Ok I have a 1999 Dodge Stratus with a 2.4L. Today I replaced my old, beat up oil pan with a new one. As I was putting the new one in my wife walked by and noticed what looked like an 14 inch long bike chain in the bottom of the old oil pan that was broken at one end. People I have talked to have no idea where the chain came from or what it's used for. I also replaced my upstream O2 sensor, spark plugs, fuel filler neck, coolant temp sensor, and fuel filter. My car has been running like crap for a couple weeks. I need to crank the key about 4 times before it'll start and I have to let it idle for awhile or it'll run like like crap. So my question is, what is the chain for and what could possibly be wrong with my car and also could the chain and my car running terrible be related?

Thank you.

Anyone with an idea whats wrong with the car email me at bjanj70@yahoo.com. Again thank you.

 

The only chain I can think of for the 2.4 is the timing chain (or was the 2.4 a timing belt...?), but I can't think of any possible way for it to have gotten into the oil pan!

 

The 2.4l uses a timing belt. But, the 2.4l also uses a pair of balance shafts. The balance shafts are driven by a CHAIN. The balance shafts are located below the crankshaft in the oil pan, so if your pan is off, now might be the time to replace the chain. I'd think that yours broke and you never noticed the increased engine vibration. Use your favorite search engine (or just post a new question in the forums) to find out the procedure for replacing the chain.

-Ken
Here is a brief description of the balance shafts:

The 2.4-liter engine operates very smoothly because of a system of counter-rotating balance shafts which counteract second-order unbalance, the predominant reason for four-cylinder engine vibration.
The two counter-rotating, eccentric balance shafts, interconnected by gears, are driven by a short chain from the crankshaft. They turn at two times engine speed to offset the reciprocating mass of the pistons and connecting rods and to achieve the desired balancing effect. The balance shafts are enclosed in an aluminum housing mounted beneath the crankshaft in the oil pan. The housing is bolted to the bottom of the main bearing webs of the bedplate and rest in the oil supply. When the engine is running, the balance shafts pump oil out of the housing to minimize parasitic drag which could occur if the shafts spun in the oil.