1997 Dodge Stratus stalls at stop sign

106,000 MILES • 4 CYL • FWD • AUTOMATIC
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REAPER5123
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
when I come to a stop sign my 97 dodge stratus stalls It stars right up then stalls. My valve cover did leak I changed the gasket plugs and wires pvc valve and all broken hose that came out of valve cover. it seens to do it after running for about 5 min. to keep it from stalling I have to put it in neutral it runs fine. if I have it in park and press gas all the way down when rpms hit 7 or 8 it sounds like its being reved
Oct 17, 2008 at 8:41 AM
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JASONRAY
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 213 POSTS
It uses an Idle Air Control solenoid. Dodge has always had trouble with them. I worked at a Dodge dealership for years and replaced many of them. It's mounted to the throttle body. It controls the amount of air into the intake manifold by retracting a plunger into the idle port in the throttle body. If this solenoid becomes slow to respond to the voltage applied by the PCM, it will cause the motor to die when you come to a stop. The reason it stays running when you put it in neutral is because the motor is under NO load and requires little air to run. In gear, the load increases and is absorbed by the torque converter. If the plunger doesn't move back far enough and allow the right amount of air in, it "suffocates" and dies. It could also, and maybe more likely be gummed up with carbon. If the carbon accumulates on the plunger, it restricts the air flowing into the engine and produces the same results. Try cleaning it. If that doesn't fix it, replace the solenoid.
Oct 17, 2008 at 9:02 AM
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