DIMMING LIGHTS AND PCM'S

[1SPRINKLERMAN]

NEW MEMBER, THAT HAS A HARD TIME TYPING.
I HAVE BEEN EASEDROPPING ON THE FORUM FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AND IT HAS BECOME ALMOST A DAILY THING. THANKS FOR THE INFORMATION.
I HAVE PREPARED A LONG POST. HOPE IT FITS IN.
03 DREAM CRUISER, #875, BUILT 2/19/03 AND PURCHASED 4/19/03.
5/9/03, 800 MILES ON THE CAR. GOING ON A DAY TRIP 240 MILES ROUND TRIP. TWO MILES FROM THE HOUSE, CAR QUITS RUNNING GOING DOWN THE ROAD. AFTER SEVERAL CHECKS AND ATTEMPTS IT DOES START. DRIVE A FEW FEET AND IT QUITS AGAIN. FINALLY STARTS AGAIN. A'M I DOING SOMETHING WRONG? DECIDE TO GO ON. AFTER ABOUT 30 MILES ONTO THE INTERSTATE, CRUISE SET ON 70 AND ENJOYING THE SCENERY AND NEW LEATHER SMELL, CAR QUITS RUNNING. MAYBE 5 SECONDS LATER IT STARTS RUNNING ON IT'S OWN STILL IN CRUISE CONTROL. WHAT DID I DO WRONG THIS TIME? STOP, TURN AROUND, OR CONTINUE? IT'S UNDER WARRANTY, KEEP GOING. UP AND BACK IT DID THE SAME THING ABOUT 12 TIMES. ON THE WAY HOME, TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHERE I GOT IT FROM. MY SALESMAN WAS OUTSIDE WHEN I PULLED UP AND ASKED HOW THE DREAM CRUISER WAS DOING? MY REPLY, IT HAD TURNED INTO A NIGHT MARE. TRIED TO START IT TO TAKE TO THEIR SERVICE. NOPE!
THEY PUSHED IT TO SERVICE, TECH TRIED TO START. NOPE! THE TECH HOOKED UP TO THE COMPUTER TO TRY AND READ HIS INSTRUTMENT. ABOUT BURNT THE STARTER OUT TRYING TO GET A CODE. NOPE! NO CODES FROM THE DASH ERROR CODES EITHER. I WAS FURNISHED WITH A NICE RENTAL VAN AND TOLD THEY WOULD CALL WHEN FIXED.
AFTER A WEEK, NO CALL. I CALLED THEM. CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM BUT THEY HAD ORDERED PARTS? 5 STAR DEALERSHIP.
SECOND WEEK; NO CALL. NOT SURE WHATS WRONG, BUT PARTS ON BACKORDER. CHRYSLER WILL NOT RELEASE THE PART. UHHO! SERVICE MANAGER SAYS, I'M GOING TO GET YOU A NEW DREAM CRUISER AND IN THE MEANTIME WE WILL MAKE PAYMENTS ON YOURS. KEEP DRIVING THE RENTAL VAN
5/28, WENT TO GET SOME ITEMS OUT OF THE CAR. COULD'NT FIND IT. SERVICE DESK SAYS IT IN THE SHOP BEING WORKED ON NOW. WAS TOLD I COULD GO VISIT IT. WHAT A SIGHT. WHOLE DASH GONE AND WHAT LOOKED LIKE HALF THE MOTOR. I INTRODUCED MYSELF TO THE TECH, WHO SAID HE WAS THE SHOP FOREMAN AND IT LOOKED BAD ON HIM WITH THE THING SITTING THERE SO LONG, SO HE HAD CALLED CHRYSLER, WENT THROUGH FOUR PEOPLE AND WAS TOLD 113 OF THE PARTS WERE ON BACKORDER, BUT HE INSISTED AND GOT THE PART. GO TO SERVICE MANAGER, HE SAYS, SORRY SHOP FOREMAN TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF TO REPAIR IT. SHOULD BE READY SOON. THEY CALL AND SAY IT WILL BE READY THAT EVENING, AND TO COME GET IT. GET THERE, SPEEDOMETER NOT WORKING. SAYS THEY MUST HAVE LEFT A WIRE OFF. FOUND OUT THAT THE PART HE INSTALLED, PCM, HAD TO BE PROGRAMMED TO RUN THE SPEEDOMETER. 5 STAR DEALER. WHEN I ASKED WHAT THEY DID TO FIT IT, WAS TOLD A NEW PCM. OK WHAT IS A PCM. WAS TOLD, THE BRAIN FOR THE CAR. AS I'M CHECHING THE CAR OVER, I FIND BODY AND PAINT DAMAGE. ANOTHER STORY.
CAN'T REMEMBER IF THIS OR ANOTHER FORUM, BUT SOMEONE HAD WRITTEN IN SEVERAL WEEKS AGO ABOUT THE LIGHTS DIMMING WHEN THE BRAKE WAS PUSHED. SAID TO SELF, YOUR LIGHTS DO THAT ALSO.
TOOK ALL THE TBS'S AND INFORMATION FROM THE NET TO THE DEALER WHICH INCLUDED THE WHOLE OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION NOYIFICATION NO. C 30. NEVER HEARD ABOUT THAT THEY SAID, BUT WE CAN FIX IT WHILE YOU WAIT; JUST HAVE TO FLASH THE PCM. UHHO! TWO HOURS LATER, SERVICE WRITER TELLS ME IT DID'NT WORK BUT THEY ORDERED A NEW PCM. NEXT WEEK, NEW PCM INSTALLED AND STILL BLINKING LIGHTS. SERVICE WRITER SAYS THE SERVICE MANAGER WANTS TO TALK. HE ADMITS TO KNOWING OF THE PCM AND WIRING CONNECTION PROBLEMS, BUT WILL TALK TO CHRYSLER ABOUT A NEW CAR.
NEXT WEEK, THE CHRYSLER REP IS AT THE DEALERSHIP AND WE TALK ON THE PHONE. HE ADMITS TO THE PROBLEM ALSO. CHRYSLER DOES NOES NOT HAVE A FIX HE SAYS. HE OFFERED A O4 OR I CAN KEEP MINE AND CHRYSLER WILL GIVE ME A 7/100,00 NO DEDUCTIBLE WARRANTY ON THE WHOLE CAR. WHOA! WHAT TO DO? IF I TAKE THE 04, I WILL HAVE TO PAY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MSRP TO MSRP. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAYS THEY NOW HAVE A 04 DREAM CRUISER ON THE LOT. COME LOOK. WELL, ANYONE FROM, I'AM, OR BEEN THROUGH VIRGINIA KNOWS WHAT A VA. STATE TROOPER CAR LOOKS LIK

[CREWZIN]

Chuck,

What can someone say after a story like that! [:I] GOOD LUCK

[IRPT]

1sprinklerman, welcome to the forum. Sounds like you've had a pretty rough ordeal. Keep us informed on the outcome...and good luck!

1sprinklerman, btw, take the Caps Lock off. It makes you post hard to read, plus when typing in all caps it's considered YELLING!

[quicksilverdon]

Welcome 1sprinklerman. For a guy who has trouble typing, you sure did okay.
Wish you luck, and hope it all works out for you.[:I]

[KingKole02]

Welcome 1sprinklerman,
Hope they get you a new one from factory, sad part about it is the Dream Cruiser is a special PT.

Keep us posted, hope they figure something out. Good luck with it.

[Jimbo]

Welcome, have a brother-in-law had a jeep went on three
trips never got 100 miles from they kept working on it
said they had it fixed and really never did. so they bought
it back said he could pick any jeep in the lot, but all they had
were Limited so he had to pay 3000 more and they wouldn't
give him any of the rebates.He was so happy to get rid
of it.He took the deal.I don't think I would have, but
new one has 40000 miles and no trouble.
About 6 months later a guy calls him . asked what kind of trouble
he had with the Jeep.Turns out they Jeep sold it and
he was having a totally different problem and they were
going to buy it back from him. So I guess once a lemon always
a lemon. GOOD LUCK hope everything works out

[SteelBlueGT]

You should know that your car is an exeption, most Pt's are really trouble free! I know that doesn't make you feel any better but you should not worry about getting another one!

[Rolo]

"MY REPLY, IT HAD TURNED INTO A NIGHT MARE" LOL!

Strategic use of "5 STAR DEALERSHIP": ROFL!

Welcome SPRINKLERMAN! That was an entertaining read alright. Your post fits just fine. Five-star dealerships are why I have accepted the dimming lights and will attempt to fix it at my leisure. I also still have the 5200 RPM misfire PCM (Power Control Module, fancy phrase for "computer", bolted to the firewall on driver's side); I will fix that with a Stage 2 kit. I also need a lash adjuster (lifter) replaced because it is noisy. I will replace that when I get a powdercoated head cover (I have not picked a colour yet, heh). I refuse to let dealer-monkeys go bananas on my car.

What should you do? Hmmm...beating them with a brass sprinker head a la Three Stooges could get you into trouble.

Are the dimming lights the only problem you currently have? (other than trauma) If so, I would take the 7/100 warranty, even though it is pretty useless. Perhaps you could get a free Stage 1 kit instead--that's a new PCM. "Yeah, if I go faster, I won't notice the dimming lights!"

Hopefully, one of us, sooner or later, will find a fix for the lights.

The DC2 is a beautiful car, hard to let go.

[Rolo]

Hey, waitaminute, Gary--where are ya?--what's with you Seamist Green guys? Is a buyback the only way to get a Seamist Green GT or somethin'?

Chuck: If you have not seen Gary's lively account of his saga: http://www.ptcruiserlinks.com/forum/...?TOPIC_ID=3426

[mcruz]

1SPRINKLERMAN, welcome, by the way I work for a sprinkler company in Maryland. I have had two PTCruisers, an 01 Limited and now an 03 GT and have had no problems aside from the dimming lights on the GT which I can live with. Hope you can resolve your problems and still end up with a Cruiser.