2004 Dodge Stratus RT 3.0 Coupe - The fans are not working
#1
10-01-2015, 08:31 AM
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2004 Dodge Stratus RT 3.0 Coupe - The fans are not working
I have 2004 Dodge Stratus RT 3.0 SE with automatic transmission, I got the car from my ex & started driving it regularly about 3 months ago, so I don't know what repairs have been done to the car. About 6 months ago my ex rear ended another car & the radiator had to replaced. 2 months ago, I did an oil change & I noticed a small leak at front of the valve cover & it passed smog. The leak started to get worse & a little white smoke started coming out the tailpipe when first started. I also realized I had never heard the two fans ever come on, I was told they only came on when they needed to cool the car down, that didn't sound right. 3 days ago, we replaced the valve cover gasket, the car now has a lot more power, it idles a little rough & yesterday I noticed the inside of the car felt warm, like the heater was on, even after sitting an hour. The temprature gauge is always just below the center mark, which is normal. The overheating, oil pressure & service soon lights are not on, they come on when the motor started.
I've checked:
Radiator cap (does not look faulty)
Radiator hoses (the termostat seems to be working)
Radiator (coolant is good)
Fan fuse under the hood (red fuse- didn't look burnt or broken, how do you check to see if its good?)
But I did notice a plug, coming from under the fuse box was unplugged, I do not know where it plugs into, I think it could be the fan plug.
My question is what do I check first? Could the reason the gasket started leaking because the car kept getting hot without the fans running? We had a hard time getting the old gasket off the valve cover, it was cooked on. I would like to find a repair manual. Please help! I don't have much money so most of the work is done by me. Thanks!
I've checked:
Radiator cap (does not look faulty)
Radiator hoses (the termostat seems to be working)
Radiator (coolant is good)
Fan fuse under the hood (red fuse- didn't look burnt or broken, how do you check to see if its good?)
But I did notice a plug, coming from under the fuse box was unplugged, I do not know where it plugs into, I think it could be the fan plug.
My question is what do I check first? Could the reason the gasket started leaking because the car kept getting hot without the fans running? We had a hard time getting the old gasket off the valve cover, it was cooked on. I would like to find a repair manual. Please help! I don't have much money so most of the work is done by me. Thanks!
#2
10-01-2015, 10:44 AM
All Star
One fan will come on when the car gets hot, the other whenever the A/C is on. Replacing a valve cover gasket will not increase power.
Did you unhook the battery during any of this?
Here is the factory service manual for future reference. Scroll down on the link for chapter breakdown. http://tearstone.com/2003-2005-eclip...ervice-manual/
Did you unhook the battery during any of this?
Here is the factory service manual for future reference. Scroll down on the link for chapter breakdown. http://tearstone.com/2003-2005-eclip...ervice-manual/