I just bought a 1995 Stratus 2.4 Automatic with 146k. It appears to be having some bad vibration problems when in Drive but not Neutral or Reverse (see my post in the stratus forum about that)

But I wanted to know in general what you'd do on a car of this age and mileage. The tires are all new. The previous owner said he had just put new belts on. Some of the engine hoses are noticably new. He said he just did the plugs, the air filter is sparkling white. The oil is full as well as the transmission. I don't know the age of the oil but the owner said it was changed recently. I was getting MIL codes on the TPS so that got replaced.

There is a slight oil leak near the cam position sensor on the top of the engine, but some googling shows this is a common complaint. I can probably remedy that with a new o-ring or some silicone. The AC works good.

What are some parts or sensors that are likely to have reached the end of their life-span at this point?

 

Check the engine & transmission mounts for one. Run some fuel system cleaner through the fuel system also.

 

A general tuneup is a must... Belts, Plugs, Oil, (all fluids for that matter). Do the vibrations get worse as you drive faster?

 

Is it safe to use ATF+4 in a 95 stratus with a 41te transmission? I was down at Autozone and that's all they have for Chrysler. In fact they had it in "Coastal" brand which is a generic brand they sell.

Wikipedia says this:
Chrysler ATF+4 (ATE) -- Introduced in 1998, ATF+4 is synthetic and replaces the previous ATF+3 fluid. Used primarily for 2000 and 2001 vehicles, it can also be used in earlier Chrysler transmissions (except 1999 and older minivans with 41TE/AE transmission). ATF+3 should continue to be used for 1999 and earlier minivans because of the potential for torque converter shudder during break in.

I just wanted to make sure.

 

Oh and I changed out the PCV valve. I think that might have been my idling problem. When I pulled it off, the engine revved to about 2500 RPM unless I plugged the hose with my finger. It was an original valve in there. I figured at 4$ it was worth a replacement.

From the underneath, it looks pretty easy to get at the trans pan so I think that may be one of my next projects. New filter and fluid.

 

Actually it sometimes smooths out a little. But not much.

 

highly recommend getting the timing belt and water pump replaced at this mileage. when doing so replace the tensioner,what sucks is theonly way to get a tension from the dealer is to get an update package which comes with new style tensionor, covers and hardware. well worth it. i have seen belts fail from about 80k up. lucky for you the 2.4 is a freewheeling motor. also pull out a plug wire and inspect for oil in the plug holes. if so replaced the v cover gaskets. wont hurt on replacing 02 sensors also. some will argure on replacing only when failed but it is a wear item in my book so due so. on the topic of trans service. best way is to seal is to use mopar atf rtv. dependin on how long it drains when the pan is off it will typically hold 4 qts atf. a good tip is to get this particular trans a "quick learn" to reset the clutch volume index... only way to relearn the tcm is with a drb3 at the dealer.

 

I used to have an 87 pontiac about 10 or 11 years ago that would "eat" oxygen sensors. It would eat one about every 6 months. The symptom of an "eaten" sensor would be the transmission would act like it was in limp mode and it would be throwing O2 sensor codes. I'd put a new O2 sensor in and everything would be back to normal. And I wasn't removing the battery cable when I did this so I wasn't just resetting the PCM/TCM.