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IMPORTANT INFORMATION!
Remember, this is suggested materials, verfied through many sources.

Car Buying Guide Fuel Pump Rewire (why?)
Brake Rotors 1995 Avenger IM Fix
Transmission (A604) [Fluid Change] Decarbonizing
Transmission [Firmware Upgrade] Idle Relearn
Transmission [Bump Shift]
Transmission [Glogged up?]
Transmission [Renamed]
Speed Limiter Removal!
Guage Pod
PART NUMBERS GENERAL INFORMATION & TIPS


Many problems are caused by poor battery connections to the cables,  which can cause signals to the computer to be incorrect without (or with) fault codes being registered. Check and clean the battery terminals and cables first!


Brake rotor warping
The dealers have received a bulletin saying that if cars come in with less than 30,000 miles with worn out brake pads and rotors in need of turning, and they are to do it under warranty.

The dealer told me this is a known problem (LH) and replaced them with heaver duty rotors.  There are two TSB's from JUNE 94 that deal with front brake rotors.

If lug nuts are over-tightened, it places too much stress on the rotors resulting in warpage soon thereafter. I always go over each lug with a torque wrench set at 90 ft lbs.

I replaced my front rotors with Wagner, and they have not warped, nor are they producing any pulsating.  I changed the rotors along with the brakes, and they are fine.  When I bought the Avenger, the OE rotors began pulsating almost immediately.  When I had them cut, (twice) they began to pulsate 3k miles later.  I have more than twice that on these Wagner rotors.



Don't just assume your mechanic or dealer knows what fluid to use. Ask them what they will use and make sure it's the right one.  (Some people recommend watching the mechanic pour it in, and for good reason! We have been told about mechanics who said they were using 7176 when they were not. Is a customer's transmission worth the $10 for better fluid?)

All Chrysler four-speed automatic transmissions are very sensitive to the quality of the transmission fluid. Only use Type 7176+ in these transmissions (type 9606 in 2000 and up models). Do not use Dexron or Mercon.

Often, people can cure their transmission problems simply by changing the fluid! If you suspect (or know) they have put Dexron in, invest the $40 or so to have it replaced immediately - otherwise, you'll have a nice big transmission bill!

There is no universal automatic transmission fluid. Chrysler four-speed automatics only use Type 7176+ (9606 for 2000 and up vehicles), regardless of what the dipstick or owner's manual says.

If you don't have any problems until you have your car serviced...what does that tell you?

There is NO UNIVERSAL TRANSMISSION FLUID.  DO NOT USE DEXRON!
WHY?  The friction characteristics of DEXRON are different from 7176.  It is a "grabbier" fluid.  The Chrysler transmission has an electronic system which continuously senses the behavior of the transmission and regulates shifts accordingly.  If DEXRON is used, the clutches inside the transmission will "grab", and the electronic controls, which sample the operation of the transmission about 140-180 times a second, will let up on the clutches. The clutches will then slip excessively, the transmission will try to tighten up on them, and due to the characteristics of DEXRON, they will again grab.  This will occur at the 140-180 times per second rate, and the transmission will have a shuddering feel to the shifting.  This is also very hard on the clutches, and they will have a short life.   The cost to overhaul one of these transmissions is about $1200-$1400 on a front-drive car, so you DO NOT want to shorten its life.

If you need to add a pint of fluid and 7176 is not available, drive a few miles to the next place which has it.   This will be less harm than using DEXRON.

If a mechanic says he can substitute a little DEXRON and it won't do any harm, LEAVE!

If someone says he can use DEXRON plus an "anti-friction additive" in your Chrysler transmission, LEAVE!

If you have some DEXRON lying around from your old car, give it away to some friend with a GM or late Ford car.

If somebody puts DEXRON in, take it to a shop which uses 7176, and have them drain the ENTIRE transmission, and refill with 7176.   This will cost about $160.00.



As detailed in a 1995 technical service bulletin, 18-24-95, many issues (including the infamous "bump shift") can be resolved by updating the computer's flash ROM (where possible), and carefully going through a retraining process. Dealers can and should do this free of charge before any other work is undertaken (except of course for the transmission fluid change).  I have had this done at the dealer, with no change in the way the Transmission acts.  When slowing down to below 5MPH, I begin to speed up, it bumps all the time.

The heart of one of Chrysler's strongest sales markets.  You can stand on any street corner in any town and in ten minutes probably hear 30-40 examples of this sound, which goes "bzzzz---zz-tic".  It's completely normal.  It's the transmission fluid control solenoid valves opening and shutting rapidly to make the fluid go where it's supposed to go to shift the transmission. All the FWD/AWD 4spd automatics make this sound with every upshift, every downshift, and every gear selection.  You hear the one as you pull to a stop, because the road and engine noise are minimal at this low speed.



(Courtesy of "GMB3625"). I'm a transmission mechanic... have been doing transmissions for the last 8 yrs there. The problem with 'bump stop' is one of two things-1-the seals for the low/reverse piston and retainer are worn and leaking fluid when applied. Usually on the downshift [warm] coming to a stop at approx3-5mph. Sometimes will happen on a rolling stop.

I have had this happen to me a couple of times--even on overhauls, the low/reverse seals are very tight in the piston retainer. The piston will not move with a small amount of fluid pressure and the computer 'sees' this and applies more fluid the the circuit. More fluid, more pressure and it finally slams the piston and you as a driver feel this.

Sometime you can flash the computer [reprogram] to the latest specs and it might work. The computer learns the cvi's [clutch volumn indexs] which in turn tells the solenoid pak how long to keep any given solenoid open to send fluid to a clutch pack. This will only work with clutch paks that are in good shape with the right clutch clearances. If the clutch clearances are bad this will not work properly. If the seals are bad, you will only try to cover up a problem and it will come back. The only way to fix this problem is to overhaul the trans with the proper trans kit and parts. The mopar kit has all the newest and correct seals in it.



Sometimes, transmissions simply get clogged up; the hydraulic "brain" (the box on front with wires going into it) has solenoids, plungers, and valves in it, with screens in front of the valves to keep contaminants out. Things can get stuck in the screen and block fluid flow, so that the valve sticks or fluid can't get in. The brain must then be taken apart (not recommended by Chrysler) and the screens and valves cleaned. Christopher recommended getting a replacement from the junkyard to work on. He also said this only works once on any particular "brain." More often, he said, the issue is simply that Chrysler and/or the rebuilder set the clearances too high, and/or the wrong fluid was used.

Most of the A604 shifting issues are one of two things, clogged solenoid pack, about $60 for a new one last checked, or an older software version which any dealer should be able to update to new.



The most common problems with Ultradrive transmissions are poor shifting quality and sudden locks into second gear ("limp-home" mode), even during highway driving. Between January 1989 and July 1991, Chrysler tried 28 different changes to deal with Ultradrive problems according to Chrysler's reference guide, "History of the A-604 Transaxle." Nine design changes were made in an attempt to fix clutch failure, and four were directed to "shift busyness" -- e.g., excessive shifting on hills.

In 1992, Chrysler renamed the A604 Ultradrive as the 41TE transmission. Technical service bulletins (TSBs) after this date refer to the Ultradrive as a 41TE transmission even though the bulletin might cover 1989 models when the Ultradrive was known only as the A604. Much like the Jeep CJ became the Jeep Wrangler and the Firestone 500 became the 721, the A604 became the 41TE to escape bad publicity.



BODY PART NUMBER LISTINGS

PARTS WHOLESALE



Speed Limiter Removal
On your ECM, unplug the lower plug. Look for a yellow wire WITH WHITE STRIPE. It will be close to the middle of the harness. Cut it so that you can re-attach it again, or wire a switch later if you have to.

This kills the speedometer signal to your ECM, and eliminates the 110-115 mph limit!   The side effect is, you will get a check engine light, and find it to be code 15 (no speedo signal), and your cruise control will not work.  I will look for a REV limiter removal if I can find it.

Option:  Install a switch to this this wire, maybe with a relay, so that you can control the connection from inside the car.  When the wire is hot, via the switch, you can use the cruise control.   The check engine light will light up again if you drive for about 3 or 4 min with it disconnected, or off, or if you go about 3 or 4 miles. Better yet, You can hook it up to the factory main cruise control button, so that the wire stays disconnected until you turn on the main cruise button, then it goes back to normal.  This will require a relay to trigger the relay when the main cruise is on, and then allow the spedo signal to pass through to the harness.



Gauge Pod
Autometer makes a few a-pillar gauge pods that will fit the avenger.  The pods for the eclipse will fit, but will have to be screwed down to make a perfect fit.  The factory a-pillar pops out.  The full pillar gauge pod for the eclipse does not directly fit on the avenger.  The top of the a-pillar must be cut off approximately 4.5 inches (measured in the center of the pod) from the top if you choose to install a 4th pod.  You have to also cut off the excess molding in front of the first pod from the top about 3/4 inches (measured from the center of the pod).   If you do this correctly, you should be able to get a single pod for an eclipse and screw it inline with the base 3 pod pillar on your factory a-pillar and put the top of the a-pillar above the 4th pod.  Now pop in the fully assembled A-pillar, and you are good to go!


Fuel Pump Re-Wire
Most cars have high voltage drops between the batery and the fuel pump.  This causes the fuel pump to run at less than 100% if its potential.  To increase the voltage to 14 volts to pump, simply cut the power wire going to the fuel pump, then use an end of the wire comming from the car (i.e. the factory wiring) to trigger an on/off relay.  The relay trigger circuit should be grounded to a good ground.  The trigger side of the relay should be wired so that it triggers when the fuel pump is normally on.  The new power would come from a good source, to the the switched side of the relay, to the fuel pump wire you cut.   Maybe directly from the battery, since the pump will only receive power when the relay is triggered, by the OE power line to the pump.

A relay trigger circuit is usually labeled with numbers 85in and 86out (ground).  The switch side of the relay is usually labeled with 87 for use with the relay activated, and 87A for use with the relay de-activated, and 30in (B+) side of the switch gives you power at either 87 (power from 30 is here when triggered) or 87A (power from 30 is here when off).  This trick works on most cars, but some fuel pums are not designed to be run "wide open" all the time.  Please check with the manufacturer for reccomended voltage before trying this.

Since gas cools the pump, you do not want to run low or out of gas with this set-up.  You will burn it up for sure with it working at 100%.



1995 Avenger Emissions Problem.
The '95 Avenger may have trouble getting through a smog or emissions inspection due to a faulty aspirator system that increases the output of nitrous oxides. A new fuel pressure regulator and reprogramming the power control module (PCM) are included in the dealer fix (Chrysler campaign code # 767).


Decarbanizing.
Carbon buildup can hurt performance, from the knock retard it can induce to the restriction in airflow and improper valve sealing in the combustion chamber. It is a good idea to go through this process as part of your tune up procedure.

Buy a can for top engine cleaner from your GM DEALER (other decarbon fluids dont work as good). You want the liquid, not the spray. This is to be done outdoors ( a lot of smoke will occure). Part # should be 1050002.  You can use Marvel Mystery Oil if you are buying an off the shelf product.

Start motor and let it reach normal operating temp.
Find a vaccum hose which has vaccum at all times (with engine running)
Open can
Stick vaccum hose in top engine cleaner
Hold the idle up as the car will try to stall
Let the car suck the fluid into the engine
Dont let the vaccum hose come out of the fluid,as if it does NO DECARBONIZING WILL OCCURE
Let about 90% of the can go into the car and then let it stall
Reconnect vaccum hose to vehicle.
Let it sit for 10 minutes
Start car, car will smoke a lot

Drive around till smoke discontinues (better to try and use 30%, then 40% and then 50% and all the way up to 100% throttle)(meaning that you don't use one set gas pedal pressure).



Idle Relearn
There are a few methods floating around, but this is the one used by GM techs.

Reset ECM by pulling ECM fuse (underhood) for a few seconds.

With A/C turned off, start car and immediately put it in Drive with your foot on the brake. If the car does not start initially, keep trying WITHOUT putting your foot on the accelerator.

Let the car idle in gear for at least 5 and no more than 7 minutes.
Shut off the car for 10 seconds.
Start engine, place in drive and let idle for 5 minutes.
Shut off engine.
Idle is learned.

This may also vary from car-to-car, but this is a general idea.



 


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