Engine Surge

[PTEE]

I have a 2005 PT GT. During acceleration my PT surges and sputters. My mechanic said the error code showed a bad crank sensor. He replaced it and everything was fine for about 2 hours when the engine light came back on and I had the same problem. Also, after returning from a 7 day cruise I had a dead battery. It checked out to be in very good condition. And one time before my cruise the car shut off while at a light and started right back up. Are all these problems related?

[Hooligan]

ptee, welcome to the Forum!!

If your mechanic used a aftermarket sensor that could be some of your problem. Many have posted, saying that when they went to a OEM part from the dealer the light went away.

Before you do that, I'd suggest you do the key dance, which is: from the ACC position, turn the key to start (do NOT start) and back to ACC 3 times within 5 seconds. In the odometer window you should see a P0000, if the PT is throwing a code. That will tell us what may be wrong. The codes are listed in a sticky, or you can Google it.

Did you leave your lights on when the battery went dead? The other possibility is that your Multifunction Switch is going bad. They are on 3-5 month back order. Please come back and let us know what you find out.

[PTEE]

Thanks Hooligan for the welcome and information. I will check with my mechanic tomorrow about where he got the part and I will check for a code also.

Nothing was left on to drain the battery while we were gone for seven days. I also have 2 dash lights that have burned out with only 54,000 miles on the car.

I am 62 without much knowledge about cars and your help is appreciated.

Thanks again,
PTEE

[Hooligan]

I am older by 8 years, if you are that age you must have some idea about cars!!!!!

[CREWZIN]

PYEE,

We have a sticky in the Tech & Performance part of the forum that shows step by step how to replace the light bulbs in the dash. It's not the easiest job but could save you a couple hours of mechanic time if you do it yourself. I just have to guess, but don't think the light in the dash have anything to do with your surging. Like Hooligan already said, owners have been having problems with after market parts not from Chrysler.

[PTEE]

Thanks for the info Crewzin. Now I have an additional problem. After sitting for just 1 day my battery is very low and the car won't start. I tried getting a code but got nothing. Should I be able to get a code with a very low battery?

[CREWZIN]

NO, I don't believe that there's any code set when the battery is low. If you can jump it from a good source, take it to an auto shop (Auto Zone, Pep Boys) and they will test your charging system for free.

[PTEE]

My mechanic used a Chrysler crank sensor. Having PT towed back to his shop. Are the codes that come up always right? Could worn plugs and plug wires cause my problem?

[CREWZIN]

The codes don't pop up unless the computer receives a message from one of the sensors. Could they be wrong? Not likely but they can be interpreted differently by different people.

Lets say the timing belt breaks. When that happens the camshaft sensor sees the camshaft isn't turning, the crankshaft sees the crankshaft isn't turning and I'm sure a few other sensors see that something is wrong. The first thing people see is the P0340 and replace the camshaft sensor. It doesn't work and so on until someone puts it all together and comes up with the timing belt.

...and YES, the breakdown of the plugs and wires can cause a whole host of different problems.

[PTEE]

On Monday my mechanic got a new code read out. It was a transmission code P0700. He said he wasn't qualified to correct the problem and suggested I take it to the dealer. The dealer worked on the car for a number of hours on Tuesday. They did not get any codes to come up and the car was running fine. They did not charge me anything because they could not find a problem. Is the free service common from a dealer?

As far as my battery problem they said it checked out to be in very good condition. Both my mechanic and AAA have said the battery is bad. It is a Mopar battery that is less than a year old. Who do I believe?