So my wife went out to start our '04 Stratus this morning, and supposably it was shaking violently. The "check engine soon" light came on, and is still on when I turn the key to the ON position.

I know that in my 2000 Jeep I was able to display an error code on my odometer with a sequence of key turns and brake pedal depressions. Is there any such sequence for an '04 Stratus? I would really love to figure out what the issue is before bringing it to a dealership, and I don't have an OBD-II to work with.

On a side note, I'm a little worried because the vehicle is going in tomorrow for a timing belt change. Is there any possibility that the belt is slipping? I would suspect that a broken belt would cause the engine to not even start... but please correct me if I am incorrect.

Thanks for the help!

 

most major part stores will read codes for free as they hope to sell you the parts to fix the issue, they won't clear them. i'd first check to make sure the spark plug wires are connected good and tight, then check the oil and coolant. if it's under warrenty you don't want the dealership to find low fluids and void your warrenty.

the shaking you are describing sounds to me like the engine might be missing, not all spark plugs are working like they should. could be: no spark getting to the spark plug, too much oil getting on the spark plug (not good), bad plug wire, bad plug, or a bad coil pack. it could also be a bad fuel injector: no fuel getting to one or more cylinders.

with any issues it helps to state the year, engine & type, and mileage. i have an '02 SE with a 2.7 v-6 with almost 75K, too few miles for fuel injector or t-belt (if it had one) issues. this engine does not have a t-belt but a t-chain. hope this helps.

 

Tom,

Thanks for the very helpful response. While I was awaiting a response, I actually did exactly as you stated. When I started the vehicle later that day, it fired right up without issue. I drove to a parts store and borrowed an OBD-II to obtain the P0300 error code (random misfire detected.) I cleared the engine light and checked for obvious issues; none found. If the vehicle acts up again, I'll look into it a bit deeper than I have thus far.

This is an '04 Stratus Coupe - SOHC 2.4L engine. It currently has ~67k miles on it. I replaced spark plugs about 10k ago, and a valve cover and spark plug seals about 8k ago... no other recent maintenance.

 

just worked on a buddy's honda this past weekend, missfire issues also. we pulled the spark plug wires from the head and saw oil pooling up around the plugs. the valve cover gasket was replaced not too long ago. we pulled the cover, cleaned everything, plugs were good, reinstalled the same gasket with some RTV. replaced the wires as the oil jacked them up and he's back on the road. no feedback as of yet. happy motoring.