What to do next?

My car keeps dying on me. I had the dealer check it and another repair shop and they couldn’t find anything wrong with it. They did change the battery though because it wasn’t drawing enough power but I’m still having the same problem. What to I do mow ??

It’s only five years old,do I trade it in or what ??Help !!!

Tell us what it does and how it does it. Nothing you posted is helpful in telling us what’s wrong.

You are right, there is no reason to trade it.

Find a competent mechanic. Likely they will also be cheaper than the Dealers are no better (or worse) than independent mechanics for almost anything you might need done on your car. They will almost always charge more per hour and often more for parts and supplies. They also tend to look at repairs a little different than the independent.

A dealer may well recommend work that strictly may not be needed, but could be connected to the problem or maybe replace a part when a little repair would fix it ALMOST as good a new.  

There is no need to bring your car to the dealer for any service other than service that is going to be paid for by a recall or original warrantee.  During the warranty period be sure to have all required (as listed in the owner's manual) maintenance done and to document all maintenance work.

I suggest that most people would be better off finding a good independent (Not working for a chain) mechanic. 

Note: Never ever use a quick oil change place. They are fast cheap and very very bad.

Sorry if my question wasn’t clear. The engine cuts out,i have no lights,no turn signal and no power braking. It’s crazy, it starts right up again when I try,no problem. Help

sounds like a bad electrical connection somewhere. When you said “they did change the battery though because it wasn’t drawing enough power,” what exactly did they tell you?

They told me it was only drawing 7 volts when it needed 10 volts.if it had a bad electrical conection wouln’t that happen all the time ? The dealer had it for two days (and so did the other repair shop ),drove it around town and found nothing wrong with it.

It’s Usually Helpful To Know Which Engine A Vehicle Has When Asking About Stalling Problems, But It Certainly Is Necessary To Have A Model-Year On This “Five-Years Old” Pacifica, Please.

Recall: Do you know the vehicle’s date of manufacture ? Have you had any recalls performed ? Many 2005-2006 Pacificas (built from approximately 7/04 - 11/05) are subject to recall for a Fuel Pump Module / PCM (Powertrain Control Module) software problem. Subject vehicles may “stall if driven under certain operating conditions” and . . . “cause a crash without warning.”

Recall: Some late 2004 Pacificas have PCM software problems. Subject vehicles may “stall if driven under certain operating conditions” and . . . “cause a crash without warning.”

TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) 2004 Pacificas need to be sure the IOD (Ignition Off Draw) fuse in the IPM (integrated Power Module) is fully seated in the customer mode, not the storage mode. It’s not clear to me whether or not this alters the performance of the charging system.

A thermal battery wrap (for protection in high temps) should have been on the battery and reinstalled in order for a battery temperature sensor, located under the battery, to function properly. I believe this functions to operate a “clutching” alternator.

What to do next???

You should have been notified of any recalls. The dealer should have checked for recalls and TSBs. I’d make sure that is the case. Call a dealer with your Vehicle Identification Number and have them check for any open recalls.

Just because a recall had been performed earlier does not necessarily mean that a similar problem does not still exist. Recalls should run with the vehicle.

What model-year is it ?

Sorry for the ramblings.
CSA

Whenever possible, I tend to agree to find an independent. In McAllen, most mechanics barely exceed shade tree level. They do have some really great ones, but they are so swamped they want you to leave your car until they get time to work on it, which for one car family is not practical. Fortunately, my Toyota Sienna needs few repairs, so taking it to the dealer, who does a great job, first time every time, is not a big deal. If it needed a lot of repairs, I might not be able to afford them. And, I do as much as I can myself, which helps a lot as well.

is it just me, or do most cars use 12 volt batteries, and dont most charging systems run at slightly higher than that, and ajust the voltage to the battery from the voltage regulator depending on the amount of charge already on the battery?

When it breaks down and all power is lost, I would first check the condition of the ignition switch. Especially since it starts right back up. Chrysler has had issues in the past with bad ignition switches and they’ve been blamed for a lot of late model car fires, even with the key out of the ignition. One friend of a friend had a Chrysler mini-van catch fire in his garage after the van was parked for a few hours. Blame was put on a bad ignition switch starting the fire under the dash. There was also a story here locally about a year ago about a Dodge pick-up that caught fire under the dash just after the owner started it up and let it warm while he grabbed some stuff from the garage. The truck was in the driveway just out of the garage. He turns around, and the truck cab is filled with smoke, engine still running!

Thanks for all the replys. I checked the recalls and there was a recall in 2006 for the same problem. I contacted the dealer who was no help to me. So I called Chrysler Corporate and was assigned a case manager to help me. The car goes back to the dealer to morrow and hopefully this time will be fixed.Again thanks for all your help.