Sensors, Systems, Solenoids, and Such on Chrysler cars
In the infancy of the automobile, nearly every control system was placed right in or around the carburetor, with various jets, valves, and the choke all right in one place. With computer-controlled carburetors and, later, computer-controlled fuel injection, systems were dispersed throughout the engine bay (and right inside the passenger compartment) as more and more factors were monitored and controlled. With more information and faster reactions, computers could deliver better-targeted amounts of air and fuel and time spark plugs to fire exactly when needed; computers could also control turbochargers for efficiency, power, driveability, and durability.
By programming the computer to understand what to expect, and to record error codes when unexpected things happened, Chrysler engineers also provided technicians and owners with excellent diagnostic tools that the best mechanics of the carburetor era could only dream of. What’s more, to prevent damage (and to let the owner know something was seriously wrong), the computer could even send the car into “limp home” mode, providing a reasonable level of performance until repairs were made — while some competitors let their customers thumb a ride.
Bob O’Neill and Bob Lincoln have written most of the following pages, which describe individual systems, switches, sensor, and the like. This is a work in progress and will be added to. Many of the pages are focused on the 2.2 and 2.5 liter engines used throughout the 1980s and up until 1994, but similar systems existed on many other engines — including those made today. (Chrysler dropped mechanical distributors and switched from a “MAP” based system to a “MAF” based system in the 1990s, and to a CAN based electronics system in the 2000s, but many sensors and systems remained.)
Sensors, Switches, and Other Systems | Main Repairs Page | EEKs