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Chrysler Pacifica: Care & Maintenance

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    avery1avery1 Member Posts: 373
    Did they give you a loaner?
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    LohengrinLohengrin Member Posts: 84
    The air conditioning stopped working after only 50 miles. I took it in at 300 miles when I decided I wasn't just being stupid or just unable to work the complicated climate control. No, it really wasn't working. Sometime the control counsel wouldn't light up, or only lit up part way. It blew nothing but hot air.
    Car has been in the shop for 2 weeks now. The part is unavailable and there are nearly 200 request having been made for the same part. They are being stingy about taking the part off the assembly line now. Still waiting to hear from Chrysler about this. Anyone else having this problem? I live in 100 degree temps, have two babies, can't have us roasting to death in a brand new 35K car! I'm starting to feel really stupid. Yes, it's a wonderful concept, but I'm having a hard time endorsing the PAC right now.

    P.S. Yes, "loaned car" (I don't think that means another PAC, and the warranty only covers 7 days) has been offered, but we still have a 99 dodge ram, single cab to drive around...but we will need more seating capacity soon for when the whole family is home agian. We will be moving soon. Having this come up is just not what we need right now. The problem is they are unable to say how much longer this is going to drag out. They can't even secure the part to be sent to the dealer. So there is no part "TO" wait on. Also, my PAC is velour dark gray cloth interior. There is a button for heated seats on the passenger side only...and it lights up. Heated seats is only an option on leather interior PACs...and this button is clearly a manufacturing error. It's not suppose to be there. I'm very worried that if this may not be the only error. Even the dealer was surprised to learn about the extra button.
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    cluelesspacluelesspa Member Posts: 648
    wow thats weird to have a single heated seat button on a cloth interior ... does the seat heat up ?
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    bmoorbmoor Member Posts: 1
    My neighbor is having problems with the sound system in his Pacifica. He purchased the high end sound system and it was great for about a week. Now after the radio or CD has been on for awhile, the sound cuts out. All of the speakers go dead except for one and it is at a very low volume and can't be turned up or down. If he pulls the fuse out and puts it back in, the system works again for awhile. There isn't any consistant pattern to the problem, it might happen several times in a trip or it might go several days without going out.

    The dealer is clueless, they have replaced the radio and the amp 3 times. They have torn the car completely apart looking for loose connections with no positive results. Has anyone else experienced this problem.
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    LohengrinLohengrin Member Posts: 84
    It's now been three weeks and four days since I left the PAC at the dealers for malfunctioning air conditioning. At first Chrysler wouldn't send the parts needed. I called Chrysler and told them my husband was coming home from Iraq very soon. He would be very mad to find our new car had no air conditioning and they were holding out on us. Needless to say, our parts were put in the mail the next day. Dealer got the parts Tuesday. It's now Friday, the climate control box now lights up and they can see the controls, but now there's a freon (sp?) leak. So for the last three days they've been trying to fix the leak. My husband left Iraq last night, and the car is not going to be home today, and it's hard to say when it's coming home. The dealer will give us a loaner. They've been offering one this whole time, and have been wonderful for offering. I won't take it till I absolutely need it. So, when I find out when the DH is due to arrive, and if I've still not gotten the PAC, I'll be getting a loaner car.

    Wow, I hope this is all that's wrong with it.
    And no, the seat did not heat up, the extra button just lit up when pressed. Seems the factory just put the wrong door on the car?
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    commofficercommofficer Member Posts: 50
    Right! My wife and I are very happy with the Pacifica. While I was away on military duty, she took the kids and her mom to Colorado and it performed great. I had some worries being that it is new and some of the posts about lack of power, etc. but they were all for nothing. It is mechanically very sound. It's AWD and my wife loved the Auto Stick in the mountains especially on decent.
    The problem I have is the paint quality. When we first bought it, I had them fix a driver door which wasn't finished well. They did a great job but now I am finding all kinds of little areas that seem to be poor Quality Assurance related. Small bubbles in the paint causing pockets by the license plate holder and along the "waist" trim. That rubber stuff that's supposed to stop you from bashing into someone else's car when you open your door. I am going to take it back and see what they will fix. Test the warranty. We also managed to bash a hole in the rear driver side tail light assembly which will cost $118 bucks to fix. Not as bad as I thought.
    Has anyone else found that the paint seems "soft" and easy to scratch or that the quality is not that good? This is my only problem but it bugs me and I will need to get it fixed. I also want the rear bumper cover put on because we have already scratched that with luggage and kids climbing in and out.
    Thanks for the input.
    Phil
    Oklahoma City
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    cluelesspacluelesspa Member Posts: 648
    I would check into the lemon laws for you state ... sounds like you have a great case for them to just give you a new Pacifica and keep that one ... it would offer you better peace of mind as well probaly not to worry if they fixed it correctly
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    twoof1twoof1 Member Posts: 308
    The "soft paint" issue you are refering to is common to all newer cars. Due to evironmental pressures,manufacturers have been forced to use more ecologicaly friendly paints which tend to make them softer and subject to easier scratches and rock chipping.
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    LohengrinLohengrin Member Posts: 84
    Hello,
    Yes, I also have a smudge on our rear driver side door from when my son touched the car with his toy car...it smudged like a fresh coat of nail polish smudges when you touch it and it's not dry yet. I wouldn't call it a paint chip, but a smudge where the paint just pushed back. I had also brought that up when I took in our PAC almost 4 weeks ago...but the air conditioning problem has completely overshadowed the paint.

    Lemon law, yes, I've been meaning to check into that. Though I didn't see any more PACs at the dealer when I stopped in this week to check things out. I think they would have to special order me a new one. The DH will be home in a few days and then we'll decide what we're going to do from there.
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    bchristebchriste Member Posts: 3
    The dealer replaced my 6-disc changer due to the fact that it would not play nor would it eject any of the three CDs I put in. Both of the changers click, whir, and flash their lights for about a minute when I first start the vehicle. I asked the service department about it and they assured me that it's normal. I just can't believe that a $500 piece of equipment has to be so annoying. Does anybody/everybody else experience the same behavior? Please let me know either way. Thank you all!!
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    stevesdeskstevesdesk Member Posts: 1
    I have had my Pacifica for about 2 months, and have about 2,000 miles on it. Two weeks ago the engine, transmission, power steering, etc. just died while driving down a city road. It did it again a couple of days ago going back down a driveway. The dealer has it for the 2nd time, and cannot figure out what is wrong. We don't want it back unless it gets diagnosed and fixed. Anybody else have this problem? Any ideas?
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    sigmarisigmari Member Posts: 4
    My 6 disc DVD/cd doesn't flash when I start up.
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    bchristebchriste Member Posts: 3
    Deb,
         I want to use these messages to convince the service department that this is not normal. I appreciate your response. So, it doesn't flash - does it make any clicks or other noises as if it is cycling through all of the CD slots every time you start up? Mine does this for about 30 seconds and is very annoying.
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    monark49monark49 Member Posts: 58
    Yes they do cycle thru the discs or they would'nt know which ones are full or empty! and it does make a little noise, but so does my 110 disc unit in the house. I'm sure its not 30 seconds. Mine starts almost immediatly unless its been switched back to AM/FM in between or a different disc button has been pushed
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    aviateaviate Member Posts: 31
    I haven't noticed anything like this with our player. I will check it again today when we go out.
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    russklassrussklass Member Posts: 389
    No sound from ours, unless it is in operarion.
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    cluelesspacluelesspa Member Posts: 648
    No sound from mine but I have all 6 slots loaded ... dont know if that makes a difference
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    mostlyhappymostlyhappy Member Posts: 6
    #58, commonofficer, last mentioned need for rear bumper scuff cover. I was at dealer today and now the "Cargo Convenience Package"--$305.00)includes same. But, for $26.10 plus shipping you can get the exact cover from moparparts.com (or something similar.) I accessed it throught the multiple search engine....metacrawler...searching for Chrysler Pacifica accessories...it pops up. Very easy to instal, two pull-off self adhesive strips--just line up right, ideally before cocktail hour. Hope this helps.
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    sailme2sailme2 Member Posts: 8
    I have had exceptional results from Pinnacle wax. It is 100% Carnuba wax and is the easiest wax to apply and buff that I have ever used. It is pricey, but worth it. Find it with your search engine. Search Classic Motoring and you will find more waxes, leather conditioners, etc. than you could believe existed. For the dash, 303 Aerospace Protectant is supposed to provide the most protection from UV rays.
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    ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    Zaino. www.zainobros.com

    Zaino is a synthetic wax. It says "polish" on the bottle. But it is not a true polish for it lacks any abrasive particles. It makes for an awesome shine, lasts a VERY long time, and is very easy to apply. Also you can apply multiple coats of Zaino thus improving the already great shine.

    Has anyone Zaino-ed their Pacifica yet?

    Leather - Zaino again. Leather in a bottle. Smells great too.

    If you absolutely refuse to use Zaino for leather, you could stop by a Jaguar dealer and get a can of "Hide food". It is some great stuff too. Jaguar people know their leather.
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    mostlyhappymostlyhappy Member Posts: 6
    Not a major problem but a puzzling one. I have the manual liftgate. Parking and locking goes fine, no problems. But, when I enter the liftgate and then close and try to re-lock it won't lock. I have to unlock all doors, open one, close it then push the remote lock and everything locks again.
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    adp3adp3 Member Posts: 446
    hmm, sounds like I wanna run out and buy a Pacifica - not.
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    monark49monark49 Member Posts: 58
    door lock button locks all doors and the liftgate with one push. Have yours checked.
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    russklassrussklass Member Posts: 389
    #74 of 75 by adp3 Sep 18, 2003 (7:59 pm)
    "hmm, sounds like I wanna run out and buy a Pacifica - not."
    You can go to ANY board on this forum and find owners problems. We have an '01 Sebring LXi, like yours, which had 2 HVAC problems which were corrected quickly and under warranty. It has still been a great car, no other problems for 3 yrs/35,000 miles.
    I defy you yo name a car brand/model that has NO problems. For a brand new model, I think the Pacifica has been remarkably trouble free.
    Our Pacifica had the following problems in the first 11,000 miles:
    2 small pcs weatherstrip loose
    Warped plastic on liftgate spoiler
    Bad front wheel bearing
    All were repaired/replaced promptly, and everything else is AOK.
    Our Pacifica is loaded, MSRP $41,000+, so a lot that could go wrong has not.
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    ms_mayorms_mayor Member Posts: 113
    I agree russklass...every single make/model of car is going to have some issues. All a new buyer can hope for is to choose one with the fewest, and hope that they're minor.

    I've had my Pacifica almost two months, driven about 3,500 miles. My only issues to date are a slightly loose door handle and a loose piece of trim on the front bumper, both to be addressed at my first service tomorrow.

    I'm not even seeing the often-reported FM reception problem people have mentioned on this board. To me, reception is fine...if anything, its better than my old Volvo ever was.
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    davismeaddavismead Member Posts: 2
    Hi! We purchased our Pacifica about three weeks ago, and all of a sudden I'm finding it sluggish. I'm nervous to bring it in, as I don't know if it's me just noticing that this new car doesn't have the power that our Volvo had, or could somthing be wrong. Anybody have a similar experience?
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    rodutrodut Member Posts: 343
    An impressive number of Volvo owners bought the Pacifica. I wonder why. My wife also owns an old Volvo.

    It depends what kind of Volvo you had. If you had a T5 obviously the heavier Pacifica is a lot slower. If you had a 240, probably your Pacifica is sick.
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    ms_mayorms_mayor Member Posts: 113
    I was driving a 740GLE Wagon. Got it brand new in 1990, drove it almost 160K miles. Loved it, even the day I traded it in.

    Although I liked the XC90, it didn't have the DVD option at the time I was looking and the price seemed a bit out of reach. Maintenance costs were scary too...with my wagon, the local dealer was ALWAYS finding $600 worth of work (I finally found a local guy who used to work with that dealer, but left because of the gouging).

    The Pacifica offered everything I was looking for: a luxe ride, great second-row comfort for my kids (on longer drives they recline the buckets to a comfy position and settle in with a DVD...pure bliss!), versatility with the third row, and despite what others have experienced a good track record with Chrysler products in my family. My sister is still driving a 1988 K-car we bought and maintained for almost 10 years ourselves. My husband drives a 2000 LHS which has the same engine and tranny as the Pacifica...no problems at all.

    I don't find it underpowered at all. If anything, its better than the old Volvo.
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    wschattnerwschattner Member Posts: 1
    Where can you find a complete maintenance manual with wiring diagrams for the 2004 Pacifica
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    hayneldanhayneldan Member Posts: 657
    Check the back of the owner's manual.You can order by phone with a credit card.
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    pssimonpssimon Member Posts: 144
    Expect to pay DEARLY for that service manual. Don't know what the current ones go for, but the manual for my 1997 T&C was around $150!
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    harryomaraharryomara Member Posts: 5
    I just purchased my pacifica, and i noticed that the inside of all the doors and frame seem painted and clear coated a glossy finish, but the frame behind the liftgate seems dull is this normal or is this a defect?
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    deezldubdeezldub Member Posts: 15
    I bought both a paper service manual for the pacifica on Ebay, as well as a multi vehicle CD-ROM on ebay.

    The Paper was $45 and the CD was $33

    The CD has more content, but the book is far eaiser to work with...

    Beats the back of the manual pricing thats for sure
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    aviateaviate Member Posts: 31
    Just put one on. Piece of cake.
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    pssimonpssimon Member Posts: 144
    Was that a real Chrysler service manual? Not a bad price if it is.
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    brianwalshbrianwalsh Member Posts: 5
    I have owned a fully loaded AWD butane blue Pacifica since late April. It now has close to 8000 very enjoyable miles on it. I recently had the dealer increase the tire pressure to 35 PSI, since I was going on a trip and wanted to see what the mileage would be like. I am noe getting 20 MPG mixed driving - but mostly highway. My wife thinks the ride now too bumpy. I don't. But I would like the flexability of changing the tire pressure without going to the dealer. I know from the owners manual the procedure for re-programming trhe PSI - but I need one of those tire magnets. Has anyone purchased one? Any ideas?
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    hayneldanhayneldan Member Posts: 657
    You can vary the pressures yourself between 29 and 39 psi the low pressure threshold is 25 psi and the high threshold pressure is 45 psi. The magnet is only needed to retrain the computer after a tire rotation. See this site for part numbers and suggested price. http://www.wjjeeps.com/tpms.htm
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    deezldubdeezldub Member Posts: 15
    Yes, for the price, I expected a bad book copy, and a CD-R copy of the service manual. The Book was sealed full copy, and the CD was genuine 1 CD of a two cd set. I didnt have the vehicles on the other CD of the set, so no big deal.

    The CD has diagnostic manual as well as service manual. Really nice, but you cannot beat paper manuals when your tracing wiring in the car.
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    drewh1drewh1 Member Posts: 2
    I've also a similiar problem to poster #63 with regards to stalling. Two seperate incidents when driving between 35-45, start to make turn and brake lightly....the vehicle stalls. What was your outcome or has anyone else experienced the same?
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    cluelesspacluelesspa Member Posts: 648
    "See this site for part numbers and suggested price. http://www.wjjeeps.com/tpms.htm "

    great link ... thanks
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    monark49monark49 Member Posts: 58
    Check to see if the spare tire is cranked up tight, that nothing is jumping around in the trunk bin, and that the amplifier isn't loose under the trunk bin liner.
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    kiana1kiana1 Member Posts: 3
    I am considering buying a Pacifica. I have a concern regarding power up hills or hills on long drives. We frequently drive to the Sierras. Our T&C minivan has no problem. Has anyone put the Pacifica to the test.
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    twoof1twoof1 Member Posts: 308
    I took our Pacifica up to the Sierras a couple of weeks ago no problem. From Bishop (4,200 ft.) up to Lake Sabrina (9,200 ft.) in 13 miles loaded with camping gear. The Pacifica is not the most powerful machine out there, but it has plenty of power for everyday use.
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    kiana1kiana1 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks twoof1. Just two other questions. Does the Pacifica have passing speed in the mountains and is the engine noisy?
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    twoof1twoof1 Member Posts: 308
    It's not a rocket, but I had no problem making passes on the 2 lane stretches of hwy 395 if you know the area, then you will know what I mean. In terms of engine noise, personally it's not objectionable for me. You should go and test drive one to see for yourself.
    Please post your thoughts after you test drive in the general Pacifica forum as this forum is more for owners care & maintenance as the title suggests.
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    ulrikaulrika Member Posts: 2
    In response to messages #63 and #91...

    My husband and I have also experienced problems with the car stalling when we are coming to a stop. We've had the car for 1 month and have approximately 1,600 miles on it. It's happened 4 times to me and 1 time to my husband (but I'm the main driver). I took the car into the dealer and they upgraded the "software" but the problem isn't fixed. I posted this problem under the "problems and solutions" board (see Post #237) but have not received any replies to that post. All four of the stalls I experienced happened at the same exact intersection, same time of the day when it's cold outside, using the heater and the radio turned on, not using the Autostick feature. (You may be on to something when you mention that you were turning the car slightly...I am also starting to turn the vehicle before I come to a complete stop at this intersection.) The cars going back into the dealer on Nov. 17th. I'll post any information that I find out from this service. Ulrika
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    jamesarm97jamesarm97 Member Posts: 18
    I just experienced this Stalling problem Sunday (see post #63 and #91). I was going about the same speed, 40mph and put on the brakes to slow down / come to a stop while making a right hand turn on a yield. The car then became hard to steer and the oil light came on. The engine had stalled. The funny thing was I really could not tell the engine was not running because the Pacifica is so quiet.
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    ecicero1ecicero1 Member Posts: 10
    I had a banging noise coming from the rear suspension. The problem turned out to be loose mud/splash guard in the rear wheel well. I checked other PAC on the lot and they were all that way. The dealer corrected the problem by riveting the guards, problem solved.
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    drewh1drewh1 Member Posts: 2
    My dealer found the problem to be the 'throttle module" needed to be replaced. Apparently not a small thing to replace. I've driven for the past three weeks with no reoccurring problem. Get it fixed! since on my way to the dealer it stalled...missed hitting three vehicles. This is a very dangerous problem...
     
    No technical service bulletin's have been posted for this vehicle so problems like these are being kept 'offline'...
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    mnpacificamnpacifica Member Posts: 5
    Drewh1 can you give me the name and address of the dealer who fixed the throttle module? I brought mine in a couple of weeks ago and of course the stall didn't register to the computer and the dealer couldn't repeat the problem. I just received a recall notice for some other fix and I'd like to give my dealer someone to contact regarding the stalling problem. This way I only have to bring the vehicle in once to fix both problems.
    Lori
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