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Chrysler Pacifica Starting and Stalling Problems

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Comments

  • mcdon1mcdon1 Member Posts: 8
    Finally we got it fixed and have had no further problems :) It was faulty battery cables which were replaced. It was covered under our warranty. Every time we took it into the dealer they said they could not replicate the problem. Finally it went totally dead and was taken by flatbed to the dealer and then fixed. Very frustrating but not a problem now. Good Luck.
  • 300mguy1300mguy1 Member Posts: 6
    Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.... Leased a new 05 limited AWD -- fully loaded -- everything except Nav -- its been in the shop ** 28 ** times!! New fuel pumps, new relays, new injector , new plugs, broken plugs, bad coil pack, etc etc etc -- last summer the check engine light would not go off (bad fuel),, they had to "clean" the combustion chambers -- had it 24 days -- ended up putting on NEW CYLINDER HEADS. Went thru lemom law attorney in '06 -- but they still wouldnt take it back. Dealer went bankrupt ( SURPRISE!!). This nightmare goes back the end of August -- and you can bet I wont EVER buy another Chrysler product.
  • aliciapfaffaliciapfaff Member Posts: 3
    I posted a year or so back with the same problem. Dealer could never trace the cause, my mechanic could never trace the cause, the batter tested fine. It ended up being the battery though. If a cell in the battery is going, it can still test fine,yet cause the battery to die quickly. If when you go to jump it, it starts almost immediately, as if it wasn't realy drained, just missing that extra oomph to start, then try just replacing hte battery first...much cheaper than paying for someone to dig into the car (unless it is under warranty and the work will be covered fully). My car has had no problems since. Wish I had tried it sooner, because life with my car is lovely now. :-)
  • madmommamadmomma Member Posts: 4
    I've been reading about the PAC not starting problem. Did you finally get it fixed????
    Until the last 3 months, I have loved my car. Now it's just driving me insane.
    Thanks.
  • kbprince1kbprince1 Member Posts: 2
    Yes I got it fixed. Cost about $150.00. The ground wire from the engine to the battery had a shortage. The dealership replaced the wire. I've been driving the car for about 3 weeks now and all is well... So far.
    :)
  • annie4315annie4315 Member Posts: 4
    I have seen many of you have had or are still having problems with starting of the PAC. Our Pac is in the dealership right now. It's a 2007 with 31000 miles which we purchased in December of 2006. The car periodically won't start. We put the key in and it won't turn over but the radio and all electrical turns on. It will take anywhere from 3 to 12 turns to get it to start. This is the third trip to the dealership and they say they can't dupicate the problem although I have video footage of this happening on at least 4 seperate occasions. They said they needed to have it happen when it was at the dealership. Thyey have replaced the relay and the igintion switch which has not fixed the problem. Any other suggestions of what I should do as they commented that I have not had this problem before and now it's acting up. Like that's my fault?????
    Any help would be appreciated.
  • arriearrie Member Posts: 312
    My wife has had an '06 Pacifica for 2 years now and the only problem so far has been ABS light coming on and that was fixed this week. It was caused by the ABS sensors on right rear wheel. They changed all four sensors on warranty. No other problems so far so we must be very lucky owning a Pacifica without major problems.

    About your starting problem. As you say that periodically it won't start (turn over) but radio and other electrical seems to work it kind of rules out a lot of possible reasons. I must question your dealer's trouble shooting skills on this one.

    You also say that it takes anywhere from 3 to 12 tries to get it going.

    For me this sounds like there is no problem with the engine itself to start. It starts if it turns over when you turn the key, correct?

    So, the problem is that when you turn the key for some reason the starter motor does not always engage.

    There are some interlocking safety features build in the car's starting system. One of them is a switch in the gear selector. The switch does not allow car to start (engage starter motor) if gear is not on either park or neutral.

    You can test for this next time your PAC doesn't want to turn over when you turn the key. Just move gear to reverse and back to park a couple of times and try again. You can also move gear to neutral to see if it makes it to work.

    If any of this helps you can go back to your dealer and tell about it. It requires adjustment on the Park-Neutral switch (or replacement) and should not be a big job to do at all.

    Arrie
  • annie4315annie4315 Member Posts: 4
    arrie-
    thanks for the heads up...I have been online today researching alittle bit and someone also suggested the starter solenoid actuating but not completing the circuit to power up the starter. they suggested the starter to be replaced. Have you heard of anything like this. I am so unmechanical. I do not want to be taken by the dealership thinking I am a dumb woman. Thanks for any help.
    Annie
  • arriearrie Member Posts: 312
    Annie,

    Of course it can be the "starter solenoid" but I would do the test with gear selector first as I was explaining in my earlier post.

    If it is starter solenoid actuating but not completing the circuit I think you should hear it. Modern cars have starters with built in solenoids. The way this usually works is that when solenoid is powered up it moves the gear in the end of the starter motor shaft to engage with the flywheel gear and when it does this move all the way at the end of it it starts the starter motor. If this all takes place you certainly will hear a clunking noise when the starter motor solenoid actuates only partially. There are mechanical parts moving when this happens.

    If you do not hear anything like that when you try to start then I don't believe you have a starter motor issue. The problem probably is that your starter does not even try to start because it never gets the signal from your ignition switch when you turn the key. This can be caused by the Park/Neutral switch, which I was explaining about.

    There are other possible reasons for it too but it is a good start for trouble shooting the problem next time it happens. Just move gear shifter around and try starting with it at Neutral.

    This problem happened to myself with an old Ford Thunderbird years ago.

    Arrie
  • pacnightmarepacnightmare Member Posts: 1
    I have an 05 Pacifica too 52,000 and the same thing happened. We had no warning- the car just stopped and the engine was seized we've had all the oil changed but the dealer claims that the engine was starved for oil. Chrysler corp won't offer assistance and were horrible to deal with. They obviously don't stand by their product becasue they know that pacificas are made very poorly. :sick:
  • djagdjag Member Posts: 39
    The NY Times said the Pacific and the 300 are the best products Chrysler makes. They said the Pacifica was designed by Mercedes and is almost identical to the MC R model. They called it one of the very best crossovers ever. Dont blame Chrysler. You do have to put oil in auto engines regularly or they die. That is not Chrysler's fault...
  • annie4315annie4315 Member Posts: 4
    Just an FYI my situation was differant than the oil running dry. I have only 26,000 miles on a 07' Pacifica and it also had starting problems. After replacing several components and 5 trips to the service department with my car staying there for a minimum of two days each time. (and yes....rental car at my expense!) They finally replaced the computer unit - and the problem still exists. I am so frustrated and it is under warranty- i am not sure seriously that they know what they are doing. Since early June the car has been at the dealership for a total of about 12 days! NY times may have rated it one the best products Chrysler makes but being a Pacifica owner I do not rate it high on my list and I have owned only Chrysler/Jeep products.
  • madmommamadmomma Member Posts: 4
    It's not the starter. We had ours rebuilt, then bought a brand new one from the dealer.
    I'm inclined to agree with it being the ground wire. My husband says that the way all the gears light up when we try to start it indicates a short somewhere.
  • bele88bele88 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2005 PAC Touring - it was running fine this morning. This afternoon, I went outside & heard a loud, rapid ticking/clicking sound coming from the fuse box. When I tried to start the car, it would not turn over & the "immobilizer" light started blinking rapidly. I was using the original key, so I know it isn't an "unauthorized start". This has never occurred before. Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this? I can't reach my mechanic or the dealer, as it is the holiday weekend!! I'll be very appreciative of any help you may be able to offer. Thanks!
  • alaskanpacificalaskanpacific Member Posts: 1
    Same problem as you... hope someone knows the answer....
    Wes
  • merramimerrami Member Posts: 9
    OK folks
    If these are the symptoms:
    1- Car clicks very fast when trying to start
    2- lights flicker in sync with the click
    3- Sometimes the car will start just fine, sometimes it will click

    Then you have a dead cell in the battery. Easy fix. The same happened to me. Changed the battery. Haven't had the problem in one year.
    Let me know
  • bele88bele88 Member Posts: 2
    My husband jumpstarted the car & it seemed to run okay. We stopped/started it several times. The next day, I tried to drive it & it would tach out at 4-5000 rpm if I went over 30mph. It seemed to be stuck in 2nd gear & wouldn't shift. The dealer had it towed in, thinking it was either the transmission or the computer relay to the transmission. Turns out, the body shop that had done my accident repairs had mixed up some fuses & it was causing the computer to malfunction. They replaced the fuses & it's fine now!
  • madmommamadmomma Member Posts: 4
    We fixed our car ourselves. All it took was running some wire from the batter directly to the engine. It seems that the ground wire is bad or loose. Every time we would take it to the mechanic, they would tinker with it and then it would be fine for a few days. It has been a week now with NO problems!!!!!! If you go back to the mechanic tell them to check that.
  • my3kids2my3kids2 Member Posts: 5
    Has anybody noted if the not starting issue occured when there was high humidity and heavy condensation? I live in MI, and bought my 07 Pacifica in Jan 08, previously owned but still under warranty. Worked great until July 17th when there was high humidity and heavy condensation. Car wouldn't start up, although it tried...sounded like it would fire up, but like it just couldn't. Also noticed that all of the passenger side of the vehicle power was out (windows, locks, mirror, and both front electrical seats dead), leaving us all to believe there's a short in there somewhere. Towed in to dealership, fired up for them when they got to it. 2 days later had the same thing, but this time when they got it, it didn't start up for them. They replaced something, it worked...until a few weeks later when it happened again. Again they made a replacement of a part, and again it worked until I was faced with another high humid/condensation morning while out of state. Daughter and I were stranded at a hotel that morning when we were supposed to be at her tournament (thankfully, due to heavy rains during the night, the games were delayed), and we just waited it out and kept trying it every so often. After about 2 hours (and all of the morning condensation evaporated from the car), it fired right up. It happend a 4th time about 3 weeks ago, and the tow truck took forever to get to my house - by the time they picked it up and got it to the dealership, it fired right up, and they're never able to recreate the problem because the condensation level isn't something they can recreate. Every time it wouldn't start, the electrical on the passenger side would be out too.

    I'd be willing to bet that I won't have another issue with it until next summer, when it's humid with heavy condensation... If I were the first owner I would've qualified for the lemon law...but a stupid rental agency had it before me. I absolutely love this car - it does everything I need (great snow car with the AWD, comfort, style, room for all of my kid's gear), it just doesn't start for me once in a while.

    So - those of you who have had repairs done (battery cables replaced, etc), is your car still doing ok, and how long has it been since you've been 'trouble free'?

    Rebecca
  • jtg61jtg61 Member Posts: 43
    "The second prob. I wanted addressed was that, twice, the dashboard lights and remote failed to work. The car will turn on and run but w.out dashboard lights (ie tach. speed. etc. Normally corrected itself after a couple of on-off cycles followed by a check engine light which would also go away."
    ~~~~~~~~~~~
    I've also experienced this problem on my '05 Pacifica. The first time it happened I thought it was due to my remote lock keyfob being defective. I tried the other keyfob and it still wouldn't remote lock. It started working again so I didn't give it anymore thought. Now a few months later I tried to remote lock the vehicle and it didn't respond again. I put the key back in the ignition and noticed the instrument panel was dark but the car would start. I shut it back off and manually locked the doors (the power lock button on the door still worked) and went inside. When I came back later it started up and the instrument panel was back on again but now the 'check engine light' was illuminated. I did the old 'on acc on acc on' trick to get the fault codes off the odometer. It showed fault codes u110c (No Fuel Level Bus Message) and u0140 (Lost Communication With Body Control Module). Unfortunately my Pacifica is over 3 years old but still only 27k miles. I'm not sure what to do about this since it is no longer under warranty. Was hoping for a TSB or Recall. I will post a solution here if I get one.
  • bullfrog_1234bullfrog_1234 Member Posts: 2
    I am having the exact same problem. Please let me know if you figure it out. I willdo the same
  • juleszeejuleszee Member Posts: 16
    I want to tell you, I have the same problems, Ive had these for about 6 months. They tell me its normal. I cant go to the car wash, it runs horrible in the rain. doesnt start.. Chrysler doesnt want to do anything about this problem with my vehicle. They want to screw me around. I currently am trying to get something done. dont think its going to help.. but trying. My dealership will not even work on my vehicle anymore. Since they say there is nothing wrong with it.
    I cant even trust my vehicle to go to the grocery store.
    Im so done with Chrysler I wish I could get rid of it.
  • my3kids2my3kids2 Member Posts: 5
    I know what you mean by Chrysler won't do anything anymore. I was told that until the mechanics can recreate my problem, they are not authorized to replace anything. Like they're going to be able to recreate the moisture issue for me... It also STALLED on me Friday after work while driving!! I couldn't believe it - it was the one thing I was thinking that at least 'that' wasn't happening... It wasn't wet, humid, anything! And when I pressed the gas, my RPM didn't budge at all, even though I threw the car in neutral and pressed the pedal half way to the floor to try to keep it going. I will never EVER get a Chrysler again, and I will be sure that anyone who knows me, will know what terrible service they provided and what a piece of junk car they have. :mad:
  • my3kids2my3kids2 Member Posts: 5
    mcdon1 - have your starting/stalling completely gone away? We've had some things replaced on our PAC too, but after a while, we have the same problems reoccur. Just wondering if the corroded battery cables were for sure the blame... Thanks for any insight you can give!

    Rebecca
    10/20/08
  • bullfrog_1234bullfrog_1234 Member Posts: 2
    I cleaned my idle air valve the other day and ever since then it has fired up fine. The last couple of days it has been raining and no problems. Hopefully this fixes it. A couple of weeks ago i also cleaned the throttle body. Both of those were a easy 15 minute fix. I hope it lasts.
  • tizlamtizlam Member Posts: 12
    Hello, I haven't been on this board in a while, saw your post I had my pac for 2 yrs now , and this is the first time i experience this ,turn the key and it won't do a thing, the radio comes on ,all the lights but no sound from the engine, I had to wait about 10 min then all of sudden it cranks up, this is scary what if I had an emergency. If you could give some advice on this matter it would be greatly appreciated,thanks :confuse:
  • tizlamtizlam Member Posts: 12
    Hello, wondering if you had your problem fixed I am now experiencing the pac not turning over no sound from the engine, the radio comes on but the engine acts like there is no engine, then after 10 it starts like normal, what the hell, suppossed we have a emergency.
  • tizlamtizlam Member Posts: 12
    My pac is doing this crap now after 2 years, all of sudden you turn the key and nothing happens no sound except from the radio , no cranck at all, then 10 min later starts up normal, what kind witchery is this??? :sick:
  • annie4315annie4315 Member Posts: 4
    I am of course out of warranty after they replaced several components on the vehicle from the starter to the entire computer board and so on... the problem still exsists. For our vehicle when it does exactly what you said. We turn the eginition on then put the car in nuetral and then back to park and it starts right up. Someone had emailed me a month or so ago and said they had the same problem and it has to do with the car's computer recongnizing it is in park to be able to start. Strange but after that it starts everytime we do that after it acts up. I am so feed up with Chrysler and this will be our last car from them which is sad because their the only cars we ever owned but they treated us poorly throughout this entire process and we only had 20,000 miles when the problem first occurred. Paid cash for the car and all cars we bought from them (5 in total). Their loss not ours! Hope this helps.
  • etozionetozion Member Posts: 1
    I just bought off-lease 2005 Pacifica in grate shape. I never had a Chrysler car before.
    I noticed that the "Check Engine" Light is on with “gas cap” message. I decided to read and reset trouble codes by following a post I found on one of the Chrysler forums: depress odometer reset button, turn key to on position, release button. I tried it several times and may did something wrong, but instead of codes I’ve got messed up computer that started blinking dash lights including odometer. The odometer is blinking even with key off. I can not start my car anymore. No crank at all. Because constant blinking and clicking relay in the fuse box I had to disconnect battery.
    Have you experienced anything similar and know what to do to fix this problem? :confuse:
  • tizlamtizlam Member Posts: 12
    thanks, I am with you , I wont by another chryser either, the dealer's try's to do everything to the car while under warrenty that doesnt need to be done , and the problem you take it there for doesnt get fixed, I still have both front ends clicking whenever i make a right or left turn, click ,click,click, they claim they replaced the front end bull!!!, thanks again I will try that next time it acts up ..
  • tizlamtizlam Member Posts: 12
    yeah I havent, I am going to take it to the dealer soon, it seems from this board they know full well there is a problem, I have 15,000 miles left b4 the warrenty is over , everytime I start the car I am scared its not gonna turn over, and everytime I make a hard left turn or right turn all you hear is clicking from the front ends, the dealer claimed they replaced it thats bull, its not gonna be pretty when I get back to the dealer..
  • blueflame1blueflame1 Member Posts: 2
    I OWN A 06 PAC & IM HAVIN STARTIN PROBLEMS 2 IT SEEMS THE CAR STARTS FINE A FEW DAYS OR A WEEK THEN IT STARTS THE CLICKING AGAIN IT SOUNDS LIKE IT COULD BE THE STARTER BUT WHEN IT DECIDES TO STOP DOIN IT IT STARTS JUST FINE LIKE NOTHING IS WRONG.SO I TRIED TIGHTING THE STARTER WIRE THAT WORKED FOR AWHILE BUT IT ALWAYS START DOING IT AGAIN SOMETIMES IT TAKES 5 MIN TO START THE CAR CLICK 5 MIN . THEN IT WILL START AS IF NOTHING IS WRONG.ITS A MISTERY
  • merramimerrami Member Posts: 9
    blueflame1
    no mysteries there. You have a bad batterie cell. I had the exact same problem (see one of these posts).
    The clicking is heard every once in a while and it usually click in sick with the lights flickering.

    Sometimes it will work just fine. Sometimes, it won't. I changed the batterie 18 months ago and it never happened again.

    Good luck.
  • blueflame1blueflame1 Member Posts: 2
    WELL BELEIVE IT OR NOT I SKIPPED ALL OVER THE STARTER BECAUSE MY PACIFICA STARED SO NORMAL WHEN IT DID. BUT IT WAS THE STARTER THAT CAUSED MY PROBLEM.I CHANGED IT AND I HAD NO PROBLEM SENSE I HOPE THIS FIX YOUR PROBLEM TOO. I DIDNT THINK IT WAS THE STARTER AT FIRST BECAUSE IT ALWAYS STARTED SO NORMAL WHEN IT DID BUT I WAS WRONG.
  • danthman2000danthman2000 Member Posts: 2
    I can't believe this, I had the same problems as a lot of you, my pacifica seemed to be dead 15 min after i parked, and had flickering and stuttering when it tried to start, but with just a little help it kicked on. So after a month of letting it sit and waiting for some $ to take it in for a diag. we find out a week later its the battery cables that are corroded and the corrosion spread throughout the wiring harness under the engine and they have to replace the whole harness, not just the cables!!! So i whip out my "platinum extended warranty" and lo-and-behold, its not covered, as corrosion is preventative maintenance. so now i'm stuck with a $2,000 bill to pay before they will get to the rest of the car problems, which are 1. No heat, 2. Pass. seat will not adjust (motorized) and 3. Transmission will not shift through gears... i've had so much work done on this thing and it only has 50K miles on it.. its a 2004. I wish i never bought the thing.l :lemon:
  • simonesuttonsimonesutton Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2004 pacifica. About 1 month ago I started having the problem with starting the car. It would act like it was going to start, then die. After a few tries it would catch and start, to run just fine. Took it to dealership. they said the code was for not recognizing the key. They were very nice, fiddled with some wires, could not duplicate the problem. Worked fine for about 3 days. Car would not start but lights, radio, etc worked fine. The dealer had me go to another Chrysler place better equiped to handle problem. The new place had it for 2 days, charged me 90.00$ for the dx. Wiggled wires, sent me on my way. Happened again. back to same dealer. They kept car for 3 days, wigggled wires, drove it around, no duplication to be had. Drove it for 7 days working just fine. Drove on a 3 hour trip.. and stopped 2 times with no problems. Arrived at destination. Car sat for about 4 hours and then would not stay started. Had to keep foot on throttle to keep it running. If I let go it would die. Tried to drive it in the parking lot just to see if it would snap out of it. Oil light came on then flickered off. I left car in lot until next morning, with the same results. HAD TO LEAVE the car there and go home! They towed it to a chrysler dealership down the block . They have experienced the problem a few times, but have no idea what to do with the car. They say the only codes so far are the ones for not recognizing the keys. They have had my car for over a week. No end in sight. Any thoughts. I am getting very concerned about the fact that there are a lot of problems similar to mine that I have read about here, and no solutions. They service guys have been very nice, they just do not know what to do.
  • danthman2000danthman2000 Member Posts: 2
    Well, after a few weeks searching and trying to find an alternative solution to the dealerships dx, I decided to just go in and talk to the service tech. I told the guy, I just cant afford to toss $2K into this thing after 2 recalls and a few different service problems just to get to the next problem, so he went back to his mechanic and they talked for a few minutes and he came back and said the mechanic can just cut off the ends of the battery cable and replace the corrosion... ??? why didn't they just say that in the first place? it seems like they could have given me that option in the beginning and been done by now.. but no. SO, they did that fix and came to the conclusion that the seat and heater problems are not related to the starting issue and that apparently was fixed by the battery cable replacement. Apparently the heater is a common issue and covered by my warranty as is the front pass. seat... so I was able to talk them down to $420 in the end for the labor and parts to do the battery cables.. but am now waiting on the parts to get in for the heater and seat. the transmission was acting up due to a low amount of ATF, which i discovered on my own after thinking about it for a few days... :S duh. but why would ATF even get low if this thing is run at normal speeds and not pushed to extremes? i have a honda element and before a toyota corrola and before that a ton of newer cars, all of which never had the trouble of loosing ATF... it doesnt make sense to me. anyways, problems solved at this point, Until Next Time...
  • jtg61jtg61 Member Posts: 43
    I had a 05 Pacifica 3.8L with the same problem you've described. I would start it but the engine wouldn't stay running. I would have to keep the accelerator pressed down to keep the engine running. Thankfully I have a competent service department and they fixed it quite easily. It was the throttle assembly that was sticking. They took it apart and cleaned all the [non-permissible content removed] off it and lubricated it. Apparently the throttle assembly needs to be cleaned periodically, like every 15k or so. They also loaded the onboard computer with an update for this problem. I would think your dealer would be familiar with this issue. My check engine light didn't come on and I didn't get a code. Not all problems are going to have a code. I can't believe your maintenance dept couldn't troubleshoot this without a code? Do an internet search on the trottle issue. You'll find some additional information.
  • arriearrie Member Posts: 312
    Your problem probably is with Idle Air Valve.

    The throttle that you control with the foot pedal closes all the way when you take your foot off. For the engine to run idle it needs air thru another route and this is done with an Idle Air Valve. When your engine runs while keeping throttle open by foot pedal but stalls when you take your foot off it means that your engine is not getting air.

    Older engines used to have an idle adjustment screw for the throttle but with changing engine loads there had to be separate adjustments for example having the A/C on. There used to be a plunger that pushed throttle more open wnen A/C compressor came on.

    Now engine speed is monitored by the computer and idle speed is maintained by the Idle Air Valve.

    I have not had any problems with my Pacifica so I do not know how to change the valve but looking at it, it is quite easy job.

    Idle Air Valve is most likely that cylindrical part mounted on the throttle body just before the air intake opening. In my Pacifica the electrical connection points towards rear of the car.

    As your problem seems to be somewhat intermittent your problem could be just a corroded loose connection of the wire harness. The fix for this is to disconnect the wire harness for a few times, i.e. rub the corroded lead surfaces to get better connection.

    It could also be that you need a new Idle Air Valve. The valve opening is controlled by a small step motor and over time this motor just goes bad and the fix is to have it replaced.

    It is not very expensive part. I replaced it once on my RAM truck and the part was only like $70 or something like that. Of course labor will cost but I did it myself so I don't count cost for..

    If you are at all a mechanically inclined you could do this yourself.

    If after explaining how your engine starts and runs if you keep throttle open by foot your dealer did not know where to look you need to find another dealer shop. This is a prime example how stupid some dealer car services have become. They only check for codes and if there is no code they do not know what to do. Idle Air Valve will not give a code unless the connection fails completely, i.e. if the step motor stops moving but circuit is not broken there is no code.

    Arrie
  • svb1111svb1111 Member Posts: 2
    I am so glad I found this site and read every single concern. My 04 Pacifica with 97,000 miles started having problems a few days ago. It's been wonderful till now. I would try to start it and I would just get a woo woo woo then nothing. All the dashboard lights worked and the dinging was there though. It would usually start the second time but if it didn't I would have to wait 15 min. or so to try again. Again would not start on the first try but would on the second try. When I took it to my "new" mechanic (since I am now out of warranty) the first thing I asked him to check was the wiring to the battery since a lot of people wrote that it was their cure. I was there for this and sure enough the negative cable at transmission ground by left front drivers wheel (his words) was corroded to the point where there was 1 itty bitty wire left. That's why once it got warmer after a few tries it wouldn't start at all and I would have to wait the 15 min.
    I just wanted to say that yesterday I drove my car to his shop and told him my problem. He immediately said it was the starter. $300. Thankyou to everyone who took the time to post their solutions. It cost me $35 and I am crossing my fingers that I don't get the stalling etc. problems that some of you are experiencing. I am so sorry that there has been no solution to your problems. BEEN THERE
  • cartmcartm Member Posts: 1
    I am very pleased with the thought and don’t feel like adding anything in it. It’s a perfect answer

    cartmellauneas

    Car Rentals
  • 68_bullitt68_bullitt Member Posts: 4
    I have a 2004 Pacifica that has had sporadic issues with starting in the rain, although we haven't had any problems for some time. When we had problems, the car would typically crank but not start.

    It has approximately 86K on it. This week, my wife drove it home from work, it poured down rain and now it is dead. I did verify that the battery was bad. This has been replaced with a new one. Now, when the key is turned on (tried both keys), the immobilizer light on the nav control panel comes on. No dash lights, can't shift out of park, no radio. Power locks and keyless works, but no horn chirp to verify security set. Interior lights, heater control and blower still work, but the outside temperature shows up as "--". Since the immobilizer light is on, I suspect that the car no longer recogizes the keys and needs to be reprogrammed. Anyone else have this problem?
  • merramimerrami Member Posts: 9
    Hey
    Does you car work when it is not raining? Does it work after it dries up?
    I doubt this is the key. I have a non electronic key for my car (to keep a spare copy in case I loose all of the electronic ones). I can start my car with it, but it stops after 2 seconds.
    It sounds to me like you have a short somewhere. The water may be getting to some place in your wires or circuits.
  • svb1111svb1111 Member Posts: 2
    I know you said you replaced the battery (that's what they wanted to do for me too) but did they check the other end of the battery cables? I had a similar problem (2004, 90,000 miles) and after reading all the posts on this site I finally asked the "mechanic" to check and sure enough the cable was all corroded and only firing on a few that were not. He said that it was a flaw in the design because the road salt easily affects it because of the location. Good luck
  • brustermbrusterm Member Posts: 2
    My Pacifica has 130k miles and I'm now having problems starting. It only has trouble when it is cool outside with dew on the grass. When I turn the key, it does nothing. The battery is fully charged. If I leave the key in the ON position for about 5-10 minutes, then try to start again - it works. It's like something has to warm up?? A mechanic friend told me it is likely the neutral ignition switch and it would be $500 to replace!!! Why is is $500 or more to do ANY work on this car. But after reading postings on this site and others, I'm inclined to check the battery cables for corrosion.
  • tobeahalltobeahall Member Posts: 5
    We have had our 2004 Pacifica for a little more than a year. A few weeks after have our car we begun to have starting problems. We took it back to the dealer they kelt it for 2 days, the car would not duplicate. Soon as I drive it away made a stop at the store about 5 miles it start to have the problem again. Finally after many tries it wouldn't start for the dealer. They said it was a wire that was not ground and it should be ok., here we are a year later problem back.Now it's happen more often. I have to. the tow truck so much they known me by my voice. lol. This is the crazy part.....the car will not start where ever it might stop but, as soon as it came off the tow truck it starts right up.Some times the tow truck guy can just move it to get it ready for towing and the car will start.When this happen I notice that...... it say the car is not in park. If I push the button for the seat setting it will read"memory is disable,car not in park".Now if I play around with the gears 8 out of 10 times it might start. It had 4 trips to the Chrysler Dealer with no success. The computer don't read any code.Can anybody HELP!!!!...............I don't want to trade my car in but I will if we can't solve this problem. :confuse:
  • texan9texan9 Member Posts: 4
    I have a 2004 Pacifica with 87k. It has been in the repair dealer shop three times this year. The first time I was told I need a PCM. Replaced that April. Less than a week the engine light came on. Reset. June stopped dead in the street. Started went about two miles stopped at light. Went home about 40k without incident. At dealership as of this posting. I was told on Friday that I need a engine harness at a cost of 2700. Any suggestions? Thank you.
  • 68_bullitt68_bullitt Member Posts: 4
    Mine is fine now. In my research when I was having my problems, it seems that these cars tend to corrode the negative battery terminal very frequently. Mine needs to be cleaned all the time. This corrosion could be damaging the end of the negative battery cable. In addition, there is a ground low on the driver's side of engine that is exposed to salt in northern climates, I have heard that this can be another place that could cause a harness failure (mine was fine). While a new harness will fix the problem, it should be possible to solder a new end to replace the damaged areas.

    If they tell you that the entire harness is being replaced due to a bad battery or engine ground, you should request that they just replace the damaged areas by soldering and shrinking a new piece on. If they are just replacing the harness without knowing exactly why to the tune of $2700, I'd find a different dealer or find a good independent mechanic.

    Good luck.
  • texan9texan9 Member Posts: 4
    Thank you 68 bullitt. I drove my car home today about 12 miles. It stopped twice once at a light and when I was turning into a dealership to try and trade it. I was so upside down it could not be done. Drove home. Engine light on. Drove it about fifteen minutes ago. Did not have a prblem until I stopped again, The engine light flashed and went off. I turned on the air and had the radio on. Took me about five minutes to start it again. I am afraid to drive it. I am going to take it to several shops to see what it would cost to replace the engine harness. Do you think that the engine harness is really the problem or the battery or can they just replace the wires without too much trouble that are causing me this headache? Thanks to you and everybody that answers.
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