---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: bdterris@aol.com (BDTERRIS)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.makers.chrysler
Subject: Minivan ABS brake repair

All owners of 1991 - 1993 Chrysler minvans with ABS brakes beware.  This
is the trouble I had getting the brakes repaired (they are on the NHTSA 
recall notice). 

      I noticed the ABS pump on my vehicle had started running much
longer than in the past and that it was losing pressure overnight. The ABS
and brake light were staying on for 30 seconds in the morning, with the 
ABS pump running.  Previously the light and pump went off after a couple of
seconds. In addition, on one occasion the power assist on the brakes 
was absent upon starting the vehicle first thing in the morning.
Fortunately, this occurred while the vehicle was still parked in the driveway.

     I took the vehicle to Dealer A in the San Jose CA area.  After two
days, they informed me that there was nothing wrong with the car, and that 
I should come pick it up. I asked the about the brake failure. They had no 
explanation and told me they could find nothing wrong.  I called 
NHTSA to find about the recall of the ABS brakes.  I found out that the
usual tests may not show the problem and that the dealers were supposed to 
run a pressure test.  I called dealer A and asked them if they had run a
pressure test on the brakes. They said no. They explained that since there 
were no error codes and that they could not reproduce my complaint, 
they had no reason to run a pressure test. I was also told that since they
had no reason to run the test, Chrysler would not pay for the test if they 
did run it. 

     Looking for assistance, I called the 800-853-1403 Chrysler number
listed on the NHTSA recall notice. The person I spoke to was abrasive and 
offered no help. He would not answer any questions at all until I gave him 
the VIN. Once he had that and confirmed that the vehicle was included in 
the recall, he asked where the car was being serviced. He then called
the dealer, and repeated back to me that the dealer had found nothing
wrong, and therefore the car was fine. I asked about the brake failure 
and the safety of the car. He said no dealer would allow an unsafe car 
to be released. He said there was no reason to run a pressure test
since nothing was wrong.

     I also called the regional Chrysler office. They were even ruder and
of less assistance. They said there was no recall, therefore no pressure
test. I asked about the NHTSA recall notice. They claimed that was not 
Chrysler's notice and that Chrysler had not announced a recall. They 
supported the dealer's statements that since there were no error
codes, there was nothing wrong with the car, and no reason to run any
further tests. The car was safe to drive since there were no error codes 
and the dealer had not reproduced the problem.

     I called dealer A again, this time asking to speak with the owner. He
was on the phone at the time, so I left a message for him to call me. In
the meantime, acting on advice I received from NHTSA,  I called another 
Chrysler dealer. (NHTSA said the Chrysler has been very slow in informing 
the dealers of the correct tests, and that some may not be doing it yet.)  
I explained the situation to the service manager there, and was told to 
bring the car in and he would run a pressure test. He said he ran it on 
all cars brought in for this problem and that it was the procedure Chrysler 
recommended. He was astonished that the other dealer and the regional
office were unaware of this. The next day the vehicle was repaired - a
defective Piston Assembly Actuator was found and replaced (under the 
extended warranty in the recall)  I should mention that the owner of dealer 
A did return my phone call, and finally offered to run a pressure test. He 
also assured me that the car was perfectly safe to drive. The worst that 
could happen would be a loss of the power assist system, but any
driver would still be able to stop the car, even an elderly lady! By that
point, I had arranged to bring the vehicle to dealer B. 

     Needless to say, I am appalled at the attitudes of both the Chrysler
Corporation and dealer A. Both were willing to release the car back to me, 
without fixing a brake failure problem. Chrysler was of absolutely no 
assistance in helping me obtain proper warranty/recall service. Their only 
concern seemed to be to support what the dealer said, no matter what.
From what I understand, neither dealer A nor the Chrysler zone office are
aware of the proper testing for the ABS problem.  

     So - there are problems with the ABS system.  If you notice the pump
running longer and the system not holding pressure - insist on getting 
it properly checked.  I hope others don't have the trouble I had.

Bruce