Stratusfaction problem

[vladd 26]

So jim cursed me, misread one of the off-topic posts and thought something was wrong with my car, and now there is.

first...the car.... 98 dodge stratus 2.4l auto 130k miles (for our canadian brethren)

the problem, i get in the car, crank it up, and something is vibrating in the engine, almost like a rod knock, but its not as...metallic, and it vibrates the whole vehicle, since you all are audio people you'll know what i mean, its like right at the resonance freq of the plastic inside the car or something.

When does it do it? here is the strange part, i noticed it while parked, eliminating a good number of things, like wheel bearing (you'll understand later) and axles. It will also do it while moving sometimes, it does it big time when pulling away from a stop light. It also does it a lot around right handed curves.

When doesn't it do it? Left handed curves so far, and when i throw the tranny into neutral.

Now it might do it in neutral, but because i'm rolling i can't hear it, but when i was parked and testing, park did it, reverse did, neutral didn't, all drive gears did (well they weren't changing, probably just 1st the whole way through)

anyone have an idea? i'm not familiar at all with trannies except for that one time at that bar, and i didn't learn a damn thing unfortunately.

[Beat_Dominator 2]

Driveshaft out balance? If its for sure in the engine, you could have a fouled spark plug causing a dead cylinder.... that'll cause vibration too..... any more detail you can give us?

[vladd 26]

Thats about all i can think of right now. I've thought maybe the main bearings or possibly the main shaft in the tranny i'm guessing that would be the same as a driveshaft for my FWD.

What kills me is how it doesn't seem to be directly related to ....anything, when in neutral it stops, which makes me think its nothing in the engine, but in the tranny, but of course it could be the stress on the engine making the problem come "out"

[Beat_Dominator 2]

Hmmm, the neutral thing points at either the tranny or more commonly, the engine mounts. To test that, have a friend put it in neutral, then, while you look at the engine tell them to shift to park or drive... the engine should rock... maybe 1/4 inch or so from the torque.... but if your engine mounts are spongy and bad, it'll rock a ton.

[vladd 26]

engine mounts is a good idea, someone else suggested that too, i'll do it tonight when shanna comes by.

The other thing is, i dont' think i mentioned it in this thread, but i (don't mock my stupidness) threw it in drive while sitting still, pulled the e-brake and got out to watch the engine. The vibrations were there, but once i popped the hood i couldn't tell a damn thing. No sounds, no roaring, and i could only barely see vibrations from the engine (its a 4cyl so it never runs smooth)

[Tirefryr 1,742]

Actually the 4 cylinder should be smoother than any V-block engine. There are less harmonics in an inline engine.

I'm leaning towards motor mounts, but the neautral thing is bugging me.

If it were a CV joint, that shouldn't cause a vibration, just a clunking sound when turning, and only when you're driving.

Knowing Chrysler and their lovely transmissions, I'm guess a tarnny problem or broken/loose converter bolt or bad stator.

[JimJ 11]

Think the mounts are slowly going bad on the van...either that, or it needs an alignment pronto.

Matt, next time I'm in it I'll listen to it, see if I can brainstorm anything else..

[Acidburn 10]

my girlfriend's old 97 Stratus would vibrate and make noises all the time

we never could pinpoint what the hell was wrong with it, not even the dealership could figure it out

but i think it might've had it's motor mounts fixed towards the end of its life which may have helped things

[vladd 26]

thanks for the help, shanna should be here at like midnight, i'll probably check stuff then

[Eldorado 0]

for the short time that i had the SL1 it had a wicked vibration

I thought the engine was shot

But such was not the case, just a simple $40 engine mount.

[vladd 26]

thank you for your SUPA reply :-D

my front side mount is going to run me about $90, i'm not going advance though, i'll see if *cough* *cough* dave can get me a deal on a factory replacement part.

[ANeonRider 3]

Sounds like a motor mount to me.

[Eldorado 0]

thank you for you SUPA reply  :-D

my front side mount is going to run me about $90,  i'm not going advance though, i'll see if *cough* *cough* dave can get me a deal on a factory replacement part.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

you are welcome

[vladd 26]

shanna and i went out to eat with jim and the car didn't do the thing even once!!!!! i even tried to reproduce it and couldn't

[Eldorado 0]

Now its just playing mind games on you.

[JimJ 11]

I can't get no...

I can't get no...

hey hey hey

(couldn't help it )

[///M5 2,833]

Sounds normal for a Stratus.

Is your car a manual?

[vladd 26]

auto, the problem has gone away completely now though..i'm not complaining at all,

[///M5 2,833]

only turning left??

[vladd 26]

only when turning right, nothing when turning left. of course also when sitting still bla bla bla, its so regularly irregular

[JimJ 11]

its so regularly irregular

For occansional irregularity...

[///M5 2,833]

I know its "fixed itself" but I am having a hard time with this. It does it at idle in neutral and when you turn right, but not while moving to the left...doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Are you sure it doesn't do it, just less pronounced?

[vladd 26]

I'm actually not sure of anything, it only did it like two or three times i was in the car, so it was just me trying to recognize the problems for my 5-10min trips to school, it could have been that any pattern i saw was purely a coincidence, or like you said, less pronounced

[CBFryman 2]

dont know if its been resolved but i didnt feel like reading the thread.

Motor Mount

CV Joint (however you said it doesnt do it when its stopped so im geussing this is a negative)

phucked up balencer, though if it doesnt do it at hight speed im doubting this too. because its inline (me thinks) its not a dropped cylender. My GF's car does the same thing. She has a cracked motor mount.

[vladd 26]

it resolved itself