hi all

First off i have been reading this forum for quite a while and i must say that everyone here seems to be very informative and non judgemental. it makes me feel confident that everyone here can help me fix my problem.

i aquired a new to me 1998 dodge stratus ES sedan with the 2.5l V6 for $150 dollars. It was rough running and noisy. i have managed to fix all the issues with a full tuneup and 4 new wheel bearings. Now she is purring like a kitten and i must say seems to be a very reliable car for the age and miles (180,000 miles right now).

My questions are the following:

the car has fog lights. i put the switch on and i get nothing. I do not get an indicator on the dash, the fog lights do not light up at all, and there doesnt seem to be anything wrong with the switch at least. the headlights work fine both in low and high beam mode. I have also noticed that the dome light does not come on when activating the switch on the stalk. i can turn on the dome light, however, using the switch on the light itself

Did a Stratus ES come with a trip computer? I see them on EBAY for the sebring and they look like they will fit. will the wiring be there or am i wasting my time

thanks for all responses

 

Did you try the fuse. F13 20 Amp. The switch is directly connected to the fog lights. The dome light goes through the Body Control Modual. I would suspect the item related to both problems is the switch. The Stratus had no trip computer.

 

will check that fuse tomorrow. i really hope it is not the switch. is there wiring diagram that shows what two wires i can tap into in order to install a regular toggle switch? I would really like to get them working.

 

Congrats on the newtoyou $150 Stratus. Not bad at all.

 

Actually, the 1g stratus did have an option of a trip computer, it would have sat in the large dead area just to the right of the gauge cluster under that hood. Only the models the computer was equipped on, would have the necessary wires. So that's a no-go.

The stalks are known to fail, causing the dome light to not turn on when the doors are opened. Might want to try to turn up the interior dash lights (twist the ring on the headlight stalk), as you can disable the dome lights that way.
Fog lamps, I would agree that the fuse is shot. In the 40k+mi of night time driving, I've never had to so much as replace a fog lamp bulb in it.

 

rocket67: yeah it was one of those deals that i could not pass up. i picked it up as a work car just to last about 6 months for the winter. After driving it for about 2 months i think it will last alot longer. it runs really smooth on the highway and honestly for the age you cant beat the mpg. I am surprised that i am getting 27 MPG with a V6!

rattsam: I have not had a chance to look at that fuse yet since I work nights and it has been raining here in NY. The dome light does work when you open the doors. It is really wierd.

 

Sorry, I mis-understood. The stalk doesn't control the dome light if memory serves me correctly. The ones above the rear view mirror have their own buttons, and you'll need to slide the switch on the center one.

The ring on the stalk at it's peak will turn the odometer to full (lights off brightness), right below the click it's dimmed with dash lights on full brightness, and dimmed down from there, and the bottom click disables dome light via open door.

If it means anything, I just didn't feel like fixing the small stuff that needed fixed (a/c recharge, fuel pumpk, blower motor/resistor). The new owner of it said it ran beautifully. That 2.5v6 is a very solid engine. Haven't talked to him lately, but he didn't feel it would fail before the 200k mark.

 

well i went and checked the fuse and it is fine so it looks like the switch...I am thinking of hard wiring a jumper wire from the right headlight to the right fog light so this way when i turn on the headlights the fogs work automatically. That should fix it ... he he

ac works fine for now.. you are definately right that v6 is a strong motor. i was really surprised judging from all the issues i had with an acclaim with a v6. that engine use to have issues.

 

You can buy the stalk setup at the local parts stores, as well as junkyards. Very easy to change out too, just a couple screws under the column to remove the cover.

Before you jumper the fog lights, there is a relay too, not just a fuse. Swap that relay with a different one (they're all the same) and see if the functionality/failure moves with the relay.

If you jumper it, keep in mind that will nearly double what the wire has to handle, and may overheat/short things out. You will most likely blow the headlight fuse right off the bat.