20th Jun 2010, 23:43
My 1996 Chrysler Cirrus 2.5 car just quit on me. No spark to the plugs or dist. It appears that quite a few people have had the same problem. Has there been a recall on any of these problems? One day I believe that one of these cars is going to quit at the wrong time and someone will die. I am still researching the problem, and when I find it I will post it here. Good advice on here, and hope it helps me. I will get it running and get rid of it. I hope.
8th Jul 2010, 17:44
I do think that Chrysler should be held responsible for the dangerous way they've made this vehicle. My 1998 Chrysler Cirrus LXI just cut off at an intersection with no warning. Thank God the driver behind me was paying attention.
I've had fuel pumps, fuel intake regulator, complete tune up, computer checks that revealed nothing, even when it cuts off. How could the Chrysler corp. not consider this a life threatening danger?
14th Aug 2010, 23:31
Yep, just bought a 96 Cirrus 3 days ago. Then today it sputtered while changing lanes to take an exit onto another highway. It would go like 5 mph until I made it to the parking lot. Then I called people for like 30 minutes, and it would start and sputter with almost no power. Then it started up and runs fine. I can't afford a new crankshaft position sensor, and don't want to go to the salvage to get one, that would be why the car is in the salvage like they all belong. :D Keep y'all updated...
6th Sep 2010, 18:55
My 1995 Cirrus would not start for a few hours (or a few days) and then miraculously start again. Read a post from an electrical engineer who said the connections to the battery were poorly designed. He soldered the wires to the battery in place and his car started fine after that. I asked my mechanic to solder the wires to my battery (you should have seen the look on his face), but it worked for me. Eleven months and no problems.
23rd Oct 2010, 11:55
I am so glad that I came across this site. My 1998 Chrysler Cirrus LXi has been sputtering and stalling out when I try to start; same with my remote starters. I now feel there is a connection here.
I have been put in dangerous situations with the car suddenly slowing down, sputtering etc. I pump the gas pedal and eventually it comes back to a running speed. Meanwhile I have to put on my "emergency flashers" and drive in the breakdown lane. I only drive in the right hand lanes now as I am afraid of getting hit. This way I can hit flashers real quick and ride on the side of the road.
I'm scheduled to get a new gas pump ($400 for the pump alone) this upcoming week. Mechanic feels that will take care of problem... BUT after finding this site, I am going to contact Chrysler directly and see if they will work with me.
My car was bought new in 1998 by my aunt. It had 1500 miles on it when I got it in March 1999. I don't drive much as I only have 75,460 miles on it.
Also I had to have hood, roof and trunk repainted last year as all of the clear coat was peeling off.
I thank all who have commented on here. Wish me luck please as it sure sounds like I need it...
I am disabled and now of retirement age, and cannot afford all of the repairs I have read about that do nothing to help the situation. Also, I am not in a position to buy a new car... It is very frustrating.
9th Apr 2011, 20:28
Replace the oil sending unit. Just had the same oil light issue. Cost a couple of bucks.
28th May 2011, 10:48
I have a 1996 Chrysler Cirrus 2.6 Litre. My problem started with going out one morning and my car would not start. It turned over fine, but had no "spark." First suspected the fuel pump. Turns out, I had to have the plugs, plug wires, rotor button and distributor cap replaced. Worked fine for one week.
After a week, the check engine light and the alternator light came on. Took it back to the mechanic. Said the "brushes" inside the alternator were bad. Had them "repaired," changed the air temp sensor, crank sensor, some other sensor, and had the alternator "repaired" and put back on. This lasted 2 days. Hooked it up to the computer and it was throwing a "voltage regulator" code. I ticked off that mechanic, because I told him that I had over $500 invested at that point, and the problem still was not fixed. Had to find a different mechanic.
The car "stutters" or "stalls" at very inopportune times - like at a stop light, stop sign, on a hill, etc., and sometimes it can just be sitting there idling and die.
Have it at another mechanic as I type this. When I got it taken in, I was told that it was the alternator, so I had it replaced. Didn't fix the problem. Then I was told that the catalytic converter was stopped up, so I had that replaced. Didn't fix the problem. Check engine light stayed on, and was throwing codes for the sensors I had replaced already. So I was told it was the PCM (the main computer), so I had them replace it, too.
I went yesterday, Friday, May 27, 2011 to pick up the car. I was told it was fixed. When I got in the car and went to start it, it took 4 times before it would start. When it finally started, and I headed back to work, it did the same exact thing. Stalled/sputtered at stop lights, and stop signs, and on the hill in front of my office. The car was actually running, and in "drive", and would not pull the hill, which is more of an incline. I had to physically put the car in park, turn it off, start it back up, put it in drive, and then gun it to get across the road. Did not think I was going to make it the 50 feet to my parking area.
I immediately called the mechanic and told him what had happened, and made them come and get it - at this point I think they thought I was making it all up, but LUCKILY, it did the same thing to them getting back to the shop. I have just gotten off the phone with them, and they have checked the timing (which is good), the fuel pressure (which is good) the PCM is just had put in (which is good), and the new plugs I just had put in (which are good). They now think it is either the "EGR" valve or the distributor itself (just had a distributor cap replaced initially). However, since there is NOW "gray colored" smoke coming from my exhaust (which does not not indicate oil or coolant), they think it could be the EGR, which would wreak havoc on my exhaust system.
Long story short, I have basically been without my car since April 21st. I have spent $1166.44 on it to have it repaired, and I am still at square one - no money left, no car (as it is still in this shop), and no car repaired. They suggested before having the EGR replaced (which is going to be about $125.00) or having the distributor replaced (which is going to be about $450.00), that I have an "injector cleanse" run through it, which should clean the injectors, the EGR valve, the Os valve, etc. POSSIBLY and HOPEFULLY that might take care of the problem... but knowing my luck, I doubt it.
Anyone have any ideas?
26th Apr 2010, 06:40
Well my 2000 Cirrus has 219,000 miles on its original engine and trans. It runs GREAT, and drives like a dream, even after nearly destroying the left suspension hitting a cord of wood in the road 3 years ago.
But as with all cars, things need replacing. Using the previous post and my Haynes manual as a guide, I'll replace the distributor.
The car died 100 miles away when a friend used it for the weekend.
I absolutely love the car, though, and have turned down several offers to sell it because it's worth more to me than the $1200 or so people keep offering.
A little rust can be repaired, and like I said, it drives like a dream.
A tip I can give everyone is to use GOOD gas, and once in a while, use premium. It burns cleaner. Also using synthetic oil and tranny fluid really extend the life of a car, and the changes can go longer in between. VERY well worth the money.