1996 Chrysler Concorde 1996 Chrysler Conrorde P0353, P0352

RLEWIS4843

MEMBER
1996 CHRYSLER CONCORDE
6 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
91,000 MILES

The car sputters when you accelerate, and Check Engine light has come on(76,000 miles). I was told by Firestone it needed a tune up $1200.00(plug wires, plugs, manifold gasket, timing belt, and labor). They said to replace the spark plug wires they would need to remove the manifold. I did the job myself (without removing the manifold) and the problem did not go away. I used the MIL code, it indicated 43. I replaced the ignition coil pack. The problem went away for 9 months. Coil pack was bad, and 2 pluk wires, replaced them(parts supplier Auto Zone). It lasted for about 18000 miles. The problem has returned. I will need to replace the coil pack to have the car inspected. But why am I loosing coil packs?

1 Reply

JASONRAY

MECHANIC
213 POSTS

Are you 100% sure you need another coil pack? What if the plug wires were routed in such a manner that they rubbed through the insulation and the spark is now hitting the intake or the head instead of the electrode at the tip of the spark plug. I worked at a Dodge dealership for a long time and although I have replaced the coil packs before, it wasn't a common problem. The chances of a plug wire going bad (especially since they came from autozone) is way more likely than a coil pack. With a helper, check for the spark jumping around under the hood. Have your helper put the car in gear, set the park brake, and power it up a little until it starts missing. Look AND listen for spark. You 'should' be able to hear it unless it's down in the hole where the plug is. Don't feel around with your hand though. If the spark hits you, it'll hurt. That's about 75,000 volts. Another trick of the trade is to take a spray bottle and put about a 50/50 mixture if rubbing alcohol and water in it. Set it to the 'spray' setting and spray it around the plug wires while it's running. The mixture you spray will really show the spark good if it's leaking out of the plug wires. If nothing shows up, kill the car and pull the wires off of the plugs and look at the boots that go down in the holes. Look for little white spots on the boots. If the spark is leaking through the boots, it'll leave a little white dot. Also look for water or oil in the spark plug holes. This will make it miss on that cylinder, too. I would check all this before replacing another coil pack. Get back with me and we'll keep diagnosing.