TheSamba.com :: View topic - Got a free convertible! But, uh, its a Dodge Shadow

Sun Nov 16, 2008 1:43 pm

Anyone familiar with these 2.5 L chrysler engines? This thing fires up when cold and sputters for a few secs then stalls out. Then it won't start at all again....
This seems like an obvious fuel delivery issue (pump), but I was looking around the net and reading some weird ass stories of people having to tap the relay with a screwdriver, and that it could be an assortment of sensor related issues. The guy who gave us the car also included a new MAP sensor that I installed with no results.
Thought I'd see if anyone on here has any ideas since there seems to a fine stable of smart folks around...
Any thoughts ideas appriciated.....

Sun Nov 16, 2008 2:23 pm

Perhaps it has a stuck injector that is flooding it?

After the first start, when it is cranking, do you smell gas out the exhaust pipe?

Sun Nov 16, 2008 2:28 pm

Don't know if it's out of the pipe but it is a bit gas stinky....not overwhelming but it's there.....
Pricing out fuel pumps for this thing is making it look ALOT less free.....140.00 - 269.00).....

Sun Nov 16, 2008 2:40 pm

Do you have a fuel pressure gauge?

Sun Nov 16, 2008 2:42 pm

Nope....
I'm guessing this is in fact fuel pump related....just don't want to face it I guess...... :(

Sun Nov 16, 2008 2:54 pm

Hi,

Could you give a little more information about this car such as the year?

Thanks
Dave

Sun Nov 16, 2008 3:17 pm

Chrysler, eh? Whack the gas tank with a 2x4.

Fixed my fiancee's P.O.S. Dodge Spirit. The fuel pumps get weak after a while.

Sun Nov 16, 2008 3:19 pm

Yeah, more info would help.. :oops:
It's a 1991 Dodge Shadow with a 2.5 L with 97,000 miles. It's pretty clean and was running pretty good for the last year or so. A friend of the family gave us the car as a birthday gift to my girlfriend. He said he was driving along, and it began to lose power, and then stalled out. His mechanic told him that it was the MAP sensor, and his reasoning for that was that when he worked on the car last, (a tune up) he checked the flash codes and it said the MAP was bad. But what the mechanic did was pulled a used one he had on a totalled dodge shadow in his wrecker yard. So he figured it must have went out too. So, the guy who gave us the car bought the MAP sensor(new), but didn't know how to install. So, I did it when he gave it to us, but as I said, it hasn't done any good......
I checked the flash codes myself, and I'm getting a 4-4...I think....I have to recheck it. I lost count, and didn't have a pen. The car is currently sitting at this guy's workplace....
That's the whole story so far! Thanks for any help...........
I'm starting to like the 2X4 idea......I was reading some chrylser forum where people were saying to smack the relay switch with a screwdriver...
I haven't gone back to try that one yet.....

Sun Nov 16, 2008 3:22 pm

http://www.dodgeforums.com

I had a Dodge Shadow Convertible with a 5-speed. That thing had some pep and was a blast to take on I-44 through Missouri at 90mph.

Wed Nov 19, 2008 2:51 pm

"FREE" is always good......I had one of those with the turbo engine, fun little cars!

Wed Nov 19, 2008 3:10 pm

See if you can borrow a code reader from some one. It might be the ECM. if you are getting a bunch of strange codes?

Wed Nov 19, 2008 3:20 pm

1991 won't work with an OBDII code reader.

Wed Nov 19, 2008 3:31 pm

WD-40 wrote: Do you have a fuel pressure gauge?

That was my first thought as well. The fuel pressure may be way too high, it floods so you smell gas and can't restart it.

It can't be a horribly hard problem to fix.

Wed Nov 19, 2008 5:48 pm

Dropping the gas tank to fix the sender/pump is a pain, (and probably the problem) but a small amount of labor for a FREE car.

Wed Nov 19, 2008 6:56 pm

check a fuel pressure guage on it. look for the pressure regulator also im aware of all the vacum bullshit on it. pump may be toast but id check the rewlays first then the fpr and then the pump. good luck.

Wed Nov 19, 2008 9:18 pm

Well, I wacked on the fuel pump a few times, and it ran longer before stalling out.....so I think that might be it....
So, the tank has to come all the way down to change that bastard? :evil:
That sucks.....but I guess it is free......
Its not giving wacky codes, but a 4-4 and 4-5.....havent looked em up yet

Sat Nov 22, 2008 12:08 pm

Find your fuel pump at a junkyard and pay $25 and learn how to install it (install is the reverse of removal says Bentley). I don't know why they are so expensive brand new.

Sat Nov 22, 2008 4:45 pm

Ian wrote: Find your fuel pump at a junkyard and pay $25 and learn how to install it (install is the reverse of removal says Bentley). I don't know why they are so expensive brand new.
do this and have to replace it within 6 months to a year or google/ebay it and get whatcha need for less and have it done right
http://shop.ebay.com/items/_W0QQ_nkwZ1991Q20DodgeQ20ShadowQ20fuelQ20pumpQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZR40QQ_mdoZ