Hi. This would be my first post on this board. The knowledge Ive gained from lurking here has been invaluable in my decision to purchase a used but very sexy 2001 Coupe with the 3.0 engine in it with 91k miles. So first of I just wanted to say hellow and thanks to everybody for the knowlege on these forums.

Like most first posters I have a couple questions regarding my car.

1: As part of the deal for me buying the car, the dealership was to fix a problem that was causing the check engine light to come on. Ive had it back to the dealership 3 times now to fix said problem. Last I was told it was a busted resonator box setting off the o2 sensor. So they replaced that. But then on a road tripo to tampa last night it came back on. Could something be blowing the resonator box and that in turn tripping the sensor?

Secondly, and my car is an automatic mind you, between 35 and 40 mph my car has a tendancy to kind of shudder when shifting if accelerating slowly. After i pass 40 no problems. And if i accelerate quickly I also do not see this shudder. Anyone else encounter this and is it normal? I ask this becasue I had a saturn that did the same thing and the tranny in that is still good.

Overall I LOVE this car! Shes bright red and is amazingly fun to drive. Just wanna make sure I get anything major on the dealerships dime and not mine before the 3k mile wanranty runs out.

Thanks in advance for your answers!

 

welcome to df!

1. The resonator box that i know of is part of the intake system, correct? I see no way that this could be faulty, and even if it some how was, i see no way that it could cause a check engine light. perhaps a resonator in the exhaust system was bad?

2. That sounds like a transmission issue. I am, by no means, a tranny expert, but I would bring this up to the stealership. does it do it every time, to the point where you could replicate it for a technician?

You have a brief warranty, and I would take it back everytime that I thought that the exhaust smelled funny...

 

Thanks for your reply.

I took it back to the guy the dealership sends it to on my lunch break. They sub it out to him because they're a ford dealership and are retarded when it comes to japanese engines i suppose. He ran a check and everything was fine so he just reset the light. The resonator box is part of the air intake tube. Its a little plastic box thats molded on closest to the firewall. He said that that was entirely missing when he first saw it and had to order a new tube from crysler.

As far as the trany thing goes. Yeah I could replicate it. It only happens when accellerating slowly. Could it be a motor mount? Anyway I dont think they are big on replacing things that may be going during the warranty period only things that are actually broken. So unless i blow up the tranny im afraid i may be out of luck there.

Now lets just hope nothing sets off that check enjine light for at least a week. heh.

Seriously though, besides the aggravating dealer experience, Im really enjoying the car. Best one Ive ever had by far. Then again my cars have been an 86 cadi cimmeron, a95 saturn sl1 and a1989 olds 98. So yeah it could be a soapbox car and be better. But I am generally thrilled to finnaly be driving a car i really like.

I dont plan on doing much to it. Just some lil repairs it neads and maybe a CAI and someday maybe someday som sexy yet tastefull rims.

 

motor mounts were/are an issue on these, and i have replaced my front and rear with solid mounts. however, when the mounts go bad, it causes a sort of creaking noise, not a shudder. It seems like a trans issue, and that is something about which you will have to ride them, and replicate.

As for the intake issue, if that box near the back, which i understood to be a water catch of sorts, is gone it will surely create unmetered air to enter the system, and would cause what i described earlier, but much more severe since there would be alot more air getting in there. Mind you, mine stumbled a bit with only a tiny leak along the throttle body, so having a hole in the piping, which i think that youre describing, would certainly cause a heck of an issue. If it is the part that i think it is, there should be a hole at the bend right before the throttle body, right? If they dont have the part, try covering that hole with a piece of tape, and see how it reacts.

 

Yeah thats the part her replaced. Although since it was basically molded to the piping the whole pastic intake hose was replaced.

Hmm I wonder if I have any recourse with them as far as the possible trany issue. I mean i know they'll say its not broken so therefore they wont fix it, but i wonder if i have someway to force them to heh.

 

you bought it from a dodge dealership, right? was it a "certified pre-owned vehicle"?

 

Nope a ford dealership. Though they called it Certified. Not saying much though considering they didnt notice that part I meantioned earlier was broken off and missing hehe.

 

haha...

well, i would keep on them about it..i worked at a dealership, in the business office, and ive seen tricks, like knowing that the customer has a 30 day warranty, so keep not returning calls until the 31st day...

tell them that you want to take a technician or a service writer for a ride, and replicate it for them...if they give you a hard time, ask for the general manager/ general superintendant...if they screw you around with that...ask for a regional office number.