I have a 2008 Avenger SXT with the 2.4L 4 cylinder engine. I'm normally a maintenance ****, but this last time I was about 500 over on the oil change and my car developed a whine. I figured the oil change would help with this, but it has gotten worse and now she struggles when accelerating. I put seafoam in the tank and some in the crank case so we're hoping this helps with that issue because our dealer is an hour away. If this doesn't help, does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do to remedy the issues?

I'm also wondering if anyone has had the following issue. When it rains my car shudders and stalls as I'm slowing down for a stop sign or sitting at a light; there's no warning whatsoever. I'm not sure what the problem is but, the issue surfaced about 6 months after bringing her home. At first my dealer tried to tell me that I was crazy, but when I brought it to their attention again they said that Chrysler was aware of the issue and had yet to issue a fix. Has anyone else experienced this and what happened?

Any and all help/suggestions is greatly appreciated!

 

Any check engine light on the dash? or battery light?

Also, fuel pump issue is common too. you can remove your rear seat by lifting the front cushion upward, and remove the cushion to acess your fuel pump. It is under the Driver side rear seat. Disconnect the connector, see if it is melted.

regarding the whining noise, Alternator failue is fairly common on the 2.4 engine.

 

Nothing but the norm is on the dash. Thanks for the info; I'll have the alternator and fuel pump checked when the rain lets up.

 

So my husband calls and says that the battery light on the dash kicked on. We had Firestone check the battery and they said it had a bad cell. So we had the battery replaced and the alternator checked; we were told it was fine. Now the battery isn't charging and I'm pretty sure that the alternator is bad despite it being tested. Is there anything else that could cause the battery not to charge like a short or something not being connected? Which alternator would be the best for her? Good Lord the alternators are more expensive for the new Avengers that the old ones.

I have to add that everything went downhill about 2 weeks after taking her to the dealership (that's an hour away) for an oil change, air filter replacement, and tire rotation. I have a suspicion that someone did something they shouldn't have in order to make us come back again; their other location is known for taking people to the cleaners.

 

What do you mean it is not charging? you needed a Jump every morning? or it battery light still ON?
O yeah, btw, a bad Battery usually don't turn the Battery light ON, a Bad Alternator does.

Battery usually last 3-5 year, with a bad alternator, they last even shorter. It might just reached the end of its life cycle.

I doubt it has anything to do with the Dealer's Oil change. These cars breaks by itself, no need induction service. If they did anything, it wouldn't take 2 weeks to show symptom.

Which alternator? most part store offers Alternator with lifetime warranty, go for it. They are usually less than $200.

 

The battery was a year old when we got the car, so it probably would have needed to be replaced soon anyway. The battery isn't charging at all; it took 3 days to completely charge it. I've been telling my husband it's the alternator for days now, so he's finally going to get her checked out. As for the dealership, some shady things have been going on so I'll just leave it at that. I did find a Bosch Reman for $326. Either way, she's getting check out this week and hopefully she'll be running again soon.

 

Try trouble shooting the wire harness. Shoot the wire for continuity and resistance.

 

Well we had the car checked out and the internal components of the alternator were melted. Not sure how, but the mechanic says she's good to go and can come home.