How to replace timing belt on 2004 dodge stratus

SOURCE: replacing serpentine belt 2002 dodge stratus

Did this on my 2002 Stratus 2.4L. I agree with other poster, you do have to remove the passenger tire and wheel wall to do it, but the tensioner travels clockwise.
Note: I offer this solely as a description of how I accomplished the task on my vehicle. It should not be taken as me advising anyone else in any way on how or whether they manage to repair their own vehicles.

1) Engaged parking brake, loosened lugs on passenger front tire.
2) Jacked-up and placed jack-stand.
3) Removed piece of black under-carriage which surrounds the oil filter and attaches to front bumper. There are at least 10 plastic push-pins to remove and I managed to destroy half of them in the process.
4) Positoned belt over lower pulleys and tensioner (as best as possible) then used a bungee to hold the top end of belt up while I worked under the car.
5) Used a 3/8 ratchet and inserted into square hole attached to the tensioner, disengaged the tensioner (moves clockwise) then used a brace to keep the ratchet handle in that position.
6) From top, removed bungee and finished placing belt over alternator, checked the position of entire belt, reengaged the tensioner, and replaced wall and wheel.

SOURCE: 96 dodge stratus timing belt

You may want to have a mechanic do this, not as easy as replacing an accessory belt. But if you decide to do it you will definitley need a timing light, 3 jaw gear puller, a harmonic balance puller and many other tools most people dont have in their garage

Marvin

• 85242 Answers
• Posted on Dec 02, 2008

SOURCE: 2004 Dodge Stratus 2.7 thermostat location

Finding the thermostat: Follow the LOWER radiator hose to where it meets the engine. It's in there. Most cars that I've worked on have the thermostat at the end of the upper radiator hose, but not this car. Replacing the thermostat: You need to remove the thermostat housing. (It's the piece that the lower radiator hose connects to.) - You do not need to remove the radiator hose from the housing. - First remove the bolt that is holding a bracket. This bracket just holds some wires in place. - Now remove the three bolts that hold the housing to the engine block. These bolts can be fairly hard to turn, but just keep trying. - Gently pry the housing away from the engine block. You can use a flat-head screwdriver to help pry, but do not scratch the mating surfaces of the housing and the block. - Pull out the thermostat, noting that the spring end goes into the engine. - When you put the new thermostat in, you probably want to use a new black rubber gasket, but you might be able to use the old one if you have no choice. Also, I didn't add any permatex or anything and it seems fine. - I tightened the bolts to 22foot pounds, but this might be a little high. Whatever you do, DO NOT overtighten the bolts. Couple other notes: I first removed the air cleaner cover and tubes to get a little more working room. I also unplugged one wiring harness to make more room. Otherwise, I was able to get my big hands in there. A new thermostat did not fix my problem. Here is a description of the problem I was having and the solution: Problem: The temperature gauge was spiking occasionally, all the way into the red. It would spike up and come back to normal. It would spike usually while in idle, but sometimes while driving. Usually about once every twenty minutes. Things I checked first: - The plastic reservior for the radiator was full to the top. - The electric fans were running, and running on high speed. - The car had working heat. - Replaced the thermostat. Did nothing to help the problem. Problem Found: - Vapor lock. Even though the reservior was full of fluid, it had previously gotten too low and the system sucked in some air. Once that happens, it doesn't matter if the reservior is full, the cooling system will not draw in the coolant. This is because filling the plastic reservior does not pour coolant directly into the cooling system. The coolant is sucked into the cooling system through a tube, like drinking soda through a straw. So the reservior, where they tell you to add coolant, was full but the cooling system (radiator, engine, pump, etc.) was almost out of coolant and wasn't able to draw in any more. Solution: When the engine is cool, open the metal radiator cap that's sticking right up out of the engine. It can be found by following the upper radiator hose to the engine. There is a tall metal tube with a metal cap on it. Pull that cap off (when it not hot) and fill it up with radiator fluid. (I use radiator fluid that's pre-diluted and designed for all makes and models of cars). Idle the car, in park, for about thirty seconds. Stop the engine and put the cap back on. If you're lucky, all the air bubbles are out of the system and you're all set.

SOURCE: MAF Sensor 2004 Dodge Stratus

If your car has a MAF (Mass Air Flow) sensor, it would be located in the air delivery tube that runs from the air filter box to the throttle plate assembly on the intake manifold. It will have a wiring connector going to it, also. The MAF does exactly what it is called: It "senses" the volume, or "mass" of the air-flow; thusly it needs to be in the intake air tube. If you do NOT have such a device in the air-tube, you have a MAP sensor, (Manifold Absolute Pressure); this is another way of measuring the same air volume, albeit older technology. You will commonly find this device on the firewall, with a vacuum line running to the intake manifold.

I hope that this sheds some light on your question.

Thanks for choosing FixYa for advice!

SOURCE: dodge stratus 2004 head light bulb replacement

Headlight Bulb Replacement
1. Open the hood and remove the two headlight mounting
screws.
2. Remove the push-in fasteners for the grill area by prying under the
head of the fasteners with a flat bladed tool.