Calling all mechanics!
Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 7:51 pm
Hello,
I have been having a problem with my stock 2003 R/T that the stealership has been unable to fix after multiple visits over the passed few months. Enough is enough. I'm just going to list every symptom I can think of and hope the automotive geniuses here can point me in the right direction.
- In late Summer, I noticed my car would make a strange whining sound that goes up and down with the RPMs. I would here this noise during one drive, then not the next. It seemed pretty random. When winter hit, the sound would always be there.
-In late Fall, I noticed my car would stutter a bit at idle. It felt like just a little jolt or shake. When it would stutter, I could here a little chirp or squeak. Also, the headlights would dim momentarily. To me, it seemed as though a belt was jumping off its track. When I hold the RPMs just above idle ~1100RPM, the stuttering goes away. Also, if I have a lot of accessories on (defroster, etc.) the stuttering gets a lot worst.
- On a few occasions, my car would have trouble starting. I would have to turn the ignition for ~20 seconds while giving it gas before it would fire up. It was as if the "belt" was off its track and it took a while to jump back on.
- When idling at a red or waiting for traffic to clear to make a left, the car will stutter as previously mentioned. When it was finally time to go, I would hit the gas, but it seemed as though barely any power would get to the wheels. The car just lurched forward for a second or two before regaining power. This is very scary when making a left through a gap in traffic!
I took the car into the dealership. They couldn't replicate the issues I was having, so they tightened all of the belts, unhooked the A/C compressor belt, etc., charged me a $95 diagnostic fee, and sent me on my way. They told me to bring the car back when the problem was more noticeable.
- More recently, the car has begun to hesitate while in gear, even at highway speeds. If I am about to pass someone and floor it, the car will start stuttering and not go anywhere for a few seconds. Also, if the engine is under a big load, like 4th gear and under 2000RPM and I hit the gas, it will hesitate.
- The other day after work, my car wouldn't start. After a couple of persistent attempts, it finally fired up. After about 20 seconds, however, it threw an engine code. I took the car to the dealership and had the service manager come out with me on a drive. He insisted that the whining sound I hear is normal, and the hesitation is a misfire. I ended up not getting the car repaired because I refused to pay the $95 diagnostic fee a second time for the same problem. When I got home, I checked the engine code myslef, and it was P0300-MULTIPLE CYLINDER MISFIRE).
So the service manager was right about the misfiring. What bothers me though is that the engine light only came on that one time after the rough start. Wouldn't it come on anytime there was a misfire? Also, the misfiring doesn't explain the whining noise, the chirping/sqeaking when the car is idling, or the dimming headlights. I'm not sure if the misfire is at the heart of this mess, or if the misfire was the result of another problem.
I plan to replace the coil pack, ignition wires, and spark plugs this weekend, but I want to hear what everybody else thinks before I spend the money replacing parts that may not be the problem.
Sorry about the long @$$ post. I guess it sort of reflects the long, painful, ordeal I have been in with this car. Any help or input you could offer would be very much appreciated.
I have been having a problem with my stock 2003 R/T that the stealership has been unable to fix after multiple visits over the passed few months. Enough is enough. I'm just going to list every symptom I can think of and hope the automotive geniuses here can point me in the right direction.
- In late Summer, I noticed my car would make a strange whining sound that goes up and down with the RPMs. I would here this noise during one drive, then not the next. It seemed pretty random. When winter hit, the sound would always be there.
-In late Fall, I noticed my car would stutter a bit at idle. It felt like just a little jolt or shake. When it would stutter, I could here a little chirp or squeak. Also, the headlights would dim momentarily. To me, it seemed as though a belt was jumping off its track. When I hold the RPMs just above idle ~1100RPM, the stuttering goes away. Also, if I have a lot of accessories on (defroster, etc.) the stuttering gets a lot worst.
- On a few occasions, my car would have trouble starting. I would have to turn the ignition for ~20 seconds while giving it gas before it would fire up. It was as if the "belt" was off its track and it took a while to jump back on.
- When idling at a red or waiting for traffic to clear to make a left, the car will stutter as previously mentioned. When it was finally time to go, I would hit the gas, but it seemed as though barely any power would get to the wheels. The car just lurched forward for a second or two before regaining power. This is very scary when making a left through a gap in traffic!
I took the car into the dealership. They couldn't replicate the issues I was having, so they tightened all of the belts, unhooked the A/C compressor belt, etc., charged me a $95 diagnostic fee, and sent me on my way. They told me to bring the car back when the problem was more noticeable.
- More recently, the car has begun to hesitate while in gear, even at highway speeds. If I am about to pass someone and floor it, the car will start stuttering and not go anywhere for a few seconds. Also, if the engine is under a big load, like 4th gear and under 2000RPM and I hit the gas, it will hesitate.
- The other day after work, my car wouldn't start. After a couple of persistent attempts, it finally fired up. After about 20 seconds, however, it threw an engine code. I took the car to the dealership and had the service manager come out with me on a drive. He insisted that the whining sound I hear is normal, and the hesitation is a misfire. I ended up not getting the car repaired because I refused to pay the $95 diagnostic fee a second time for the same problem. When I got home, I checked the engine code myslef, and it was P0300-MULTIPLE CYLINDER MISFIRE).
So the service manager was right about the misfiring. What bothers me though is that the engine light only came on that one time after the rough start. Wouldn't it come on anytime there was a misfire? Also, the misfiring doesn't explain the whining noise, the chirping/sqeaking when the car is idling, or the dimming headlights. I'm not sure if the misfire is at the heart of this mess, or if the misfire was the result of another problem.
I plan to replace the coil pack, ignition wires, and spark plugs this weekend, but I want to hear what everybody else thinks before I spend the money replacing parts that may not be the problem.
Sorry about the long @$$ post. I guess it sort of reflects the long, painful, ordeal I have been in with this car. Any help or input you could offer would be very much appreciated.
). Take it step by step: 1st replace the plugs, then the wires, then the coil if the problem's still there after each change. As BRR said make sure you use dielectric grease on the spark plug boots to prevent the arcing and shorting of the wires in the future as well. As far as the whining, doublecheck the belts to make sure they're tight, and check to see if the P/S belt tensioner is on it's way out as well. That's all I can think off off the top of my head as I sit here at work...