I found a Pt Cruiser GT Convertible on Craigs List and have NOT actually gone and looked at it yet. It has 118,000 miles and looks to be nice, at least in the pictures. It's a stick shift. My question is: What should I be looking at as far as any problems?? I do have a code reader to check that part out prior to purchase.. I know IF folks have NOT used 93 Octane that some damage could be possible. Any Help or advise is appreciated! Thanks, Jim
No dammage will occur if you use lower octane. Some parts here in NM you can only find 90 octane and never had any problems just driving around on. The car should still be on PMC control and the computer will turn down the boost for the octane. Being off PCM control and running high boost with lower Octane will cause damage. 118k should just show normal wear and tear so just look for the normal stuff. Key dance will work so you can get codes off it if you need too. As long as the engine starts and runs it should be good. everything else can be replaced. Turbos you can find online for cheap, hoses rot or crack depending on location and most people replace those with metal ones. plastic lines crack and those are easily cheaply replaced with rubber ones. For the most part these are pretty solid cars. Good luck with your future purchase. izza:
Luckily I have a very good Code Reader and I'll check that out prior to anything else and go from there. Thanks for the info.
Also the GT Cruiser do not actually require 93 octane. Unlike with the SRT4's, I guess the tunes on the Cruisers are not as aggressive as the SRT4's, so Chrysler didn't require the PT's to use premium gas.
The only PT that requires High octane (91 or above) is the GT/HO (High Output) which is the equivant to the Neon SRT-4 which also takes High octane (91 or above). Yes the GT and other 2.4Turbo model have the same engine and turbo and Automatic transmission they are made to run on 87 Octane and run lower boost. If you purchase a Stage 1 PCM for those cars they will then require High Octane.
I have been looking at Two 05 Pt Cruiser H/O GT convertibles; one is a stick shift and one is an automatic. I used to own an 05 PT Cruiser GT Convertible and traded it in om my Magnum SRT> Just looking for a summer toy.
Worked out a deal with the guy with the Automatic PT GT Cruiser Convertible today and it has 75,000 miles; IF all goes well it will be mine tomorrow.
Yes, picked it up Saturday. Today I ended up buying a 2005 PT Cruiser GT H/O Convertible with just over 75,000 miles and drove it home today and started detailing it up. Other than cleaning it up and detailing the engine I added an Cone filter and now have some aluminum tubes to add and make it more like a true CAI. Not perfect shape but really nice and drives like new. I used to have a brand new one like this in silver and traded it on my SRT Magnum and I really like it. Anyhow, just another Toy to play with. https://scontent-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/t1/484856_10202306262329414_1107364320_n.jpg https://scontent-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1/1654118_10202306265529494_1152775203_n.jpg https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1/1483438_10202306269089583_556146739_n.jpg https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t1/1507571_10202306271609646_2068186878_n.jpg https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1/1457486_10202306274529719_1732185022_n.jpg https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/1688061_10202306274889728_69159699_n.jpg https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/t1/1920229_10202313635073728_242210809_n.jpg
Weather held off and I had a blast working on our PT CRUISER. WE just got the plates today and while in the garage I found some things I already had to do some modding. First I armoraled every thing rubber on the car. Then I primed and painted the washer and radiator caps. I remembered I had some extra pedal kits and modded a set to fit the PT. I also found a new set of lug nuts and locks that I had forever and didn't fit any cars I had; tried one and it fit so I changed them all out. Really a FUN DAY for me and cost me nothing, nada, zero, zilch. https://scontent-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1/1653454_10202329256624257_346323128_n.jpg https://scontent-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1/1623787_10202329256944265_203554925_n.jpg https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1/1902806_10202329257464278_1301369331_n.jpg https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/l/t1/1743699_10202329258144295_1980921616_n.jpg
Very nice pick up! Never seen a CAI on a PT GT before. Not sure how you would route the piping to make it a true CAI. I plan on modifying my stock airbox and keeping the paper filter on my GT. Oh yeah, be sure do run a boost leak test on it. I had 2 very bad leaks on mine. Car woke up after I fixed them. Still need to fix some others, but they are not major. Will do that this weekend.
Nevin, that's not accurate. My wifes car was the GT/HO, and no where on the car or owners manual, did it say the car required premium fuel. :suspect: Now, I'm not saying it's not better for the car, and I used to use premium, but fer Chrysler, it was not actually required. EDIT: Trust me, I was shocked, when I found out. ( That's why I still remember that useless fact, after having parted ways with the car so long ago. )
Big SNOW hit us here in the Carolinas; largest since I've lived here; 18" of snow so NO mods or work or driving this one for awhile ~ sigh.
There should've been a sticker that said Premium fuel only. My sticker was partly warn off but it was still there on the lid. If you dont run premium fuel the car does retune itself to run lower boost until you do add Premium. The Turbo lites are tuned to run on lower grade only with no extra tuning. A reason turbo light guys go for either a Stage 1 PCM or a GT/HO stocker. I've never seen that anywhere before but then again i've never cared to look because turbo cars need premium.
There isnt a true CAI. But you can make a partical one. If you have a cone filter with the spectar filter you can add the extention to the fendor. Its not going to be that great but thats what you can do or try and run it down below the battery by the cold pipe. I personally never had any luck with it because the engine bay is too cramped.
I'll have to take your word on that, when we bought the Mrs car, it already had an aftermarket fuel door, so that woud explain the lack of a sticker. But when I first read that the GT's didn't actually require premium, I didn't believe it. So, I checked the owners manual on our car, and it never specified premium fuel only. Also it didn't say premium required on the cluster by the fuel guage. ( like the SRT-4 does ) Seems strange that Chrysler would only label the fuel door, and nothing else...but that's besides the point. I still always used premium, because when you are talking about 13-15 gallons of gas the price different was what less than $5...not worth it to downgrade, IMO.
I knew from my last PT Cruiser that 93 was required so that IS what I'm putting on the one we just bought. So far, very happy with it; have some type of small oil leak that I can smell somewhere so I'll need to find out where that is yet. I also added a Spectre cone filter on the end of my hose; I have some aluminum tubing I may try to add later. A couple pictures of mine>