P04DB00 [FIXED}

2015 Dodge Dart Aero 1.4l MTX w/turbo

I wanted to get the wife to drive down to the 2016 ETCG meet up this past weekend but had no luck!!!
She's had this problem with this car for a few weeks now and the dealership can't seem to get it fixed. They ordered a part for it and never called her to let her know when it came in. She called the dealer last Saturday and they were supposed to call her back, that never happened. Then Monday she called again and they told her the part was in and ready to be installed. We went in today (Wednesday) as soon as the dealership was open and got the part installed (P/N 68217630AA sensor pressure). Drove down the road about a mile and went into a store, got what we went in for and when we came out, the engine lamp was illuminated again. Since we had to pass by the dealership to go home we stopped there again. Once again P04DB00 was the trouble code on their scanner. Got a ride home from the dealer and the vehicle is being checked out there again. Need a solution to this problem. Is there one???? I've checked everything I could find on line and there is no fix that I could find.

Hello there. You're going to have to provide more information than that.
Year
Make
Model
What have you done so far to the car?
Do you have a definition for the the P04db00?

Found this on iATN for the code provided. Looks like good info, assuming this IS a Ford we're talking about.

They added a hall effect sensor just to make sure a breather hose was connected... Wow.

Google shows the part number as a Chrysler/Fiat part...

2015 Dodge Dart Aero 1.4l MTX w/turbo 39,000 miles

Only non stock item is a K&N air filter added at 30,000 mi +- no problems until now. Wife puts 150 miles/day to and from work.

I have NO information regarding that code. Dou you know what pressure sensor the code is referring to? Alldata doesn't show any code definition or code set criteria, and without knowing what pressure sensor it is referring to, or what it's function in the engine management system is, I'm afraid I'll not have much advice for you.
There's not even so much as a single wiring diagram to look at.
If it's similar to the Ford information Tyler found and posted for us, it seems as though the K&N filter could be the cause, especially if it's a filter and intake breather tube combo. The Ford setup uses a hall effect sensor, which will be a 3 wire sensor.
ASSUMING that Chrysler also uses a hall effect, you can start by back probing the connector and checking voltage levels.
You're going to be looking for some kind of power feed, most likely 5v with the key on and a ground for starters.

This video covers checking another hall effect sensor on a Chrysler (crank sensor). It shows how to check power, ground and signal.


I'll also link you to the page of this site where the video is posted, there's some excellent content there about testing hall effects with some basic tools. scannerdanner.com/chapter-21-ignition-in...chrysler-models.html
Of course if it's not a hall effect, this isn't going to help you diagnose this problem very much.
Please get back to us with any information you have regarding this sensor or the code. The dealer must have given you something that can help us figure this out.

There's not a whole lot of information on this vehicle, but I did manage to find some wiring diagrams at www.bbbind.com/tech_database.html
I downloaded all of them for the 2015 Dodge Dart Aero 1.4L Turbo
In the Wiring diagram section under Engine - Fuel Control System - Intake Air System, last rectangle on the top right (Sensor - Crankcase Pressure) of that section is what I think they replaced. The three wires match in color to the one in this schematic with a 5V reference, sensor signal and ground. I don't have much faith in these techs at this dealership. Before I would replace that sensor I would have checked those 3 wires and checked the waveform of the sensor signal wire against a known good one. They replaced it and it didn't fix the problem. They took out the K&N air filter that had been in it for 8,000 + miles and put a new Mopar filter in it and gave it back to her to drive yesterday. She drove it into work and when she started it up to come home, engine lamp illuminated again. As I type this she is on her way into the dealer again with her car. These newer vehicles are getting so complicated it's hard to fix 'em anymore. I told her when she bought it she'd be getting to know the dealer and now I think they'll be glad to get it fixed and not have to see her again (I hope). I don't really want to work on it unless I really have to.

Well, I imagine that if it was a hall sensor, the trouble code probably would have ID'd it as such. It's most likely a potentiometer.
Sounds like you could troubleshoot it if you wanted to, but I wouldn't have a problem letting the dealer handle it. Especially since they already hand their hands on it.
You could always brush up on section 8 material concerning pressure sensors while you wait for the dealer diagnosis.

dealer ordered an oil separator for it, car should be back in Tuesday to get it installed (P/N 04892931AB) Hopefully it will be the fix for the P04DB00 and the oil leak next to it on the valve cover.

Nice find on the BBB Industries site, johnbkobb. I've had trouble finding diagrams for newer model year vehicles, pleasantly surprised to find this vehicle in there.

Posting this image for anyone else following along:



Given how quickly the code resets, I'm wondering if it's a hard fault that just takes time to code for... Also, I wonder how sensitive this sensor is? Thinking about it's potential for piston ring/lower end diagnostics.

Anyway, let us know how the oil separator repair goes!

I haven't worked on anything with a crankcase pressure sensor yet...
I'd be awful upset if something as simple and common as a leaking valve cover gasket or o-ring seals in the spark plug wells was setting a DTC and keeping me from getting an inspection sticker...

Seriously. I'm wondering how closely the PCM watches crankcase pressure on this Dart. I'll see if I can find the code set criteria on Monday.

Update - The oil separator came to the dealer on Monday. They didn't call, so my wife had to call. They couldn't get it installed until Wednesday so she took it in first thing Wednesday and got it back that afternoon. Later that same afternoon we drove it about 5 miles to the mall. When we finished there and went to start the car the engine lamp stayed illuminated. Less than 25 miles were put on the vehicle and still the problem is there. She called the dealer first thing this morning and they told her not to bring it in yet. They wanted to talk to the engineers to see what to change next. Parts changers, not techs, no troubleshooting!!!!! So the vehicle is just sitting here now waiting to see what they want to change next. We're supposed to be going to see my brother in northern MI on Saturday. I guess we'll be driving it with the light on still, cause my Chevy C3500 dually with a 454 only gets 5 mpg and we're not doing a 500+ mile trip in it!
Will keep this updated as it progresses.

Hey John, thanks for keeping us updated.
It seems like a two trip code. I don't understand why a proper test drive is not being done to verify the repair at the dealer . But, I don't have access to code set criteria for this one, so I can't say for certain...

I know it's frustrating, but try to remain objective, we don't know exactly know what's going on in there at the shop. I try not to jump to conclusions about others people work just because I don't like people who know nothing about what I'm doing getting upset over a sheer lack of understanding.

Noah wrote: Hey John, thanks for keeping us updated.
It seems like a two trip code. I don't understand why a proper test drive is not being done to verify the repair at the dealer . But, I don't have access to code set criteria for this one, so I can't say for certain...

I know it's frustrating, but try to remain objective, we don't know exactly know what's going on in there at the shop. I try not to jump to conclusions about others people work just because I don't like people who know nothing about what I'm doing getting upset over a sheer lack of understanding.

Yeah, I do hate when people Monday morning quarterback my work I just know that if I had repeat comebacks on the same problem, I'd be test driving the snot out of that thing before giving it back.

John, any chance you could get some voltage readings at this sensor? Connected and disconnected? Just trying to get a basis for troubleshooting this system, given the lack of info available.

Went out this morning and checked the connector for the sensor they replaced. Couldn't really check all that I wanted to because I had a helper come out who didn't really want me doing anything to her car. I unplugged the connector and put the "key" in the run position. I got virtually nothing at all the pins. If I'm not mistaken I should have had a 5V reference from the PCM at one wire of the connector, a ground from the PCM at another and the third wire would be a signal wire generated from the sensor and sent back to the PCM. Not seeing the 5V reference with the car in run (but not running) seems to bother me, because without it there will be no signal at the signal wire.
Normally I would check with probes with the connector connected and the car running but we are waiting to see if the SES comes back on by itself and I don't want to do anything to make it come back on because of what I've done.

Yeah, the lack of 5V at the connector is very suspicious. This being a Dodge, I would honestly expect to see 5V on two of the wires, given their circuit integrity designs.

FYI, I looked into finding some more info on this code, came up empty. Mitchell ProDemand didn't have any idea what this code was, for a 2016 OR a 2015. Couldn't even find this sensor on the wiring diagram available. BBB Industries has them beat there, lol.

I understand not wanting to get too invasive in your testing, since it's still under warranty and all. If you decide to go further, I'd love to know what measurements you find at the connector with the engine running, connector backprobed. Something tells me I'll be seeing these in my service bay in the future...

This being a Dodge, I would honestly expect to see 5V on two of the wires, given their circuit integrity designs.

Thinking bias voltage on the signal wire?

Maybe? It'd be typical of Dodge, but who knows of this newer model plays by the usual rules.

I was wondering if the PCM doesn't even supply 5V to this sensor until the engine is running? Never seen it before, but that would explain the voltage readings John saw. Just thinking out loud.

UPDATE !!!!! Well we took the vehicle back into the dealer the next day 7/29/2016. The guy at the service desk checked the code and it still had the same code P04DB In the process of talking with the guy at the service desk my wife mentioned something about smoke coming out the exhaust after her last oil change there at the dealership. He went out and checked the oil dipstick and found that there was too much oil in the vehicle. After about a 30 minute wait for the vehicle to have the oil drained and refilled to the proper amount we were given the vehicle back. The code had been reset. The next day we made a 250 mile trip to my brother's place and from then until now that trouble code has not returned. I believe that the problem was that when the oil was changed it was filled with too much oil and that overfill was the cause of the P04DB code. I waited to post this update because I wanted to make sure this code was not coming back before posting this fix. I think that over 3 months of driving is long enough to declare the fix for this problem we had.
Thanks for all the replies to this post.

John