1997 Chrysler Sebring 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic 152k miles
I hope you will try to give a specific answer to this question so I will try to be accurate.
This Sebring has always had intermittent "check Engine Light" events that eventually turned "off". But last year bad misfirings started to occur and even starting the car, the Check Engne light would start to flash. This car has several new O2 senors, but not all, new MAP, Distributor module, coils, rotors, camshaft and crakshaft sensors.
On September 15 th 2009 after months of the misfring and engine codes isolating Cylinder 1 and 3 as misfiring and the O2 sensor for that bank of cylinder's catalytic converter(Note on this car there is a cat conv off of the front and rear exhaust manifold - plus a cat mid car) as no signal and the downstream o2 for that same cat conv as dead.
So no wonder the flashing check engine light. Right?
Don't ask me why I didn't replace the o2 sensors earlier. The reason might be that I didn't know I had a front and rear exhaust manifold cat conv. BUt I do and did and I'm thinking repeated explosions of unburned gas has melted the matrix in the front bank Cat conv at the least.
Soon the engine lost power big time down to 2-3 mph and no gas pedal response. Then white smoke started to pour out of the engine compartment. I put the car in a parking lot and turned it off and got out. Later I tried to resolve by starting the car and driving it home but soon the white smoke started again and the power fell off as before. I pulled into a gas station and called AAA. They towed it to my home where it started again- to park it- but the next morning a code 11 had been set and has never started normally since. If it does start it runs 1-2 secs and then turns off.
MY diagnosis is - engine cannot breath due to destroyed cat conv. Front exhaust manifold cat for sure maybe rear too. I was told by a race car mechanic to remove the O2 sensor off the front cat conv to see if the car could breath and start. What do you think?
Also could I be looking at trans axle issues since lack of forward motion and power is a symptom of that system's failure as I understand it. Front plate(clutch) friction can cause extreme heat just like a clogged Cat Conv. Causing leaked engine oil on the engine surface to smoke.
I need help to determine some tests to reduce my labor costs in shop.
Thanks ever so much for any advice!
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Saturday, January 16th, 2010 AT 11:33 PM