So, got pulled over this morning...

"and 100 more" (nth256) 06/16/2014 at 18:51 • Filed to: None

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I knew it was coming, it was only a matter of time.

(tl;dr - bitch bitch bitch whine moan sigh ...)

I've been running with an out-of-date inspection sticker since, oh, December. I've had an unclearable CEL since October of last year, which is an automatic fail for inspection, and I haven't had the cash to get it to a stealership to have it fixed.

" Unclearable? " you say, obviously granting me some leeway on the fact that unclearable isn't really a word. " Why not just fix it yerself, ya pansy? "

And you're right to think that, but only sorta. Let me explain...

I drive a Jeep Patriot, which is probably the least "Jeep" product to ever wear the Jeep badge. I don't care too terribly; I'm not a label whore, it's just basic transportation. Regardless, most iterations of the Patriot came equipped with a 2.4L GEMA engine, which was a joint design shared by Chrysler, Hyundai, and Mitsubishi. The basic block architecture is identical among these engines; the only differences being heads, manifolds, and other appurtenances. Chrysler, for their part, decided on using a plastic intake manifold that incorporates an Intake Manifold Runner Flow Control Valve... its a flapper that sticks up into the manifold runners below 3,500 RPM to induce tumbling, which supposedly increases fuel efficiency.

Great, wonderful. So what happens when it breaks?

Well, you can order a whole new manifold for about $250 off eBay, pull your old one, swap in the new one, and voila! Good as n- nope, no, hold up .

You got the part installed successfully, congrats. But if you are not a dealership, you still can't clear the fucking code, because once it's tripped, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! to reprogram the PCM and clear the code.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Chrysler is very insecure, i guess, because you need a dealership license, proprietary hardware and software, and about $500/mo. software lease fee to operate the computer that lets you get rid of a stupid check engine light.

And the worst part is, the car runs fine.

Since November of last year, I've been in the shop for a new slave & master cylinder, accident repairs, a new clutch, new tires, and an oil leak (which hasn't yet been resolved). I suspect my ball joints are starting to fail, and I'm pretty sure i need a new motor mount. So, trying to feed four mouths on a single income, and keep up with a car that's supposed to get me 40 miles round-trip each day, has been exhausting for my poor wallet.

So, it was bound to happen that I'd be passing a cop on a narrow, low-speed, two-lane road one morning; he'd flip around, hit the lights, and come up to the window for a quick chat. It was just a matter of time.

So, asshole puckered - more in anticipation of what this friendly exchange would end up costing me than anything else - I show him my license, he explains why he popped me, I explain my circumstances, why I'm in violation, he acknowledges, runs back to the cruiser to see that I'm not a terrorist or something... I'm familiar with this, definitely not my first time. Nervously check the my phone for notifications; nope, none. Glance at the time. Stare ahead wistfully. Stretch. Drum my fingers against the open window channel. Hup, here he comes, brace for impact... I have never, in my almost-20-year driving history, been pulled over and got away without a ticket. That's just the way it goes.

" Here's your license, sir. Go ahead and get that fixed ASAP. Have a good day. "

Ho, lee, shit.

So, I'm still driving on borrowed time. Still not sure how I'm gonna resolve my car troubles. But damn, it was sure nice to have a break for a change.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > and 100 more 06/16/2014 at 18:56

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God bless the Southeast U.S.

Dsscats > and 100 more 06/16/2014 at 18:56

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That's nothing. On Friday, I got pulled over doing 15 over and got let off with a warning

Brian Silvestro > and 100 more 06/16/2014 at 19:02

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At least someone knows how to put the TL;DR at the TOP of the post.

and 100 more > Dsscats 06/16/2014 at 19:03

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Damn, that's awesome! Hope that luck holds up!

and 100 more > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 06/16/2014 at 19:05

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Right? I used to think bi-annual California smog inspections were abusive...

and 100 more > Brian Silvestro 06/16/2014 at 19:06

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I'm a habitual rambler. It's only fair.

offroadkarter > and 100 more 06/16/2014 at 19:18

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My car hasn't been inspected since august of 2013. I couldn't get it to pass with the EGR delete and now with the EGR back on I still can't get the O2 monitors to reset to ready.

Have you tried disconnecting the battery and leaving the car powerless for a half hour? I have never, ever heard of a computer that stores codes so much that you only can use a dealer handheld to clear them. Any DTC can be cleared by just resetting the PCM.

T5Killer > and 100 more 06/16/2014 at 19:18

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Glad you got off. I am in the same boat with emissions. I have to DD my Cobra since my legacy clutch went out and for some reason it will not pass at all. Damn NM requires me to retest the car and I cannot figure out what is wrong with it so I have been driving around on old plates for a few days.

scoob > offroadkarter 06/16/2014 at 19:27

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So... many... acronyms...

(Btw if you didn't know, I'm 17, so a few explanations would be helpful :P)

offroadkarter > scoob 06/16/2014 at 19:46

2

Exhaust Gas Recirculation Valve

Oxygen Sensor

Diagnostic Trouble Code

Powertrain Control Module

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Dsscats 06/16/2014 at 20:02

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I've got pulled over for doing 27 over once. He was more interested in where I had been mudding. I got out of it.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > and 100 more 06/16/2014 at 20:03

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I would be down for safety inspections, and possibly annual drivers tests. Living in Florida takes away from the Southeast.

and 100 more > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 06/16/2014 at 20:37

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I'm okay with safety inspections, honestly. I get it. I think yearly inspections are overkill, tho.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > and 100 more 06/16/2014 at 20:42

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Once a year is plenty time for a native Floridian(Yankee) to get in a suspension damaging crash and drive around like that with the wheel hanging on by a lug.

Rico > and 100 more 06/16/2014 at 20:50

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What did you get pulled over for? Surely it wasn't the inspection sticker unless the cop has fuckin' telescopic vision!

JGrabowMSt > offroadkarter 06/16/2014 at 21:19

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All of this.

Check the manual or fuse panels for an ECU or PCM fuse as well. Unplug the battery and pull the fuse. Let sit for an hour, plug back in, fuse first, then battery. Should reset everything.

Also, about your O2's specifically, are you sure they're good? I wish I thought to do mine when the car was up, but I only have so much money to do so much at once. 9 years does a lot to them. Have you pulled them and checked them? I'm going to guess yes, but you never know. They could be a little funky. You could also try checking the wires for them, and see if the wires are messed up anywhere....

and 100 more > Rico 06/16/2014 at 22:19

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It was for the sticker. It was on a narrow residential road, and our inspection stickers are big (see pics; sorry for potato):

and 100 more > T5Killer 06/16/2014 at 22:26

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I'm all for emissions testing, and I realize it has to be enforced if they plan to have it work. It's just such a pain in the ass when it DOESN'T pass, because chances are, the people who own cars that don't pass are exactly the people who can't afford to pay to have them fixed.

and 100 more > offroadkarter 06/16/2014 at 22:37

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Yeah, I've pulled the battery cables for a half-hour, touched them both to ground to discharge any residual; I've done the Chrysler ECU pedal-dance; and I've borrowed a code reader and cleared some other faults, but the P2004 & P2017 didn't clear or came back immediately.

It really is a deeply-embedded fault code; its a Chrysler thing. And since the aftermarket community for the Dodge Caliber (same car, different sheetmetal) focused most of its tuning efforts on the SRT4, there hasn't been much interest in reverse-engineering the PCM (Powertrain Control Module) for the more pedestrian models, including the Caliber RT/Jeep Patriot/Jeep Compass.

Can't even install factory foglights without dealer involvement.

offroadkarter > and 100 more 06/16/2014 at 23:00

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shit dude, sell that thing

offroadkarter > JGrabowMSt 06/16/2014 at 23:01

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They are all reading voltage on the handheld, I replaced my secondary O2's because they were bad

Squid > and 100 more 06/16/2014 at 23:01

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Have you put the new part on there yet? if you haven't fixed the problem the code will just resurface immediately. Unplugging the battery should reset the PCM to be fresh with out any faults active once you have fixed the problem. That just seems like a silly silly issue to have to deal with and I have never heard of a fault embedding its self into the PCM to where it has to go to a dealer to get cleared. If you have replaced the part maybe that wasn't the issue and you need to start running down the wiring to see if you got a short somewhere.

HiredHand > and 100 more 06/16/2014 at 23:23

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Like he said, ASAP.

I got nabbed for running a stop sign on the motorcycle (read stopping, but not putting a foot down). Cop let me off with a minor fix-it infraction.

and 100 more > HiredHand 06/16/2014 at 23:39

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I know, but the oil leak has to be the first thing to be resolved. And its a matter of juggling finances to get either done. Which is why I consider myself extremely lucky today. And no, I really do not wanna push that luck.

and 100 more > Squid 06/16/2014 at 23:51

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I swapped out the intake runner flow control valve motor with a new unit, but that didn't resolve the issue. I think its the sensor built into the manifold that senses the position of the flapper valves that's bad, or the return spring, which I'm still not sure applies to this engine - Ford has a similar system on many of its smaller engines, but the information on diagnosing them is slim, sine the suggested solution is generally to just swap the whole manifold, which I can't afford at the moment. Short of that it could be a wiring issue, but the forum info I've seen on conditions similar to mine are generally resolved by swapping the manifold under warranty, which I don't have the luxury of.

Short of pulling the manifold myself to start my own physical diagnosis, and committing to a day or two without transport, I don't have another option. But since it runs fine, I'm more concerned with getting the oil leak squared away first. Since a blown gasket will cost far more than either the oil leak or the manifold.