I was cleaning my 2001 Stratus and jamming to some tunes... I started the car after a while so the battery would not run down. It turned over but it got low and struggled. Next thing I know the radio is dead and the equalizer is blinking 3 amber lights. I call the dealership and the service manager says he has never heard of that(uh huh..right!) He tells me to disconnect my battery and see if it will reset. What he failed to tell me is that it would reset the whole computer sytem and make the car go wacky.
So, here is what is happening... the panel flickers, it stals out and the transmission jumps all over the place.. I have read the computer will learn and reset.. I have disconnected it several times trying to get it to obey me.

Here is my thinking... The battery maybe dying a slow death and the car just isn't getting enough power now.

The computer needs to be reprogrammed by the dealership

Or, the computer is fried and I am looking at big $$$$$$

I have to say that this car is poorly engineered if the radio dies because the battery dies and the car goes nuts also. This is the 2nd radio...

What would happen if I was traveling and the battery died... then I have whacked out car that won't drive even after replacing the battery.. and the battery location... who designs this stuff???????

Any help would be appreciated.. I see many post with similar problems but no real answers...

 

A mechanic next door to me suggested doing the following to reset the computer:

Start the car and idle it at 2000 rpms for 3 minutes...(you may have to do this a time or 2). My friends father disconnected the battery on my R/T to clean the post and I had 1 hell of a time driving my car home, the mechanic..(Jeremy) suggested the above and after 2 tries all was well.

 

First off RECHARGE or Jump the car ... It's a good possibility the voltage is too low to properly reset ...

 

Thanks for the help.. I tried both things..
Went to drive it and it went nuts..engine light came on.. I put in manual shift and managed to get it home. I am astounded that disconnecting a battery will do this to a car.

And people wonder why American cars get such bad ratings....

I am disgusted with the poor engineering... now I have to go to a dealership and pay big money for something that should have never occurred. All this just because I was cleaning it up listening to the radio...unbelievable...

Again..thanks for the effort...