I'm starting to think buying this car was a mistake (2005 Crossfire SRT-6 / Aero Blue). Hard to believe that a car with only 30,000 miles on it can suffer this SKREEM issue.
I drove the car last weekend, no issues, and then parked it in the garage. I went to drive it today, and the key-fobs - plural - did not work to open the door by pressing the buttons. Batteries in both key-fobs were replaced less than 6 months ago, so it's not that. Fine, I manually open the door with the switch-blade key, and of course, alarm goes off.
I get in, go to start the car hoping the alarm will then shut up (doesn't at first but eventually does but there is still a subtle "heartbeat" noise from the dash indicating the alarm is still processing) - Try to start it, and it starts/and dies immediately (1), try again; starts/and dies immediately (2), try again - won't turn over or try to start. Classic SKREEM symptoms.
The battery to the car obviously has full charge; everything works fine, and when the engine did turn over, it was plenty of oomph to start the car. I have not tried to disconnect the battery yet to try the cycle again to verify the SKREEM (which is making me scream) but from the symptoms, I'm quite sure the SKREEM is the issue.
Very frustrated. The car looks showroom new; 30,000 miles. I've had it now just going on 3 years. As soon as I bought it, replaced the transmission socket that was leaking. Did the sticking-ignition fix BEFORE it became an issue, so I'm ahead of the curve on that. And I replaced the sagging headliner in July, still haven't found a NOS window belt-strip to replace my wonky one and seems likely I never will - all annoying things at any rate.
But this SKREEM thing takes the cake!
Before I pull this and send it off to Needswings - Uggh - in the hole for $1,548.95 is just crazy (as I'll likely get the back-up/replacement SKREEM too)
- is there ANY CHANCE that the SKREEM symptoms also present themselves in the same manner due to some other fault?
https://www.needswings.com/crossfire-skreem-repair
ALSO: Does anyone have any comments on this option from 'Precision ECU'? Someone else posted this in another thread in February, but that thread ended there, no further comments. From their Ebay seller page and their website, it seems a lot of people are pleased with it.
It appears to defeat/immobilize the SKREEM entirely; what would be different and how might that work/not work with other functions? There doesn't seem to be enough feedback or explanation as to how this option to manipulate the ECU by 'Precision ECU' varies in actual end-user performance and operation from what Needswings is doing to rebuild/replace the SKREEM. They seem to have good/100% feedback on Ebay with a lot of replies from Crossfire owners happy with their work
https://www.precisionecu.com/product...e-plug-n-drive
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2004-2008-C...QAAOSwjCle78Zs
I want to be 100% sure I'm on the right track before disabling the car for the next 3 weeks and lay out that much cash for this. I read that someone else messed with the Tow Switch a couple of times which presented a similar issue, but I tried that; didn't work.
What other test or hoop might I jump through just to be sure it is the SKREEM?
I originally got this car as a reliable "newer" car and suitably presentable for "business-like" appearances in my career-role when meeting with clients, as all my other cars are pre-1970 classics (yet never fail on me, ironically). And no, it's not lost on me that a 15 year old car has just entered "classic" status in eyes of the insurance companies, but geez - 30,000 miles is new, no matter the age. Should have just stuck with my Ranchero,
with its 289,000 miles on the original 289 and C4 - still runs like new, has never left me stranded - which I still drive daily anyway. I would drive that to New York tomorrow if I had to; can't say now that I would ever try that with the Crossfire.
I must say, I'm glad I can fix anything on most any car myself (short of reprogramming a SKREEM, of course) but I would not want to be a person that was not so mechanically inclined as my self with 40 years of experience rebuilding/restoring cars, and own a Crossfire. What a REAL costly mistake that would be.
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