[Dr K]

My Durango has been trouble-free and great since I bought it, but the last 2 weeks have been an issue. 1 miles from my house 15 days ago, the engine began running very roughly, idle slowed down, and I had to press the gas harder to get it to keep up speed. CEL flashed on and off, then on steady but after 30 seconds the car resumed normal driving. Shut off engine and restarted, but CEL still on. Called dealer and brought it in a few hours later--CEL was off when I restarted it later. Drove fine. OBD read history, not current, misfire several cylindars. They did the 90K mile service (it was 89K, and there...) including "treatment" to remove carbon and clean the injectors (3 separate bottles of stuff--do I hear "rip-off"?). After that care driven 4 miles, 4 times, then to BWI and back, and drove perfectly. This morning it did the same thing, again 1 mile from home with a cold engine. Lasted 30-45 seconds, then fine again. Took it to the dealer, and OBD read...normal, no history of issues. We all smelled coolant, and it turns out the radiator has a leak at the top (I hope and believe this is a coincidence). So having the radiator replaced (covered by aftermarket warranty), but still have the engine missing problem.

They suggested driving it until it happened again, with an OBD hooked up - which might mean leaving it with them for a week or two and a huge bill (or they could loan it to one of their mechanics to use as a DD for a week, I suppose). I was thinking if someone would loan me/rent me an OBD reader, I could do that myself.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions. I assume it's not something like a cracked head or it wouldn't get better like it has. Bad computer? Is there a way to check that? My warranty is $100 per service for whatever they fix, so I'm hoping if it IS the computer it would be covered under the same warranty repair...

Peter

[Lupin..the..3rd]

Originally Posted by Dr K

They suggested driving it until it happened again, with an OBD hooked up

This doesn't make sense to me. It should retain the codes until they are manually retrieved and cleared. It doesn't matter if the CEL goes away on its own, the code is still stored in the computer, and it's there until you manually clear it. At least that's been true of all the Bosch Motronic cars I've touched.

[BlackTalon]

Surely there are forums speciailizing in the Durangos. Search for one and then do some research. I had an intermittent fuel issue on the Volvo a couple months ago that turned out to be a plastic sensor. The forums had loads of info on what the likely issue was, recommendations on where to buy the part (hint: it is ~35% of the Volvo cost if you purchase at a Land Rover dealership!), and some posts full of pics showing the replacement procedure.

Best to go to forums focusing on the type of vehicle in question whenever possible.

[APKhaos]

^ +1
Find a good.Durango.forum.
Ive found solutions and great info on the MB and LandCruiser forums I use.
Some.basic research should demystify your.problem.

[bordin34]

try moparts.com . They are a mopar forum, mostly older stuff but they should know.

[racer]

Google found these...

http://www.durangoforumz.com/
http://dodgeforum.com/forum/
http://www.durangoclub.com/forum/

What year is your Durango? What engine?

[Vicegrip]

Originally Posted by BlackTalon

Surely there are forums speciailizing in the Durangos. Search for one and then do some research. I had an intermittent fuel issue on the Volvo a couple months ago that turned out to be a plastic sensor. The forums had loads of info on what the likely issue was, recommendations on where to buy the part (hint: it is ~35% of the Volvo cost if you purchase at a Land Rover dealership!), and some posts full of pics showing the replacement procedure.

Best to go to forums focusing on the type of vehicle in question whenever possible.

Don't call him Shirley

[VaSteve]

A cheapo OBD reader is like $60. It will pay for itself in the first use.

[Dr K]

George - I, too, thought the code should be retained. That's why it's interesting.
I'll try a reader
Yes, I'll look on the forums. Haven't had much luck there in the past. But I'll try again.
Thanks, Guys!
Peter

[Vicegrip]

"mutiple missfire" was pulled from the original code read. not all codes lead to a single point. Might be worth going through all the conectors and checking wiring for damage. More than once I have traced odd code / no code issues to conectors or cooked / pinched wiring. No cost other than time too.