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Question: 2000 Plymouth Breeze 2.4 Liter mileage: 64,500. My wife was backing out of a parking lot and headed out when the car just shut off. It will not start back. The engine rotates and hits but will not actually start. In checking out different things, I unplugged the camshaft position sensor and the car starts, I went and bought a new camshaft position sensor and put it on, vehicle still wouldn’t start, I unplugged it again and the car starts, but as soon as the camshaft position sensor is plugged back in the car shuts off. Any suggestions?

Answer: When you unplug the camshaft position sensor it starts because the computer goes to default or limp mode which allows the car to start. Most likely the magnetic pick-up on the camshaft is loose or has dislodged causing your no start problem.

Question: 1999 Plymouth Breeze 2.0L mileage: 60,000. First of all my car was running good until I decided to "fix" it. I had to do something. My radiator was leaking badly due to some minor left-front end collision damage. I couldn't afford a mechanic, so I decided to do it myself. Since I've worked on several cars over the years, I thought this would be easy. Little did I know how much fun was in store for me. I removed the radiator without too much difficulty. I had to disconnect the air conditioning stuff and automatic transmission lines also. I went to the junkyard and obtained an exact replacement that is known to be good. I replaced the radiator. Once again, I didn't have too much difficulty with that. Everything connected with no problems. I replenished it with water but did not refill the Freon in the air conditioner. I did not have any ATF+3 transmission fluid to refill that but I figured the engine would at least start at this point so I tried it. Not even a hit. I cranked and cranked. So, I sat there pondering for a second. I went back and double and triple checked my connections and could find no problem. At this point, I suspect I have tripped some sort of automatic shut down electronics. So, I get in my reliable F150 and I get a service manual from the parts store. After studying for about 30 minutes, I believe the ASD relay is stuck or bad. I get my multimeter and check the relay's coil resistance to 75 ohms which is good. I checked the n.o. and n.c. contacts both fine. Next, I check the voltage supply to the relay at the relay connector block. I had no voltage. Hmmm. Pull the other three relays and check their voltage. They all have the 12V I was looking for. Ahha! No voltage a.k.a. fuse!!! Yep, sure enough I check the fuses and fuse number 5 under the hood is blown. It is supposed to be for the ASD and the computer a.k.a. power train control module. Well, I go to the parts store again and return with 20A fuses. I replace it. Fuse blows! ARRRGGGGGHHHHH!!! Insert a few explicatives here! I get out my meter again. I measure 12V on one side of the fuse and 0V on the other. I don't think this is good. Suspecting a bad computer but not knowing why since the engine ran fine before my radiator change, I disconnect the battery and remove the computer. I disconnected the two cables from the unit and replaced the fuse with another new one and connected the battery. The fuse did not blow. Well at this point, I'm not sure whether the computer is truly bad or one of the circuits connected to it. So, here are the real questions. Do you think the computer is faulty and how do I prove it? Or, is it possible that some sort of trouble code is stored in the computer which would not allow the engine to start? Why would the fuse blow with the computer in-circuit but not when the computer is out of circuit. Wouldn't the relay prevent the car from starting? Isn't that what the electronics should do in a properly working car? Is there a transmission fluid level sensor and could that have caused my problem? I'm sorry this is such a long email but I am truly stumped. This car is not going to beat me. I will find the answer one way or another even if I have to ask! I'm going to work on the car again this weekend. Any help you guys can provide will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Matt

Answer: Based on what you have told us, it appears that during the radiator replacement, a wiring loam was damaged or improperly reconnected. It is also possible that a ground wire was omitted which would cause the fuse to blown resulting in a no start condition.

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Question: 1998 Plymouth Breeze mileage: 78,000. My question is...as a mechanic, can you tell me [from experience] how often I can expect to have my head gasket repaired? I am aware of the faulty gasket problem, but is it a repeat problem?

Answer: Yes, it is a repeat problem on your make of car. However, if you went 78,000 and three years on the first gasket, you should get approximately the same mileage out of the second one.

Question:  1997 Plymouth Breeze 4 cylinder mileage: 80,000.  I had my front brake pads replaced in October, 1999.  Ever since then, my brakes have not felt right.  They kind of feel warped?  I took it back to have them look at it again and they said it sounds like a brake problem and when I told them that they just replaced my brakes a few months ago, after looking at it, they decided that my problem was not a brake problem and that they didn't know what was causing the problem but that it was not a brake problem.  Today, I took my car to another repair place and they told me that whomever did my original brake job cut my rotors too thin.  He said 2500's to 3000's under the legal spec. and that my rotors are bad and need to be replaced.  Is it possible to cut them too thin, and if so, what problems could that cause.  And is there a way to know and/or prove that they were cut too thin?     Thank you so much for this service.  I have no clue about this stuff!

Answer:  It is possible to machine the rotors too thin.  Stamped on the rotor is a minimum thickness they should be machined to.  If the rotors are machine below the minimum thickness, the brakes will not dissipate the heat and warping of the rotors can occur.  When the rotors become to thin, they need to be replaced.  If your rotors are thinner than the minimum thickness, they were machined that way.

Question:  1997 Plymouth Breeze  mileage:  Where is the petcock to drain the radiator?  The ground clearance is so low I can't get my head under the bumper and it is not visible from the top.

Answer:   The drain is on the bottom of the radiator.  Try safely raising the car for access to locate it.

Question:  1998 Plymouth Breeze  mileage: 75,525.  I was finding oil leaking in my driveway.  It continued to get worse.  I brought the car to the dealer...he called and said it was a head gasket problem.  What would cause this on such a new car?  Was it something I did?  It is covered under warranty but how much would the cost have been to fix it?  Thank you in advance...

Answer:   Unless the car was overheated, we cannot think of how you could have caused the head gasket to fail.  Read your new car warranty for details on what is covered and for how long.  Labor and parts to do the job vary.

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