'06 w/ very poor performance ... HELP

[iron]

Has always ran great. Had to replace battery (found on here about problem with BCM's). Never addressed 'cause inconsistent solutions offered by Dodge dealers under warranty. To today, brand new battery will go dead if car not driven every few days to a week.

Yesterday, car was fine. Got some gas and on 20 mile trip home all seemed fine until moderate acceleration on highway. Above 3000 rpm's, car dogged BAD (worse under load than idle, but bad all times). Some knocking like too low of octane in older cars. Put in injector cleaner, as well as water evap solution, per Dodge dealer, to no avail.

Car was NOT run hard so no chance of major engine damage unless mechanical failure that was gonna happen anyway. NO CHECK ENGINE light, nor any metal in the oil.

Someone else said even brand new battery could be going AGAIN (because of BCM) ... and may be causing problem ...

I disconnected battery for 1 hour to reset computer and NO BETTER. Battery registers 14V and car starts strong and immediately.

Thanks, Ron.

 

[Hamrhead]

As for disconnecting the battery, I removed the metal battery cover and made this from plexiglass. With the quick-disconnect, a 1/4 turn of the knob and the battery is disonnected/connected.

As for your engine problem, I doubt it's the gas. Possibly Fuel Pump or Ignition issues.

 

[iron]

See below ...

 

[iron]

Clever box cover. Thanks for the input. Do others concur or care to add to "possibles"?

 

[ledfoot]

are you stock ?

 

[iron]

100% stock

 

[ROCKET62]

Not to hijack thread but very cool battery cover hamrhead! My first thought was to disconnect the battery again to reset.

 

[iron]

See above - am editing as I go to save anyone who reads time. No new news - it is NOT the GAS, NOR the computer needing reset. Anyone else? I appreciate it ... or I am off to the dealer for who knows what and for who knows how long. The place I have the oil changed said NOT to take it there anymore because their only registered Viper mechanic left for another place. This ***** BAD. I just want to figure it out. I know old cars, but cpu cars get me.

 

[ROCKET62]

So I just read you're original post again. You mentioned that the problem started after getting gas - could it be a bad batch of gas?

At least 15 minutes seems to be the minimum time mentioned to disconnect the battery to reset the computer.

 

[iron]

It seems to me it is GAS STARVED terribly. It idles near normally. It is under rpm or "load" that it just knocks like an old high compression car running on too low of octane or with improper timing (closest analogy I can htink of to describe how in reacts / sounds). Performance is incredibly poor. Car is about dying and so bad I fear even driving it to a dealer to be worked on.

 

[Hamrhead]

Not to hijack thread but very cool battery cover hamrhead! My first thought was to disconnect the battery again to reset.

Thank You!

My 'fun cars' always seem to sit from time to time, especially in the Winter. So as soon as I saw where the battery was located, I knew I'd need easier access to it since I prefer to disconnect the battery for extended periods of hibernation. I bought the car on a Saturday and made this the very next day.

 

[Nader]

While I think it is cool, what is the function of the clear glass as opposed to the factory cover? You are using the same screws right?

 

[iron]

Any other thoughts back this direction? No offense as I concur it is cool, just frustrated and anxious to resolve.

 

[ViperDude]

All 2006's are still under warranty. Drop it off at the dealer and let them figure it out. Did you buy it new from a Dodge dealer? If they're not figuring it out, keep bringing it back again and again. About the 5th time talk to the dealer manager and tell them if they don't figure it out you're going to file a lemon law claim since by that point you'll be well within your right I would think.

 

[Joseph Houss]

I have to agree with rocket62...

Sequence of events:
1) Got gas
2) Car doesn't run "well"

Octane issue? Water in line when pumping? Clogged Filter?

 

[PAvenomRT/10]

Tainted gas is a real possibility. It happened to me some years ago, thankfully not in my Viper. Went to fill up my car during bad rain storm and got no further than 100 yds from station when car refused to go. Looked around me and saw 3 other cars at varying distances from station also stalled. Immediately knew what the problem was but station owner did not believe me until he pulled a sample from his tank and saw that it separated into 2 layers with the gas being smaller than the water layer. Had car towed and eventually presented station owner with an expensive replacement of fuel lines, injectors, etc.
PAvenom RT/10

 

[Venomiss]

Tator's Dodge

Maybe give Chuck a call? Maybe he could give you some ideas on what to troubleshoot with. Don't know what area of the country you are in so don't know what dealer you are taking your car to.
While it does sound like a possible gas problem it might be something different.
We had a similar bad gasoline incident in a GMC we used to own. No fun.
The way we found out about the gas was from the dealership-they had a previous car having the same problem and asked where we purchased gas from. We checked our receipts and bingo.

Good luck with it.

 

[Hamrhead]

While I think it is cool, what is the function of the clear glass as opposed to the factory cover? You are using the same screws right?

None, other than the hole I cut it in over the Negative Terminal so that I could install the disconnect switch. Basically, plexiglass was the first thing I thought of using.

I could've cut a hole in the stock steel cover as well.

Yes - stock screws.

 

[Nader]

None, other than the hole I cut it in over the Negative Terminal so that I could install the disconnect switch. Basically, plexiglass was the first thing I thought of using.

I could've cut a hole in the stock steel cover as well.

Yes - stock screws.

I didnt notice the hole. Good idea.

 

[iron]

At dealer ... near Ft Lauderdale.

They said they finally got check engine light to come on and codes said it was O2 sensor and "cat".

Any thoughts or comments that may be helpful is appreciated.

 

[ViperDude]

Hmmm....sounds like it could be the 02 sensor...or the cats.

Oh wait you said 'that may be helpful'.

 

[iron]

A confirmation of having had a similar issue cause such - does not seem like an unreasonable thought process.

 

[iron]

Shop said they would have it back to me in a couple days.

Now saying 3-5 more awaiting parts from Milwaukee (Cats and O2 sensors). Sound reasonable to you all?

They are replacing window regulators where I do not see what is wrong (convertible car).

 

[treesnake]

My car did the exact same thing. Believe it or not it was the brand of gas. I'm sure it is a good product but I had my problem with "Shell" gas. I had the same problem with my BMW X5. When I took it to the dealer the first question the service manager asked is if I got gas at a "Shell" sta. He said the have a lot of problems with their gas (Ethynol mix). Needless to say I haven't had the problem since...

 

[iron]

It was SHELL ... and the first and only time I ever used their gas.

 

[treesnake]

That sounded exactly like the problem I had. I hadn't used Shell before the problem and obviously not since. I added some good Octane booster for the remaining fuel and filled it back with my reg. brand gas as soon as I could. Problem went away for the Viper and X5. No problems since.

Hope that's all it is for you too. I know it's frustrating.
Good Luck

 

[treesnake]

That would also make sense for your o2 sensor to come on. My check engine light came on but I changed the fuel before I "read" it.

 

[iron]

It is already in the shop (I thought about octane booster before that).

Now they are telling me Monday or Tuesday (at the earliest) for parts.

Regardless, anyone's fault but mine ... and it's flagship vehicle is down ... costing me $400 - $500 (sitting there ... in payment/insurance costs) ... and no offer of rental, or an angle to be compensated (in any way) from potential source of issue or problem.

 

[treesnake]

What "parts"?

 

[iron]

O2 sensors and catalytic converters ... said no other dealers have them either except one "up north" and that they (this dealer) would not part with it ... in case one of their customers come in and need one.

They said "that is just business". I said I know the business ... my family had dealerships ... FOR 40 YEARS, for goodness sakes.

I also doubt anyone "up north" is driving too much in the snow or cold, when those tires hardly perform at all in cooler, let alone cold weather, let alone snow.