pretty interesting in that an aquaintance bought a PT when they first came out. Only compalints were that it didn't get cool enough inside on the hottest Tx days. And his FRONT washers "weeped" leaving water spots on his hood.
A/C will freeze me out. Of course, I live in the OH valley. Don't know that it gets as hot as TX, but during a brutal August here (high 90's, high humidity) my A/C cooled the car within a couple of minutes. I rarely turned the fan past the 2nd position.
Maybe because of my height (6'), I don't have the reflections you speak of on the dash.
Longest trip I've taken in it was 3 hours one way. Obviously, we're talking about noise perception here, but I found the seats, noise level, comfort and ride to be very good. Not as good as my 300M, but the 300M isn't as fast and doesn't handle as well either. Noise level on take off gives a definitive growl, but once in cruising mode, it is quiet.
About the seats, I don't know if I'm considered "wide" or not (have a 36" waist), but I find the seats comfortable. I do agree that I would like more lateral support in the thigh area, though when I do aggressive driving.
Can't comment about the turning radius, because I haven't had a problem parking the PT. I'm able to manuever much better in the PT than in my 300M.
My MPG is 19 in town and 24 on the highway...dead on what the sticker said it would be. From what I've read on other BBs, once the PT has about 5K-10K miles on it, MPG will go up.
I will admit that my 0-60 numbers were derived on a semi-secluded road with no traffic. Trac control was off and I shifted using the auto stick, shifting at around 5,500 RPM. Letting the auto shift for itself, trac control on and just stomping on the gas yielded 0-60 in the high 6s. This was all done after "break-in".
you are looking for. My PT seems just fine for some longer trips. It is a lot better than my old Prelude. Believe it or not long trips were best driven in my old RamCharger. Lots of room and big thick seats. I don't have a turbo and I can assume that is one of the reasons I get better mileage than the ones posted above. I have a cold air intake and a Dynamax exhaust system so road noise is not a problem. I don't know what sounds better, the woop of intake air or the burble of exhaust.
I need help locating others with this problem for my upcoming Lemon Law case next Tuesday, 10-01-02. The car is consuming one quart of oil for every 300-500 miles driven. Chrysler tried fixing it with a silicone seal to the baffle under the valve cover. No luck. Chrysler dealer did a dye test, but never pulled the engine apart to determine location of problem. Supposedly there are others out there that had their cars repaired at a different dealership and the dealership said the problem was improperly honed cylinder heads. Communication between Chrysler and their dealerships is very poor regarding tech support directives. Warranty paperwork has been sporadic at best, and Chrysler says that they are unaware of all the visits I've made to the dealership for this oil consumption problem, hence I am seeking help under the Lemon Law.
Please advise me ASAP if any of you have had problems with oil consumption and if so, has it been successfully remedied? And if so, how??? Have you had difficulties with your dealership and/or Chrysler?
Also, my air bag lite is on and won't go off.
I would like to advise others dealing with Chrysler to BE SURE to get all service and/or warranty paperwork at the time of each visit and make sure that it is accurate and describes exactly what was done at that visit -- mine doesn't!!! It is difficult dealing with Customer Service and Chrysler higher-up's after the fact.
My Lemon Law hearing is set for Tuesday 10/1/02. Any feedback regarding this issue would be very much appreciated!!
My '01 Cruiser goes 5000 miles between oil changes with no detectable consumption. I've heard of others with varying degrees of oil consumption, but nothing like you've experienced.
I had oil consumption problems on a mid-90s accord that my wife had...a qt used every 500 miles. Dealer said it was normal. Finally got the "Honda rep" to come out and take a look. He said it was normal, too (AHHHHHH!!!!) They did the "die" thing and couldn't find anything. Could it be that your PT is "burning" (not leaking") the oil? Only an engine tear down will tell you.
The comment about the cruise/auto tranny down shifting going down hill. I actually like that feature. Going down very steep hills, the overdrive "kicks off" and I get commpression breaking while negotiating steep declines. That helps me immeasurably while negotiating steep roads.
Hi everyone. My mother-in-law bought a 2002 PT on Monday. She mentioned last night that it "shimmies" around 40 mph and stops at about 45 mph. She says it does not do it any other time. I have not driven it, so I don't know specifics for sure. I guess she did not test drive it at that speed if she did not notice it on her test drive. I suggested she call the service department and see what they say. I wonder if it is a product of the way they gear the transmission with the 4 cyl engine? I wonder if a shift occurs at approx. 40 mph; and, if she stays at that speed on a level road then the higher gear at lower RPMs is causing the vibration until she gains a little more speed? Anyone else have this problem? Thanks.
There is a message board on AOL for posters to give their opinions on which vehicles they think are the ugliest. No surprise that the Pontiac Aztek is the winner by a big margin. The Chevrolet Avalanche also gets a big thumbs down.
However, it surprised me that the PT Cruiser gets almost as many ugly comments as the above vehicles. A large number of posters say it looks like a hearse. I think many people don't understand the retro styling. Any comments?
Neither my wifes automatic or my 5 speed shimmy. They are both very stable up to 70+ mph. I would suggest that she have it checked at the dealer. My gut reaction would be tires. Goodyear seems to have problems with the Eagle LS tires that come on the Cruiser, there have been a spate of complaints over tire problems.
I thought about the tires, but I thought it strange that the car does not "shimmy" at any higher speed. I'm sure she will get it checked out as soon as she can. Thanks.
I think the PT is one of those styles that you either like or you don't. Some people must like Aztecs because I see a few on the roads. I even know of a few people who ASPIRE to own those Avalanche things!
I will say this for the PT Cruiser, though--When it first came out I thought it was pretty cool, but would fade away as a fad. I guess I was wrong. People are still attracted to them. Like I mentioned a couple of posts ago, my mother-in-law just bought one and she says she has had many people these last couple of days ask her about it. There will always be people who have something bad to say about any car--what can you do?
dlower I heard lemon law cases for 15 years. Documentation was very important to me. I found dealers were frequently either not writing repair orders or would return the car with something on the order of unable to duplicate or normal as their diagnosis.
For an oil use problem you should have been logging when you had to add oil so you can show how often and how many miles you could drive before having to add. Usually, as long as you have enough (the number depends on the state, four in my state) repair requests within the time period (and miles) your state allows for lemon law, the fact that no repair was made should not matter. In short, as long as you can document you gave the dealer enough chances (the repair orders) to fix the car, that the problem does exist (your log when you added oil and maybe receipts for oil purchased), and they didn't fix the car, you will be in a strong position.
If your documentation is weak, be sure to explain why.
So far, I agree communication from DC is weak. I called them twice, and e-mailed them also about my waterfall rear window washer (it weeps when not used, so there are water lines down the window all the time, and on the tailgate too - kind of like having a drippy faucet). It is now two weeks and they have not called nor e-mailed.
boaz47 You are correct in that it depends on what what one wants for a long trip car. For me, the P/T seats are on the small side, but still quite comfortable. The room is fine too. However, compared to my MDX and Avalon, or the Jag it replaced, the P/Turbo is noisier, doesn't ride as well, doesn't "feel" like it is as stable (it does corner a little better than the MDX) at high speed, doesn't have as strong an A/C, and has a very short range. That said, we love it anyway because it is a blast to drive. There is nothing wrong with it for trips, but, as you said, it depends on what one wants. I prefer the isolation of the other cars for long freeway drives.
graphicguy The downshifting while the cruise control is on takes place on freeway hills where the car, if the cruise control is not in use, will slow by just easing a bit on the gas pedal while in overdrive. In my case it is an downshift that is not needed to maintain speed (or keep from speeding up). I agree with you that on very steep grades it would be a good thing, but I probably wouldn't be using cruise control on those.
The impression I have is that the cruise control is just a bit slow easing the throttle under some conditions as one crests a freeway hill. The result is the car speeds up about three mph and the downshift occurs, with third being held all the way down the hill. Where the initial down slope is less, and the cruise can hold the speed even as the car starts down the hill, the transmission will stay in overdrive even as the hill steepens to a greater slope than the one where it downshifts near the top.
As for the "retro" styling, maybe one has to be old enough? It was the retro look that caught our eye and the primary reason my wife wanted a P/T (and it was also the main reason she wanted the S-Type 4.0 Jag before the P/Turbo) - note: the P/Turbo is much more fun to drive than the Jag.
tires. The GM Truck style prior to '88 would shimmy at 45 mph with the Uniroyals that came on them. Pickups and Suburbans. Every one I ever drove or rode in. Faster or slower was ok. Took off the Uniroyals, went away. Whatever changed with the body style change in '88 they no longer did it.
The Cruiser could have rested on the retro styling and would have sold well for a while, and then interest would have died as people moved on to the next cool thing. The one thing saving the Cruiser is that if you strip away the retro styling, you are still left with a very capable and flexible car.
I am amazed at the amount of junk that I can haul in such a compact package. I have had the rear seats out a few times (something I would never have done in my van) and have had the back packed full.
I notice the new TV ad stresses the flexibility and load carrying ability.
I appreciate the feedback. Sorry for the delay. It seems as though these little babies are well put together. I think you could get a sour taste in your mouth about any little thing (espicially on a new car) so the little things can be fixed. With my wife doing all her driving in town, the PT should shine. I get to hit the highway and blow it out on occasion. I guess we just have to decide on a color and Limited or Touring Package and we're on our way. See you on the road!! Thank you, again, to all for the responses.
I've kept my 17" tires inflated to 35. I just noticed yesterday, that the tire placard states that cold inflation should be 38 psi. Anyone done this? Any differences in ride and or handling?
Hi all, just bought a 2002 Limited 5 speed with 6000 miles. Love the car so far, but have noticed a strange thing. When creeping up at a drive thru, or traffic light, the RPMs go up over 2000, then back to about 1000. You know, when you slightly give gas, and let out the clutch, then back in with the clutch and off the gas...the rpms should drop back to idle speed, about 900rpm or so, but instead, they climb to 2000 first. BTW, this is with a warm engine, haven't noticed it with cold engine. Anyone else experience this and have a fix? Dealer say "normal" yea right!
graphicguy - My dealer gave me the car with the tires under inflated. One of the first turbos and I suspect the get ready people didn't know the turbo's 17 inch tires take 38 psi.
I increased the pressure from the 33-34 the car came with to 38. Didn't notice any difference in ride, but the turn in seems sharper with the higher pressure. I wonder if your better starting traction is due to lower tire pressure. Probably the road rather than the tire pressure, but I wonder.
Notes: Car remains tight and rattle free at 1500+ miles. Only real problem has been the weeping rear washer. I installed an in line check valve the dealer gave me over the weekend and hope this stops the weeping. Speedometer is accurate according to mile markers on the road. Drove it for 150 miles yesterday and found the seats okay, though they could use more side support for me, My wife finds them fine. Had to raise the headlight aim some - helped a lot.
Mpg has gotten a little better on the highway. Now 22-23 with A/C on and at the high SoCal freeway speeds. Local mpg staying in the mid teens. A/C, in town stop and go, remains weak, but improves to okay when recirculate is used. Works well enough on the highway. Reflections in windshield are much less if I scrunch a down in the seat, so it appears that those of us that sit tall in the saddle (the seat is all the way down) see glare and such while those that sit "shorter" don't.
According to the 2003 PT Cruiser service manual, page 24-5, the A/C performance of the GT is apparently less than the other models. Left center panel outlet temperatures for the turbo engine cars can be as much as 11 to 18 degrees warmer than the non turbo engine cars, depending on outside temperature, and still be within specification.
The charts shown in the service manual are for a low engine speed (like being caught in stop and go traffic). Maybe the turbo has a higher underhood temperature at low speeds and that reduces A/C efficiency?
The service manual seems to confirm my impression that my turbo's A/C isn't so great in warm day, low speed, stop and go traffic.
Thanks for sharing what you found with the tire pressure. I'll increase mine and see what happens. Could be my speed ratings were based on lower tier pressure. Don't know unless I go into checking before/after speed runs. Of course, weather today is different that it was a 8 weeks ago. Actually, too many variables involved to do that test again. Maybe I'll give it another test next spring to see if there are any changes.
A/C performance could very well be affected by the higher temps of the turbo engine. It's just not been a problem for me in the OH valley. I'm sure that the temps here aren't as consistently as hot as it is in TX.
You have about the same mileage as I have. I've not driven my PT GT very much (1,400+ miles in two months) because of having 4 cars and only two drivers. That'll change given the fact that I've decided to get rid of some of the "fleet" that's been sitting in my garage and in my driveway.
I should check my mileage. I checked it when I first got it and it was dead on what the sticker said. I'll probably check it next fill-up.
It is always wise to check the pressure requirements on the side wall. I just changed to winter all weather tires. They are made by dunlop and I got them pretty much for their wet weather traction and high wear rating. With a wear rating in the 450 area I knew they would be a bit harder than my summer tires but I didn't realize that they were supposed to run 44 pounds rather than 34 or 38. I was lucky that the installer pointed out the tire pressure to me.
I have no idea there is such a thing. I only need winter tires because we live at about 5000 feet in the mountains and once winter starts it get more rain than snow. I have spike spiders that are used like clip on chains for snow but I have found that most aggressive performance tires hate both rain and snow. It doesn't get much below freezing for more than a day or two at a time and the average temp during the winter is in the 40's. I have noticed that the wear rating on Falkons, and Eagles are between 100 and 200 so I would imagine the all season Dunlops will last me at least two years. I have never had a performance tire last more than a year. 32 miles a day on a winding twisting mountain road will take its toll on a soft sticky tire. Now if I get a second set of rims I can simply keep one set in the shed till the right season comes around.
My wife just purchased a 2002 cruiser with the woody option --my question is is there any special cleaner or wax out there to use on this? P.S.GREAT CAR
John, I had my doubts but I have heard so many stores about heaters and blankets and even oil warmers from my North and Eastern friends that I wouldn't put much of anything passed them. I have lived on the West Coast almost all of my life and never had a need to use many of the preventative methods some from the colder regions of our great nation have. I have even heard stories about facial hair freezing and breaking off? Could this be true? I would have to take someone else's word for it.
This is just an FYI. The 44 psi rating on the sidewall of your winter tires is NOT the recommended tire pressure. It is the MAX allowable cold pressure that you can safely run without risk of a tire blowout as the tire heats up. You should never inflate your tires based on that rating. It is simply a safety rating. Always inflate your tires to what the manufacturer tells you as that is what the car was designed to handle with. Anything lower or higher could adversely affect the handling of your car, especially in extreme conditions.
frozen but none broke off. I don't doubt that it could though. I've been out when it was so cold your nostrils wanted to stick together when you breathed and it made you lungs hurt. That's when you'd rather be in your PT Cruiser! (to stay on subject)
That the heater in my Pt works pretty well come to think of it. I was surprised how well it works in the back also. The PT reminds me a bit of the second Chrysler product I have ever owned. I had a 1948 Plymouth club coupe. It was a three speed stick and had a Flat head 6 but I thought it was a pretty cool car. I was working at an auto parts store and an old mechanic that worked in the back had the car. When he sold it to me all it needed was a timing chain. He showed me how to replace it and I had several good years of service from that car. The inside head room was very similar to what the PT seems to have today as well as the seating position. I had a bench seat however. What I like about the PT is it has about as much room as that old Plymouth but things work a lot better. The heater in the Plymouth worked but there was no defroster so you had to keep a rag handy on cold days when it rained. If you happened to be in the back seat it would have been better to try and start a fire than wait till the heat got back to you.
This is a re-post of an earlier message in hopes that I can find some info on this problem.... I have seen a couple of mentions of this on other forums, but no one has indicated a fix or resolution after their first post explaining the SAME problem I am having. Any one have any ideas??? Thanks again.
Hi all, just bought a 2002 Limited 5 speed with 6000 miles. Love the car so far, but have noticed a strange thing. When creeping up at a drive thru, or traffic light, the RPMs go up over 2000, then back to about 1000. You know, when you slightly give gas, and let out the clutch, then back in with the clutch and off the gas...the rpms should drop back to idle speed, about 800-900rpm or so, but instead, they climb to 2000 first. BTW, this is with a warm engine, haven't noticed it with cold engine. Anyone else experience this and have a fix? Dealer say "normal" yea right!
I've noticed quite a few of you with "weeping" window wipers....the solution to that problem is to take a 1/4 inch drill bit and drill a hole in the cap of your window washer fluid tank...that has been the fix for some time now (2 years). Also....I never found the problem with my cruiser leaking so darn much oil on the garage floor....no it wasn't the filter or oil pan bolt...I wasn't about to go through the hassle with Chrysler in court....sooooo I traded it in last weekend..... I will say this...It is one of the nicest looking cars out there....my wife and I drove it the first year June 2000 from Lancaster to Yellowstone and of course the Tetons and beyond...5,317 miles to be exact. It did a great job pulling the mountains and protecting us from bears in the park.....I never did get use to all the road noise....at times we would have to yell to each other (not a joke)...that was frustrating...checked the gas mileage twice on that trip....highest was 28.8 and 27.7....thought that was pretty good considering all the hills etc.....hated filling up with gas all the time though....(small tank)..the other thing that really bugged me was the rpms at 70 mph...something like 3000 plus rpms?...anyway we have some wonderful photos with that car....was kinda comfy....and the guy that posted his concern about the reflection in the window from the dash is 100% right on....it is the worse I've ever seen..You can't beat the rear seats for room and comfort in such a small pkg....anyhow...thanks for listening in and I wish all of you fun in your PT's.....
Yes, there are times when my RPM will spike for just a second. Well unless to air or Defroster is running and then the RPMs increase with the compressor load. They just take longer to fall off when they are on. I am not sure but I think it is the way the fast idle circuit works causes it to climb a bit when you push in the clutch after hitting the gas for any reason. In the old days when we had carbs the throttle would fall against a dash pot that would keep the idle from falling off too fast and causing the car to stall. Today that is done with a idling circuit and I think that might come into play if you push in the clutch and the idle is dropping at the same time. This is a wild guess and it only happens to me now and then but I have come to expect it if I am creeping forward and suddenly hit the brake and clutch about the same time. This may not be the real reason but it isn't a problem that I can live with.
Thanks for your observations....and explanations of the possible reasons...it does seem more and more that this is a characteristic of the car with 5 speed, rather than a malfunction I am experiencing. Perhaps it is more pronounced in my car? I find it more obvious with the A/C on, and a warm engine. The rpm will actually go UP to 2100 from 1000 without any pressure on the gas pedal when depressing the clutch and letting off the gas, while creeping. The funny thing, is at a zero vehicle speed, I can raise and lower the rpm with the gas pedal, and it will return to idle speed of 800-900 normally, but if the vehicle is creeping along, say 2-5 mph, the idle will spike to 2100. Weird?
lfike, Mine is a rear washer that weeps. The tank vent on mine is a wide slot in the tank neck tread area and is wide open. Even tried with the cap off. Rear washer still dribbled. Chrysler no help at all. Fixed by installing a check valve in line at the nozzle.
Maybe noise insulation is better on my turbo. While it certainly is not quiet at high freeway speeds, I wouldn't call it loud either. I'd like it quieter too, but conversation hasn't been a problem.
No problems with noise on mine, either. It "growls" on take-off, but is quiet while cruising. Get the engine up above 3,000 RPM and I love the sound the engine makes. Cams get really moving, velocity becomes thrilling (reminds me of the old two stage 4 bll carbs in the old big block V8s). Then you are really moving. Although childish, I really love "taking flight" against Celicas, souped up Hondas and older Mustang GTs, and even some V8 powered pick-ups. They never see the badges on the back when they are side-by-side at a red light. It just looks like a regular cruiser until they see my tailights up in the distance (asking themselves, "what was that?").
The air and defroster will increase the RPMs because of the load created by the compressor. With the defroster you can be sitting at a light and when the compressor comes on hear what sounds like both the compressor and the fan come on as the idle increases. I think it is part of the computer management system. The stick may make it more noticeable. At idle the computer senses a load and increases the idle speed to keep it at factory specs. When you push in the clutch the load drops off all of a sudden and it takes a moment for the idle circuit to adjust. This is not the first car I have had this happen in. It just seems more noticeable in a stick.
Again, thanks for the additonal thoughts on my rpm increase. I am familiar with the rpm increases with A/C use, and defroster use (I am VERY familiar with A/C, but what's a defroster? I live in Southern AZ! LOL) This condition I expalin (perhaps I didn't explain it well) doesn't seem like that at all..in fact, the rpm goes up to 2000-2100 when the clucth is depressed and the gas pedal released suddenly, as I inch up at a left turn, or backing out of a parking space in the mall. It really deosn't seem to be a matter of the load being released from the engine, but rather an electronic control increasing the rpm. The funny thing is, if the vehicle is stopped, it doesn't do it, but anything over about 2mph, it will. Example: If I slightly depress the gas pedal from ilde, say to 1200-1500 rpm, and release while the vehicle is stopped, the rpm increases and decreases relative to pedal (as it should), but if the car is moving slightly, with this same test, after I release the gas pedal at 1200-1500 rpm, the rpm will increase to 2100 first, before decreasing. Could it be related to some sort of vehicle speed sensor? This condition is only with a warm engine, I have not been able to duplicate it with a cold engine.
I saw a post on another PT forum with a 5 speed driver mentioning being irritaded with the same conditon, and another 5 speed driver (also apparently, a certified mechanic) replying that it wasn't normal, and may be the MAP sensor, as DC is noted for bad map sensors? I have tried to get replies from them to see if it has been corrected, to no avail, yet.
If you get a chance to try to duplicate this, I would be happy to hear if yours does it, or not. thanks,
Sounds like you should take it into your dealer. IF they say everything is in "spec", check to make sure that nothing is "lodged" around your accelerator. Better yet, take the mechanic with you on a test drive to show him what is happening.
I have an autostick and my RPMs are consistently ~700RPM at idle, maybe a little above that with the A/C compressor on.
Graphicguy Take a look under the rear of your Turbo. Is the Rear Stabilizer Bar, that the window sticker says is standard, actually there. Mine has no rear stabilizer bar.
The service manual shows a rear bar and says some models may have one in addition to the torque tube inside the rear axle.
There is a question about that very issue floating around on another discussion site, which shall not be named.
Apparently Chrysler is now reporting that the suspension for 2003 has been drastically revised and that the rear sway bar is now redundant. The Window sticker has not yet been revised to reflect that. A similar situation arose when Chrysler went from "Chrome" to "Chrome Clad" wheels.
That said, consider discussing the matter with your dealer. With the amount of interest generated recently, they may have gotten more information.
Called DC and essentially was told the rear stabilizer bar was not needed and therefore was not installed. Sounded to me like a "canned" answer that gave no reason why the window sticker says there should be one. Dealer research of the car's vin number and build codes for the rear stabilizer shows the car equipped with the bar.
The rear suspension hasn't been "drastically" revised. Tweaked some, yes, but it is still essentially the same twist beam rear the P/Ts started with about three years ago. The rear axle has a torque tube running through the axle that does the same thing as a stabilizer bar.
To me, it appears that for all practical purposes, because they do the same thing, the torque tube can be thought of as an internal rear stabilizer bar. A small adjustment in the size of the torque tube can make the external rear stabilizer bar unnecessary to achieve the desired roll resistance.
According to the parts people there is a different torque tube for cars that have a rear stabilizer bar. The service manual shows the rear stabilizer bar and gives instructions for installation and removal.
I wonder how the car will handle with more rear roll resistance. It would be nice to have less "lean."
Yes, I'm aware of the missing rear "sway bar". I looked and it's not there. I also called Chrysler and got the same answer everyone else did...the suspension was "re-worked" to the point that the rear sway bar was no longer needed. They also said that the MSRP stickers on the first "run" out of the factory did not reflect the changes.
To me, it's Chryser's mistake and someone is probably going to take heat in Auburn Hills over the omission.
I also spoke to my dealer. They are aware of the "faux pax" and asked me to come into the dealership. They said they'd put the sway bar on (if you look, the area where it's supposed to be installed still has the holes drilled for attachment), they would. They said that I could drive a "loaner" that has the sway bar attached. If I could tell the difference, they would go ahead and install it. If I couldn't tell the difference, they agreed to offer service or accesories that would be equal in price to the cost of the sway bar and installation...figure it's got to be a couple hundred bucks.
I'll let you know what I find out.
Although, I'm not thrilled with the mistake, they seem to be doing everything they can to make me happy.
I see the Govt finally posted the new frontal crash test rating for the 2002 P/T. Now 4 stars for the driver, a big improvement. Hope the 2003 is the same or better.
Comments
Maybe because of my height (6'), I don't have the reflections you speak of on the dash.
Longest trip I've taken in it was 3 hours one way. Obviously, we're talking about noise perception here, but I found the seats, noise level, comfort and ride to be very good. Not as good as my 300M, but the 300M isn't as fast and doesn't handle as well either. Noise level on take off gives a definitive growl, but once in cruising mode, it is quiet.
About the seats, I don't know if I'm considered "wide" or not (have a 36" waist), but I find the seats comfortable. I do agree that I would like more lateral support in the thigh area, though when I do aggressive driving.
Can't comment about the turning radius, because I haven't had a problem parking the PT. I'm able to manuever much better in the PT than in my 300M.
My MPG is 19 in town and 24 on the highway...dead on what the sticker said it would be. From what I've read on other BBs, once the PT has about 5K-10K miles on it, MPG will go up.
I will admit that my 0-60 numbers were derived on a semi-secluded road with no traffic. Trac control was off and I shifted using the auto stick, shifting at around 5,500 RPM. Letting the auto shift for itself, trac control on and just stomping on the gas yielded 0-60 in the high 6s. This was all done after "break-in".
The car is consuming one quart of oil for every 300-500 miles driven. Chrysler tried fixing it with a silicone seal to the baffle under the valve cover. No luck. Chrysler dealer did a dye test, but never pulled the engine apart to determine location of problem. Supposedly there are others out there that had their cars repaired at a different dealership and the dealership said the problem was improperly honed cylinder heads. Communication between Chrysler and their dealerships is very poor regarding tech support directives. Warranty paperwork has been sporadic at best, and Chrysler says that they are unaware of all the visits I've made to the dealership for this oil consumption problem, hence I am seeking help under the Lemon Law.
Please advise me ASAP if any of you have had problems with oil consumption and if so, has it been successfully remedied? And if so, how??? Have you had difficulties with your dealership and/or Chrysler?
Also, my air bag lite is on and won't go off.
I would like to advise others dealing with Chrysler to BE SURE to get all service and/or warranty paperwork at the time of each visit and make sure that it is accurate and describes exactly what was done at that visit -- mine doesn't!!! It is difficult dealing with Customer Service and Chrysler higher-up's after the fact.
My Lemon Law hearing is set for Tuesday 10/1/02. Any feedback regarding this issue would be very much appreciated!!
Thanks, Doug
The comment about the cruise/auto tranny down shifting going down hill. I actually like that feature. Going down very steep hills, the overdrive "kicks off" and I get commpression breaking while negotiating steep declines. That helps me immeasurably while negotiating steep roads.
However, it surprised me that the PT Cruiser gets almost as many ugly comments as the above vehicles. A large number of posters say it looks like a hearse. I think many people don't understand the retro styling. Any comments?
Comments...Sure!...those people are jealous!!
I will say this for the PT Cruiser, though--When it first came out I thought it was pretty cool, but would fade away as a fad. I guess I was wrong. People are still attracted to them. Like I mentioned a couple of posts ago, my mother-in-law just bought one and she says she has had many people these last couple of days ask her about it. There will always be people who have something bad to say about any car--what can you do?
I heard lemon law cases for 15 years. Documentation was very important to me. I found dealers were frequently either not writing repair orders or would return the car with something on the order of unable to duplicate or normal as their diagnosis.
For an oil use problem you should have been logging when you had to add oil so you can show how often and how many miles you could drive before having to add. Usually, as long as you have enough (the number depends on the state, four in my state) repair requests within the time period (and miles) your state allows for lemon law, the fact that no repair was made should not matter. In short, as long as you can document you gave the dealer enough chances (the repair orders) to fix the car, that the problem does exist (your log when you added oil and maybe receipts for oil purchased), and they didn't fix the car, you will be in a strong position.
If your documentation is weak, be sure to explain why.
So far, I agree communication from DC is weak. I called them twice, and e-mailed them also about my waterfall rear window washer (it weeps when not used, so there are water lines down the window all the time, and on the tailgate too - kind of like having a drippy faucet). It is now two weeks and they have not called nor e-mailed.
boaz47
You are correct in that it depends on what what one wants for a long trip car. For me, the P/T seats are on the small side, but still quite comfortable. The room is fine too. However, compared to my MDX and Avalon, or the Jag it replaced, the P/Turbo is noisier, doesn't ride as well, doesn't "feel" like it is as stable (it does corner a little better than the MDX) at high speed, doesn't have as strong an A/C, and has a very short range. That said, we love it anyway because it is a blast to drive. There is nothing wrong with it for trips, but, as you said, it depends on what one wants. I prefer the isolation of the other cars for long freeway drives.
graphicguy
The downshifting while the cruise control is on takes place on freeway hills where the car, if the cruise control is not in use, will slow by just easing a bit on the gas pedal while in overdrive. In my case it is an downshift that is not needed to maintain speed (or keep from speeding up). I agree with you that on very steep grades it would be a good thing, but I probably wouldn't be using cruise control on those.
The impression I have is that the cruise control is just a bit slow easing the throttle under some conditions as one crests a freeway hill. The result is the car speeds up about three mph and the downshift occurs, with third being held all the way down the hill. Where the initial down slope is less, and the cruise can hold the speed even as the car starts down the hill, the transmission will stay in overdrive even as the hill steepens to a greater slope than the one where it downshifts near the top.
As for the "retro" styling, maybe one has to be old enough? It was the retro look that caught our eye and the primary reason my wife wanted a P/T (and it was also the main reason she wanted the S-Type 4.0 Jag before the P/Turbo) - note: the P/Turbo is much more fun to drive than the Jag.
I am amazed at the amount of junk that I can haul in such a compact package. I have had the rear seats out a few times (something I would never have done in my van) and have had the back packed full.
I notice the new TV ad stresses the flexibility and load carrying ability.
thanks
I increased the pressure from the 33-34 the car came with to 38. Didn't notice any difference in ride, but the turn in seems sharper with the higher pressure. I wonder if your better starting traction is due to lower tire pressure. Probably the road rather than the tire pressure, but I wonder.
Notes: Car remains tight and rattle free at 1500+ miles. Only real problem has been the weeping rear washer. I installed an in line check valve the dealer gave me over the weekend and hope this stops the weeping. Speedometer is accurate according to mile markers on the road. Drove it for 150 miles yesterday and found the seats okay, though they could use more side support for me, My wife finds them fine. Had to raise the headlight aim some - helped a lot.
Mpg has gotten a little better on the highway. Now 22-23 with A/C on and at the high SoCal freeway speeds. Local mpg staying in the mid teens. A/C, in town stop and go, remains weak, but improves to okay when recirculate is used. Works well enough on the highway. Reflections in windshield are much less if I scrunch a down in the seat, so it appears that those of us that sit tall in the saddle (the seat is all the way down) see glare and such while those that sit "shorter" don't.
The charts shown in the service manual are for a low engine speed (like being caught in stop and go traffic). Maybe the turbo has a higher underhood temperature at low speeds and that reduces A/C efficiency?
The service manual seems to confirm my impression that my turbo's A/C isn't so great in warm day, low speed, stop and go traffic.
A/C performance could very well be affected by the higher temps of the turbo engine. It's just not been a problem for me in the OH valley. I'm sure that the temps here aren't as consistently as hot as it is in TX.
You have about the same mileage as I have. I've not driven my PT GT very much (1,400+ miles in two months) because of having 4 cars and only two drivers. That'll change given the fact that I've decided to get rid of some of the "fleet" that's been sitting in my garage and in my driveway.
I should check my mileage. I checked it when I first got it and it was dead on what the sticker said. I'll probably check it next fill-up.
Thanks for your input.
www.zainobros.com
I've been using it for years and have yet to find anything better.
I have seen a couple of mentions of this on other forums, but no one has indicated a fix or resolution after their first post explaining the SAME problem I am having. Any one have any ideas??? Thanks again.
Hi all, just bought a 2002 Limited 5 speed with 6000 miles. Love the car so far, but have noticed a strange thing. When creeping up at a drive thru, or traffic light, the RPMs go up over 2000, then back to about 1000. You know, when you slightly give gas, and let out the clutch, then back in with the clutch and off the gas...the rpms should drop back to idle speed, about 800-900rpm or so, but instead, they climb to 2000 first. BTW, this is with a warm engine, haven't noticed it with cold engine. Anyone else experience this and have a fix? Dealer say "normal" yea right!
thanks for any help, Jeff
window wipers....the solution to that problem is to take a 1/4 inch drill bit and drill a hole in the cap of your window washer fluid tank...that has been the fix for some time now (2 years).
Also....I never found the problem with my cruiser leaking so darn much oil on the garage floor....no it wasn't the filter or oil pan bolt...I wasn't about to go through the hassle with Chrysler in court....sooooo I traded it in last weekend.....
I will say this...It is one of the nicest looking cars out there....my wife and I drove it the first year June 2000 from Lancaster to Yellowstone
and of course the Tetons and beyond...5,317 miles to be exact. It did a great job pulling the mountains and protecting us from bears in the park.....I never did get use to all the road noise....at times we would have to yell to each other (not a joke)...that was frustrating...checked the gas mileage twice on that trip....highest was 28.8 and 27.7....thought that was pretty good considering all the hills etc.....hated filling up with gas all the time though....(small tank)..the other thing that really bugged me was the rpms at 70 mph...something like 3000 plus rpms?...anyway we have some wonderful photos with that car....was kinda comfy....and the guy that posted his concern about the reflection in the window from the dash is 100% right on....it is the worse I've ever seen..You can't beat the rear seats for room and comfort in such a small pkg....anyhow...thanks for listening in and I wish all of you fun in your PT's.....
GOD Bless America
Mine is a rear washer that weeps. The tank vent on mine is a wide slot in the tank neck tread area and is wide open. Even tried with the cap off. Rear washer still dribbled. Chrysler no help at all. Fixed by installing a check valve in line at the nozzle.
Maybe noise insulation is better on my turbo. While it certainly is not quiet at high freeway speeds, I wouldn't call it loud either. I'd like it quieter too, but conversation hasn't been a problem.
I do wish that it had a larger gas tank, though.
I am familiar with the rpm increases with A/C use, and defroster use (I am VERY familiar with A/C, but what's a defroster? I live in Southern AZ! LOL)
This condition I expalin (perhaps I didn't explain it well) doesn't seem like that at all..in fact, the rpm goes up to 2000-2100 when the clucth is depressed and the gas pedal released suddenly, as I inch up at a left turn, or backing out of a parking space in the mall. It really deosn't seem to be a matter of the load being released from the engine, but rather an electronic control increasing the rpm. The funny thing is, if the vehicle is stopped, it doesn't do it, but anything over about 2mph, it will.
Example: If I slightly depress the gas pedal from ilde, say to 1200-1500 rpm, and release while the vehicle is stopped, the rpm increases and decreases relative to pedal (as it should), but if the car is moving slightly, with this same test, after I release the gas pedal at 1200-1500 rpm, the rpm will increase to 2100 first, before decreasing. Could it be related to some sort of vehicle speed sensor? This condition is only with a warm engine, I have not been able to duplicate it with a cold engine.
I saw a post on another PT forum with a 5 speed driver mentioning being irritaded with the same conditon, and another 5 speed driver (also apparently, a certified mechanic) replying that it wasn't normal, and may be the MAP sensor, as DC is noted for bad map sensors? I have tried to get replies from them to see if it has been corrected, to no avail, yet.
If you get a chance to try to duplicate this, I would be happy to hear if yours does it, or not. thanks,
Sorry for long post,
Jeff
I have an autostick and my RPMs are consistently ~700RPM at idle, maybe a little above that with the A/C compressor on.
What do you think? ;-)
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
Take a look under the rear of your Turbo. Is the Rear Stabilizer Bar, that the window sticker says is standard, actually there. Mine has no rear stabilizer bar.
The service manual shows a rear bar and says some models may have one in addition to the torque tube inside the rear axle.
Apparently Chrysler is now reporting that the suspension for 2003 has been drastically revised and that the rear sway bar is now redundant. The Window sticker has not yet been revised to reflect that. A similar situation arose when Chrysler went from "Chrome" to "Chrome Clad" wheels.
That said, consider discussing the matter with your dealer. With the amount of interest generated recently, they may have gotten more information.
The rear suspension hasn't been "drastically" revised. Tweaked some, yes, but it is still essentially the same twist beam rear the P/Ts started with about three years ago. The rear axle has a torque tube running through the axle that does the same thing as a stabilizer bar.
To me, it appears that for all practical purposes, because they do the same thing, the torque tube can be thought of as an internal rear stabilizer bar. A small adjustment in the size of the torque tube can make the external rear stabilizer bar unnecessary to achieve the desired roll resistance.
According to the parts people there is a different torque tube for cars that have a rear stabilizer bar. The service manual shows the rear stabilizer bar and gives instructions for installation and removal.
I wonder how the car will handle with more rear roll resistance. It would be nice to have less "lean."
To me, it's Chryser's mistake and someone is probably going to take heat in Auburn Hills over the omission.
I also spoke to my dealer. They are aware of the "faux pax" and asked me to come into the dealership. They said they'd put the sway bar on (if you look, the area where it's supposed to be installed still has the holes drilled for attachment), they would. They said that I could drive a "loaner" that has the sway bar attached. If I could tell the difference, they would go ahead and install it. If I couldn't tell the difference, they agreed to offer service or accesories that would be equal in price to the cost of the sway bar and installation...figure it's got to be a couple hundred bucks.
I'll let you know what I find out.
Although, I'm not thrilled with the mistake, they seem to be doing everything they can to make me happy.