 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Car Forum / Chrysler Cars / March 200898 dodge stratus problem still !!!!!!!!
This has been an ongoing problem with my 98 dodge stratus for five months. This experience with this car proves to me why I never want to take my car to a mechanic unless it's absolutely necessary. Five weeks and two mechanics later, who were both highly recommended, my car still isn't right. This car has a brand new distributor, timing belt, water pump, EGR valve, PCV valve, fuel pump, fuel filter, spark plugs, plug wires, cap and rotor, oil and filter, coolant temp sensor and battery. The original problem started with what I was told was a bad fuel pump. Then after that was changed, it turned into a hard-starting, no power issue. The first mechanic told me he checked the catalytic converter, which he never did. He also said he did vacuum tests and changed the intake plenum gaskets, which he never did. And after two weeks in his shop, he told me it was either my computer, distributor, or timing belt. Now on to the next mechanic. He had the car for three weeks. He said he did a leak-down cylinder test, compression test, checked the timing, put in an oxygen censor, and catalytic converter. $800 later, the car still runs terrible at first start-up ,and now the engine is noisier than I remember it to be. The catalytic converter made a difference, there's power getting to the car. When my daughter and I picked up the car, I noticed the engine was warm, so of course, it started fine and ran good all the way home. So they must have run the car just before I got there so I could get it out of their garage, and out of their hair . Today when we tried to start it in our thirty degree temperatures, it will hardly idle, and I have to keep my foot on the gas to keep it running. Once the car warmed up, it seemed to run better and then we could shut it off and it started right up and idled fine. Do any of you knowledgeable people out there have any ideas where I can go look now? Perhaps the map sensor? IAC motor? Throttle position sensor, EGR valve? All of these, from what I've read and researched, could possibly be part of my problem. I know these can all be tested with a volt meter, which I know how to use. I will probably perform these tests over the weekend. All of these tests were supposed to have been done by both of these mechanics. There are NO codes coming up at all and forgive me if I'm coming off a bit harsh and bitter, but after this much time and money(around $1500), my daughter's car still isn't right. Thanks for any info or advice. p.s. I know there are good, honest mechanics out there. I just haven't found one yet. > This has been an ongoing problem with my 98 dodge stratus for five months. > This experience with this car proves to me why I never want to take my car [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > p.s. I know there are good, honest mechanics out there. I just haven't found > one yet. Here's something to consider and try: It may be that an injector is leaking down when it sits. That would explain the hard starting and rough idle initially, then starts and runs fine, and starts fine when off for only short time (leaky injector would empty out fuel rail over a long sitting time, requiring fuel pump to refill and pressurize the rail at next startup). On some forums I have been on, if that is the problem, running a good injector cleaner thru a couple of tanks of fuel very often is reported to fix the problem. Techron™ or Sea Foam™ - both available at the auto parts store - both are known to work well if that is the problem. I hope something works for you. Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x') thanks , its' worth a try . >> This has been an ongoing problem with my 98 dodge stratus for five >> months. This experience with this car proves to me why I never want to [quoted text clipped - 55 lines] > (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address > with the letter 'x') > thanks , its' worth a try . > >> This has been an ongoing problem with my 98 dodge stratus for five [quoted text clipped - 49 lines] > > injector cleaner thru a couple of tanks of fuel very often is reported to > > fix the problem. TechronT or Sea FoamT - both available at the auto parts > > store - both are known to work well if that is the problem. > > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address > > with the letter 'x') Am I getting you mixed up with someone else or was it this vehicle that you last posted that an ignition switch fixed your problem? Sounds to me like a temp related "choke" problem. Was the coolant temperature sensor value checked? Does ambient temp match what coolant temp reads on a car start? If ambient temp is really cold and coolant temp reads 200 degrees it will run very lean and run like crap.Just because someone throws a new switch at it does not mean it fixed the problem. Check sensor values when cold. If MAP, TPS, COOLANT are good then look for fuel problems Glenn you are correct in that the ignition switch fixed the no start condition but then i had the no power issue still. so the car was never really fixed earlier. >> thanks , its' worth a try . >> >> This has been an ongoing problem with my 98 dodge stratus for five [quoted text clipped - 86 lines] > > Glenn i hear what sounds like a vacuum leak behind the heater controls. anybody know what this could be? > you are correct in that the ignition switch fixed the no start condition > but then i had the no power issue still. so the car was never really fixed [quoted text clipped - 102 lines] >> >> Glenn To test if it's a leaky injector (as suggested below), when you start up the car, turn on the ignition but don't hit the starter right away -- give it a few seconds for the fuel pump to pressurize the system (including the part that leaked out). If this pause in the startup sequence cures the hard starting, it tells you that the leaky injector suggestion is on target. >> This has been an ongoing problem with my 98 dodge stratus for five >> months. This experience with this car proves to me why I never want to [quoted text clipped - 55 lines] > (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address > with the letter 'x') since there is no codes you might have the freeze frame data looked at it may show a pending code and what is the adapitve pids doing? i have replaced brand new fuel pumps that failed in minutes and also in a couple weeks after timing belt and dist . replacement was timing checked if you question the map sensor unplug then try starting it under the conditions and see if there is any improvements or it was worse. > This has been an ongoing problem with my 98 dodge stratus for five months. > This experience with this car proves to me why I never want to take my car [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > p.s. I know there are good, honest mechanics out there. I just haven't found > one yet. my daughter has been driving it and it doesn't run too bad other than having the cold startup issue now. > since there is no codes you might have the freeze frame data looked at it > may [quoted text clipped - 71 lines] >> found >> one yet. i just wanted to thank everyone for taking the time to respond to my post. i will have time to look at this car this weekend. > my daughter has been driving it and it doesn't run too bad other than > having the cold startup issue now. [quoted text clipped - 77 lines] >>> found >>> one yet. |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.