So...I was coming home yesterday from work when my engine started to lose power. I didn't think much of it until about 10 seconds later the engine started shaking really hard and the power went into super limp mode. After the car then stalled out 3 or 4 times, i managed to get it into a parking lot off the road. I opened the engine and it looked like a bucking-bronco .

The check engine light came on right after the first noticeable loss of power. Ive seen this sort of thing before in my 2003 Jetta GLI and when I got it fixed they said it was a bad spark plug.

So when I got the engine code looked at, it said multiple cylinder misfire. Went to the local shop to get them to take a look at it (not the dealership). They said i needed a tune up (I'm at 47,xxx miles) and i had to replace all 12 spark plugs, wires, and what-not, to the tune of $500 !

The guy also said that there is a TSB for the ECU but unfortunately they couldn't fix it there.

But back to the problem: when I say my car lost ALL of its power....i really mean it (2004 Limited with a stick ). I could do okay going downhill, but if the terrain was flat or up hill, it was a guaranteed stall out.

Here are my questions:

1.) Can I expect to keep getting this problem after the tuneup, without the ECU TSB fix?
2.) After reading the other threads about this issue, no one else seemed to lose ALL of their power like i did. Could there be another issue here?
3.) WTF $500 for the tuneup?? Does this sound about right for all 12 spark plugs, wires, and whatever else goes along with that?
4.) Any other suggestions you could yield?

BTW, I have a service warranty, but OF COURSE, they do not cover tuneups, spark plugs, and everything else that would REALLY be useful.

Side note: They did discover one of my CV boots had some play in it...the warranty covered that (would have been $600 to fix that...)

Any help or suggestions?

Thanks,

 

Bad wires and worn out plugs can cause multiple cylinder misfires. On a car with higher mileage I would change them first. However, with only 47,000 miles on the car I suspect replacing them will not solve the problem. The crankshaft position sensor is a common failure item in these cars. The usual symptom is a no start. Since the CPS tells the ignition when to fire each spark plug. A flaky sensor can also cause misfires. Here is a link to a related thread on the: crankshaft position sensor Since it’s a $50 part that can be changed quickly, that we know goes bad, I would change it first.

Spark plugs run between $3 to $6 or more depending on the type and quality. Spark plug wire sets for these cars are very expensive and can run $200 to $300 (after market), and again I doubt they would be bad at 47,000 miles.

 

Tune up and tsb = crappe

You need to see if the car runs ok when first started i.e. cold then Id buy the crank sensor.

If its bad all the time, Id get my fanny behind a vacuum gauge to see if there is a massive vacuum leak, throttle body gasket.......... My old school deal is to use a length of hose to listen to the various areas of the engine to focus you hearing so as to listen to the parts you cant touch easily ( engine running etc.).

Let me know , Id say vacuum leak or fuel problem and that checked with a pressure gauge on the fuel rail, I use an A/C style gauge and hose to access that fitting. Enjoy, Woody

 

bad maf / dirty maf
massive vacuum leak
coil problems
crank angle sensor
map sensor
ecu

any one of these could cause the problem

 

Please share the outcome!

 

The repair shop just called and they claim that its fixed...im a little skeptical since they said that they only changed spark plugs and air filter. But what really makes me skeptical is they said that its still idling a little rough Ill be the judge of that once I actually get into the it. Ill be back in about 30 minutes to report the outcome.

BRB

 

Does not sound like this will end well ,,,,,,,still running rough check vacuum

 

I have a rough idle as well....cylinder #3 misfire by the code....brought to local MB independent..(he said #4 was not firing at all)..He wanted $800.00 for a tune up..."First thing he does" then that may not even fix the issue....Being unemployed I declined the repair...I can do the same tune up for significantly less...

What is the recommended time for this...wires , plugs etc for the car? I would think that 100k miles would be the norm for a car like this....am I wrong?
I will sopend the $200. and replace the wires and as part replace the plugs also....I'm told the Chrysler dealer charges $30 a piece for the plugs..have yet to check that out......I can buy them at Autozone very reasonable...

 

I just dropped off my car at the dealer for the second time (still under warranty)

The History:
(2008 Limited Coupe with 26k on it) I bought the car almost new (250miles on it) and it always had a idle problem it seems like it idles too low and the needle with bob up and down when I am stopped and in gear.. If I rev the engine (put my foot on the brake and step on the gas it smooths out) the car is not throwing codes on the dash lights.

The Problem:
Last Friday I had a small fire which fizzled out by the airbag light in the center console.. The car seems fine everything works mechanically and electrically. But I wanted to bring it in just in case. I told the service writer about the fire and I also told him to have them check the idle. After a couple of days.. The tech went through the car and said he could not find any burned wires or any kind of burned anything.. and that the car is performing normal.

I picked up the car at night right before they closed, at first the car was fine as soon as I got to the first stop light and tried to accelerate (in a normal fashion) As I pressed on the peddle at first the car did not respond then it started to accelerate.. (that's the new problem)... The next time it happened was yesterday when I was driving down the road and the light was red as I was approaching the intersection the light turned green so I pressed back on the accelerator which did not respond at first but, then kicked in.. once I got to the next red light the engine stated to shake like it was about to stall out.. I let my foot off the brake and let it roll forward and it caught up to itself. No lights lite up on the dash.. and lastly I got to the next light where I make a left. I was at a complete stop the car seemed fine and when I went to turn (left) and accelerator problem happened again.

Today I brought the car back to the dealer and took the mechanic for a test drive. I could not duplicate any of the problem. ("they can't fix it if they can't duplicate it").. not sure what to do.. any ideas on what it could be? the car is still at the shop I told them to go through it one more time.

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

But back to the problem: when I say my car lost ALL of its power....i really mean it (2004 Limited with a stick ). I could do okay going downhill, but if the terrain was flat or up hill, it was a guaranteed stall out.

The symptoms you described above are often associated with a bad/plugged fuel filter. If it hasn't previously been replaced it might be worth a shot.

 

Thank you I will call the dealer and ask if they can replace it..

 

Jgreen,

Is your '08 a manual, or an automatic.
Your symptoms sound similar to the issues Bat's '08 Crossfire had when the dealer replaced the flywheel with one that was brand new from the factory with a bad tooth on it. That tooth then damaged the crankshaft position sensor, which then would cause the drive-ability issues you said that your car is having.

If you can, remove the crankshaft position sensor, and look at the tip of it to see if there is any damage.

Also, you might want to check the nut on the grounding point for all the computers in the car. Its on the fender well in front of the driver, and has several large gauge cables that the one single nut grounds.

This nut being loose from the factory on Bat's car cost Chrysler about $12k in continuous repairs to the car, after it kept killing BCM's, ECU's, and other expensive electronic devices.

Her car was bought new, and also only had several hundred miles on it at that time.
All total, with all the electronic that have been replaced, the clutch assembly and 2 new flywheels, Chrysler has put an additional $20k in repairs into her car. I think the guys in Germany were way more careless with the few '08's that they built.

BC.

 

Thanks for the quick reply Bladecutter!!!!

The xfire is an auto. I was also reading a lot about the positioning sensor on some of the other threads.. Right now the car is still at the dealer. I'm still wait for them to call so I can pick it up.. I hope its as easy as tightening down a nut.. I will post more later on this weekend.

Thank you again!!!!

 

I'm having same problems, last time after an oil change it was fine. This time I'm after an oil change, its still around.

My car at a stop will begin to vibrate and shake like it wants to stall out. Doesn't happen every time.


I'm now wondering if its the Fuel Filter, yet I have no clue other than this website that shows where the Fuel Filter is.

http://www.cardomain.com/id/MI1XFIRE

Anyone know where the FUEL FILTER is located?

I'm not receiving a warning light on the dash saying there is a problem.

 

Not sure where the fuel filter is located but, that has been the problem with my car since the day I bought it.. Its a very intermittent problem...

 

Read this thread.
Changing the Fuel Filter - 2004 Coupe

 

So what is the solution here guys? My car will run flawlessly below 3000 rpm.
The minute I begin to drive it spiritedly the car goes into that "limp mode" losing power. Once I turn off the engine and start it back up, the car performs normally once again under the roughly 3000 rpm.

The check engine light began to flash and gave me the following codes:

P0301
P0306
P0304
P0303
P0305
P0302

Essentially every cylinder misfired. But the car continues to run fine. I want to be able to drive my car above 3000 rpm.

Any thoughts?

 

Id guess that your going lean and the miss is from that. Measure the fuel rail pressure while its running, should be 60 psi while driving.Woody

 

Wow..... a whole host of problems on here....where to start? There are a lot of diagnostics to run here on everyone's problems. I think I will just watch and learn here, although the guy with #4 cylinder not firing has nothing to do with a "tune up". Dumb@ss shops out there just want to throw parts at a problem rather than offer a solution. I would look at the coil pack for that cylinder. Bad coil, bad connection for the plug wires. Easy look, to start with. Many of the other symptoms seem to be in the crankshaft position sensor area, since it is a misfire. If you have an SRT's, the AIT sensor has come loose in it's slot, even has blown completely out under boost. Huge leak then, lol. Cam Shaft Sensor rarely go, but can't rule them out. All these are under $100 fixes by YOU...not someone looking to sell you a "tune up"... Read thru some the thread referencing these fixes or "how to's"...save yourself a lot of $$$$$$$$$$