New PT Owner, already problems!!!

[chastitythomas]

Hi,

I've been doing some research on your site and have really enjoyed it!!!
So, I am new to your wonderful forum!!

I just bought a 2006 PT Cruiser about two months ago with 27,000 miles on it, but it has about 31,000 on it now. I am having issues with the a/c already! The a/c hasn't been working or cooling. It didn't sound like the compressor was coming on. My husband is a mechanic of sorts and he went to check the a/c and unplugged the LPS. Well he didn't have time to mess with it, and plugged it back in and the a/c worked! This has happened several times now. When the a/c stops working we unplug the LPS and plug it back in and it works for another few days. Does anyone know what the problem may be? Should we replace the LPS?

The car has also hesitated a few times, maybe just needs a tune up?

We also have been debating on whether we should switch over to synthetic oil or not? I traded in my Honda with 294,000 miles on it for the PT Cruiser and it had AMS Oil in it from day one.

Please, any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!!! I've only made two car payments and I am scared I am going to continue to have a lot of problems!!! I really like the PT and want to take care of it!! I am just very discouraged right now. I feel like I shouldn't be having any problems with a low mileage car.

Thanks!!!

[CREWZIN]

Chastity,

Don't be discouraged. I've had to change my Low Pressure Switch (or cycling switch) twice since I've had my PT. Easily done and cheap. Be careful of the tiny rubber "O" ring at the bottom when you put the new one on. It's easily squashed and torn by over tightening it.

As far as hesitating, you probably didn't get a history of the cruiser so it's a good bet the original plug wires and plugs are still in it. A change of both will most likely cure your hesitation and it will run like new.

[quicksilverdon]

Welcome.
Crewzin covered everything except the synthetic oil - why even debate? Synthetic is better, period.

[Matt42]

Originally Posted by chastitythomas

Hi,

I've been doing some research on your site and have really enjoyed it!!!
So, I am new to your wonderful forum!!

I just bought a 2006 PT Cruiser about two months ago with 27,000 miles on it, but it has about 31,000 on it now. I am having issues with the a/c already! The a/c hasn't been working or cooling. It didn't sound like the compressor was coming on. My husband is a mechanic of sorts and he went to check the a/c and unplugged the LPS. Well he didn't have time to mess with it, and plugged it back in and the a/c worked! This has happened several times now. When the a/c stops working we unplug the LPS and plug it back in and it works for another few days. Does anyone know what the problem may be? Should we replace the LPS?

The car has also hesitated a few times, maybe just needs a tune up?

We also have been debating on whether we should switch over to synthetic oil or not? I traded in my Honda with 294,000 miles on it for the PT Cruiser and it had AMS Oil in it from day one.

Please, any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!!! I've only made two car payments and I am scared I am going to continue to have a lot of problems!!! I really like the PT and want to take care of it!! I am just very discouraged right now. I feel like I shouldn't be having any problems with a low mileage car.

Thanks!!!

Try not to be too discouraged. Remember that you have bought a used car, not a new one. One of the best cars I ever owned I bought used with 23,000 miles on it. It needed a brake booster, an alternator, and a few other things. We then drove it for about a decade with very little additional work needed, though not a lot of miles. (We sold it with 57,000 on it, and the problems that developed were those that come from idleness, not use.)

Click and Clack on PBS have opined that people need to budget between $500 and $1000 for unexpected expenses on a used car, depending on the car's age and miles. Those dollar numbers are a decade old, and will have changed. We spent $1100 repairing our 2001 purchased with 80K and expected it. I spent $300 on my 2004 with 50K miles and wasn't surprised by it.

I would add to the above ideas that the H-134A levels might be just a touch low in the air conditioning system. Normal seepage over three years *could* reduce the pressure just to the point where the sensor just starts acting reluctant. Some cars will seep more, others will seep less. The culprit is often the schrader valves in the air conditioning service ports. A schrader valve looks like a glorified tire valve. Have your husband or a mechanic make sure that the schrader valve caps are firmly installed, and that the o-rings on the inside of the valves (if they are required) are there.

I don't know how much a LPS costs, but replacing it might be a good possibly inexpensive trial fix. Synthetic oil? You bet. But you will still need to replace your timing belt at 80 to 100K miles. Err on the side of sooner.

And also look at it this way; many list members in the frozen north might envy you your air conditioning problem today.

[cdynaco]

Originally Posted by Matt42

Try not to be too discouraged. Remember that you have bought a used car, not a new one. One of the best cars I ever owned I bought used with 23,000 miles on it. It needed a brake booster, an alternator, and a few other things. We then drove it for about a decade with very little additional work needed, though not a lot of miles. (We sold it with 57,000 on it, and the problems that developed were those that come from idleness, not use.)

Click and Clack on PBS have opined that people need to budget between $500 and $1000 for unexpected expenses on a used car, depending on the car's age and miles. Those dollar numbers are a decade old, and will have changed. We spent $1100 repairing our 2001 purchased with 80K and expected it. I spent $300 on my 2004 with 50K miles and wasn't surprised by it.

I would add to the above ideas that the H-134A levels might be just a touch low in the air conditioning system. Normal seepage over three years *could* reduce the pressure just to the point where the sensor just starts acting reluctant. Some cars will seep more, others will seep less. The culprit is often the schrader valves in the air conditioning service ports. A schrader valve looks like a glorified tire valve. Have your husband or a mechanic make sure that the schrader valve caps are firmly installed, and that the o-rings on the inside of the valves (if they are required) are there.

I don't know how much a LPS costs, but replacing it might be a good possibly inexpensive trial fix. Synthetic oil? You bet. But you will still need to replace your timing belt at 80 to 100K miles. Err on the side of sooner.

And also look at it this way; many list members in the frozen north might envy you your air conditioning problem today.

Great post. Thanx for the encouragement and info. So far I'm lovin' drivin' mine - including for the winter. Bought some cheap WM studded snows and so far so good up here!

My older vehicles were cheap to maintain and simple for me to do many things, so budgeting for fairly constant maintenance - with a mechanic or stealership - is still new to many.

As for AC, since its important to cycle the AC during the winter months to keep seals lubed (but who knows what occured with a used car), that may also be a cause/source of leaking refrigerant. I've also noticed here in the colder temps that even though I turn the AC on & temp all the way counter-clockwise for coldest, the thermostat overrides that and therefore the compressor doesn't always come on because of... BRRRRR!!!