Dodge - Stratus - Radiators :: 2002 - Start Rough / CEL / Chugs When Outside Temp Is In 40s?
Mar 13, 2012
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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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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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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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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My 2002 Dodge Stratus shudders only for a few seconds when I start the car (sometimes). What this could be?
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Brought my car to a garage that someone suggested to have a new timing belt put in. After I picked it up I was having problems ((I would try and start car but it would take a few trys to get it started)I called garage told them i thought the timing belt needed to be adjusted. They told me that was not the problem but i needed some censor. Well now my car wont start at all so i brought it to another garage who tells me that the timig belt was placed wrong. My question is..Now what? lol. Do I ask for my money back seeing that they didnt fix it? Do i have the same garage just fix it?(i didnt like them in the first place so really dont want to go back. If i do ask for them for money back and they give me a hard time,what can i do? or who do i call first?
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Got a 1995 Toyota Tercel. As the temps have dropped, I have started to use the heat again.
The heat comes on, but not nearly as warm as I remember. And now the temp gauge barely nudges - but does seem to nudge - above stone cold.
I checked the coolant today while the engine was cold. The reservoir is empty but the radiator is filled to the brim.
This isn't the first time this season it has been cold. My best recollection is that, until this week, the heater and the temp gauge had both been working fine.
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I have a 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan that has 195,000 miles. My radiator fan won't turn on and I'm stumped! The issue presented itself with a check engine light and the radiator cooling fan not turning on. The trouble code indicated the cooling fan relay was faulty. In all cases below, I tested the radiator fan by turning on the air conditioning (thus forcing the cooling fans to run) and also for it to come up to a high temperature coming close to the danger zone.
1. Fuse - first tested the fuse and it was OK. Had to start with simple things first.
2. Cooling fan relay - I replaced the relay which has a reputation for failing on the Dodge. Still the fan did not kick in.
3. Cooling fans - tested the cooling fans and the motor was seized. Replaced the cooling fans and tested them by jumping them. The cooling fans still do not turn on. There is no voltage leaving the cooling fan relay and coming into the cooling fan harness.
4. Wiring - tested the wiring between the relay and the fans. They checked out OK (good continuity and resistance check). There is no voltage leaving the cooling fan relay. Now it's getting more complicated... I unplugged the wiring harness from the ECM and tested the wiring between the ECM and the cooling fan relay. A-OK.
5. ECM - it is unclear how to check the ECM for functionality of the cooling fan.
There are 3 wires (supply, ground, and switch wire?) The supply voltage and ground is good, but I don't know what voltage the switch wire should be. I've read that it is pulse width modulated so I can't measure this with a simple voltmeter. I've also read that the switch wire goes to ground thus triggering the relay. I don't know which is correct. Several mechanics I talked to were skeptical that the issue is with the ECM, they knew of very few instances of this being the culprit. I even replaced the new cooling fan relay with another new cooling fan relay on the off chance that the replacement was faulty. Did I miss something in my logic and diagnostics? I've resorted to wiring a switch directly to the cooling fans and toggling them on and off.
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we had a shop replace a thermostat in oct 10, last week our truck started running hot so we put in about 3 qt of 50/50 coolant. it returned to normal temp the next day we noticed some foam coming out of the overflow. when we opened the hood it looked like a brownish/red color and is a thick foam. When taking it back to the garage they cannot tell what it is. They have tried to flush it out and say they put in 3qt of fluid and only get out 1qt. It can be chunky at times. What it could be?
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I bought this truck about 8 months ago, and replaced the EVAC system right off. Now, it's doing this thing where, when driving uphill, it chugs and makes a loud metal clunking sound. Also, as I slow, it tries to accelerate on its own (with my foot on the brake), and if I sit for too long at a stop (idling), it dies. Starts right up again, but it sucks having to start my truck on the freeway in slow/stopped conditions. Is it my fuel pump or my transmission?
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My daughter's 2005 Dodge Stratus (2.7 I think) is giving an unusual problem on an intermittent basis. Sometimes when she cranks the car, the check engine and oil lights will stay on. She can put the car in gear and the car will move but the steering wheel will not turn. It's like it's in a locked position - it's not just being hard to turn, it won't turn at all. There's a sufficient amount of power steering fluid in the pump reservoir.
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I have a 99 Dodge Stratus w/ +191K miles. Recently the gas light would come on and the needle would drop down to "E" then go back up to where it started...regardless of how much gas is in the tank. Once the tank drops below half a tank, the light stays on and the needle goes all the way down to "E". I have no way of knowing how much gas is in the tank and I have to judge it by mileage. What's going on?? Is this an easy (inexpensive) fix??
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My boyfriend just bought a '06 Dodge Stratus with only 30,000 miles on it. We noticed a noise today when driving in the country where it is quieter. It's kind of a hum that lasts about 2-3 seconds and it occurs every 28 seconds on the dot while driving 35 mph -- about .3 miles. It seems to come from the right side in the front, but I know that can be misleading. It happens a few seconds sooner when driving faster. It doesn't happen at all when idling or revving still in the driveway. It doesn't seem to change anything when it happens (steering, braking, no vibration, hesitation -- nothing). It also doesn't make any difference if we are going up or down hills, foot on the accelerator or coasting, braking or accelerating.
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I got into a fender bender and now part of my bumper is rubbing against my tire. I want to bend it back but have been unsuccessful in doing so.
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I have a 1999 Dodge Stratus in which I am having fuel injector issues with. A few weeks ago I replaced the #4 fuel injector with a new one and now the #4 fuel injector has failed again. What can cause this to happen?
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I am having issues with my everyday driver as of late. I developed a misfire and replaced, plugs, coils, plug wires. Misfire persisted so we replaced, injectors, fuel rail. The misfire still was there and getting worse so we checked the engine mechanically for any burnt or bent valves and it checked out fine. We completed a compression test and all cylinders tested within 5 psi of each other. We finally replaced the ECU and Cam Sensor and the problem still is here. We do not know what else to do. I have narrowed down the misfire to cylinder one. The injector is not firing on this cylinder. I know this because when you unplug it there is no change in the engines behavior. As stated earlier, injectors are new, but i switched them out just to make sure it was a bad injector. I tested the lead and the voltage was appriopiate.
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A few months back on a really hot day my horn randomly started honking while driving. I pulled the fuse as a quick fix and brought it into a body shop. They initially thought it was something to do with the airbag part and ordered one, but ended up making new bushings instead. The center of the steering wheel was a bit off-center and the left side was pretty sensitive but it worked for a couple weeks. When it started happening again I used a couple pieces of gorilla tape to dampen the vibration and that worked for about a month and a half but last week it started happening again. Now it's only during right turns and when it gets bumped just so. Applying light pressure to the left side of the steering wheel seems to work but sure makes my commute a pain. My first instinct is to take the air bag module out and reattach it but I'm worried about messing with the airbag.
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My daughter has a dodge stratus 2001 with about 150,000 miles she has had it for about 2 years. She has had it over heat a couple of times and has had it repaired simply fixing a radiator hose. It overheated again and it was almost empty of antifreeze. She has been filling up and checking the radiator level and fills it as needed, which could be daily or now only weekly. She took it to a mechanic who thought it was a blown valve-cover gasket and basically said the car repair would be more than the car is worth. I have a feeling the car did not get really checked out. She didn't really know this guy and took it there because it was close to her. She is still driving it, but only short distances and always stops before it over heats. She really cannot afford another car for a least another year.
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I have a 2006 Dodge Stratus and recently lost my transponder key for my ignition. I do have a spare key cut but it doesn't have a chip in it, I can only use it to unlock the doors and open the trunk.
What I want to know... is there:
➣ A way to disable/bypass the theft prevention system so I can use the non-chipped key in my ignition?
➣ a way I can modify my key to trick the theft prevention system into thinking it is a real key?
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I have a 1999 Dodge Stratus Base with a 2.4L and an automatic transmission. The differential in this transmission has been howling for a while now and I had a mechanic look at it. He told me that there are a few teeth missing from one of the ring gears. I have a transmission from a 1997 Stratus in my shed that has a good differential in it. I know that the two transmissions themselves are not interchangeable but I have been wondering if the differential hard parts are interchangeable?
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I have a '99 Dodge Stratus V6 with 125,000 miles. When I turn on the car, I can hear a hum when idling. When I start driving, I cannot hear the hum anymore (but maybe it's drowned out by other noises the car makes, or just the engine). It gets higher pitched as it slows down to idle, and a bit lower pitched if I step on the gas lightly. It has been slowly getting louder over the last few months. What could this be due to?
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