09 Challenger R/T recall ?

[buckneccid]

I bought a new Challenger, and tickled to death with it, but yesterday I went out to start it and go shopping. All I got was a rhthmic click, and a code that popped up on the dash after I stopped trying to crank it "00039".

Called the dealership, and of course their service Dept was closed, they said to go ahead and try jumping it (duh) so I did. It started, and on starting, the code cleared, but all the guages dropped back to 0 for a second, and I guess re-set as well. It did it again after the cables were disconnected, then the third time starting, it started normally.

They had told me to call them back with the results, and when I did, they said there's a "memo", not a recall, that the R/T models have a problem with the batteries and battery cables, and mine may be part of that, call them Monday to find out. I asked if it was ok to drive, and they said they don't know, but they wouldn't till I find out what's up with it. And of course the number in the Owner's Manual is closed as well....

Oh well, guess this is a good time to clean it up, huh?

[ukdodger]

What a bummer.I bet the air turned blue,it would have if it had happened to me with a new motor.Problem is we are all likely to have similar situations with the new generation of cars being made today.They are stuffed full of computer controlled electronics which means there is far more to go wrong.Talk about the machines are taking over

[ehostler]

That sucks. Let us know what comes of it on Monday.

[Walkercolt]

The electrical load on modern cars has squared(and more) from "the good ole' days". With the old point distributors, when you first hit the starter, and it was drawing 200AMPS for the fraction of a second before it started turning, and the voltage dropped below 9 volts, no big deal. The ECU in cars today have to have nearly perfect 12 Volts, 5 volts and 3 volts, just like your computer. Batteries have more capacity, but much larger battery cables and wiring to the ECU's aren't common. In the "bad old days" of 6 volt electrical systems, factory battery cables were ordinarily replaced with 2 size larger cables, so a cold spell wouldn't strand you, and some cars were still "slow crankers". With the stock size battery, my Grandad's '52 DeSoto Hemi just wouldn't crank in the winter, so he got an Exide "Power-Box" intended for a medium duty truck(just as big as the hood would close on). It worked. When I replaced my Mom's Dakota battery, I also replaced the 4ga. cables with 1ga. cables intended for the "super stereo" crowd, with heavy gold plated terminals. No, they weren't cheap, but I don't want my 80+ year-old parents stranded because of bad battery cables either, and I spent the rest of the weekend taking off every ground connector and Dremeling it and putting No-Ox on the terminals. At least they are putting true waterproof connectors on wire harnesses today. Those old flat slide-on's were junk. Geting rid of the old push and twist bayonet light bulbs was also a major improvement. I have dealt with my lifetime supply of electrical problems in cars, motorcycles, boats and military aircraft, photgraphic printing and processing equiptment as well as repairing fish-finders, and owning an old house that I re-wired. 90% of it was poor design, cheap parts and people who never thought anyone would ever need to work on repairing (and sometimes re-designing) the wiring. You might can tell, this is a major burr under my blanket.

[buckneccid]

Got the car back, and they replaced both battery cables. The original ones look like about 4 guage, and they replaced with what looks like about 0 guage, larger, better connecting terminals, and a new battery. I dropped it off about 730, when they got in, and picked it up after work. If someone wants to wait for their car, it looks like it took about 2 hours from the receipt I got for it. Things are once again fine with the Challenger.

[ehostler]

Congrats. Glad to hear that it was a quick and painless fix.

[Walkercolt]

Great news! Those are my "usual suspects" on new cars/trucks anymore. It's sad that this isn't uncommon anymore. Just not enough juice getting to the right places.

[Madman Stephan]

Hmmm, I'll have to check that on my father in law's Challengers. He has an 09 SRT-8 & an 09 RT. I'll put 'em side by side and compare.