2003 Durango 4.7 Myriad of issues.

[LoMbArD]

OK, I'll give you the background.

The AC went out in the Durango. It was the bearings in the compressor. So I took it in to get replaced since I don't want to fool with the A/C system. Put in a new compressor and when I got it back the air was cold at first. But the next time I started it the air didn't get cold for a long time. After driving for about an hour it finally got cold. It was intermittantly cold for the next day or two, no rhyme or reason. So after the weekend I took it back to the shop. They checked it out and said that the coolant temp sensor wasn't turning on the electric fan, so the replaced the coolant temp sensor.
Good news is that the air is always cold now.

Bad news is that ever since they replaced the coolant temperature sensor,the following things are happening. None of these were present before the coolant temp sensor was replaced.

The Durango has been surging at idle (from 400ish - 1200ish rpm's)

There is a stutter right before shifting from 1st to 2nd, and then from 2nd to 3rd. It's about 4 shakes, then it smoothes out, then it shifts (all in about 2 seconds.)

The temperature guage barely moves, even when the Durango is heated up. The heat works great, we had a morning in the 30's and it was nice and hot, but the guage was right at the C

The fuel guage doesn't go all the way to full now, and when the fuel light comes on I can only put in about 12 gallons (usually it's 18 or 19)

The ceiling console display reads incorrectly. The temp display is about 10 - 15 deg too low, the MPG is registering 3-4 mpg lower than normal, and the DTE reading only shows about 200 miles after a fill up (when it usually shows over 300)


I took it back into the shop and they replaced the TPS but it didn't fix anything.



The shop is being really good about all this, they put in the TPS and the coolant temp sensor at no cost for me, but they have also caused other problems. I'm just looking for other insight before I take it back to them so that I can get this thing back in drivable condition.

Thanks

Lombard

[LoMbArD]

Update:

Since it only seems logical that since all these issues happened at once that they are related. The only thing that relates them is the PCM. . .so I took it to the stealership and had them flash the PCM for me. . .no joy. I still have all the same issues plus the added issue of a lighter wallet.
The stealership wanted me to replace all the sensors imagineable. . .because obviously they all went bad at the same time /sarcasm .

any ideas? anyone?

[LoMbArD]

when the PCM is flashed to a new version, does it set everything back to defaults?

Is there a way to set the PCM back to factory defaults without taking it back to the stealership?

anyone?

[rimfire,22]

Originally Posted by LoMbArD

OK, I'll give you the background.

The AC went out in the Durango. It was the bearings in the compressor. So I took it in to get replaced since I don't want to fool with the A/C system. Put in a new compressor and when I got it back the air was cold at first. But the next time I started it the air didn't get cold for a long time. After driving for about an hour it finally got cold. It was intermittantly cold for the next day or two, no rhyme or reason. So after the weekend I took it back to the shop. They checked it out and said that the coolant temp sensor wasn't turning on the electric fan, so the replaced the coolant temp sensor.
Good news is that the air is always cold now.

Bad news is that ever since they replaced the coolant temperature sensor,the following things are happening. None of these were present before the coolant temp sensor was replaced.

The Durango has been surging at idle (from 400ish - 1200ish rpm's)

There is a stutter right before shifting from 1st to 2nd, and then from 2nd to 3rd. It's about 4 shakes, then it smoothes out, then it shifts (all in about 2 seconds.)

The temperature guage barely moves, even when the Durango is heated up. The heat works great, we had a morning in the 30's and it was nice and hot, but the guage was right at the C

The fuel guage doesn't go all the way to full now, and when the fuel light comes on I can only put in about 12 gallons (usually it's 18 or 19)

The ceiling console display reads incorrectly. The temp display is about 10 - 15 deg too low, the MPG is registering 3-4 mpg lower than normal, and the DTE reading only shows about 200 miles after a fill up (when it usually shows over 300)


I took it back into the shop and they replaced the TPS but it didn't fix anything.



The shop is being really good about all this, they put in the TPS and the coolant temp sensor at no cost for me, but they have also caused other problems. I'm just looking for other insight before I take it back to them so that I can get this thing back in drivable condition.

Thanks

Lombard

Lombard,

So sorry for you electrical issues. You 'd be surprised at what happened to my engine with only 85K on the odometer. I'll bet my wallet is much lighter than yours!!

Someone needs to force Chrysler to recall all the Durango from year 2001 through 2010. If you read further on other websites allot of people have many complaints with the Durangos.

On my truck/SUV I'm so ticked off that I suggest to anyone to save your money and get rid of yours before the electrical or mehanical/engines fail on you. It is a very sad fact but true. I like mine allot but my Durango has been practically 100% since bought new but when it fails it fails big time!!!!

rimfire22

[N8ECH]

Lombard:

Update please:

As you may know, 2003 was the last and best year of the Gen 1 Durango. It seems to me that if all these issues arose after a given repair, that something the shop did has caused this.

Could be a disconnected or broken ground wire. How many miles on your Durango?

The IAC controls idle and the TPS tells the computer information used to shift the tranny properly.

Don

[LoMbArD]

On some advice from another forum I had the battery load tested, and it tested bad, so I replaced it, it was the origional OEM battery, so it was about time anyway. I also replaced the TPS (second time). Results are the same. The IAC has also been replaced.

I am in agreement that it has to be something that was done at the shop, but it's like finding a needle in a haystack. It has about 130k miles on it, and aside from the oil pump/sludge issue about 40k miles ago it has been pretty problem free. /sigh. I'm open to any suggestions as to places to look. I've checked/re-checked connections and hoses.

[N8ECH]

Lombard:

WOW..... that is surely a basket of issues. I don't know where to start, but seems like something done during the A/C process was either left half done, or improperly done.

Possibly a wire on a harness pinched somewhere. I still like the idea of a ground wire left off.

Don

[LoMbArD]

Just an FYI, I got a remanufactured PCM and it fixed everything. The wife's kidhauler is running like a champ again. Not sure what the shop could have done to fry the PCM, and not sure why the stealership didn't know it was fried when they supposedly reflashed it, but now all is good.

[N8ECH]

Lombard

Glad to hear you got it worked out somehow. That is very frustrating to have a entirely different issue arise in the midst of servicing/

Don

[rimfire,22]

Originally Posted by LoMbArD

Just an FYI, I got a remanufactured PCM and it fixed everything. The wife's kidhauler is running like a champ again. Not sure what the shop could have done to fry the PCM, and not sure why the stealership didn't know it was fried when they supposedly reflashed it, but now all is good.

You might consider gtting one more for your parts basket cuz if it's goes again then you'll know what to do. Either case you won't have the Durango in another 10 years anyway.