040401 1547 - JAY posted:
I am surprised I'm not seeing ANY COVERAGE in this group on the fact
the US government has shamed chrysler into taking notice of it's 2002
cruiser having sudden engine compartment fires.
I own one and am scared to death, apparently DM is "just now looking
into the matter". 7 '02's were burnt, 6 of which were completely
DESTROYED.
any comments?-j
The '01 PT's had a bulletin out to separate the flexible gas line from the
air conditioner line under the hood. They were installed too close to each
other and the vibration of the engine would cause the flexible fabric gas
line -- which is under pressure from the fuel pump installed in the gas tank
in the rear -- to rub against the fittings of the air conditioner line and
wear through, causing pressurized gasoline to spray over a hot engine and
cause a fire. I have a '01 PT, and examined under the hood and saw the
problem. I purchased three ty-wraps, and wrapped the flexible portion of
the gas line with some old friction tape where it runs alongside the
refrigeration line; then loosely put a ty-wrap around each of the lines, and
then a ty-wrap into the line ty-wraps to separate the two lines; then
tightened the line ty-wraps and tightened the separator ty-wrap just enough
to keep the two lines about 3/8 inches apart. That takes care of this
problem.
I recall reading about a woman who had purchased a '01 PT and had it for a
few months and was on her way home from shopping when a fire started under
the hood of her car. Someone from a gas station nearby ran over with a fire
extinguisher and put out the fire. She had already shut the engine off,
fortunately, while the circuits were still on the fuel pump would keep
operating and pump more fuel through the broken fuel line.
The bulletin called for taking the car to the dealer and they would fix the
problem, but it is an easy do-it-yourself fix.
