New Member need assistance

[jminker]

Hello,

I have a 1986 Dodge Aries SE with the 2.2 engine. The car has 64K original miles and I continue to battle the following issues;

I have a TPS code 24. I have replaced the TPS 2 times. once with an Autozone part then as I heard from a local garage that they have had problems in the past with Autozone parts not being up to spec (electrical components) I then purchased the second one from Napa, but the code is still there. I have disconnected the battery overnight but upon start-up the code comes back??

The second problem is I had also replaced the Temp Coolant sensor located on the thermostat housing. I replaced two of those as well for the same reasons above. Now what happens is that the fan will never come on unless I disconnect the Temp coolant sensor. When I leave it connected it runs terrible, acting like it flooded, upon hot startup. My next thought was to replace the Air Charge Sensor, which I feel might resolve the warm start issue, but again the fan does not come on when the temp coolant sensor is connected.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I live in Spring Grove, IL so anyone that know of a specialist with this make/year might help as a last resort, but really feel this should be something I can tackle.

Thanks for your help!!

[MyDodgeDip]

I would start by checking all of your grounds as well as the connectors on the engine wiring harness and the computer. They can corrode over time and throw codes for stupid things even after you change the associated sensors.

[jminker]

Will do. I found a site last night that spoke of the very problems I am having specifically related to the TPS code not going away. This guy was asked to check his six way connector (throttle body), he put a little dilectric greese on the connector and the problem went away. I tried that same approach and no-go, but will continue checking them all as you suggest. I was also shocked to go out to rockauto auto parts and find that the logic module is < $80...not that I am going to jump right to that, but I did find in the chiltons some diagnostic steps that ended with that as a replacement...am very happy to find out that some of these parts are so cheap to replace. I have an electronics buddy of mine that is just cringing about this as I fork over $$ to fix the problem. He is very reluctant for me to spend money on the car having a strong background in electronics, he fear is that the capacitors throughout the car, with age, will not hold up and I tend to look at it as a car with 64K orig. miles on it and knowing that my aunt had is cared for over the years in a maticulous way (keeping all her receipts)...well you get the picture. What are your thoughts? My outlook is, the car was free to me, and only has 64K miles on it, even if I had to put $1,000 into it, it should get another 64K out of it....do you agree? Thanks very much for addresing my questions!!

[yesdear]

Welcome to the club. We have put over $5,000.00 in our 1982 Dodge 400. everyone thought we were nuts except the guys here! You are lucky you found this site the guys here are so great and very knowledgeable . I wish you luck with the car.
We are still having problems with our car but not going to give up.

[jminker]

FIXED!! Here is what it was. I found a local shop in Richmond, IL Richmond Motor Sales 10400 Main St. Richmond, IL 60071 877-678-2081 I read the about on there web site http://www.richmondmotorsales.com/page2.php I had never been to this shop. The mechanic that worked on the car (Jeff) who has been working there since 1977 found that under the computer (logic module mounted inside the car), when he took it off, the map sensor vacuum hose was pinched/crimped where the mounting screw holds the computer to the wall. When he replaced that section of the hose (hard plastic) the code 24 (TPS) went away and the car ran great. He believes that this might have been done in the factory when the car was built. I have yet to go thru my Aunt's receipts and add up all the things that have been replaced on the car, but can tell you there is a new distributor, and it appears they had the head off as well. I will check it out this weekend and see the pieces replaced. In any event, I can't say enuff about how much I appreciate the folks at that shop over in Richmond!!

-John

[jminker]

PS. Just broke 65,000 miles this week!!

[Pete in NH]

Hi Pat and Mike,


Is the 82 Aries still acting up? I saw your post a while back that it flooded up and would not start. I used to carry an old junk screwdriver under the front seat of my 84 Aries for such occasions. You take the top of the air cleaner off and use the screwdriver to hold the carb. choke plate open. Then floor the gas pedal and hold it there while you crank the engine. It will dry out and try to start. Just keep cranking it until it will run on its own. Carburetors and automatic chokes can get cranky from time to time. If your still having fast idle problems you may need you set up the choke and fast idle cam as the weather gets colder.

[Pete in NH]

Hi Jminker,

I’m a retired electrical engineer so I understand you friend’s concern on old capacitors. In practice it does not seem to be a problem yet but very well could be someday. I would not let that stop you from enjoying your car and I think at 64K miles you can go many more miles. Ask your friend to get you some good contact cleaner, like DeOxit, and apply a drop to each pin on those engine control module and harness connectors and see if that clears up the problem as MyDodgeDip suggested.

[Butch]

Damn Pete, I did get the impression you were intellgent. An electrical engineer is definitely what the old Mopar community needs. For yrs I've been trying to find out whivh component is the injector driver in an 89 SMEC with no luck. I socket my own SMEC logic boards to run differant cals. Had a couple with bad drivers I would have fixed had I known where there are on the board.

[Pete in NH]

Hi Butch,

Very interesting that you’ve worked on the SMEC controllers. I’m just getting into the newer TBI cars since I bought my 86 Reliant. My previous K car experience was with an 84 Aries which only carried a spark control computer. Are the SMEC’s circuit board potted in an epoxy compound like the spark computers? If the board is not covered in epoxy it is very likely we could find a way to replace those bad injector drivers. I don’t have anything on those controllers can you point me to some information on them? I love challenges and this seems like a good one, being able to repair these controllers.

My impression of Chrysler’s electronics of the period was of very good quality considering the cost limitations of automotive electronics. I believe this stuff came out of Chrysler’s Huntsville, Alabama facility that used to do a lot of space related NASA work. Anyway my impression is that the original Chrysler stuff is much higher quality than any after market parts and worth repairing if possible. With any luck the injector driver is just a simple transistor that we could find a substitute for.