91 chrysler 5th ave.: power door lock flaky

QuestionEdit

QUESTION: Hi. First of all thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge. My car is all power, door locks, windows, trunk button in glove box. It had a remote entry but it was lost before a received the car. A lot of times the locks won't lock when you start to move the car and the speedometer won't work until the locks lock. It will also do this while driving down the road. The car jerks like it's out of gas even with a full tank, and the speedometer starts bobbing up and down and the locks come unlocked. Sometimes it only last a few minutes other times it runs this way all day. I just have to keep up with traffic to avoid speeding or driving to slow. It's an all season any weather condition too. Before I got the car it wouldn't shift from 2nd gear. We took it for repairs and were told they replaced 2 harnesses. The car does shift now but the other issues are still there.

ANSWER: Hi Grace, This malfunction may have more than one cause, but I would start with the possibility that the driver's door is not latched tightly enough in the door frame opening of the body due to mal-adjustment of the latch striker which is located in the frame at the rear of the the door opening (in the piller). If you will look at the striker pin mounted in a plate you will see that it is held in place by a couple of screws and if you loosen the screws you can move the striker plate inward a bit from its present position so that when you shut the door it will be latched firmly in the door frame. When this is not the case the switch which senses when the door is frankly open mistakenly thinks the door is open, even though you have it closed and secured. When that happens the automatic door lock feature that normally happens when you reach a speed of 15 mph will not happen. Similarly, while driving with the door locks actuated, as you go over bumps,etc. the ajar switch will send a false signal and so you will hear the automatic door lock system attempting to lock the doors. So let us start with that repair you can do yourself. Just move the striker in-board enough to make the door really firmly in position when you close it, and not have any free-play to move in and out of that position. Then see how this problem then manifests itself if it does. There is on-board self-diagnostic capablity that you can take advantage of: first, if you have a vehicle information center in the overhead console, that will usually indicate a warning of a problem with a few word messsage. Also, the body computer which is central to the body funstions such as this has a data link connector socket under the dash at the left hand end of the dash near the foot brake relase connector, so look for a blue socket with 6 pins inside of it. A Chrysler diagnostic readout box (DRB II) can be plugged in there and the body computer asked to report any problems it has noticed.. That can be done also at a private shop if they have professional level scanner (such as Snap-on brand with the appropriate plug to mate with the blue socket under the dash). Let me know what fault code wording that they find. I have the shop manual and can tell you/them what to do about a specific fault message. Please "rate" my answer (see below). Thanks, Roland

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Roland. Thank you for your suggestion. I forgot I sent my question through this address and just recently saw it. So my husband hasn't had a chance to check out your suggestions. I'm sorry but I can't find the "rate" link you mentioned in your reply either so I could rate your advice.

AnswerEdit

Good to hear from you again, Grace. Let me know how it works out. I believe if you look at the 'boiler plate' in the response you will see Allexperts invites you to rate the expert and the answer and to also decide whether to answer 'yes' or 'no' to the question about whether I should be given your nomination to be designated 'volunteer of the month'. If you don't find that opportunity don't be concerned.