Lebaron died on me in Kentucky!

[Jacks1986Lebaron]

Well, its 1 a.m. Monday morning I just got home from kentucky, i had to drive my Dads Dodge pickup home (193,000 original miles, untouched excpt for maintenance).

I had driven the lebaron to Kentucky (108 miles from Nashville) for my Moms birthday saturday, it was running as usual, hesitation, run good, hesitation, run good, all the while sucking gas all the way up there (21 miles to the gallon).

anyways, made it to my Moms with no incident, parked it, it sat till Sunday afternoon, I checked the radiator fluid, and oil before i headed over to my Dad and step-Moms. The radiator was a wee bit low, I had just had radiator flushed, purged and filled wednesday.....I had no leak, they found no leaks, and it sat on my Moms concrete driveway for 24 hours, and no little green leaks of anti-freeze were seen. But it was a bit low, so I whipped out my anti-freeze, and topped it off. Started it, purred like a kitten, drove it sttraight to my Dads, it ran perfect, no hesitation, nothing.

It sat at my Dads for 4 and a half hours. I had backed it up a incline, so the front of car was facing down the hill (just in case that matters).
Anyways, it was getting late, and I needed to get back to nashville, so said my goodbyes, went out there and started it up, noticed it was idling kinda rough, thru it to drive and took off, pulled out of his drive, and up a incline, and it acted like it did not want to go anywhere....I made it to the end of his road came to a stop sign. Stopped, and the car stalled. I started it up, and it was running so rough, I turned around and was able to make it back to my Dads.

It was dark, late, and I was about up to my eye-balls with this freakin car!!!!!

I did not check anything, my Dad tossed me his keys, said our good-byes, and off I went!!!

[Jacks1986Lebaron]

Anyways...Dad said he would check it out tomorrow and see if he could find what may be causing the problem.

I parked it by a HUGE tree by his garage, and told him if that huge tree fell on it, I would not be unhappy, he just laughed, and told me not to worry!!

It seemed like it wasn't getting enough gas to pull it up the incline, and when I would get to a level part of the road, it would run a bit better, but still was idling rough!!! Did I mention it was idling ROUGH?? haha....

It has only done this once a month ago, it was running and idling rough and stalled, started right up, ran like crap all the way home. Got in it the next day, ran fine, except for the hesitation.

Anyways....just wanted to whine for a few minutes!!!

Any suggestions please throw them my way!!

I can't understand why a car as nice as mine, that looks better than some cars that are only 5 years, can have such a problem that no certified chrysler or other accredited mechanic can't find the problem?????

[88 aries]

check. the coil for cracks, check your spark plugs, fuel filter, fuel pump, rusty gas lines?, timing, map sensor, ECU.

all of them things can lead to an engine that doesnt want to run correctly.

[89ARIES]

I am so not a mechanic, but I have a story I'd like to share that might give guys some ideas. Over a year ago, I had the pleasure of trying my K-car on a 1500 mile roadtrip half cocked with
an overheating engine caused by an evil mechanic that threw vacuum hoses together without sealing them. Air bubbles got in the cooling system and the thermostat failed. I got home on a wing and
a prayer without any serious damage. Throughout 2007-2008, the car would a couple times not stay running right away when I started it up. It would start up right away, then choke and die. It only did this about
4 times during the year. I ignored it as I was low on funds as I am now. All I would do would floor the gas petal, blow out some black carbon and smoke, then it would dissapate and the car would stay running. It
oddly enough still got great gas mileage (25-28 mpg), but never idles perfectly. Still does not idle perfectly since the check engine light has stayed on for 2 years. So, I took the roadtrip and not only did the car start overheating, but the 7 year old battery died in Santa Barbara and we had to get a jumpstart to get home. I replace the battery and the other "good" mechanic finally solved the cooling issue by replacing the thermostat and purging the cooling system and getting new hose clamps. This guy is not a K-car expert either, but at least he knew the basics. Then, when I thought my headache was over, I went out to start my car the next day, it would only stay running for 20 seconds. I drove it a couple blocks with a series of restarts, stalls, and more black smoke coming out of the tailpipe. Carbon deposits would come out like somebody
dumped something on the ground. I was determined to get my car back to the mechanic without a tow. In frustration on a turn I floored the gas petal, the car lunged forward, sputtered, and died immediately. Obviously, fuel ratio was off. I had it towed. The mechanic ( not a K-car expert) found out the sole fuel injector was totally blocked by a wad of carbon and was dumping too much fuel to the engine, thus chokling it and causing the car to run too rich. Before this breakdown, as long as the car was driving, the gas mileage was still good and no smoke. Weird huh. Well, $400 later after this fiasco, the car was reliable again and has been for 13 months and 20,000 miles since. Thought I'd share this with you. Maybe a carbon clog? Or, a failed fuel pump.

[Jacks1986Lebaron]

Thanks for sharing!!!

It has only done this rough idle "once" one month ago, and it stalled then.

Then again yesterday! The only 2 times it has done this in 13 months of ownership.

It usually starts up, idles smooth, never has it smoked, no smell of fuel or oil, even with my nose stuff up under the hood.

On Butch's advice, I cleaned the throttle body, had a bit of black smoke come out of it then, but it cleared up after getting on it going down the highway.

It went thru emissions 3 weeks ago, and had ULTRA low emissions.

I also took the MAP sensor off and almost bought a new one, BUT, I thought I should have it tested first, which I did, and it was in proper working order. Testing is cheaper than buying!! haha....

again thank you, and thank you for sharing!!!!

I always appreciate your input!!

P.s. Over the course of the year, my gas mileage has steadily "decreased" last supper it was 28-29 MPG. Now its hovering around 21 miles to the gallon thats all highway without air!

[dc8flyer]

Sounds like a fuel pump failing / failed.

I had to replace my pump a few years ago after similar symptoms. Began intermitent rough acceleration at first and going up hill the demand for more fuel couldn't be handled by the failing pump. Car would decelerate, etc.. Going down hill there was less pressure on pump and seemed to run fine. It slowly got worse and the day I drove it into the shop it would not accelerate past 10 miles per hour.

New pump and all worked well.

[Jacks1986Lebaron]

Well............the ole girl has a appointment next tuesday to have new fuel pump put in. The mechanic said he will run a fuel pressure check first, but sounds like the fuel pump is dying a slow death. Mostly due to its age.


My Dad took the car out Monday, tuesday, and wednesday and it ran just FINE!!!

It figures..............................

Again thanks to all for advice and sharing. I'll let ya know how all goes when I get the Lebaron back.

I am praying on this one!!!

[dc8flyer]

I'm assuming your fuel pump is located on the tank, so when you take it in make sure you have as little fuel in it as possible.

My pump had a filter sleeve that fit over the pump. Make sure your new pump is ordered along with the sleeve. Sometimes a shop will not order it so be sure they don't use the old one if they forget.

[love-a-Lebaron]

OMG, I had the same problem, it turned out to be my fuel pump, Have them also change the fuel filter & clean the fule injectors when doing the pump. Mine dumped alot of crazy stuff threw the fuel system when it went. I also had to reset the computer over night after all of this was done why I don't know?? but she runs really good now. Looking back my fuel pump was slowly going out over the last year it acted like it needed new wires & plugs or have the idel adjusted. Why do they go out slow like that??

[Jacks1986Lebaron]

I don't know why they go out so slowly, it is a lonnnnnng agonizing death, for the car and my last nerve!!!!!!!

I just wished the darn thing would have just got out and been done with it!!

All the money, inconvenience, and frustration trying to find out the problem has left me a bit tattered.

And whats worse is, not one mechanic could "find" my problem.

I guess mechanics don't want to take the time to work on a old car and diagnose properly!!

Lets just throw on another new part, and send him on his way!!