Steve,

Changed my wires 15 minutes ago, cleared the codes, and took it for a ride. Runs perfect!

Total cost: $125 (code reader) + $33.35 (wires) = $158.35

The only way I'd take my car to the dealer is if it was under warranty. I can guess and replace parts at random as good as the next guy. I know a service manager , if you get those guys angry, they can/will take you for a ride. Always be nice to your dealer. Some day you might need 'em.

Ken

 

I know about those dealers now, but with my car being a taxi cab it was a last minuet in a hurry deal. But my car will never go back unless there is a very serious problem that my current shop cant handle.

 

I have a 96 Dodge Intrepid and I am having the same problem. I started feeling the engine misfire at higher speeds and the check engine light came on. I checked the code and got a 12 and a 43. Took it to the dealership and they told me it was some manifold intake gasket that was leaking and the engine was losing some vacuum or pressure or some such nonsense. I say it was nonsense because it didn't fix anything even though I paid them $500 for their "trouble". I took it back and told them it wasn't fixed. They said that was the problem, but they'd run diagnostics on it again. They then told me that my #2 spark plug wire was faulty and they'd replace it for another $50. That seemed to work ok for a couple days. It started up again though. During this time I had also had the car not start on me a couple times. It would crank, sound like it was about to start, then just keep cranking. Then I would leave it alone for 10 mins, and it would start like nothing was wrong. It stopped once while driving it, started it up, it idled horribly for a bit died, then started up like nothing was ever wrong. Back to the misfires; I decided to go somewhere else since the dealership was trying to make me pay the mortage fee for the lot, and they weren't fixing the problem. I went somewhere else and they told me the problem was the #2 cylinder spark plug wire was faulty (surprise!). Then they showed me the boot was broke on the spark plug end (?), so I let them replace the same wire again, and they told me it was fixed. It wasn't. So I took it to a 3rd place and they told me the problem was the MAP sensor, and that was causing my car to not start randomly. Even though there are a couple other codes just for the MAP sensor (codes 13 and 14) that didn't light up. When I took it into that place, I had another code saying I was running lean also. They told me their computer said it was running rich and my computer said lean because it was trying to lean it out. They replace the MAP sensor and it worked better for a couple days, then the misfires started again, barely noticeable, mostly at high speeds. I took it back to the last place and they drove it many miles and said they didn't see a problem with it at all. Then the car wouldn't start like I describe before. I let it sit about a week without touching it, then I tried it and it started right up. I took it back to the last mechanic hoping it wouldn't start back up, and it did every time. I took it back home, drove it a couple more days and now the misfires are back again in full force and it caused the check engine light to start flashing again, and I checked the codes and they are (can you guess?) 12 and 43. I changed the plugs and wires about a year and a half ago, and I believe they work fine. The only explanation I heard that may hold some merit to me is that an injector is leaking extra fuel into a cylinder and flooding it, and that's why they thought it was running rich, but that's just stabbing blindly. The mechanic couldn't fix the problem when it wasn't happening, and I am getting tired of taking it over there just for them to call and have me pick it up again. Any ideas or suggestions???

 

the msot common cause for a code 43 on the First Generation LH cars is typically an intake gasket leak

possible causes: plugs, wires, coil (rare), fuel injector, lower intake leak (most common)
I'd reccomend not wasting your money to go to a service shop on something as simple as the in take gaskets, if your any bit mechanically inclined, you can do it jsut get yourself a good socket set and a chilton/haynes manual

also, visit www.dodgeintrepid.net, you'll find many threads and much helpful information about the LH cars there

 

I don't know if anyone still uses these forums or not anymore, last post was a few years ago, but my '94 Chrysler Concorde broke down several months ago, did tons of work to figure out it was justasensor.....actually I knew it was the sensor but what I didn't know was a spacer fell out when I changed the old with the new one so that was my whole problem, wasted tons of money [>:]....anyways I just did a self-check of my Chrysler and I got several error codes, all of which I know the problem except error 43**.....Peak primary circuit....blah blah blah..........No idea what the problem is. Anyone who might be listening still have any ideas?? (Fyi, the '94 Dodge Intrepid has the exact same engine as the '94 Chrysler Concorde)

 

I think some confusion may be by what people are calling a code 43. A MIL (Malfunction Indicator Lamp (aka the check engine light)) code is read by the key cycle and the blinking light. Another code 43 is what you get using an ODB scan tool (or have it read for free at Auto Zone). Furthermore a code 43 has more than one root cause.

A MIL 43 can be caused by Ignition coil 1, 2, or 3 Primary circuit (note: all 3 are electrically separate however are changed as one unit, I guess they are separate so the computer can better diagnose a malfunction.) with a description of Peak primary circuit current not achieved with maximum dwell time. A MIL 43 CAN ALSO be caused by misfire detection and there for wire and or plug related. The only way I know to differentiate what is going on, is to use a scan tool. If the coil pack is at fault, you will probably have a P353, 352, or 351. If a misfire is detected in multiple cyl a P300 or a P301 for cyl 1, P0302 for cyl 2, .....till P306 for cyl 6.

A P043 code (obtained with a scan tool), is for the heated O2 sensor bank 1 sensor 3 current low. (emissions related)

I had a MIL 43 on my Intrepid and it was an easy fix by the replacement of the coil pack. Have you tried one yet? As for the MAP sensor I read about above, I have had a few go bad already and each time, it causes rough idle, misfires, and engine stalls with hard restarts until time passes (and yes a MIL43 can be associated). I don't know why they go bad so freq. (original and after market), but the test if you don't own a scan tool with real time monitoring, is to unplug it. You will get an engine light, and the computer will enter a default value (limp home mode). Of course, the engine performance will go to hell and if you stomp on the gas, it will miss., but if the engine wasn't able to start (or was stalling) and now can, replace the MAP. It affects the timing, the EGR, and the fuel mixture computations.
NOTE: quite often when a MAP fails, it is NOT flagged as bad! The computer thinks the value is good and plugs along with the wrong calculations! Of course this makes the engine run like s#!t. It only fails when totally dead or totally stuck (at that point you may have your engine die with a BARO out of range fail).

As for the intake leak, I guess it would be the same kind of code that was causing a MIL 43 for a P300 (multi cyl misfire) as the MAP did. The best way to see what you need to do is read the codes via a scan tool and go from there.

PS to Alex T, I see why you said the last post was a few years ago, but the dates are wrong. This discussion is only a week or so old and all the posts are from within that time frame.

Good luck to all!!!