1998 Stratus idle

[williamblunt512]

My 1998 2.4L Dodge Stratus (119k miles) has a slight stumble at idle, but only sometimes. Otherwise it runs great and never gives me any problem whatsoever. It starts good, runs smooth and delivers good power. No check engine light or anything. Time to maybe clean the throttle body? Plugs? Wires? Sound familiar to anybody?

[williamblunt512]

In response to my own post, what I just did was clean the engine's throttle body and put a hose clamp on the intake box's rear hose connection (at the 90 degree bend). (That end of the hose was loose and worn and the throttle body was filthy.) But now, after doing this fairly easy and simple job, my Stratus idles smoothly again and my wife says that she thinks it runs better generally. She may be right. Start by removing the plastic intake box then disconnecting the IAC and TPS electrical connectors and throttle cables, etc. from the throttle body. Remove the throttle body from off the intake manifold, then remove the IAC actuator from the throttle body. Using caruretor cleaner (or the eqivalent), rags, and a little nylon brush, clean the throttle, the inner throat area, the IAC port, and the IAC plunger until all the black yuck is removed, then reinstall everything and start it up. Not a bad job at all, and as I said, the results were great. 119K miles.