Hey -

I drive a 2005 Dodge SX 2.0. It currently has about 86,000kms on it and I'm running into a problem and I'm not sure what to do about it.

About a month ago I was driving and my engine light came on while I was stopped. Shifted to first, started to drive, car got to about 2300rpm's and started chugging and sputtering like it was going to die. Did this in any/every gear. Turned the car off - waited 4 hours - same problem. Took my car into the mechanics because I thought it had something to do with the fuel filter. Mechanic looks it over a couple days later - takes it for a drive, no problems. I tell him to keep it and drive it every day for a week and sure enough - problem comes up again. Mechanic decides it's a fuel regulator and replaces it. I got the car back after the replacement and transmission flush and all is good! Three days later - engine light returns but this time there is no chugging. 2 days later - no engine light?

Today - driving and the light comes on, again, and the chugging starts up again!? WTF is what I'm thinking now. Park the car for 4 hours - start it up, and the lights on but the chugging is gone... AGAIN!

Has anyone here had a similar problem? Any thoughts/suggestions on what it could be? ANY ideas/advice on this would be awesome because this problem is driving me bat sh*t crazy!

 

Could be you need new plugs and wires or a new cam shaft sensor. I just had simular problem in my 04 sxt and she needed new wiring to the cam shaft sensor and another place and a new cam shaft sensor and she is better than ever. I would try those things with 86,000 youll need all new of what I said soon. Or if you have an autozone around you take it there they can check when the engine light is on what is going on.

 

Get the codes; don't guess.

 

Like Darthroush said dont guess. Get the code off the dash board when the CEL light comes back on. Easy to do. Turn you key to the on position then off, then on again then off then on. A code will come on it will start with a P and then have four numbers after that. Like P0344. Write all of them down and then post in here. Your car is in limp mode that is why you can't go over 2300rpm in any gear. It is a safe mode to keep you from doing more damage to the car.

 

Im not guessing I had this just happen to mine and it will come up change plugs wires and than camshaft sensor and wiring. I did this all to my sxt and now she has more power like shes brand new.

 

I am SO tired of your posts. Really.

Since you brought it up, you (well, not really you) replaced half the crap in your engine until it worked correctly again. That is called guessing. I had a similar problem, though my car was also dying. I spent a bit of time, diagnosed it, and replaced ONE thing and it worked like new again. Not everybody has a bunch of money to throw at cars to attempt to fix them, nor have their own "mechanic" at home to sit there and screw around with their car for them day after day until it "works like new again." Replacing the plugs and wires is preventative maintenance. It's supposed to be done at pre-specified intervals so you DON'T have a problem; not waiting until you do to change them. That's your bad; not a solution to every problem where the car isn't running correctly. Granted, it is often not done and ends up being the solution to the problem. However, unless they are so bad the car is misfiring, you won't get a code. Second, there are many things that will cause the car to go into limp-home mode. Can what you listed do it? Very much so. Can other things? Yes. Hence, getting the codes. You can narrow the problem(s) down to a few things.

 

Been through codes and sometimes can come up one code and it can be something different . Like the code can come up thats it the camshaft sensor being bad and really its the crankshaft postion sensor. Have had the happen before . The code for the camshaft sensor comes up with 1st change the wires and plugs than camshaft sensor than the wiring to the cam shaft sensor or the coilpack. Oh yeah I change my plugs every now and than more than I should and the wires I do the same. Im so picky about my car more than most. Just trying to help out in a different way seeing I had the same thing just happen to my 04 sxt and just doing what the code said did not work had to do the other things also that the code said.

 

I understand it could be them, but the code may also not be ANY of those things, and cause the same kind of symptoms. Limp-in mode does the same thing to the car, no matter what code triggers it. You don't take your car into a shop with a CEL on, and they go, "Oh, well, we had another car just like this with a similar problem, so we'll just replace the same stuff that we did on the other car and see what happens." The codes help. We need them.

 

Code doesnt help all the time is what Im trying to get across. It could come up one code and be wrong and need a different part. Yeah I agree most of the time codes are good but other times they are crap.

 

As I was driving home last night the light off - so when I try and pull the codes it isn't working because the damn engine light is off again!

Will update when the light comes back and produces a code. Thanks for all the help so far!