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Dodge Stratus

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Comments

  • rdonovanrdonovan Member Posts: 5
    Hello Natan6. I have a 2000 Dodge Stratus. I was able to take out the box and filter assembly on my 2.4. It was simple really. With that done, I went to O'Riely's and bought a chrome cone filter for $24.95. The connection on the cone is rubber about 3inches in diameter. The connection to the airflow system is a 4 inch oval. Well, when you squeeze on the sides of the oval it becomes a 3 inch connection that will allow the cone filers rubber boot to slip nicely into it. Once done, just tighten the screw on the airflow systems connection to get it a little snug. The hood closes well too. The chrome cone filter has not shifted or moved since I installed it 3 months ago.
  • rdonovanrdonovan Member Posts: 5
    Hmm, gas mileage? What is your engine size? I have a 2.4 liter engine. The tank holds about 14 gallons. Work takes me 54 miles round trip daily. I put about 280 -300 miles a week. At about $2.30 a gallon with the tank topped off, I guess I get 21.4 miles to the gallon. at $32 dollars a tankful. This engine is a solid performing engine. If you want better gas mileage, try a Neon with the 2.0. My wife has one of those. Her mileage is better.
  • rdonovanrdonovan Member Posts: 5
    What is your definition of a bad sound? If you floor it, the engine will make a hell of a lot of ruckus. All Chrysler engines do that. That sweet sound of the engine attempting hyperspace is great. If you get a screeching sound, check the belt.....
  • rdonovanrdonovan Member Posts: 5
    Check your tires for balls. This is when the steel belts start to let go from the rubber. It could be caused be hitting a pothole, curb, etc. Try changing the front tires to the rear and vise versa. If the problem continues, It could be a wheel balancing problem or a wheel allignment problem.
  • 96strat96strat Member Posts: 2
    i'm new to this site and i have a 96' stratus and when i read what was going on with your car i was excited, i thought i was the only person this was happening to. mine has just recently started doing it and we took it to a auto shop and they cleaned out the vacuum hose and they said if it continues to do it then bring it back for no charge well on my way home last night it went dead and it took a couple of tries but it finally did start back. i hope though it can be fixed because this is getting really old.
  • 96strat96strat Member Posts: 2
    i had that same problem but dodge had a recall last year sometime and that's what was wrong with mine, i have a 96' so i'm not sure if it's the same thing, just thought i would share.
  • capriracercapriracer Member Posts: 907
    If there are "balls" inside a tire, it means there was some foreign material (not air) rolling around, and it has nothing to do with the steel belts.
  • jesashjesash Member Posts: 1
    I have also had the stalling and hesitation at stop lights/signs and also the oposite where it will all of a sudden rev up and buck forward when moving from the brake to the gas petal... scared me :-| anyway dealership has given me run around for 2 years now... any ideas?? Also for whatever reason I only notice most of this on my way home from work in the evening... HELP please...
  • jcwelsh83jcwelsh83 Member Posts: 3
    Whenever it's fairly cold outside and I drive over a little divet in the road, or make a sharp turn, I hear a loud crunching sound coming from the back end. It'll happen whenever the back end is compressed in some way. The dealership has replaced the swaybar bushings, both control arms (with the bushings), and both strut tower mounting plates, and they said that when they unhooked the shocks it still made the noise. Any ideas on what it could be? I'm desperate since the dealership has pretty much given up on me.
  • 2001sratusrt2001sratusrt Member Posts: 1
    I'm new to this forum so any info would be appreciated....
    I recently Bought a 2001 Stratus Rt with all the bells and whistles. But the service engine light keeps coming on. I'm Going in for a tune up and oil change(The sparks look like they've never been changed, but the car still runs great, just a slight ticking noise sometimes). Would the sparks cause the light to some on? And If it were a misfire wouldn't I hear or feel it? It has 64k on it and I bought it for blue book any comments.....???
  • courtrightcourtright Member Posts: 4
    have you had your rocker arms tighten up sounds like your vavle have problem
  • courtrightcourtright Member Posts: 4
    have you had your (EGR) SYSTEM CHECK
  • courtrightcourtright Member Posts: 4
    DO YOU SMELL GAS BECAUSE THAT COULD YOUR SPARK PLUGS
  • courtrightcourtright Member Posts: 4
    my breeze rev's high and trans jumps what could cause that
  • jasonmwcjasonmwc Member Posts: 6
    I have a 96 with similar problems. The car would just stall while driving or taking off from a stop. I took to the dealer and they said that it was a "dirty engine" They cleaned and flushed the injectors and other fuel areas. It ran fine for a while then it wouldn't start at all (might have been a different problem). I took to a local garage and they replaced the crankshaft position sensor and all is good now. I also have had a bad head gasket at 45,000?? and I complained to dodge and they replaced for free (and a free timing belt and water pump!!!!).
  • joyrider147joyrider147 Member Posts: 69
    1. Is it me or does Dodge seem to love making automatic transmissions that are slow on shifting? What is that "errr...." noise that is being made during gear changes? My transmission seems to shift rough when engaging into "Drive," "Park," or bang out of gear when in "Neutral."

    I drive mostly city driving, but I drive only 2,000 miles a year at slow speeds, with some highway driving at 65 mph a few times a month. When approaching an intersection, I slow down, causing the car to downshift one gear, then slowly take my foot off the brake and gently ease on the gas as opposed to coming to a complete stop since there is no traffic and stop and go will damage the transmission even worse. Can anyone tell me what that is and what to do about it?

    2. My valves have been tapping somewhat noisy and not only am I looking for a proper way to quiet them, but I'm looking to prevent any further damage from happening to them so I need a proper lubrication viscocity combination for winter driving and summer driving.

    If I use 4 quarts of 10W-30 in the summer, the engine still overheats, telling me I need slightly thicker oil to remove the excess heat. Recently, I put in 3 quarts of 10W-30 and 1 quart 10W-40. It said on the bottle that 10W-40 is good for stop and go driving and driving from cold starting, although I let the engine warm up before driving.

    I've noticed small amounts of white smoke out of the exhaust, slight overheating and louder valve tapping until the 10W-40 goes into the cylinder head. If I don't drive the car at high speeds, it seems like the 10W-40 does circulate through the engine as it should.

    Should I use less 10W-40, like only 1/4 a quart and the rest 10W-30 or should I use 10W-30 and a certain amount of oil treatment or special oil lubricant? Is the 10W-40 damaging the engine if the oil is being burned in the cylinders? Does it reduce the horsepower or engine life by using 10W-40? Thank you for your response.
  • sad04stratussad04stratus Member Posts: 6
    I have a 2004 Dodge Stratus SXT coupe, it has 28,000 miles on it. In January, I noticed that when I would go to warm up my car in the mornings, it was really hesitant to start. Then shortly after that I noticed that whenever I am idling, it is very rough. I drove it for a while, thinking it would go away. My engine light came on and we took it to Advance Auto and got the computer, plugged it in, and the code reading was 'misfire cylinder 1', so we took it to the dealer, (the original dealer I bought it from closed...hmmm), they had the car up there for a whole day, changed the spark plug which they thought was causing the problem. I picked up my car, light was still on and it still idled very rough. Took the car back, SIX DAYS AT THE DEALER later, they cleaned out the fuel injectors which they said were clogged. They told me to get gas somewhere other than BP, and my whole family gets gas there, no one has had the problem but me. That was mid january they cleaned it out. I began getting gas at somewhere completely different, and the problem is back again. Its soo rough when I'm idling. Its not so much doing it when I am in park, but as soon as i put it in reverse it starts and then into Drive. The dealer said I need to replace my fuel injectors, over $1000 worth of work. I dont have the money for this and not only that, I dont think thats the problem. Has anyone else had this problem? Can someone offer me some insight? I love my car, and I was happy with it up until January. I just hope that this isnt the type of car I have to keep putting money into. Please help! :cry:
  • weaver14weaver14 Member Posts: 1
    My 2004 Dodge Stratus does the EXACT SAME THING. But my engine light doesn't come on, and it goes away after driving for 10 minutes or so. When i first start it up, it will have RPMs in the 1500-2000 range (i think thats high) and when it goes into reverse it drops to about 800-900 and its rough. There is a lot of vibration in the steering wheel. If I am stuck at a light shortly after startup and in drive it will do the same thing, i find myself putting it in neutral from time to time so it doesn't vibrate but then the RPMS are anwhere from 1500-2000 again, while ideling! I havent gone in to get it checked out, but when i take it in to have them check the rear cambrs and rear control arms (per a goodyear service shop after i took it in for an alignment). You might want to get that checked out to!
  • sad04stratussad04stratus Member Posts: 6
    Thanks for the reply! Sounds like we have the same thing going on here. (by the way, my last name is Weaver!LOL)I will keep in mind what you had mentioned...
    My stratus is actually at the shop today again to see what the problem is (again). One problem I had was a bad sway bar that needs replaced, the other problem is the eratic idling (again). I'm just waiting to hear from the dealer to see what they say the problem is....
  • firmbelieverfirmbeliever Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2000 Dodge Stratus - for the past week - I have noticed when i come to a stop that smoke is coming from under the hood - i had my son check it out and at first he thought maybe the head gasget - but now i was told my a friend that maybe the power steering or there is some sort of oil plug (???) in the back near the head gasket that may be causing it. I havent lost any coolant - but still getting smoke. Anyone know what this may be or has anyone experienced the same???? Thanks
  • abigred3abigred3 Member Posts: 2
    I also have a 2000 Dodge Stratus that seems to be doing the same exact thing...I was wondering if you found out anything new on it or has the problem stopped????
    Thanks!
  • jenniferdjenniferd Member Posts: 1
    Found a 2000 Stratus SE with 103K for $2300 to get for my daughter - a brand new driver. The mechanic down the street tells me that with that kind of mileage I am just asking for trouble. What do you think?
  • redmanx3redmanx3 Member Posts: 1
    it is a 99 stratus, It will not shift out of second gear and the speedometer does not work. just started to day any one know what it could be
  • firmbelieverfirmbeliever Member Posts: 2
    I just had a recall on the PS line - it was replaced and my husband talked with a mechanic about some return line may be causing the problem - so he (my husband) did something with it - and the smoking stopped! Whether that was the problem - who knows - but at least for now - the car isnt smoking. Not only did I have that problem - the back brakes and rotors went out. My car has about 104K miles on it - I'm trying to hold out another year before replacing my car. Good luck with yours!!!!
  • sigmamansigmaman Member Posts: 7
    Hello I have a 2004 dodge stratus with 36K miles. Since the day I got the car I have heard a popping sound near the engine when accelerating from zero. It is only a single popping sound and it get very annoying. Anybody know whats going on???

    And yes my stratus also has rough idles at red lights and will surge at times when in a drive thru after I apply the break when after accelerating. And oh yes.... that damn creaking sound from the front when turning. Dodge just needs to issue recalls on all of these problems because it seems that everybody is experiencing the same problems. Anybody agree???
  • sad04stratussad04stratus Member Posts: 6
    I totally agree about the recalls...
    I've had my 2004 Stratus SXT in the shop 10 FULL DAYS just this year. Once it hit 2 years old, it all went to hell. I keep taking it to the dealer for the rough idle and they keep telling me they don't feel it... well it shakes so bad I feel like its going to explode... and they can't feel that???? To them thats normal???? Funny how it never did that before. I am so angry with my car. I love it, it looks sharp, very comfortable (beside my broken seat back that clicks everytime I stop and go which the dealer said is not broken)but I dont know what to do with it. I am worried that when the warranty runs out in November that I'm going to be stuck with a lot of problems and repair bills that I really cant afford. I wish they would recall the rough idle problem because alot of us have that problem...
  • abigred3abigred3 Member Posts: 2
    I was just wondering how ur husband changed the PS line....did he do it himself or did he take it to the garage...what kind of work was involved???
    Thanks!!!
  • twilighttwilight Member Posts: 2
    I drive a 1996 Dodge Stratus... I love my car, I've had a couple problems in the last few years like getting my timing belt replaced. My tire rods replaced after breaking in half and bent the other one. Had to get it towed.

    This time... I'm hearing loud noises and feeling vibrations when I place my hand on the gear shift (it's automatic) that is between seats. I thought it would be road noise but I do not recall having something like this loud. It's so loud that I had to turn the music up high to hear.

    The loudness starts when I hit 45 kms (I'm in Canada, we use kms instead of mph) It's not my muffler, as I just had the thing replaced few months ago... it's not even the pipe that is attached to the muffler. Any ideas what could be causing the noise?? :confuse:
  • ykyrreykyrre Member Posts: 1
    I had same thing on my o4 stratus. After they replaced ignit cable (plug wires), it has been fine. :)
  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    Bad ignition wires are common on the Stratus, even fail while still under warranty.
  • khardykhardy Member Posts: 1
    My car would turn over but would not start. We had the battery and alternator checked and they were fine. It sat for two days and then started up and drove fine. Then it would not start again. I was advised to change the fuel filter and did. It ran normally for five straight days. Then when driving, it died on me. It would not start and had to be towed. Then after getting it back home, it started again. Any ideas what the problem is? I appreciate any help!
  • kgbean00kgbean00 Member Posts: 6
    i hope you've gotten a new car by now! and i also hope they gave you your $60 back. a few years ago, one of my gaskets in my saturn cracked, causing the oil and antifreeze to mix. i took it in and paid about $2000 to have it fixed...a few days later i get my car back and everytime i come to a stop my oil light came on. well then i took it back and they said that meant it was about to die. another $2000 later (that was my parents decision and money...i wanted to just get another car), i had a "new" engine. well that didn't work either. the car still ran for another year but i had to force it to do that. if you still have the car, hopefully you've had better luck with it. if not, i suggest you look for another!
  • dxadxa Member Posts: 1
    I also faced the same problem today. Yesterday I got Front rotor and break disk changed and today I saw smoke is coming out under the hood. Dashboard meters are not showing any overheating but when I opened the hood, I saw lot of smoke coming out from the engine. I have not lost so many coolant as well my engine oil, transmission oil also looks OK. Does any one have any Idea???
  • azornoazorno Member Posts: 1
    Hello All,

    Anyone had any problems with their Stratus's oil light flashing on when you are stopped/idling? Mine has been doing this for a month now. It will flash erratically, then eventually stay on and flash off again. The car isn't making any noises or doesn't feel any different. It will go away if I put it in neutral and rev up the engine. Only does it when it's idling under 1000 RPM's.

    It doesn't do it all the time either, so I haven't brought it in to the dealer yet, why pay the money for them not to see the problem.

    Any help?
  • coolcarl2005coolcarl2005 Member Posts: 2
    The oil light started flashing then steady. Some times it goes out when the engine rpms increase. I flushed the engine with engine flush and replace the oil and filter. One of the cooling fans is out and on order but I don't think that is the problem. It was out for about a month or 2 prior to this and the car was fine. The day after I replaced the oil the car was overheating after taking it around the block. So I replaced the thermostat and bad radiator cap. The car doesn't overheat but the gauge show above the halfway mark. Down here the weather temperature is in the 90's during the day. The car has 67,000 miles on it. I still owe 9k. Before all this happened I had been noticing a ticking sound when idling like a bad lifter or something. Should I try changing the oil sending unit. I heard someone had the same problem and change it but the light still came on. Should I take it to get a diagnostic check. Need an expert
  • coolcarl2005coolcarl2005 Member Posts: 2
    I have the same problem with my Status 01. Has anyone came up with a solution?
  • sigmamansigmaman Member Posts: 7
    I own a 2004 Dodge Stratus SE V6. My vehicle has had bad idling and the engine would cut off and oil light would come on in heavy traffic. If anybody has this problem, the power train control module probably needs to be updated. This Technical Service Bulletin just got released sometime within the last month. I know I am not the only one that has had this problem. It is common in both the status and sebring. I got it done for only 60 bucks and my car drives much better. Just thought that I should be the bearer of good news.
  • joyrider147joyrider147 Member Posts: 69
    While my car is stopped at an intersection with the gear shift in drive, the engine seems to have a vacuum problem, although I had just had that problem fixed only a few months and a couple hundred miles ago. The engine rpms go up to 1,000, then down to 800 (normal rpms,) then up to 900 and the engine sounds rough.
    Also, when starting my car, it seems that the engine wants to blow itself clean off the chassis and fly right through the hood it shakes so bad. Did Dodge install crappy engine mounts in these cars or what? Is this the engine telling me that it'll run better if the timing belt is replaced?
    Furthermore, it seems that the engine has a slight overheating problem on occasion. I use 3 or 4 quarts 10W-30 and 1 quart 10W-40 for additional lubrication to the crankshaft, valves, journals, etc. My PCV Valve is whistling its little heart out. Is the engine telling me to use only the proper 10W-30 or that the 10W-40 is coking the engine even though its not that thick and has not been used a lot.

    Another problem I have is with my brakes. Not only does it seems several of my brake calipers continously not want to release themselves when I get off the brakes, but this is happening, again, just after I had them damn things cleaned and fixed.
    Also, I do not have a properly usable emergency brake. Provided, I screwed up and left the e-brake handle up when I just started to pull out of the gas station, but it shouldn't have messed up my e-brakes. Hell, the E-brakes in my old Cadillac held up better than that.

    How should this stuff be permanently fixed? Install new calipers, rotors, brake linings, vacuum lines, vacuum pump, timing belt, etc., etc.? Should I run this car into the ground? Even though this car isn't too bad, should I solve everything with a 5 gallon gas can?

    I'm telling ya, Ford, now Dodge is practically keep giving me more and more reasons to continuously purchase imports like Mazda, Toyota, Mitsubishi, and BMWs. And Dodge is telling the public the good old, dependable cars of the 1970s are coming back. Yeah, right...
    Spending $40,000 on a new Dodge Challenger that just shows off that the driver is a muscle-bound yahoo with a gigantic engine but extremely small penis, give off lots of maintenance problems, and severely depreciate several years down the line... Or buy a new $67,000 imola red BMW M3.... I'll take the BMW. At least it shows that you are a car affectionado (not a yahoo), get everything in a car that you want, can go 160 MPH, and get laid with a car like that.
  • goodrichsoundgoodrichsound Member Posts: 1
    HI,
    I have a problem starting my car after it sits overnite. It seems to crank a long time before firing up. It will not start with the remote starter, untill the 2nd time...then it is fine. After it is started it fires right up like normal. Any Ideas??
  • joyrider147joyrider147 Member Posts: 69
    The problem doesn't seem to be the remote starter since it is attempting to start the vehicle, but what you have to go through with the remote may be the same what you have to go through with trying to manually start the car, right? Your car is automatic transmission and you are trying to start the vehicle in PARK or NEUTRAL, right? Because if you're trying to start the car in any forward gear selection or REVERSE, your neutral safety switch is shot and needs replacement to say the least. Overall, I would not recommend using the remote starter to start the vehicle anymore as this will damage it until the problem is fixed. Also, try starting it in NEUTRAL and see if it is easier to start. Although your clutch may "clunk" sometimes because you took the load off of the clutch assembly to shift into neutral before starting, hey it may slow down damage to the engine.
    To begin, check your spark plugs and spark plug wires. Are they damaged, oil fouled, too far a spark gap, too close a spark gap, wrong size, is there pitting, eroded spark plugs, are the probes burnt or carbon coated. Because this can reduce proper igntion, increase fuel consumption, and decreased engine efficency and power. Are these plugs designated for summer or winter use? "Hot plugs" are used in the winter and "cold plugs" are used in the summer. "Hot plugs" get hot during igntion and shouldn't be used in the summer because it can lead to overheating if driving an extended period of time. Short distances don't really need to worry. "Cold plugs" run cold during summer to prevent overheating, but can't be used during winter because the engine won't start because its too cold for igntion. Also, stay within 1 or 2 grades of the current plugs in your car or engine damage will occur. If it is a "3" cold plug, change it to a "2" cold plug or in the winter go to a "0" plug or "1" Hot plug.
    Next, is the fan belt or timing belt somewhat loose or has the insides of the belt chewed up? Even though it has a tensioner, the engine's timing and valves can get really screwed up all because of a stupid timing belt that doesn't last worth a damn. I don't know why they don't just stick to timing chains instead, unless they want you to destroy the engine and make you spend even more cash on parts.
    Third, how powerful is the starter motor? If it is getting weaker than what it should usually run, maybe it needed momentum to crank the engine, and once there is gas in the cylinders, maybe all the engine has to do is rely on the igntion system to fire the engine up and it'll kick right over. Unfortunately, this problem may start flooding the cylinders and overpower the engine, leading to more damage.
    Fourth, how powerful is your fuel pump and is there any restrictions in your fuel delivery/ fuel return system? does the fuel system leave air in the lines and this leaves you to "bleed" the lines everytime by throttling up before starting the car? Because, later on, this can lead to even more problems with your fuel system and may eventually end up making the vehicle fail emissions inspections since it is either using too much gas or burning too much fuel to allow the car to run, or not properly burning the fuel at all.
    Continuing on the fuel problems, is there a leak in your fuel lines? Does the car deliver hesistation problems, stalling, bucking, that sort of thing? Is the fuel pump regulator operating properly? Smell the area around the muffler after vehicle startup. If the regulator is broken, the muffler will spew a bad odor of gas out the back. If it fails, it has problems starting up all by itself and will need a gentle tap on the gas to start up. Unfortunately, the car will run rich because the fuel pressure regulator can't reduce the fuel flow the powerful fuel pump is delivering and just makes more unburned fuel go out the exhaust pipe.
    BMWs have the same problem since they have Bosch continuous flow digital fuel injection. Dodge doesn't have continuous flow, but rather, standard digital fuel injection which relies on fuel injector pulses. This system is not as efficient as in a BMW, but lasts just long enough for average American mileage.
    Also, how long are you leaving the car to sit before starting it or driving it? If you are driving it, how many miles are you putting on it a year and how many owners and drivers before you had this car and were they abusing it? Are you allowing this car to warm up before driving it? What kind of engine oil are you putting in it? Are you using only 10W-30 for normal driving or are you putting mostly 10W-30 and a little 10W-40 for low mileage driving or stop and go driving?
  • sad04stratussad04stratus Member Posts: 6
    YET ANOTHER PROBLEM... my car has been idling rough since my fuel injectors were cleaned, but the dealer said they couldnt feel that rough idle (all in my head I guess)... so had the injectors cleaned out (this was a couple months ago).... going to work on Friday, I pull out and my check engine light comes on, and I'm like well what for now? and then my car starts jerking severely, can't go above 30mph, SMOKE coming out the exhaust, and this horrible smell. So I made to work barely, had to have it towed to the dealer because it died in the parking lot, then the dealer looks at it and says my injectors were so clogged (again?!) and they stuck were wide open and gasoline was just running right thru my system and the smoke coming out the exhaust was burning fuel. So now they say its STILL FROM A BAD TANK OF GAS THAT I GOT IN JANUARY???? So now I have to pay for new injectors, and to have my gas tank cleaned out. They also told me that I could have exploded in my own car due to the gasoline everywhere. All of this is not under warranty of course. Does anyone believe that this is from a bad tank of gas or from a manufacturer defect? I'm calling Dodge on Monday and I'm gonna raise hell. I love my car and its been nothing but problems this year with the same thing. I have to pay to get it fixed and then I don't want this car anymore, its a little over 2 years old, warranty is up in November. Its gone this week, as soon as its fixed. Does anyone else agree to get rid of it? Or try to stick it out??? Thanks... (again) :lemon:
  • nanner1nanner1 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2000 ES V6 and now I am unable to start my car. Every time i turn the keys to start the car the start/ignition fuse will blow, the only thing that will happen is the lights and stuff inside turn on...is it's bad wiring inside, a short circut?
  • mamatbmamatb Member Posts: 1
    My 2001 Dodge stratus SE with 2.7 V6, overheated on me yet again. This time it smoked, all my mechanic friends say its the thermostat. It has many other problems, an oil light flashing when I stop as well as a ticking sound when I stop. The RPM meter does not work. The Radio also doesn't work and the ac only works on high. I have taken it to many dealers for repair. I need help! What is wrong with my car?
  • lschocklschock Member Posts: 1
    I have a Grand Am and last summer my AC only worked on Med- to high. Now it only works on the highest setting. If someone emails you back and you please forward me the email?

    Thanks
  • billwfriendbillwfriend Member Posts: 44
    While my 97 Stratus has always had a bit of a spongy effect when hitting the brakes, recently during hard stops, the peddle has sunk nearly to the floorboard partway thru braking, increasing stopping distance.

    This is only occurring while braking from, say, 60 mph to a stop. Not getting this 'effect' when braking up to 40 mph. It's like the brakes work fine braking from 60 down to 20 mph, then the pedal suddenly depresses without any further braking! Fortunetly, that last inch before the pedal bottoms out against the floorboard stops the car.

    I did have the brake power booster replaced around 2 years ago, this feels eerily similar...

    Anyone got any thoughts or experience on this???

    thanks!
  • zephonzephon Member Posts: 9
    My daughter purchased a 1999 Stratus a couple of days ago (first car for her). Today she noticed a blinking red light on the instrument cluster that has no insignia of what it indicates (like the oil can indicating the oil light). It's just a red light. It is located at about 1 o'clock above the temperature gauge. Could this indicate that the anti-theft protection is engaged, or if not, what is it? Thanks for any help you can give me.
  • joeca603joeca603 Member Posts: 4
    blinking red light on top right corner indicates anti-theft is arming. and will blink slowly indicating it is armed. No need to worry its doing what its suppose to.. when and if the light stays on...it means problem in electrical system. be advised this car is very attractive but is costly.. and make sure all RECALL maintance has been performed.. (alot) i advise u do furthur research and find out what other owners are saying..
  • joeca603joeca603 Member Posts: 4
    got in the car this morning turned the ignition and ... nothing.. thought it was the battery but lights radio etc. worked fine. didn't go to work cuz no transportation. my dad spent about 4 hours trying to figure out what it was.. (checking starter, battery etc.)
    then i found this site and read a post about PCM FUSE (# 5) located under the hood (power distribution center) found that it was burned out, replaced it with the spare (found on the interior driver side fuse box). so far its been fine.. ill post again when it happens,
    from what i've read its bound to be sooner than later. hope this helps

    we were the first owner of this car and always had regular tune up and maintenance. but still had similar problems described by other dodge owners.. head gasket, banging noise from breaks, oil leaks etc.. but is still in very great shape. car has about 70,000 miles and maybe spent $3,000 in over-all repairs. lucky, today was the first time it did the "no start" issue.. but i'm not gonna wait around for the problems to get worse, last time i buy a dodge.
  • zephonzephon Member Posts: 9
    Thankyou, I suspected as much. And I will be sure to check into the recall maintenance issues, or barring that, read through this forum to learn what to be on the lookout for.
  • joeca603joeca603 Member Posts: 4
    finding out why the car wasn't starting was the easy part..
    when i replaced the blown pcm/abs fuse car started fine..
    turned off ignition. and later that day i got in the car turned the ignition and fuse burned again... dont know why.. tried calling dodge for appointment, 30 minutes ago.. and 'im still on hold... any help would be appreciated
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