1999 Chrysler Concorde blue smoke

Hi,

I got the check engine light again after my computer was reset. Since than I have driven 400 miles. Today I got the P0153 code.
I have a Chrysler Concorde 2.7L, 1999.

What is wrong with my car and how can I fix it?

-I was told it could be misfire (my engine was tuned up 2000-3000 miles ago with new double platinum spark plugs)
-I was told it could be bad o2 sensor or bad wires to o2 sensor
-I was told it could be fuel pump/ pressure problem
-I was told it could be leak on air intake system (I changed air filter 1000 miles ago to Fram air filter)
-I was told it could be leak on exhaust fume system.

So I really wonder what is wrong?
What do you think?

Hi,

No problem because of your later reply. I understand that you are not next to your computer 24/7.

Well if I am not mistaken I got o2 sensor malfunction and this sensor is located after cat thus it is located under the car. I cannot change that without help so I need to go to mechanic who will not change it unless he can read out the code with his computer for 70$ So altogether I will pay like 200$ (o2 sensor 80$ code reading 70$, labor 50$) damn.

For how long can I drive with bad o2 sensor? My oil change is due at 14th of October. Can it last till then?

My other question is that can I go to limp mode due to o2 sensor failure?

Thanks!

Okay so my bad/worn o2 sensor is located on the side of the engine not under the car thus it is before cat.

You said if I drove too long with faulty o2 sensor my cat would go wrong. What did you mean under too long? 1000 miles or less or more?

In a month I drive around 500-600 miles.

Please confirm my theory if it is true: My o2 sensor is wearing out because when my computer was reset I needed several hundred miles before the check engine light would have come back. Therefore the o2 sensor is not totally bad just worn. So I think if I go to my mechanic to change it on 14th of October when my oil change is due I would be fine and I would not cause problem to any other parts of the car. Is that right theory?

Thanks!

Hi,

Well it did last 200 miles and my Check Engine light came back. I did not get read out the code but I guess I would get the same o2 sensor problem code. I will go to my mechanic Monday to get my oil changed and he wants to hook up his computer to my car to see what is wrong. He said AutoZone code readers were not precise and I may have other problem with o2 sensor code such as vacuum leak. Do you think so?

I would like to ask two things.
What oil do you recommend me to use to fill after. I got Mobil from my mechanic with BG RF-7 oil treatment. I need around 1 quart refill /1670 miles. Before BG products (quick clean and RF-7) it was 1 quart/900 miles. So I use Valvoline premium conventional as refill since mobil is also conventional not synthetic or blend. 10W30 what I use. I was told quaker, penzoil, tech (walmart stuff) were not good for my engine type. So what do you think I should use to refill when I am running low on oil?

My other question is gas related. I need regular 87. I noticed that not all of the gas stations have 87. They have 86 as regular. I started using Shell regular (2.23$/gallon here in TX) that is slightly more expensive but it is just 86. I noticed better performance and I was told Shell gas had more engine/fuel system cleaning molecules than other gas. Does that 1 octaine difference count and is Shell really better than FINA or Phillips 66?

Thanks!

HI,

So I brought to my car to service to my mechanic. I paid 311$. Since I'm a student that was expensive but I need to have a working car. (70$ computer scan, 111$ o2 sensor, 14.95$ inspection, oil change+engine clean+oil treatment)
After the computer scan I was told I had Transmission range selector error code in the memory (705 and 133) but my transmission was tested and the problem did not come up. I was told that I had had that code because my battery must have died ( it is true ) and since than it was stored.

Anyway I would like to ask you opinion about several things that I was told. This car shop has two certified Chrysler mechanics. According to their policy just they can repair my Chrysler. So I asked them about the condition of my car and engine (blow-by). They said apart from the blow-by it seemed to be fine!They said I had low compression on 2 cylinders because:
1, worn piston rings (valve steams less likely)
2, blown gasket because I have low compression on two adjacent cylinders. However my engine never overheated so I think we can disregard this option.

These are the most possible problems. They told me I had around 10.000-12.000 miles (it was rough estimate) in the car before the engine would fail. At this moment the engine works well just I got blow by that I can see when I start going from red light. It has some engine noise when idle but I was told that was normal. It has ample power and can reach 115-120 MPH without problem.

A, So I do not feel the issue but I just would like to know is there a symptom in driving performance, engine noise, etc that warns me that due to worn piston rings the engine is about to die?

B, I also was told that I should not drive on high rpm and that could help to prolong the life on my engine in this condition. Do you think that would help?

C, Do you think 10.000-12.000 miles estimate is roughly correct?

Thanks!

Thank you for your answers and opinion. There would be one more thing.

I went to the Chrysler dealership and asked the manager to let me speak with their mechanics. They said to my problem that thicker oil could significantly reduce blow-by. I use 10-30W. What do you think I should use as thicker oil? Also I believe thicker oil would kill my oil pump or might kill other important elements but according to Chrysler's mechanics old Chrysler cars should change to thicker oil than what is recommended.
What do you think?

Thank you for your help! I am grateful for it!

-K-

Hi,

I have a strange problem in the last couple of weeks. So I accelerate from 0 to 55mph or 50mph and when I reach the 40-42 mph my rev falls back 500-600 to 2500 from 3000 and soon jumps up back. The real strange thing is my car keep accelerating constantly so it is not like engine stall. And later around 52-53 mph the transmission goes to 4th.
Other than this I do not notice any change on my car.

Do you know what could cause this problem? Why is this magic number 40-42 or 43 mph?

THANKS!

Hi,

Yes I agree it is transmission slipping. I read a lot on the Internet and checked youtube for videos and my symptom is similar but in my case it is very hard to notice but I know my car so I can notice any unusual noise.

I checked my transmission fluid and it is reddish, light brownish but comparing to my engine oil it is definitely reddish pinkish. In terms of smell well it is not nice but not burnt at all thus color and smell seemed okay.

I do not know when was the tranny serviced. I bought this car as a used and on the records I did not find tranny service. I can imagine that it never was serviced. If it is true I heard that I should never change the fluid because new fluid can mess it up.

Also I do not have any warning lights on.

So what do you think the problem is?
-Solenoid?
-Sensor?
-Clutch?
-Fluid and filter? (This is your guess)

More importantly how serious this problem is? I should get it fixed asap or it can wait till January when my oil change is due? Have you used Lucas Transmission fix?

Thanks for your help!

Hi,

I went to another car shop where they did free diagnostic and test on my car as well as my transmission. They did not find any problem! But I still experience the rpm drop between 3rd and 4th gear. Not right before 4th though. Like 40-45mph and rpm drops from 3000 to 2500 and 55-60 mph car goes to 4th.

I do not have any error code. I think the most probable is slipping clutch. I checked the trans. Fluid it was fine. In fact the shop did 168 point inspection + test and I was told the S-belt is worn but trans. Was fine.

Anyway, I'd like to ask that which (used) car would you suggest me to buy if I needed to buy another:

-2008 Chrysler Sebring (3.5 L)
-2008 Hyundai Sonata (3.3 L)

I like Chrysler style (similar to Mercedes from front) but I am little bit concerned due to lot of horror stories in terms of reliability. Hyundai looks nice but it has not too comfortable seats and the reputation of Hyundai is not that good although it's rising.

Hi,

First of all HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I am sorry that your daughter was screwed with her vehicle. Yes I want to do the paper work due course and due diligence. I have learnt a lot about cars so I am much confident now.

I went to a 400 miles trip and my car went well. 24.7 MPG average mixed driving. I also noticed that the transmission "problem" does not occur when the engine is cold in the morning. Strange.

So you think the problem is likely to be Shift Selenoid or the Torque Converter. How serious these problems are? Also how much would it cost to fix them roughly?

Another question would be that can I top of my motor oil with synthetic blend oil? I have conventional mobil from the shop but to top off I though I could use synthetic blend high mileage oil because it could treat the seals better. It is already a mix of conventional and synthetic so I guess it cannot hurt but I just want to make sure. Of course it is 10-30W also! (Valvoline Maxlife)

Thanks!
Kyle