Below is a compilation of
questions that we have been receiving about a variety of PT issues. Please
look through these to see if we have already provided an answer for a
question that you might have. If you don't find the information that you
are seeking, then
e-mail us and we
will get back to you and also post the answer here for others to see.
Dash Kit Info
Exhaust Systems
Supercharger Info
Wheel/Tire Sizing & ABS Issues
ABS & General Brake Info
Performance Chips
Suspension Info
Body Kits
Performance Issues
Warranty Info
Details about the Magnusson-Moss Act, (the Federal law that governs warranties.)
I do like the 3-D Interior Trim Kits; however, I need to
know if Trim Kits totally replace or just cover the existing factory
center dash, auto shifter pod, and front and rear door latch trim pieces?
These molded overlays are designed
to completely cover the appropriate areas of the existing pieces and are
adhered with 3M adhesive that is already applied to the parts. They cover
so that there are no exposed edges and look O.E. when in place. They are
made of automotive approved laminates that are UV protected and are
warranted against cracking or peeling for the life of the vehicle to the
original purchaser of the parts.
Can I buy the dash kits
without the auto trans pod trim piece and save some $$$?
Yes! We now have 2-piece, 5-piece,
6-piece, 7-piece and 8-piece 3-D molded kits to offer the most flexibility
to owners of both manual and automatic trans models.
Do the
Cat back or Axle back mufflers add any Horsepower to the PT?
First of all when we at Pt-Tuning
talk about HORSEPOWER we only talk about what is made at the wheels. The
complete Cat/back system makes up to 5.5 "over stock"
horsepower at the wheels on the dyno. The Axle/back probably makes
closer to 3 horsepower at the wheels. We do not know of a single
exhaust manufacturer who quotes the real numbers at the wheels like we do,
so be aware of others in the exhaust game who think a Pt can make an extra
15 hp with just an exhaust swap.
Why is there an
output-horsepower difference between the Cat/Back and Axle/Back systems?
The
reason for the difference in power between the Cat/Back and the Axle/Back
is not the resonator. It is because the factory tubing is replaced with
our mandrel-bent tubing which retains it's inner diameter even within
the bends. This alleviates the constriction of the factory pieces
which provides for better exhaust flow.
Keep in mind that you can buy an
Axle/Back system and later upgrade to a Cat/Back because all of our
tubing is optimized to fit and interact with the factory tubing in all the
factory locations. Make no mistake that the Axle/Back system is
not for the faint of heart. It's aggressive, fun, and you'll be looking
for the rev limiter every chance you get!
How do your exhaust systems
affect gas mileage?
While our exhaust systems are
designed mainly to increase performance, our customers have reported back
to us that the increased efficiency of our system has increased their
mileage. One customer who bought one of our Cat back single systems found
an increase of 10% and was very aware of this due to the fact that he
works for the County and is required to report mileage for reimbursement.
Do your cat/back exhaust
systems have a lug for the rear grounding strap on the muffler body?
All of our exhaust systems have
the grounding strap lug.
What tool should be used to
cut-out the rear valence and is it difficult to do? How do you
install the right-side exhaust bracket hangers?
Use a piece of masking tape on the
surface of the bumper cover to sketch out the opening, then score the
surface of the bumper cover with an exacto knife. Once you have a good
mark you can carefully use a hacksaw blade to make the opening. The best
thing to do is be conservative on the initial cutting in so if you do make
a mistake you have enough material left in place to smooth things out. The
hanger on the right side is best aligned by installing the right pipe
temporarily and looking at the preexisting factory threaded holes as they
match up to the Pt-Tuning supplied hardware.
Is the
Supercharger regular gas compatible?
The vehicle will require 92 octane
fuel after being converted to a supercharged PT.
Do you have to modify the
hood when you install a supercharger kit?
You do not have to modify the hood
in any way to clear the kit.
When will the supercharger
kit be ready to ship?
The NLEV Kits are in stock and
shipping on order. ULEV kits currently require a 5-7 day lead time.
I'm thinking about
installing one of your superchargers, why is yours better than some
of the others out there, or is it the same thing? Do you recomend a
minimum amount of miles on the car before installing the supercharger? I have a limited edition PT, are there
any recommendations you have re: the installation of the supercharger
aside from having a professional do the work? Any other parts I
should install to minimize my visits to the mechanic for
"problems" with the supercharger?
The kit we offer was developed
jointly with Whipple Industries who are the exclusive licensee for
distribution of the Lysholm "Screw type" Chargers. These units
are incredibly efficient and offer instantaneous boost. The unit utilizes
interlocking male and female screw impellers that fit together very
closely. With only a few millimeters of gap between them as they spin up
from just a few hundred to over 9,000 rpm these screws never contact each
other as they draw in and compress the air. The performance and sound is
absolutely amazing.
Each of our kits also includes an
exclusive stainless steel serial numbered badge for the proud owner. Also
included is a fully bound instruction manual which will endure as a
reference over the years as our customers enjoy their supercharged PTs.
The best recommendation is for you
to visit your local dealership and obtain the latest upgrade for your
factory ECU/Computer. Then contact us with your new ECU reference number
so your kit will be tailored to the best computer programming available
for your vehicle.
As far as a recommended mileage to
have on your vehicle before you install a kit on it, we would suggest at
least 500 miles to make sure there aren't any outright flaws in the
vehicle's build. By the same token new car dealerships often install our
kits on new showroom vehicles with just 5-15 delivery miles and have no
problems to speak of.
For more detailed info on the
installation of our Superchargers, click
here.
. . . back to
top
My car
shipped with the 16" chrome wheels and 205/55 R 16 tires that have an
outside diameter of 24.9". What I want to do is put after market
wheels and tires on the car as follows: Front - 225/45 R 17 tires on
17" X 7" custom wheels, with 25.0" OD Rear - 225/45 R 18
tires on 18" X 7.5" custom wheels with 25.9" OD.
As far as tire sizes go a 225 x 45
- 18 will clear a PT, and of course a 225 x 45 - 17 will clear. If the
wheel offset is optimized then an 18x8 or 17x8 will also clear.
I have ABS brakes, so my
question is will the 0.9" higher tire in the back cause a problem
with the ABS? I'm hoping it will be OK to do this because there has to be
some leeway in the ABS system to allow for the tires to turn at different
speeds when cornering, right?
The first question is what are you
trying to achieve? If it is the raked look, then on an ABS equipped PT you
should consider using some type of lowering spring. We offer a
progressive-rate spring kit that will satisfy this requirement and which
also adds an additional 1/4 inch of rake to the PT.
On a non ABS Pt you can achieve
this look with "wheels and tires" or springs or a combination of
both. The problem in having different height wheels and tires from front
to rear on an ABS PT does not really lie in the ABS system, but in the
TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM, which comes as a joint option on the ABS cars.
The traction system will read the difference in rotation from front to
rear as slippage. This in turn will cause the system to cut power to the
engine which will be most noticeable on initial acceleration from a stop.
One could turn off the traction system to avoid this effect but that is
neither a safe nor reasonable solution.
If I replace the stock rim
and tires on my PT with 20" wheels and tires would it affect my ABS
Braking system or any other operating systems of my vehicle?
As long as overall tire outside
diameter is the same front and rear you will not affect the A.B.S. system.
20" wheels however do cause a clearance problem so make sure you
check-fit before you buy!
FAQ page
about ABS -- click here.
Is your Advanced Brake
System compatible with the factory anti-lock brakes?
Everything we know so far leads us
to believe that the systems are compatible, but due to the rarity of A.B.S.
cars up until now we have not yet done a bolt on test. We plan to do this
test very soon and will post that information on the site and also
announce it in our e-mail newsletter.
Do you sell brake pads that
will fit the stock brakes on the PT Cruiser? Mine's out of warranty &
the brake pads have failed at 18K miles. I'm looking for QUALITY
aftermarket pads. Thanks for a QUICK response. I was going to buy the
dealer's crappy pads for $140, but not if you have something better.
We are searching for pads that
will satisfy our stringent performance criteria and will add them to our
store as soon as we find them. It is not uncommon for Pt's to eat up front
pads in 20,000 miles. Just to note, we do make a complete front upgrade
over the stock system that lists for $1195 and has wear and temperature
ratings far superior to the stock system.
Are
there any chips available to increase HP?
We are in the development/mapping
stages of some computer upgrades, so keep an eye on the Web site for
further information.
I need
the part number for progressive-rate spring kit and would like to know how
much this kit will lower it.
The front will be lowered 1 3/4
inches and the rear 1 1/2 inches. This keeps the original raked look of
the PT, which we believe is a great part of the original design intent. Go
to Performance
Parts for more product information and for info on how to order these
springs.
I am
interested in the bruiser kit but concerned about ground clearance, I
will be lowering my car with **** springs (about 1.5 in.) in your
pictures the nose looks close to the ground how close is it and is this
with a lowering spring?
The Bruizer Kit photos are
utilizing a spring kit from another company. Our
Euro Blue Line Spring Kit only lowers the front of the vehicle by 1
3/4"
which will leave a much more functional amount of ground clearance. I do
agree that the springs on the front of the Bruizer are too low. We believe
our spring kits have become very popular because they do not over lower
the
car. These are true progressive rate springs unlike others on the
market, so the
ride remains very similar to the factory smooth ride you have come to
like.
At only $199.00 you can't beat these springs for performance or
price!
Why
do you not have performance test data posted on the Web site for ALL of
your products?
We agree that test results are
valuable in decision making. Yet there is still a propaganda feel to it
unless these tests are conducted by a third party. This being the case, it
has taken time to arrange the magazine conducted tests that will be
conducted over the next few months. We look forward to posting this
information as soon as it is available. We already list numerical
information on the horsepower output of the supercharger system, the
decibel level of the exhaust systems, and the lowering amounts of the
progressive-rate spring kits. Please feel free to contact us should you require any
further information.
What
will your performance upgrade packages
do to the factory warranty?
It's
going to depend on the policy of the dealership at which you service the
vehicle. We have had a lengthy discussion with a former Chrysler 5-Star
dealership master technician about this very topic. Per this source, the
Factory does not have an official stance on the topic of user modified
vehicles, and most dealerships make decisions on this issue on a
case-by-case basis.
The law
says that neither the dealer nor the factory can decline servicing a
vehicle under warranty unless they specifically prove that the
modification in question caused the failure. So an outright voiding of a
power train warranty, just because you install an engine modification,
would put a dealership on the wrong end of a lawsuit or even a slap on the
wrist from Consumer Affairs or The Better Business Bureau.
What we
can assure you of, is that we have designed and engineered all of our
performance upgrades to enhance the capabilities of the vehicle without
putting extreme stress on any of the remaining components. For example,
the supercharger kit was designed and tested to make the engine a more
efficient power plant — to simply get more air into the engine relative
to rpm. Furthermore, the O.E. appearance of the kit is indicative of the
O.E. engineering philosophy behind our products. To put it bluntly, we do
not seek to build "boy racer" or "backyard specials".
We at
The Bauhaus Corporation, and in particular PT-Tuning, are extremely aware
of our customers' interest in maintaining their factory warranty. We
cannot, however, make any claims or promises in this regard, as it is
solely dependent upon the relationship between you and your dealer.
By the way, you might approach the
service manager at the dealership you are buying your car from about this
topic, and let us know what their position is. Additionally, you may be
able to purchase our modifications from that particular dealership and
have them do the installation work. Many times this is the most effective
approach.
