Jim Grant's Tech Tips

'96 Chrysler Sebring, Dream or Nightmare

Q: My wife has found her dream car in a ‘96 Chrysler Sebring JXI convertible that seems to go in to a degenerative state of idle @ about 350 rpm. Even this is not consistent. It will at times pull itself up to the 750 rpm range, run for 10 to 15 seconds and then degrade back to the 350 rpm and then just before it dies it will pull itself back up to the 750 rpm idle and will continue this indefinitely. You can't press on the accelerator or it will die. Does this seem to indicate a fuel pump problem or some type of fuel/ignition control problem? If it was the fuel pump why doesn't it just go ahead and die. I have found other people with these Sebrings, i.e., 2.5L engines, that are having the same symptoms. Is this an inherent problem with these cars, engines, or computer control systems that has a history known to mechanics?...Stranded & confused

A: Myself I would start with an inspection, cleaning of the throttle plates. Followed by an inspection and if needed adjustment of the minimum idle air setting. Deposits build-up on the throttle plates of a fuel injection engine of your type and can create a pyre of driveability problems. More often than not basic maintenance returns a vehicle to good operation.