I've been having a problem with my car (2008 08 plate Chrysler 300c srt design) now for some while and it seems a pretty common one with 300C owners. The solution to the problem does not seem so common, however!
If i drive more than say 10 miles and turn my car off (i stop at a petrol station for example) it will not start back up again for a while. The engine cranks but it will not start up. I am sure this is to do with the car thinking the engine is too hot and needing to cool down because it always starts eventually ( between 5 and 20 mins depending on the distance travelled).
I've looked on this site and others to try and find a solution. The 3 common ones are:
Cam Shaft Position Sensor
Crank Shaft Position Sensor
Software update
I rang Jeep to get prices for the Cam and Crank senors and they are £276 and £228 respectively. I have since looked on Simon's custom car shop site and they are much cheaper!
Sorry for the long post but i would really appreciate any feedback you guys have with the same problem as me. I am reluctant to spend £85 on a diagnostic test when everyone who seems to have done so have not had the right results from it!
It would be a good idea to get hold of a code reader to plug into your OBD2 port. They are available on fleabay for less than £85. I use the TorquePro Android app with my smartphone and an OBDLink LX bluetooth adaptor. This has saved me time and money. There are fault codes relating to both crankshaft and camshaft sensors, however, often when the crankshaft sensor has failed no fault code is set. A simple way to test the crankshaft sensor is to look at your rev counter whilst cranking. If the pointer moves, then the sensor is working. Camshaft sensors seem to be fairly reliable.
Could be something common to all 6, eg wiring harness.
There are several DTCs relating to injector faults - did you see a diagnostic report identifying these?
With so much money at stake here, I would be inclined to seek an opinion from a Bosch Diesel specialist. They have special rigs for testing injectors under realistic operating conditions and they can soon determine if an injector is faulty or not.
Glow plugs sounds like the standard failure of those - easily replaced, but will only improve cold starting. Was this a Chrysler dealer that diagnosed the injectors? It sounds weird. I would get a second opinion elsewhere (and here!).
Let's just say six fuel injectors won't all fail at the same time, nor is it likely that's where the issue lies. More/better diagnostics are required! Maybe a fuel supply issue, if there's not enough pressure in the fuel rail, then the injectors won't inject? Who knows, I just know a Chrysler dealership is the last place I'd go for a technical diagnostic!
I took it to motovogue - it's a jeep dealership. This is exactly what they stated:
"Investigated non start when warm to find glow plug module faulty and fuel pressure not enough to start engine from cold, checked from warm to find long cranking but starting, again fuel pressure. Advised injectors tested"
They didn't say it was all 6 but they said it "could be". The injectors would need to be removed and sent of for testing, which would cost another £150. They referred to a recent jeep they done, where they thought it was 2 but in fact was all 4 that needed replacing.
I was hesitant taking it to them in the first place because of previous complaints about their incorrect findings with issues similar to mine (not this specific garage but Chrysler in general).
Unfortunately i'm not very mechanically minded. With our cars being fairly rare its hard to know who to trust with your car, hence why i am here!
This is why I suggested going straight to a Bosch diesel specialist; there is sure to be one nearby. I used such a specialist when my Audi dealer wanted to sell me a new injection pump (non common rail) because the original was leaking. The Bosch specialist replaced some seals for less than £50 inclusive and the pump has been working fine for the last 10 yrs. The Bosch specialist told me at the time, that most of their work comes from dealerships that have neither the expertise nor the equipment to service complex diesel components.