Plz send me the codes, Chrysler
August 9th, 2009 | by mbhunter |The check engine light went on Friday in our 2005 Town and Country. It wasn’t the gas cap this time but we found out why the engine light was on before taking it to the dealership.
One commenter on that post suggested getting a CarChip E/X but on the newer models of the Chrysler Town and Country, there’s a mechanism to get the codes without taking it to the dealer. I just turned the ignition on and off five times in a row quickly, and the codes appeared in the odometer reading. Then, figuring out the cause from the code was an easy lookup on Google.
The code by itself doesn’t tell you what parts need to be replaced, but it does tell you why the check engine light is on. Knowing what got tripped can help lead to more specific information on the web, and give you some talking points if you decide to take the vehicle somewhere to get it fixed.
6 Responses to “Plz send me the codes, Chrysler”
By Richard on Aug 11, 2009 | Reply
Your code retrieval will only works for vehicles made before 1995-1996. After that, either you get your own cheap generic scanner (under $50) or get the code free from Auto Zone. But you are absolutely correct that the code itself will NOT fix the problem. All it does is guide you to the exact circuit but most of the time, a mechanic can fix it using that information.
Richard
By mbhunter on Aug 11, 2009 | Reply
Richard: Mine’s a 2005 and it worked just fine.
By Richard on Aug 12, 2009 | Reply
Yeah and I am not sure how you got the code by using your key because that method you used is for OBD1 diagnostic system(before 1995-1996). On 2005, Chrysler uses OBD2 and I know you will get code also using the key but those codes you will get will not be correct. This is why you will need a scanner for your car.
By mbhunter on Aug 12, 2009 | Reply
Hmmm … don’t know, but the part the dealer replaced was consistent with the code we found (P0406). And it seems to be working better now.
By Richard on Aug 12, 2009 | Reply
This has happened to me before with one of my customer. You might get one code right but the right list of codes are shown only by the obd2 scanner.
By Richard on Aug 13, 2009 | Reply
You are correct about the ignition key! Chrysler started a diagnostic system back in 2002. You can read it on my blog here:
http://extreme-check-engine-light-codes.com/blog/uncategorized/getting-chrysler-fault-codes/
Richard