Dodge - Stratus :: 1999 - Rough Idle At First And Now Always Running Rough
Dec 6, 2012
I have a 99 Dodge Stratus 4 cyl 2.4L, automatic.
It has been idling rough for a few months now. It feels just like it is misfiring. Tach confirms quick dip in rpm then return to normal idle. It has never actually stalled, just a quick rpm dip and subsequent shuddering, then recovers for a few seconds.
Also runs very rough, at 47-48 mph under light "cruising" load. Sounds crazy, but it does (did, see below) not happen at 45 or 50, just in the 47-48 mph range. Again, it feels like bad misfiring, with the car losing a lot of power and shuddering until I accelerate/decelerate away from this speed range.
NOW, over the last few days, the rough riding has gotten a lot worse, and occurs at all speeds. It is worse under load (mild acceleration, hills). Still feels like misfiring. Loss of power makes it hard to maintain speed up hills, at any speed. Also, today for the first time in its life the car backfired while trying to accelerate up a hill from a stop, at a speed of about 15 mph.
When idling, I can occasionally smell gas.
So, the coils are 2 years old, spark plug wires are 2 years old, spark plugs are 2 weeks old and air filter is 4 days old. Check engine light is NOT on and there are no error codes as of yesterday. Fluids are all good, except I am about the kick the stupid thing until it bleeds. Parts store suggested Idle Air Control Valve, but I am dubious, as this now happens at all speed.
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Today I went and test drove a used 2006 Dodge Stratus SXT from a private party. Everything about the car was great except it had a bit of a rough idle; there was a slight sputtering noise when not in motion, and the car itself vibrated very slightly. It didn't bother me too much while I was driving because it accelerated and shifted fine and the engine sounded very strong, otherwise.
When the test drive was over I pointed out the noise to the owner, and he admitted that he had mis-timed the timing belt slightly which was causing the sputtering (he is a mechanic and replaced it himself). I was worried about this, but I did some research when I got home and learned that this model of Stratus has a non-interference engine.
My question is this: should that timing belt be a deal breaker for me? Will this cause major mechanical issues down the road? I know it will reduce power but I only really need the car to commute, so I don't mind if I'm not toe-to-toe with a Challenger. I'm just worried it will eventually cause a costly problem.
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I have a 2006 Dodge Stratus with approximately 104,000 miles on it (most highway) and I'm at my wit's end trying to figure out my rough idling situation. When I was at stop light, I would notice a rougher than normal idling but not to the point where stalling would occur. The timing belt was just replaced a year and a half ago and I thought maybe something was wrong with the alternator??? I took it into the shop and they replaced my engine mounts, replaced spark plugs, and did a fuel injector cleaning....? Well not exactly....now the idling is 10x worse to where my entire steering wheel is shaking when I'm stopped at a stop light! The car itself just sounds rough.
No check engine light is on and the idling isn't nearly as bad as when I park the car....a part of me wants to throw in the towel and say it is what it is, but I just have a feeling that something's just not right.
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I have an 02 dodge stratus coupe with about 133,000 miles on it. Since January, when the outside temp is over 42 degrees, it starts rough, and the check engine light comes on. It then chugs and sputters and has diminished power until the engine temp reaches its normal spot on the gauge. But the check engine light stays on. If it is raining or damp, the problem is worse. It feels like it might stall, but never does.It doesn't sound like it is coming from the engine, but rather under the car, maybe the exhaust system. It is not so much a noise, as it feels as though I am driving over a light washboard dirt road. It's worse in the morning than when I come out from work.If the temp drops back under about 38 degrees, the problem and the light go away.I usually get about 28 mpg. In Jan and Feb I averaged 27mpg, but it has now dropped to about 22.I need to get my radiator flushed, as I do every winter, but don't know if this is related.
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My car has 103000 miles on it and the timing belt was replaced several hundred miles ago. After the service I noticed it had a bit of a rough idle and a very slight sputtering noise, but still no check engine light. Was the timing belt put on wrong? The engine is non-interference, by the way.
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I purchased a 1999 F-150 Lariat 4x4 automatic transmission about a year ago. When I did, the previous owner told me about an idle issue that he has occasionally. He said that the issue was with the IAC. He claimed that he had replaced it several times but "it was hard to get a good aftermarket IAC that actually works". He said he tried several, but it never fixed the issue. That sounds like he wasn't replacing the defective part to me, but I don't know. This is my first truck to ever purchase.
Fast forward a bit (about a year), and I have had intermittent issues with idle and running rough since I bought the truck. I don't drive the truck that often, but they are becoming more common, so I want to get things fixed now.
Issues:
1. When running at idle, especially in park, the idle seems to fluctuate and never stay consistent. The idle drops as soon as I put it into drive, and the truck jerks a bit when going into drive because the idle was too high in park. It has never died while at idle, however.
2. When driving, especially up a slight or moderate hill, the power seems low and the truck starts to ping and jerk. The only way I can avoid the jerking is to stomp on the accelerator and go into a lower gear. And even when doing that, I still can notice an ever so slight jerk.
3. This past week, it was rough for an entire 40 mile journey on the interstate. Slight ping the entire ride home. When I pulled into the driveway, it was jerking until I turned it off. I haven't tried to drive it sense.
Potential issues:
1. IAC - maybe the previous owner was right. Maybe I should replace it again, or clean it with some carb cleaner.
2. Cam Phasers - I saw some posts about this on the forum.
3. EGR valve - Also saw some posts about this.
4. Maybe even the transmission? It doesn't seem to have an issue going into or out of gear, though.
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V-10 running rough at idle, chugging. a problem has developed with my 2004 E-350 V- 10 after having a new fuel filter installed and the induction service done . Picked it up from a local shop and it was running rough after bringing it in when running great! I figured maybe it fouled a plug or something so I drove it home but it didn't improve so I brought it back and had new plugs installed. It is still running rough and wanting to almost stall when accelerating from a stop and the shop cant figure it out , not showing any codes.
I'm thinking maybe they caused some type of vacuum leak that is so far undetected. The killer is it came to the shop running great !!
No other problems with the vehicle, I drive it every day and have owned since new. 278,000 on it now and it has been the best vehicle I have ever owned.
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I have an 02 f250 V10 with a rough idle (90K Miles). It's not horrible but it's obviously not running perfect. Everything seems ok when I am up and driving, especially at freeway speeds. I recently noticed that if the truck is in park and I run the RPM's to 1500 or 2K and quickly let off the gas it will die. It never throws any codes. So far I have replaced the IAC Valve, fuel filter, O2 Sensors, PCV valve, cleaned the MAF sensor and replaced the air filter. Plugs and boots were replaced 5K miles ago. Fuel trim levels on both banks are running around -3.1 to positive 3.5 based on what the computer is telling me. Also according to the computer the vacuum sits steady around 25 at idle (+ or - .2). I don't have a manual vacuum gauge, just relying on the computer. I've also gone around to every plug and disconnected both the injector wire and the COP wire and they all seem to equally affect the idle as well as the fuel trim levels.
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I have a 2004 SD with 5.4 that is running pretty rough both at idle and driving. Truck shakes a lot at lower rpms. I have a scan tool and had a misfire on cylinder 4 so I replaced the coil and the plug. Also replaced the idle air control valve. Plan on replacing O2 B1 S2. (One of my codes) even after replacing the coil and plug I'm still getting misfire detected from cylinder 4??? Other codes I had were misfire detected on he first 1000 revolutions. That hasn't come back though.
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I have a 1993 Dodge Dakota with a 5.2l MPFI and auto trans that has me and many other mechanics stumped. Recently it stalled on me when I pulled it into the driveway, and ever since it has had this problem.
When I start it up in the morning and it's cold, the problem isn't as bad, but as it warms up it gets worse. It sounds like it's running rough, but its firing on all cylinders. I've verifies this by pulling the plug wires and also the fuel injector wires, and each one will bog the engine down a bit. Also, when I'm cruising or parked, if I hold the throttle at 1000 rpm or less, it loads up and will stall when I let off the throttle. I have to bump the throttle to about 1500 rpm or so when pulling up to a light so that it won't stall on me. When I hold the throttle and it loads up, I can read the o2 sensor with a scanner and it shows 0.8 or 0.9v, so I know it's running rich. If I let off, the sensor reads normal. It's not super rich, but enough that it causes this problem.
Things I've tried so far:
- Replaced plugs, wires, cap, and rotor
- New coil (old one had cracks in the case)
- Checked distributor for play in the shaft, timing chain for looseness, and cam sensor for damage
- Has a new PCM, swapped back to old one and the problem still exists
- Checked fuel pressure with and without regulator, is within specs cold or warmed up, no odd drops in pressure
- Checked all sensors with scanner to verify they read within specs
- Replaced all sensors with known good used AND new and none made any difference (o2 sensor, MAP sensor, TPS, air intake temperature, idle air control, coolant temp sensor)Plugs are brown/tan colored, none are blatantly rich
- Replaced the battery, alternator, and checked all grounds
- Checked the EGR system for correct operation
- Checked for vacuum leaks and broken wires, found none
The truck also has no catalytic converter and only has 1 pre-cat o2 sensor. I also am not getting any codes.
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My 2004 Dodge Stratus has been spiking hot on the temperature gauge recently. For the last few days it has had a strong smell of antifreeze. I haven't seen and dampness on the passenger side floor board, so I don't think it is the heating coil. Seems to have been running a little hotter than usual recently (week). Coolant levels seem to be in good shape. Doesn't look low when hot or cool. Fan seems to be running when the car is on.
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Just started getting a p0300 random misfire code on the durango a couple days ago. pretty sure it isn't moisture related since it started on a nice sunny day. it was running pretty rough so it was obvious that it was misfiring. I changed the plugs since it was about time anyway, and they needed it and I cleared the codes. new plugs (put in the oem champion copper plugs) didn't make the problem go away. The engine still ran rough and the code came back. 2 of the plugs looked like they may have been fouling a little bit. they were a fair bit blacker than the rest of the plugs. I went ahead and changed the coils on those two cylinders and reset the codes again. Still runs rough and the p0300 came back. where do I go from here? I am not getting any specific cylinder codes so it makes sense to me that it isn't one or two cylinders not getting spark. 2003 durango 4.7 ....
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Here's what is going on with my 2000 Dakota V6 3.9L V6:
After sitting for at least a couple of hours, the truck will crank but not start. After 3-5 tries, the truck does start but idles roughly at a very low RPM for 10 seconds or so and then stalls. I turn the key one more time and it starts up great and idles and drives normally. This behavior is very consistent. I have only driven it about 5 miles after it started doing this, because on that trip, the engine stalled while I was driving. Occasionally the MIL comes on and gives P0443 as the code. Question is, can the evap purge solenoid cause this behavior if it is going bad? I have inspected the vacuum lines, and they seem ok.
One more note: When this first started, I was pretty sure it was the fuel pump. Replacing that has not fixed the problem, and the fuel pump relay is good.
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Was driving home just now when my car (2003 Dodge Caravan SE) started acting strange. Stopped at a light, it started going back and forth a little, like the transmission was stopping and starting. As I drove I noticed that it kept doing that when I had the accelerator pressed slightly. When I pressed the accelerator more fully, the problem seemed to mostly (not completely) go away.
When I got home (after driving like that for about 2 miles), it seemed worse. When I stopped the car and had it idling in Park, the engine died. I was able to restart the engine, but it seemed like it was having trouble staying on (though it did for a minute or two until I turned it off).
When I got out of the car, I noticed a bad smell coming from the engine, like burning. Also noticed a loud sound, like knocking. My first thought was that I didn't have any oil. So I checked the oil and the transmission fluid. Both were fine. After about an hour I restarted the car, and it wasn't doing it anymore. Maybe because the car had cooled down?
What this might be or what else I can check?
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2008 Dodge Avenger SXT Sedan GEMA 2.4L DOHC I4 / 4 speed automatic75,000 miles Moderately well taken care of (oil change every 3,000 miles, mostly follows recommended maintenance in owner's manual)
Symptoms:
*Car runs and drives fine while the car is in constant motion and decelerating.
*Rough and Slow Idle at a stop on the brakes with car in Drive. Engine speed will drop below ~400 RPM, then "kick" up to ~1,200 RPM, settle back to 'normal' idle ~800 RPM, repeat. I have suggested she put the car in Neutral at a stop to see if that changes anything, but I don't have feedback from her yet. One instance of seeing a puff of smoke from under the hood while the car was doing the above.
*When pulling away from a stop, the car will hesitate; that is the accelerator will be pressed but the throttle response will be delayed.
*When pulling away from a stop acceleration will be inconsistent; instead of rrrrrRRRRRRRRRR, it's more like rrrrRRRRrrrrrRRRRrrrrrRRRRR
*Couple instances where the car just shut off while she was parallel parking (low engine speed).
*One instance where the car did not start on first attempt. Started fine on second attempt.
*No Check Engine Light. The codes have been run.
Shop Visits (at an independent garage recommended by her roommate who's been going there for 5+ years, good reviews on yelp, and always busy):
*First visit: told her they put in a bottle of fuel system cleaner and to use a tank of high octane gas. That didn't really work.
*Second visit: cleaned the throttle body. That was 3 days ago, so far no conclusion either way.
Other repairs:
*The battery was checked (at O'Reilly) and replaced after the starting incident mentioned above. (5 year old car, seems about right).
*2 nights ago I told her to put in a bottle of HEET to get water out of the fuel system (California uses ethanol blend) and a bottle of Gumout Fuel System Cleaner and to fill up with premium gas (based on items below). Be sure to run that tank down to almost empty.
Things I could think of:
*Crankshaft/camshaft position sensor failing.
*Alternator failing (because this problem doesn't seem to exist at higher RPM's)
Research online: It seems that a number of people have similar problems with Chrysler products with this and the previous generation 2.4L engine but no clear conclusive repair. Some of the items mentioned:
*Idle Air Control (IAC)
*Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) valve
*New sparks plugs and wires. (not replaced but should be)
*New timing belt. Timing belt is one tooth off.
*Water in the Fuel System (hence, HEET)
*Dirty/Clogged Fuel System Component (hence, fuel system cleaner)
*Failing Fuel Pump
*Dirty/Clogged Air Filter (replaced per maintenance manual)
*Low Oil Pressure/Failing Oil Pump
*Additionally, there are no recalls against her VIN.
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I have a 2000 Dakota 5.9 truck that has all of a sudden started to idle rough, loses power over 3000rpm or any kind of reasonable acceleration , with a big sucking sound from the throttle body ( no leaks), seems like it is not getting fuel. Someone mentioned it maybe the "MAP" sensor.
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I have a 2.7L flex fuel Dodge Stratus with 120K+ miles on it and a problem local mechanics and the Dodge dealership cannot seem to locate. When the engine is hot, and only when it's hot, the car will jerk suddenly while driving for a split second, then resume normal operations. It feels almost like you hit something and is scaring the bejeesus out of my wife. It also sometimes stalls out when at a light after sitting at idle for a few seconds. It idles down from 600 RPM like the air conditioning compressor is cutting on and then dies completely.
The car shows no error codes and the check engine light does not come on when this happens. I have replaced the spark plugs, and the transmission solenoid, which is what the Dodge dealer said "fixed" the car for almost $900, and it did it again on the way home from the dealership. My next idea was to change the fuel filter, or maybe the cam position sensor or timing belt or chain. I wonder if I am just trowing money down a hole at this point though, since Kelly Blue Book on this car is under 2K anyway.
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My wife has a 2002 Camry V6 SE with about 75k miles. Over the past 6 months the car has developed a problem. Every so often, say once every 2-3 weeks the car will start fine, but after driving for about 5-10 minutes, will start running rough and stall if I stop for a light. It will start again, (with a little effort) and will stall again at the next stop and so on. I can pull off the road, wait 10 minutes and the car will then run like a Swiss watch until the next episode.
I have taken the car to a respected mechanic and he sees nothing obvious wrong and there is no record in the car's computer of any problem. The last time this happened the car had been on the road for about 20 minutes before the stalling problem occurred. I kept the car going at idle by putting in neutral and increasing the throttle.
After we arrived home, the car cut out when we made it into the garage but a rotten egg-like smell was in the air in the garage. After about an hour, the car stated immediately and ran like a top. That was about a week ago and no problems since. I have read in the threads about EGRs Throttle bodies etc.
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the last couple weeks the engine has been running poorly, rough idle .... and sputters until about 4k rpm with a noticeable loss in power. No clue what it is ... it seems to spring up after I got a coolant hose leak on top of the motor.
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I have a 1998 chevy blazer about 134000 miles v6 4.3 4wd.. This last two weeks my blazer been running rough. I like to know what is normal idle for that blazer. When at idle its 500- 550 rpm when in drive its 500rpm.
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My explorer has been running a little rough, particularly at idle. When I take off from a rough idle, it'll run rough until I hit 25-30mph. I ran by O'Reilly's hoping to pick up a pack of spark plugs and be done with it, ended up leaving with a new MAF sensor. It ran better for about 10 miles (I'm a delivery driver, so I did a lot of stop and go immediately), before it ran even worse than it did before, but at least my CEL finally came on. Took it back to O'Reilly's and they read a MAF sensor code and a catalytic system code (didn't ask for the codes, and now realize that was a mistake).
So today I took it to a muffler shop to have the catalytic system diagnosed. They looked at it for 10 minutes and told me they didn't think it was the converter. They said it seemed more like the EGR valve or solenoid, or the IAC. He scanned the codes again and got multiple "running lean" codes (0171, 0174, etc). The guy said I didn't have a vacuum leak, so I think I can rule that out. Unfortunately, the truck idled fine the whole time so he didn't feel comfortable giving me a definitive answer. He told to to leave the EGR valve hose unplugged for a few days and see if anything changes. I'm thinking about running a bottle of fuel cleaner through it or taking off the IAC and/or EGR and cleaning them myself.
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