pump problem or some
type of fuel/ignition control problem? If it was the fuel pump why doesn't
it just go ahead and die. I have found other people with these Sebrings,
i.e., 2.5L engines, that are having the same symptoms. Is this an inherent
problem with these cars, engines, or computer control systems that has
a history known to mechanics?...Stranded & confused
A:
Myself
I would start with an inspection, cleaning of the throttle plates. Followed
by an inspection and if needed adjustment of the minimum idle air setting.
Deposits build-up on the throttle plates of a fuel injection engine of
your type and can create a pyre of driveability problems. More often than
not basic maintenance returns a vehicle to good operation.
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