Changing thermostat on 2004 dodge stratus

Marvin

• 85242 Answers
• Posted on Dec 02, 2008

SOURCE: 2004 Dodge Stratus 2.7 thermostat location

Finding the thermostat: Follow the LOWER radiator hose to where it meets the engine. It's in there. Most cars that I've worked on have the thermostat at the end of the upper radiator hose, but not this car. Replacing the thermostat: You need to remove the thermostat housing. (It's the piece that the lower radiator hose connects to.) - You do not need to remove the radiator hose from the housing. - First remove the bolt that is holding a bracket. This bracket just holds some wires in place. - Now remove the three bolts that hold the housing to the engine block. These bolts can be fairly hard to turn, but just keep trying. - Gently pry the housing away from the engine block. You can use a flat-head screwdriver to help pry, but do not scratch the mating surfaces of the housing and the block. - Pull out the thermostat, noting that the spring end goes into the engine. - When you put the new thermostat in, you probably want to use a new black rubber gasket, but you might be able to use the old one if you have no choice. Also, I didn't add any permatex or anything and it seems fine. - I tightened the bolts to 22foot pounds, but this might be a little high. Whatever you do, DO NOT overtighten the bolts. Couple other notes: I first removed the air cleaner cover and tubes to get a little more working room. I also unplugged one wiring harness to make more room. Otherwise, I was able to get my big hands in there. A new thermostat did not fix my problem. Here is a description of the problem I was having and the solution: Problem: The temperature gauge was spiking occasionally, all the way into the red. It would spike up and come back to normal. It would spike usually while in idle, but sometimes while driving. Usually about once every twenty minutes. Things I checked first: - The plastic reservior for the radiator was full to the top. - The electric fans were running, and running on high speed. - The car had working heat. - Replaced the thermostat. Did nothing to help the problem. Problem Found: - Vapor lock. Even though the reservior was full of fluid, it had previously gotten too low and the system sucked in some air. Once that happens, it doesn't matter if the reservior is full, the cooling system will not draw in the coolant. This is because filling the plastic reservior does not pour coolant directly into the cooling system. The coolant is sucked into the cooling system through a tube, like drinking soda through a straw. So the reservior, where they tell you to add coolant, was full but the cooling system (radiator, engine, pump, etc.) was almost out of coolant and wasn't able to draw in any more. Solution: When the engine is cool, open the metal radiator cap that's sticking right up out of the engine. It can be found by following the upper radiator hose to the engine. There is a tall metal tube with a metal cap on it. Pull that cap off (when it not hot) and fill it up with radiator fluid. (I use radiator fluid that's pre-diluted and designed for all makes and models of cars). Idle the car, in park, for about thirty seconds. Stop the engine and put the cap back on. If you're lucky, all the air bubbles are out of the system and you're all set.

SOURCE: MAF Sensor 2004 Dodge Stratus

If your car has a MAF (Mass Air Flow) sensor, it would be located in the air delivery tube that runs from the air filter box to the throttle plate assembly on the intake manifold. It will have a wiring connector going to it, also. The MAF does exactly what it is called: It "senses" the volume, or "mass" of the air-flow; thusly it needs to be in the intake air tube. If you do NOT have such a device in the air-tube, you have a MAP sensor, (Manifold Absolute Pressure); this is another way of measuring the same air volume, albeit older technology. You will commonly find this device on the firewall, with a vacuum line running to the intake manifold.

I hope that this sheds some light on your question.

Thanks for choosing FixYa for advice!

SOURCE: location of thermostat on 2002 dodge stratus 2.7 eng.

The thermostat on this car is located on the passenger side lower Engine block. Follow the lower radiator hose and it will lead you right to it. The Wheel and splash guarding need to be removed as well as the Alternator to gain access to the housing bolts. It about a 3 hour job to replace thermostat.