Dodge Stratus Cranks But Won’t Start

Question

I have a Dodge Stratus 2.4 that cranks but does not start. I had starting problems last month where the car would crank momentarily and then make a rapid clicking sound. It turned out to be a bad battery.

Now, again the engine will crank but it will not turn on and start running. I attached a video so you can hear it crank. What causes a car not to start if the battery is good? My Stratus is a 2002 with 115k miles on it.

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Christian 3 years 2021-01-16T05:41:40+00:00 2 Answers 558 views Beginner 2

Answers ( 2 )

    2
    2021-01-16T05:45:39+00:00

    Car cranks but won’t start

    Every car owner’s biggest fear is surely facing the situation where you keep cranking your car but it just doesn’t start. While this can drive you clueless and desperate, there are indeed a number of reasons why something like this occurs. In this article, we will give you detailed explanation of the top reasons behind this phenomenon. So that the next time you face such a problem, you can troubleshoot with ease.

    1. Weak or no spark

    In case you own a gasoline car, the first things you want to check are your spark plugs. Spark plugs are responsible for ignition inside the combustion chamber in the engine. Without the spark produced by spark plugs, there will be no ignition hence your car won’t start. The spark plug maybe producing very weak or no spark at all because of a number of reasons like: faulty ignition circuit, flooded engine, faulty crank shaft positioning sensor (which messes up the timing of the spark), or even a damaged ignition switch. Diesel cars are however free from this problem, since they don’t have spark plugs.

    2. Insufficient fuel

    It is quite obvious your car won’t start if you have an empty fuel tank. But, what if your fuel tank isn’t empty but the problem is still insufficient fuel? This happens because of disruption in the fuel flow which in turn happens due to a number of reasons. Malfunctioning of the sensors related to the fuel layout, a damaged fuel pump, clogged fuel filter or fuel injectors, contaminated fuel or fuel with the wrong grade might cause the fuel to not reach the ignition chamber or burn properly.

    3. Low compression

    Compression ratio is a very important parameter that needs to be maintained in a car. It is the ratio between the total volume of the cylinder chamber (when piston is at BDC) to the clearance volume. If a piston cannot compress the air sufficiently to reach that ratio, the car won’t start. A low compression problem might occur due to damaged piston rings, damaged or loose timing belt, overheated engine, or a broken camshaft.

    4. Power supply problems

    A dying or a low powered battery will cause your car to not start up. If sufficient voltage is not provided, the crankshaft positioning sensor and the camshaft positioning sensor will not power up at all. A weak starter motor might also be a reason behind such a problem.

    1
    2021-01-16T05:47:58+00:00

    It sounds like the timing belt is broken. That means you have no compression and probably bent a valve. You would have to remove the head and bring it to the machine shop to have it rebuilt, then reinstall it with a new timing belt. Where you driving when the car shut off?

    I can send you a free factory repair manual if you plan to do the work yourself. Just let me know. Let us know what the problem is when you determine it. Thanks.

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