My 1998 stratus is officially toast
At 195k. Mr. engine rod wanted to come outside and play.
Sold to a parts shop for $1200 Due to
Otherwise immaculate car.
Hoping to get an ultra low mileage Stratus V6 2006 loaded in a couple years.
Dealer across the street has one for
$7900 w/ new belt and 19k.
The 2007 avenger, while nice enough, drives like lukewarm distilled water - adequate, but not anything exciting.

 

I know this well. Nice of the engineers to give us the cutout to the right of the plug so we can play gumby to put the plug in.

I tried pushing against the spring on the stock (original) radiator cap, and it was a lot harder to push against than the new one. The new one is rated for 16psi (which is what the stock system runs at). I'm thinking the stock cap, the spring finally gave up and hardened and didn't always relieve the pressure (ie, allowing the coolant go to the over flow tank), thus spitting out the drain plug.

Did the swap last week and so far so good (sure I just jinx'd myself).

EDIT: Fixed the issue

 

I hav e an 04 coupe r/t with 3.0l. Car has 234,000 miles and going strong!!! I plan on at least another 200,000. Love the car.

 

2006 SXT. 2.7 V6, 4Dr

Bought it new for the wife, then it became my daily driver a couple years ago.

150K and still running like new!

 

I did put some money in, only a couple of hundred dollars to get the oil light off, new fuel pump filter, new plugs and points now @ 179673 miles.

But, my water pump started dropping water like it was a faucet the other week, bought a new water pump kit with the timing belt and pulleys and all, as shop was talking about $800 to do it, so I thought I'd do it myself ... went out finally resigned to having to spend a couple of days under the car... when I had the thought (or remembered somewhere) that you can throw in a couple of tablespoons of pepper and it can plug the seep holes in the water pump..
and it worked ... amazing. So if you have miles on one of these beasts and haven't changed the water pump / timing belt ... do so or at least carry some pepper (add to the radiator cap when cold and fill and top with water) and a couple of gallons of water in the trunk. This will get you home ... probably

Be warned though dumping of coolant through the weep hole means that the bearings are being washed and the fuel pump will fail imminently .... so I guess I should just get to it as the engine being an interference engine the failed water pump will kill the engine..... doh

 

118K on my 2000 3.0l V6. If you got a 2.5l, want to keep it, and need an engine, install a 3.0l from a Stratus/Eclipse. It's a direct bolt on!

 

Just bought my first Stratus. 05 r/t, approx 185k miles on it.

It ain't new, but it's my first car (been poor my whole life and I finally could afford to buy one) and I love the thing to death.

 

'97 Stratus 320,000+ miles. 3rd transmission at 250K. Burns about a quart every 1500 miles.

 

Turned 180,000 this week. She still runs like a top!!!

 

2002, 2.4, 157k