2009 Sebring MIL
 

Two days ago my Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) came on. No issues that I was aware of and everything seems to be operating normally.

Light stayed on when driving to and from work yesterday so today I took it to the Chrysler dealer and asked them to check it out. I might have left it longer at another time but I am lending my car to a friend for a longish trip next week.

Anyway, the dealer stated the lamp was not on when they tested it and there were no codes in the system. When I picked it up this afternoon, MIL was not on.

Is this something I should be worried about?

Yes and No..... Whether you notice or not is of No consequence to PCM...SOmething is wrong if the light came on.......

A computer is designed to retain Memory, And since there were no codes available,

Either you are Crazy, and It was never really there, .......Or The computer Forgot what happened that turned the light on.

I wouldnt lose too much sleep over it, until it becomes a recurring problem.

Thanks Djinn-n-Tonic. I may be crazy but I promise you it definitely was on!

I'll wait to see if it recurs - of course it goes without saying that I am only 350 miles short of the warranty mileage!

Federal Emissions warranty covers PCM until 8yr/80k....

OK, thanks. That makes me feel better.

It could have been something as simple as a loose gas cap.

True.....But There should still have been SOMETHING stored in History, and a Freeze frame screen.

That's what I thought too. Is there any reason why there wouldn't be something stored in history?

Could the MIL itself be faulty?

So, my friend has returned from his trip in my Sebring and he said at some point the MIL came on but it's off again now (of course).

Anyway, oil was changed when I took it in on July 20 and now the Change Oil message is displaying. It has done, nearly 2900 miles since the oil change but it's only been 13 days!

Does the oil really degrade this quickly?

The change oil message takes into account not only the miles but the type of use the car has been through. Lots of high temperature stop-and-go driving or other severe service will call for an oil change sooner. Pull out the dipstick and take a look at the oil. If it's dark and dirty looking, it might be time for a change. Another possibility is that they just failed to reset the cycle last time it was changed.

Road conditions and your kind of driving affects the interval at which your oil should be changed. Check the following list to decide if any apply to you.
• Day and night temperatures are below 32° F (0° C)
• Stop and Go driving
• Extensive engine idling.
• Driving in dusty conditions
• Short trips of less than 10 miles (16.2 km)
• More than 50% of your driving is at sustained high
speeds during hot weather, above 90° F (32° C)
• Trailer towing
• Taxi, Police or delivery service (commercial service)
• Off— road or desert operation
• If equipped for and operating with E-85 (ethanol)
fuel.

NOTE: If ANY of these apply to you then change your engine oil every 3,000 miles (5 000 km) or 3 months, whichever comes first and follow schedule “B” of the Maintenance Schedules section of this manual.
If none of these apply to you, then change your engine oil at every interval shown on schedule A of the Maintenance Schedules section of the owner's manual.
NOTE: Under no circumstances should oil change intervals exceed 6,000 miles (10 000 km) or 6 months whichever comes first.

Engine Oil Selection
For best performance and maximum protection under all types of operating conditions, we recommend engine oils that are API Certified and meet the requirements of DaimlerChrysler’s Material Standard MS-6395. Use Mopar
or an equivalent oil meeting the specification MS-6395.
American Petroleum Institute (API) Engine Oil Identification Symbol
This symbol means that the oil has been certified by the American Petroleum Institute (API). Only API Certified engine oils that meet the requirements are recommended.
Use Mopar or an equivalent oil meeting the specification MS-6395.

Almost all the mileage since the last change was Interstate miles so very little stop and go. You could be right about them perhaps not resetting the cycle - the last change was done after only about 2300 miles and it was before the change oil message was being displayed.

I don't think those conditions apply but in any event my owners manual does not have a 'A' or 'B' schedule. Reading my manual it seems to say that oil changes should be done when the oil change indicator but no later than 6 months or 6000 miles. Given that I have done only 5200 miles since the oil change before last, it does make me think that they failed to reset it last time.

loose gas cap