[blackstratus]

Hi to all: I have an 02 Stratus R/T sedan 2.7 with the 5 speed manual. Just tonight I was driving home and in third gear at about 2500 rpms I hit the gas to move around another car and their was an audible clunk in the front. I am having no suspension clunking over bumps etc but I can reproduce this clunking in 2nd gear at only 1800RPM too so it doesn't take a lot of torque to make it happen. Do any of you know what might be causing this? I was thinking of an engine mount, the car has 114000 miles and I do drive it! Have any of you had a Stratus do a sound like this. I have 2 of them but haven't heard this in the other one I have so who knows. Anything to look for or a procedure to look into. Thanks for any and all help you may be able to offer!

 

[richd]

There is a TSB for this,I dont know the fix,but someone here might be able to come up with the full TSB.I had this problem on my 01 Chrysler Sebring.At the time there was no TSB,and Chrysler replaced almost the whole front end and still couldnt solve the problem,so Chrysler bought it back.Then One day I found out that they had a TSB for this problem.:

Make : DODGE Model : STRATUS Year : 2002
Manufacturer : CHRYSLER GROUP LLC
Service Bulletin Number : 2301203 Date of Bulletin : SEP 24, 2004
NHTSA Item Number : 10002404
Component : STRUCTURE:BODY
Summary :
POP/CLUNK SOUND FROM FRONT OF VEHICLE. *TT THIS BULLETIN SUPERSEDES BULLETIN 23-012-03 DATED 05/23/2004. *TT

Check to Request Research. Submit below.

 

[ImperialCrown]

That TSB #23-012-03 superceded to 23-039-04. It addresses a 'pop/clunk sound from the front of the vehicle'. The bulletin suggests that you can reproduce the 'clunk' with a quick turn of the steering wheel with the vehicle standing still. It is blamed on steering input/body flex over bumps that doesn't seem to be what is going on here. The fix is to install a couple of rivets in the shock tower for added strength.
Certainly suspension components and motor mounts are stressed/influenced by engine torque under acceleration and should be checked for wear/play and the fasteners checked for proper torques. I've snugged bolts on crossmembers to fix these kinds of noises.
Do you hear/feel this 'clunk' in the floor at your feet? Or is it out front about the height of the shock towers on the left or right side?

 

[blackstratus]

I had a chance to put some miles on it today and it seems to be in the front and almost in the center. It doesn't pop or clunk when I turn the steering wheel when moving or not.It doesn't clunk over bumps either like a sway bar bushing/link problem, all seems tight that way. I have to really stab the gas to get it to do it but it is defiantly associated with engine torque. Also seems to not be as evident today as it was yesterday. We got a lot of rain yesterday and the roads where wet, today it is dry and it takes a lot more to make it pop. Basically what I need to do to make this thing pop is put it in second gear around 20-25 and above and floor it and then let off, that will make it do it, third gear the same kind of deal but 4th and 5th, not enough torque to make the sound. I really have to wonder if it is a CV shaft or an engine mount. Does that seems to maybe be something? This all just started yesterday.It did get cold again too and is today also, highs of 40F. Was going to take a look at it tonight. Thanks for any and all help!

 

[stoutgrad]

Did you ever find out what was making the clunk on acceleration noise? I have a 2001 Stratus Sedan, 2.7L that has the same noise coming from it.

 

[B10alia]

If it isn't the suspension, a bad CV joint can also do this. A lot of times it can be hit or miss with other symptoms on these too.