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Dodge Stratus

489 messages,  Last post on Oct 02, 2012 at 3:25 PM

You are in the Dodge Stratus Forum.

What is this discussion about? Dodge Stratus, Sedan

Messages Page 49 of 49

#480 of 489 Ran my 2005 dodge stratus sedan out of oil by oobbs

Sep 22, 2011 (5:24 pm)

I unknowingly ran my car out of oil this week. The oil light had come on twice before, but only for a second when going around a tight curve or sitting at a steep angle. As it only flashed for a split second i thought i still had a little time to grab oil (which is what i was going to do when the engine light started flashing), but apparently not.
 
When i was a few blocks away from home the engine light started flashing and my car began chugging and making some noise.
 
When i got home i borrowed a roommates car and purchased oil. Unfortunately when i was filling it the bottle slipped and i poured the entire gallon in, so it is now overfilled.
 
I have driven it a few times this week since then (it's finals week at school and i had no other choice but to go or fail) but it still chugs while idling or stopped at a light etc. But while driving above 15-20 mph it runs fine, just as it did before. I took it on the freeway today and it did 60 just fine. The exhaust wreaks of oil and is quite noticeable.
 
The car is a 2005 dodge stratus sedan (special model, can't remember the letters) with around 130,000 miles on it. I bought the car with around 20,000 miles on it and have taken decent care of it until now with no problems.
 
 The only issue it's ever had is the check engine light has been on since it was purchased. So now when i start the car the engine light is on and after a few seconds, or when i begin to drive it flashes. I don't think this is pertinent to the problem but figured id mention it.
 
The other thing i have noticed is it consumed gas much more quickly than before.
 
I have read a lot of posts on various sites (including this thread) about similar issues but i couldn't find consistent information, especially dealing with running it out and overfilling. I am taking it as a good sign that it still works, but want to know if it's just a matter of time before my engine kicks it? or if the current problems are due to overfilling?
 
I will hopefully be draining the oil and refilling it properly tomorrow, but am looking for more information. Please, any insight you might have would be very helpful.

#481 of 489 Re: jerking at 30 mph [jcella] by lexi1982

Oct 16, 2011 (4:52 am)

Replying to: jcella (Aug 15, 2009 11:31 am)
Sounds like you will need a transmission rebuild. I had to have mine done as well. I was having the same issues with the jerking. Its your transmission slipping. Have it checked.

#482 of 489 97 Dodge Stratus Missing by tweetybird1

Nov 16, 2011 (1:47 am)

I just got a 97 Dodge Stratus couple months ago and it's been giving me problems every sense it's missing really bad but when it rain it is worse. I put cap and rotor on it but did not help it is leaking oil around the gasket not sure if it need spark plugs or not. Can anyone PLEASE help me.

#483 of 489 DODGE STRATUS STEREO WIRING PROBLEM by jglavin94

Apr 12, 2012 (11:36 am)

I wired my stereo in my 00 stratus and everything seems to be wired correctly and connected properly, but when I turn on my windshield wipers or use my blinkers it sounds like the radio is shorting out. It only does this when the car is fully running, not when the car is on accessory, is this a wiring problem, or a fuse problem? Thanks.

#484 of 489 2004 Dodge Stratus dies at stop signs by bernsax

Apr 24, 2012 (7:48 pm)

2004 Dodge Stratus, 2.7 engine, 120,000 miles. This vehicle has recently started dying occasionally at stoplights. However, it always starts back up immediately. Some days it runs just fine. Other days it may quit 4 or 5 times. No codes. The spark plugs were changed at 100,000 miles. It was dying before the plugs were changed and then the problem ceased until just lately. I have put injector cleaner in the gas tank the past 3 times when filling up. Without a code, I don't know what else to do.
 
Also, how far should the temperature gauge rise? Recently, a local mechanic changed the thermostat. However, now the temp gauge only rises to the first mark and stays there. Never goes any higher and then drop back down when the thermostat opens. Is this normal? I thought there might be air in the system or the thermostat was faulty. He put another thermostat in it last week and with the same result. It's a 185 degree thermostat but a computer says the coolant is 180 degrees when fully warmed up.
 
Any help would be appreciated.
 
I'm not sure if a false temp. reading could cause the dying problem.

#485 of 489 2005 Dodge Stratus SXT by plara

Jul 20, 2012 (8:05 pm)

Can someone please help this single mother that REALLY needs this car to work!!! Well my car is a 2005 Dodge Stratus SXT 2.4 liter 4 cyl 2 wheel drive. This car started messing up when the engine light turned on, the car starts fine but when you shift it will only go up to 30 mph and the RPM would be like in the 3 and the car feels like it's super heavy. Car will drive only on the first gear up to 30 and the second shift wouldn't kick in. The two mechanics that I took it to apparently claim to have changed a sensor and one even asked me to buy the computer which I did already so car has new computer. I did tell them both that I smelled burnt wire before it started messing up. yet they don't seem to find out what is actually wrong. Can someone please explain... Super URGENT!!

#486 of 489 Re: 2005 Dodge Stratus SXT [plara] by bremerdc

Jul 20, 2012 (8:41 pm)

Replying to: plara (Jul 20, 2012 8:05 pm)
It sounds to me like your transmission has failed. I have a 2003 Dodge Stratus SXT and I had to replace the transmission at 180,000 miles. Apparently these cars are notorious for their transmission issues. If you have a "Certified Transmissions" in your area, take it to them. They'll check it out for free. If you need a new one, it will be about $2,300, but you'll get a 50,000 mile warranty.

#487 of 489 Re: 2004 Dodge Stratus dies at stop signs [bernsax] by cbrad01

Jul 29, 2012 (9:36 pm)

Replying to: bernsax (Apr 24, 2012 7:48 pm)
My 2004 Stratus was doing the same thing. I would slow down or turn and the brake light in the dash would come on. It would stall and just quit running, sometimes I would not even be able to start it, come back a few minutes later and it would start up and run for a week with no issues. I also noticed the fans were not coming on when they should with the air conditioning and thermostat, this was causing the car to run hot and I would have to watch it closely... The problem was the positive battery cables going from the battery to the relay box and battery to the starter were bad. You can test this by reading the voltage from the jump start posts with a volt meter, you will see the voltage fluctuate from 7 - 14 volts. This is causing the relays to bounce and the pcm to malfunction... Problem was fixed with $20 dollars worth of cables and a side post terminal that holds two cables, it's not an easy fix if you do it yourself, but you will save a few hundred dollars by spending the time... Hope this helps, everyone always lists the problems, but they never update the solutions! Also, when the problem happens, pop the hood and touch the positive jump start post or the cable attached to it, if it's hot to the touch, this is the problem, should never be HOT!

#488 of 489 QUICK FIX FOR SINGLE MOM by tjbullcity

Sep 28, 2012 (5:06 am)

Your trans. has not fail. I had the exact same problem. U need to change the ECM. Its a computer that sits right in front of the positive post cable ..its grey on the back and have 4 square plugs running out the front of it...If u CHANGE that..your trans will work like NEW again....

#489 of 489 Re: 2001 Dodge Stratus SE Squeaking [amoment] by awesome777

Oct 02, 2012 (3:25 pm)

Replying to: amoment (Nov 23, 2007 4:20 pm)
We had the same issue with squeaking I believe. I did some self diagnosis and determined that it was a ball joint ruuber boot had a rip in it and the ball joint was drying out. We also had it diminish when it rained but came right back. I just shot some WD-40 into the boot and the join and I know that is a temporary fix, but hasn't squeaked since then.
I realize this is a long overdue answer, but if anyone out there still has this issue, hope this post helps!

Messages Page 49 of 49

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