Recently, my '07 Dodge Caliber showed a red warning light on the instrument panel, and the vehicle refused to start. According to the manual, the light indicates a problem with the electronic throttle control.
Here's what I did: Disconnected the battery to clear the light--no luck. Then, replaced the throttle body, which includes the electronics. Still no luck.
Had to tow the vehicle to the dealer, and they said that because I had driven the vehicle with a copy of the original key, the vehicle failed to sense a microchip inside the key and "got scrambled." The original key had no chip visible, only a large rubber grip with the Dodge logo. Did I get lied to about the key being the cause? I'm not aware of any microchip in it, and how would it work if there is no electrical connection?
My vehicle is a 2.0L (not that it matters), and the base model--not the SRT or anything fancy. It has no power locks, windows, anything. Did the dealer make up a story about the key to charge me extra for "reprogramming?" Please don't give an uninformed opinion, only answer if you know or have experience with Dodge vehicles.
Here's what I did: Disconnected the battery to clear the light--no luck. Then, replaced the throttle body, which includes the electronics. Still no luck.
Had to tow the vehicle to the dealer, and they said that because I had driven the vehicle with a copy of the original key, the vehicle failed to sense a microchip inside the key and "got scrambled." The original key had no chip visible, only a large rubber grip with the Dodge logo. Did I get lied to about the key being the cause? I'm not aware of any microchip in it, and how would it work if there is no electrical connection?
My vehicle is a 2.0L (not that it matters), and the base model--not the SRT or anything fancy. It has no power locks, windows, anything. Did the dealer make up a story about the key to charge me extra for "reprogramming?" Please don't give an uninformed opinion, only answer if you know or have experience with Dodge vehicles.