[nitro6speedr]

This morning on my way to work I came upon some deer crossing the road with enough time to stop...or so I thought! I slammed on the brakes and the Nitro's brains cut out. The dash went dark, the raido went out, the brakes didn't work, and the deer hit the front driver's headlight and quarter panel. This hit was enough apparently to kick it back on as the dash came back on, the abs kicked in on the driver's side (had the abs flashed yesterday at the dealer) locked up the passenger side and pulled me into a ditch and subsequently into a mailbox. This mailbox was the beefiest thing I have seen as it creased the hood, tore off the passenger side mirror, put a hole, yes a hole, in the windshield and then proceeded to scratch down the side of the vehicle and dent the rear passenger door. The deer broke the plastic fenders on both sides and dented the rear driver's door.

I took it to the dealer this morning and they are saying that there are no trouble codes, no abs codes, nothing so there is nothing wrong with the vehicle. I am afraid it will do it again and I will be stuck with the $1000 deductible or worse yet I will hurt someone if it happens in traffic. Any help, suggestions, comments or otherwise?

 

[backlash]

This morning on my way to work I came upon some deer crossing the road with enough time to stop...or so I thought! I slammed on the brakes and the Nitro's brains cut out. The dash went dark, the raido went out, the brakes didn't work, and the deer hit the front driver's headlight and quarter panel. This hit was enough apparently to kick it back on as the dash came back on, the abs kicked in on the driver's side (had the abs flashed yesterday at the dealer) locked up the passenger side and pulled me into a ditch and subsequently into a mailbox. This mailbox was the beefiest thing I have seen as it creased the hood, tore off the passenger side mirror, put a hole, yes a hole, in the windshield and then proceeded to scratch down the side of the vehicle and dent the rear passenger door. The deer broke the plastic fenders on both sides and dented the rear driver's door.

I took it to the dealer this morning and they are saying that there are no trouble codes, no abs codes, nothing so there is nothing wrong with the vehicle. I am afraid it will do it again and I will be stuck with the $1000 deductible or worse yet I will hurt someone if it happens in traffic. Any help, suggestions, comments or otherwise?

Tell them to check the EDR (Electronic Data Recorder), I'm assuming the Nitro's are equipped with them. They are much like a black box and record timing before and after impact, it should show that there was a black out, and the accident should not be your fault. Just read an article about these little black boxes. Can be a little scary, when coming to privacy issues, but may be able to help prove your claim...

 

[NITRO818]

I have the same problem...

This is my post in the newbie section: NITRO SLT - I have seen alot of posts of other people having a similar problem. There is no specific time or place that it happens at. I can be in motion or stationary when it happens. So far it has happened 2 or three times while in motion and once while stationary. When I am in motion all of the cars electrical components will shut down including the radio as well as the engine. It will immediately start back up and all the light icons that turn on when you initially turn on the car will come on as if I just started the car. It happened once in traffic when I was not moving but that time the engine did not come back on. I had to put it in park and crank it over again. Thankfully it started right back up since I was on Wilshire Blvd. in Westwood, CA during rush hour with 100,000 cars behind me. The other problem I have had is the sticky key problem. The key sticks in the position where it continues to crank over and over. You have to turn the key into the position it should spring into when you remove your hand from it. I have about 5,600 miles on the NITRO and the turn off and on problem occurs about every 1,200 miles so the dealer has been unable to "duplicate" the problem wich they have advised me is nescessary to qualify for the lemon law. Like everyone else I actually really like the car. I think it was a great buy. I just dont want to get in an accident as a result of the dying problem and be injured or killed. I hope they resolve the issues so we can drive without worrying about your car turning off at the wrong moment. Anyone had this problem corrected yet?

 

[NITRO818]

Except

I didn't hit a deer or mailbox or anything yet... sorry that happened to you, hope nothing worse happens to any of us NITRO owners. take care!

 

[NitroTech]

This morning on my way to work I came upon some deer crossing the road with enough time to stop...or so I thought! I slammed on the brakes and the Nitro's brains cut out. The dash went dark, the raido went out, the brakes didn't work, and the deer hit the front driver's headlight and quarter panel. This hit was enough apparently to kick it back on as the dash came back on, the abs kicked in on the driver's side (had the abs flashed yesterday at the dealer) locked up the passenger side and pulled me into a ditch and subsequently into a mailbox. This mailbox was the beefiest thing I have seen as it creased the hood, tore off the passenger side mirror, put a hole, yes a hole, in the windshield and then proceeded to scratch down the side of the vehicle and dent the rear passenger door. The deer broke the plastic fenders on both sides and dented the rear driver's door.

I took it to the dealer this morning and they are saying that there are no trouble codes, no abs codes, nothing so there is nothing wrong with the vehicle. I am afraid it will do it again and I will be stuck with the $1000 deductible or worse yet I will hurt someone if it happens in traffic. Any help, suggestions, comments or otherwise?

Wow, really sorry to hear about your accident.

There has been more then enough discussion on Nitro's dying and then restarting on their own. Its very obvious this is a common problem. I can't offer the repair for this problem becuase I personally have not seen this problem with any Nitro. When I say that I literally mean that I have not diagnosed a Nitro for that problem. I'm saying this because I am a Chrysler Tech. I've worked in at a Chrysler dealer for 15 years, the last 8-9 as a technician.

The problem here is the some dealers are not doing their jobs properly. They all have access to Chrysler Techline. I have the ability to search for known problems on the Nitro on Chrysler's website and no one has been reporting this stall and restart problem. I don't feel its right that the service departments are saying if they can't duplicate it, they can't fix it. Fine if they can't duplicate it try something! Check and tighten connector pins at the ignition switch, the TIPM, the SKREEM. Try something!!!

If I every get a Nitro with this problem I will do my best to figure it out. I don't have all the answer but I will sure try.

 

[NITRO818]

Thanks Nitrotech

Thanks dude. Thats pretty cool of you to try and help us out here. I was amazed that my tech said daimler chrysler has no knowledge of this problem that lots of people are apparently having and have reported to Daimler Chrysler. I personally reported mine directly to the NHTSA and Daimler Chrysler. I am not upset with my tech or dealer because they are unable to repair my vehicle. I truely believe that they are doing what they can. I understand that the problem is hard to trace since it only happens about every 1200 to 2000 miles. But it is very frustrating since I just wasted money on a rental car over the weekend while my car was in the dealers hands and nothing was done mechanically other than an oil change. I had to pay to drive a car of lesser quality and options for 4 days. I am sure that the manufacturer will not publically acknowlwedge this problem until they have a fix for it. Lets just hope that happens before anyone is seriously injured or killed as a result of the manufactures gross negligence. Keep us posted NITROTECH and thanks again for your help.
:beerchug:

 

[nitro6speedr]

Billy,
No one was jumpin on you man....please don't jump on us for being frustrated.

Anyway, do you know of anyone delving into the WCM on this problem? Is it succeptible to interferance from outside sources like cell phones, short wave radios, cell towers, or SAT radio? Just looking at possibilities man, not jumpin down anyones throat here. Ultimately all everyone with this problem wants is to have it solved and get to drive their Nitros!

 

[nitro6speedr]

Billy,
I am not worried about the SAT radio issue...that will get figured out soon enough. I am not sure exactly what systems/controls the WCM deals with or controls. Can you educate me?

Also, I feel your pain about not being able to reproduce it. I know that is what needs to happen for the techs to be able to do anything. Its just frustrating that we can't get these things to go wrong to show you guys. Anyway, let me know what the WCM controls so I can weed that out in my head. I am just trying to figure out what controls what and what could be effected by different things.

 

[HighVoltageNITRO]

I slammed on the brakes and the Nitro's brains cut out. The dash went dark, the raido went out, the brakes didn't work,

I am not a Chrysler Technician. But I am familiar with the nature of sensitive electronic components when they sense a low voltage or over-voltage condition. They shut down. This problem sounds a lot like poor voltage regulation. Hooking up one of these vehicles to diagnostic equipment is not going to find a problem unless you have a way of loading the Nitro's electrical system down to point of virtual overload.

Everything in the vehicle is going to have to be turned on simultaneously. It could be combinations of things that occur, like the automatic activation of the A/C compressor simultaneous with the brakes being applyed. Others have remarked about turning into parking spaces, which loads up power steering and reduces engine RPM slightly for a split second, causing their Nitro to die. This again, would be in combination with application of the brakes. It is going to take some time to isolate, but basically a technician is going to have to FORCE failure to occur. It is not going to happen at idle with no activities occuring in any components or related systems. Whatever electronic part is failing will have to be pressed to the point of failure before everything will shut down.

There are two drivers right here (nitro6speedr, NITRO818) that I am certain would be willing to put their vehicle through anything short of total melt down in an attempt to isolate the cause. If there is any way you guys could communicate with their local dealership Techs and suggest tests then I am sure they would cooperate.

If is not a in-field technician that finds this problem, then it will have to be Chrysler taking one of these problem vehicles back to a plant or some other diagnostic center that can put the vehicle through extensive testing and loading before the problem will be isolated.

Think what you would do if this were your vehicle.

 

[nitro6speedr]

Billy,
SXT 4x4, single disc cd, mp3, sat radio, 6 speed manual tranny.

Driving conditions were as follows:
34 degrees, 6:15 am eastern time, high beams on, heat setting high, vent set to defrost only, fan set to high, FM radio on (92.5 fm to be exact), no fog lights on vehicle, interior lights set to highest setting below the full brightness (2 clicks below all interior on). No passengers, driving in 2wd, ESP on, cell phone charger plugged into the front power outlet charging an LGvx5200 phone, saw the deer, put the brakes to the floor, Nitro shut down, deer hits driver side headlight and front quarterpanel, nitro revives, deer continues down driver side and hits every peice of paint, abs kicks in on driver side at, passenger side locks up (skid marks were in the road to prove it), car pulls into passenger side ditch, hits mailbox, mailbox creases hood, punches hole in windsheild, dents A pillar, rips off passenger side mirror, dents front door, scratches and dings rear door and scratches rear fender. ABS module was stated to be flashed the day before as per dealer tech.

Hope that helps.

 

[NITRO818]

my nitro has the virus, happened 3 times, once at 60mph in the morning on the 101s going into hollywood, once at 30mph on ventura blvd in Encino in the afternoon, and once on wilshire blvd in westwood during rush hour between 0-5mph. that time i had to put it in park and turn it back over. for me there does'nt seem to be a pattern of when or where it happens or driving conditions do not play a role either. just happens when it happens. seems to happen every 1200 to 2,000 miles for me. it's a:

SLT, 4x2 (LHD), 4 spd auto auto trans, 3.7L V6, mfr date 10/06

optional equipment:

package 24G
(heated leather seats, security alarm, 8 amped speakers, am/fm radio w/6 disc in dash dvd/mp3 player, 17"x7 chrome clad aluminum wheels)

tow package

power sunroof

running boards

thats my base and options and mfr. date.

lets see if we can find a pattern. so far on the thread with the mfr. date it looks like people with mfr. dates of 10/06 and 11/06 are having the problem.

 

[electricbluenitro]

my mechanic said the stall problem is due to the abs recall thats all I know I will let you know if it stalls again

 

[nitro6speedr]

I had my ABS flashed before I got it because in VA if there is an open recall (it came out 2/19/07) they have to perform the work before delivery. I picked it up 6pm 2/19/07 and the problem happened 2/23/07.

 

[electricbluenitro]

I figured he was just saying that because he didn't know. And didn't want to check it out. I guess it's just aliens haha