Stalling, rough idle, running "hard", hesitation

[LiLOrion]

I've been searching PT sites for a while now trying to figure out what my PT's problem is. Cause honestly, you all seem a lot more informed than the dealership I've been going to.

I have a 2005 automatic (touring) - 14,900 miles.

I got the car brand new. My commute to work is very short (as you can see). I didnt have any problems with this vehicle until late last year. I noticed oil spots in my driveway. Popped the hood and low and behold - the oil cap was missing and I had oil all over my engine compartment. Apparently the guy at the dealership who changed my oil forgot to put the cap back on. I found it, in amongst some wires back under the windshield and put it back on. I took it back to the dealer and had a cleaned, oil changed and filters changed. I've been told this shouldnt have done any damage, so, this could just be a coincidence since the idle/hesitate problem seems pretty common with PTs.

Here are some of what I've been experiencing since then:

- Running "hard". Actually, it runs noisy. I swear I hear what sounds like a fan motor running and its very pronounced. This is without having the air or fan on in the car. This is a daily occurrence.
- Rough idle. This is particularly evident when slowing down then sitting stopped at a light and then I feel it briefly when I press the gas again to go. This is intermittent, but it happens at least three times a week.
- Hesitation. Never by itself. Always in combination with the rough idle. When starting from a stop, it seems like the car "races" (RPMs increase) but the engine doesnt respond right away. Then, the engine catches up and the car jerks forward. It feels like I hit a turbo boost button. This is intermittent, maybe once a week or once every two weeks.
- Stalling. This happened once - right as I turned off a highway - which was one too many times for me. I had been experiencing the trifecta above and when I turned a corner and came to a stop while waiting to turn into a bank, all of a sudden I didnt feel the car running. The radio was still on, but the engine shut off. The "oil pressure" light was on in the dashboard. I put the car in park, shut it off and turned it back on again and it was fine. That marked my first trip to the dealer - they could not replicate the problem and thankfully it hasnt happened again.
- Almost stalling in reverse. That just almost happened today as I was backing into my parking spot at work. My car is acting up today with the idling and hesitation problems as well.

For the most part, everyone seems to point towards problems with the plugs and wires. I've had mine back to the dealer 6 times. Mentioned the plugs and wires and I get the same old - cannot replicate problem, computer shows no error codes explaination. I think they just hook it up to the computer and if the computer doesnt register a problem - they dont take it any further. You would think they would at least pull them.

The last time I had it in, I told them about the TSB (rough idle TSB), which I assume they did as it was on the paperwork, but it hasnt changed things for me.

The engine playing catch up from time to time sounds like it might be transmission - which I'm hoping its not.

I read in another thread about a frozen radiator fan motor that restricted input to a control module. Granted, if the motor was frozen, I shouldnt be hearing a fan motor sound at all, but at this point, its annoying me to the point where I just want to get rid of it so I'm grasping at straws here.

Any help any of you could provide would be greatly appreciated. I'm planning on taking it in again, maybe I'll try another dealer this time or a transmission specialist, with a list of things to check. As its still under warranty, I really dont want to mess with anything myself (I'm referring to plugs and wires).

Does anyone think a fuel injection cleaning might work? (not pouring a bottle into the tank, but going somewhere and getting it done). Someone mentioned that because I dont drive it more than 10-20 minutes at a time during the week, that I might have some build up in there and the engine isnt getting hot enough to burn it off.

[CREWZIN]

Welcome to the forum. Your hundreds/thousands of very short trips could be the cause of the problem, but it's hard to tell what's wrong. The injectors could be clogged, the plugs and wires could need changing. Even the CAT could be clogged up. Short trips are bad for any engine. The transaxle sounds like it's slipping. Noisy could be from running very low in oil when your cap went missing but sounding like a fan is a different matter. The fan is controlled by the computer and has two speeds and you don't need to have the air or fan on inside the car. Sorry I can't be of any more help but your best bet is to find a dealer that's willing to dig into your symptoms and not just look for a computer code to tell them what's wrong.

[LiLOrion]

Thanks CREWZIN.

Just for the heck of it, I think I'll pick up a bottle of Chevron for the injectors over the weekend. Then I'll take it to another dealership to see if they can find any problems. If not, I'll ask about changing the plugs and wires to see if that might make a difference - I'm sure they wont protest since I'll have to pay for it.

I had a bit more time to look around this place and I'm under the impression that anything other than the factory wires are basically better for the car's performance. But the jury is out on plugs.

I'll have to look up transaxle slippage, but that doesnt sound good.

Thanks again!

[Hooligan]

We must "assume" you are talking about a PT NA and not a turbo. I had a rough idle problem at 500 miles. I myself changed to MOPAR Performance Wires and Champion Double Platinum 7440 plugs, gapped @ .040. It took care of my hesitation.

Best bet go to raceandstreet.com, get the 800 number and talk to Maggie, she carries all kinds of parts for the PT. Good Luck with the stalling problums.

[Newjeep]

Hi there. I'm new here, but I thought I might be able to help. When you reached under your hood to retrieve your oil cap, you may have inadvertently pulled a hose or plug loose from somewhere. Since your dealership isn't up to looking, I'd check to make sure all the hookups were where they were supposed to be, i.e. no dangling or cocked hoses or connections. It's just my opinion, mind you. This problem might be exaggerated by the dealer steam cleaning your engine compartment and getting moisture into a hose or an electrical connection. I hope this helps, and good luck!

[Abendicum]

I too have had the rough idle for years... Recently I tried turning off the A/C while, stopped at a light... To my surprise NO MORE ROUGH IDLE !!!
An A/C buddy thinks compressor control could be suspect, almost like it kicks in abruptly or pulls too much torque, which momentarily, causes the idle issue ???

Comments ???

Ab

[CREWZIN]

Welcome to the form Ab. If you've tried turning off the A/C a few times for a few minutes at a time and it definitely does take away your rough idle, your A/C buddy is probably right, although I've never heard of a "compressor controller". Not to say there isn't one, it might go by another name. Does your buddy know where this controller is? Does he have a shop to test the controller? If not, there's places that will test your A/C for free and maybe pinpoint your exact problem.

[slartyblarfast]

Your problem is sparkplug wires. I see it ALL the time. There is a TSB to replace plug wires and spark plugs and a flash. I am a Chrysler technician. I don't have access to our website right now but I will do my best to get you the TSB number monday. More than likely what's happening is the wires are arcing to ground instead of to the plugs. You probably have carbon tracking on the plugs which aggravates the problem. A lot of times it will not set a code because the engine does not missfire enough for the computer to realize there is a problem. Typically what you will feel is an occasional stumble at idle or when accelerating lightly. A/c on makes it worse. If you are near the San Antonio area bring it to me. Won't promise that it will run smooth as glass but I can probably get it to run a lot better.

[slartyblarfast]

The TSB number is 18-024-04. If the car has been to the dealer 6 times you are getting dangerously close to lemon law problems.... And don't hesitate to point that out.

[mjb457]

No such bullitin according to dealer?? Is # correct??