My Car Is Ready To Die(I Think)

[Cybrvanr]

3.0 chrysler

Dan, that 3.0 motor in the Chrysler minivan was not a genuine Chrysler built engine...it is actually a Mitsubisi engine, and that engine had all sorts of issues in the Mitsubishi branded products too. There was a multivalve model of that engine that was installed in the 3000GT that turned out to be a total nightmare of issues. The 3.3 liter Chrysler designed engine replaced the 3.0 after all the trouble it caused

Many of the Chrysler products have trouble because of their optical crankshaft sensor according to my next door neighbor who is a mechanic. The front seal of the engine leaks and throws a little bit of oil out once the engine ages slightly. The oil gets dirty, and so does the sensor that is now coated with it. Since the sensor cannot read the crankshaft, the ECM does not have the proper information to determine shift points. The vehicle starts shifting erratically, but most people keep on driving it ignoring the problem because they think a transmisssion issue would be too expensive to repair. At this point however the transmission has not failed yet, but is on the way. Most people end up waiting until the vehicle will not move under it's own power anymore until they get it repaired, but by that time, the transmission is damaged by improper computer operation. Vehicles with bad / dirty crankshaft sensors will also experience poor running conditions too with hesitation, and poor fuel consumption. The sensor is about $50 and costs about $100 in labor to change if you catch it soon enough!

 

[mixfinder]

Catamaran

.To take advantage of free appliances on Craiglist, I bought a 2004 SRX last summer. It had 61,000 miles and looked sharp. It drives like a dream. It has so many intuitive features I forget how luxurious it is to have the seat and mirrors, pedal position, radio and seat heaters on when you turn the key. The hush lighting, Bose System, lumbar support and adjustable rear seats make it easier if you're carrying 7 passengers. The burl wood look steering wheel and accepts make it like a luxurious cocoon. 18 mpg in the city and 22 on the road are almost as good as the Lincoln Town Car.
When I first got it appeared to have transmission issues, there was a recall on the catalytic converter and a good time to ask about the transmission. The vehicle had missed a transmission recall that reset the computer that controls the shift pattern. A no cost adjustment and new catalytic converter I was out the door free! The transmission shifts crisply but much softer than before. The computer reads my driving style, makes adjusts to the shifts. I also subscribed to North Star which is supposed to give the vehicle updates as they occur. Every month there is a report generated by On Star with drivability assessments. I drive 128 miles over a mountain pass 2 or 3 times a week, caring for my aging parents. In the snow All Wheel Drive, computer suggests, antilock braking and the car display screen flashing the latest road conditions made the drive a no-hassle experience.
HOWEVER the SRX is on the 8 worst cars list and the 10 most likely to repair list. I can attest this puppy fits that category. The rear stowage compartment and the jack are underwater or rusted depending on weather. A known issue on all SRX. Not only multiple repairs but expensive. To replace the turn signal light the car had to go to a body shop to remove the bumper. $87.00 for a left turn signal. Interior lighting stopped working. Wiring harness in the rear lift gate $528.00. Likely caused by water. Oxygen sensor code and they come as a two pack: $582.00. Battery proprietary to Delco, size 101 is expensive and difficult to source. Replacement required removing the air vent shield and taking out the cover and the batter that have about a 1/2 clearance and lots of twiggling. $189.00. New tires, pickup size were newly available in a passenger car grade which significantly reduced noise and eased the ride. $814.00 Power steering hose, $167.00. Front brakes, a miraculous $340.00 even less than quoted.
Its a difficult call whether trading for another Town Car is prudent when the car drives like a dream but I know I'll be betrayed at the drop of a hat

 

[mixfinder]

Catamaran II

The 2004 SRX is a North Star 100,000 package. The 6 cylinder engine hasn't asked for a drop of oil between changes. It requires synthetic oil and premium gasoline. The check engine light comes on when its filled with regular fuel. With 78,000 it feels like a tune up might be in order and its so counterintuitive to ignore routine maintainance for so long. I can't imagine the cost of the 100,000 service. A bright spot is paying $15,578.00 including tax and transfer and see Kelly Blue Book valuing it between $16,000 and $18,000 depending on features and condition.

 

[jaxsunst]

Wow! I considered an SRX. I'm glad I went with the STS.

 

[mixfinder]

SRX vs STS

It makes little sense why the SRX runs poorly and the STS runs quite well. There is a lot of genetics shared between the two vehicles. The STS does above average in reliability tests. The SRX is rated in the top categary of cars you'd never buy again.

 

[jaxsunst]

That is surprising. I'm very, very happy with it. It uses regular gas and gets great milage. It does require the synthetic oil, $85 for my last oil change. If I read the owners manual correctly the V8 uses premium and the V6 uses regular. It gets better milage than the 04 Malibu (typical GM piece of trash) that I traded in.

I got the STS for 22K, it had 20K miles on it and still had the sticker on the passenger airbag. The original sticker was still in the glovebox, it was originally $46K.

 

[qsd-dan]

$814.00 Power steering hose

Holy Shit!!

 

[qsd-dan]

"Dan, that 3.0 motor in the Chrysler minivan was not a genuine Chrysler built engine...it is actually a Mitsubisi engine."

Yep, it had the Mistushity engine with the (good) Chrysler 3 speed auto trans. Motor was pretty quiet and peppy, but the oil burning issues ruined it. The best combo for reliability would have been the 3.3L engine with the 5 speed manual trans. Chrysler always made excellent manual transmissions.

 

[cadman]

Perfectly good pun there....who's going for it! : )

 

[moparwash]

Honda Reliability?

My partners 2004 Accord 4cyl had the trans crap out at 51,000 miles...bought it new..had all factory service done..Even though it was out of warranty the dealer replaced it at no cost beacuse they could not believe it happened

 

[mixfinder]

Misplaced Period.

Tires, $814.00, power steering hose $176.00. Today's newest ailment is a noticable harmonic noise. Perhaps power steering is low, tranny's got an issue, its too noticable to ignore.

 

[mixfinder]

No Harmony

Checkable levels are fine. The transmission on a North Star is "sealed" with no dipstick. It looks like a trip to Cadillac hell is in the offing.

 

[qsd-dan]

"The transmission on a North Star is "sealed" with no dipstick. It looks like a trip to Cadillac hell is in the offing."

I've have heard that some auto trans pans are completely sealed too. Heat is the #1 destroyer of auto trans. It'll quickly turn that pink fluid into dark brown if you're a "spirited" driver. Sometimes I really wonder WTH is going on in the heads of engineers these days.

 

[hydralique]

I don't know about GM, but for several years VW has used these "sealed" automatic transmissions. It's possible to drain and add fluid, but since there is no dipstick there isn't a simple way to determine the proper level. The factory procedure is to add a given amount of fluid to the trans, then hook the car up to the VW diagnostic machine. Different gear ranges are selected and then it's put back into park. The computer readout will note if additional fluid is needed and the technician will add it. Once the trans is full the filler bolt is replaced. The computer has the advantage of knowing exact trans temperature, which makes the fill level more accurate. Guessing without the computer is not a good idea as overfilling or underfilling can cause damage. Another theoretical advantage is that if it's hard for owners to add fluid, then presumably there will be fewer instances of the incorrect fluid being added. One might think all this super-accurate filling with correct fluids would result in a very long-lived transmission, but it isn't so on the infamous VW 01M automatic used on Jettas, Golfs, New Beetles and various Audis before 2004 - they rarely make it past 150,000 miles. Later transmissions are better.

I only learned of this after I bought my VW, and oh was I glad I held out for the very hard to find manual gearbox.

 

[davek]

I wasn't aware that new Northstar transmissions were sealed. I can tell you with assurance that the one in my parents' 1995 SLS is NOT sealed. I doubt dad would've bought one that was.

I was only aware of this trend about a year ago. My boss told me that his Mercury Mountaineer didn't have a trans dipstick. My "no way" reaction gave way to belief when I looked up procedure for adding fluid. Unlike the VW procedure above, it did involve observable levels (unscrew plug A, if it weeps fluid, none is needed, if not, close it and unscrew plug B and add to bottom of its hole).

This shouldn't be the case. Automatics are too fragile to treat them as sealed like this, especially as they gain more speeds (and therefore more clutches) and as powerful as today's cars have gotten.

 

[mixfinder]

What a Dipstick!!!

I left the Cadillac garage with 2.6 quarts of synthetic oil. I assumed all 100,000 Cadillac were generically called North Star. Not so, in fact I do have a 3.6 indiginous to many other GM vehicles, that require no scheduled maintenance until 100,000. There is a Cadillac site I have acessed in the past to find answers, how certain issues are repaired or finding the fuse panel. Don't even ask. It requires tools, two people, blood and removing the rear passenger seat and portions of molding and door seals. Listed among known issues but not recalled is a non functioning low oil alert. It glows when the engine is first started but never glows again, regardless. I have trouble reading the dipstick with the bends and shapes and it seems to pull residual oil from the dipstick tube. Using the mileage since the last service, it appears the car uses a quart of oil every 800 miles. I've never had a car that burned oil, so this is my first.

 

[cadman]

Kelly, is this the Direct Injection 3.6? It was a Cad exclusive the first year, then moved into the lamda platform for economy of scale. I've heard nothing but positive reviews about this mill, yours should definitely NOT be using oil at such a rate. I'd raise hell.

Sad but true, batteries are ending up behind the rear seat for weight distribution, a cooler environment, and to free up under hood space in many sedans over the past decade. Makes getting at them difficult. Yes, sometimes cars require the use of tools, (and blood) too : )

Check the link for a pretty neat read on the Northstar system. I forgot you could drive them miles and miles without any coolant.

Loading…

en.wikipedia.org

 

[mixfinder]

Reader

Thank you for the timeline of development. A friend died leaving me his 1972 Eldorado. In his old age it was seldom driven and 16 years old when we had it. A fabulous ride, very hard to start but ran very well when warm. It was a series of hose, belt and gasket replacements and a rusted out air conditioning condenser. Foolishly, I traded it for a 1979 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser with a deisel engine. Not a bad car, but not a fair trade.