Dodge Stratus smoking after severe overheat

[Avery4]

Big problem. My 2000 Dodge Stratus 2.4L blew a radiator hose and started smoking, not steaming. There was smoke coming from under the hood. The oil cap melted. The temp gauge was pegged, the temp light was on and the oil pressure light was on. It was still running great though. I drove home, about 1/4 of a mile. I opened the hood and the oil cap was melted and rad hose blown. The paint on top of the engine was smoking. Is there anything I should do besides let it cool down, refill with oil and water and see if it runs? Is the 2.4l Dodge Stratus engine well made and likely to survive
?

 

[mehullica]

Wow

 

[Merkava_4]

Did you say you drove a 1/4 mile after the radiator hose blew ?

 

[Avery4]

Yes, because there was nowhere to pull over. Was I supposed to stop in the middle of the road and get hit, or drive 1/4 of a mile home? Would the car getting hit and totaled not be worse than driving another 1/4 mile with a blown hose?

 

[CT8]

Put a new radiator hose ,fill the radiator and take it for a test ride.

 

[Avery4]

Originally Posted By: CT8
Put a new radiator hose ,fill the radiator and take it for a test ride.
Do you think it will still run?

 

[tomcat27]

Wow. That was one hot engine. Let us know! If you blew the head gasket or warped the head you will know. Not so sure on how tough the 2.4 is..... I'm on my third head gasket and second cylinder head on mine.

 

[MONKEYMAN]

Glad you are safe. Engine surviving is secondary, but would suck if this did it in.

 

[Avery4]

Is it a Stratus 2.4l?

 

[MrQuackers]

Maybe do a piston soak for a couple hours too.

 

[Brybo86]

Try filling it and get a new hose , if it works, you're lucky.
If not you will know that a $100 tow is cheap compared to a new engine, or car.

 

[Avery4]

I will let you know if it runs tomorrow. I will let it cool down overnight, refill with oil, get a new oil cap, replace hose, refill water and let you know if it runs. If it does, I will need a new temp sensor. The plastic plug part melted. Hopefully that is the extent of the damage. Will report back.

 

[Olas]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for your car to be ok, but I think that if it got hot enought to melt the fill cap and make cured paint start smoking I'm betting a mating surface warped.

Fill er up and see what happens

 

[Avery4]

Originally Posted By: Olas
I'll keep my fingers crossed for your car to be ok, but I think that if it got hot enought to melt the fill cap and make cured paint start smoking I'm betting a mating surface warped.

Fill er up and see what happens
It was running great when I shut it. Hopefully it still runs great. I see no reason it would not. The previous owner said it got so hot that it stalled before, so this is not the first time it got hot...

 

[Inspecktor]

If it still runs OK, go out and buy a lottery ticket right away.

 

[Brad_C]

Does that have a timing belt? If so I'd be looking very carefully at it for heat damage.

 

[Nick1994]

My mom did the same thing in her Buick with the 3.4L, except the thermostat stuck closed. Head gasket blew as diagnosed by my mechanic. Exhaust gasses getting into the coolant, overheating still but runs ok.

 

[eljefino]

You were overheating before you blew the hose, the hose was the weakest part. If it was due to traffic, the rad fan could be dead. If it was a head gasket, exhaust gas displaced the coolant and/or overpressurized the system.

Show us pictures!

 

[NHGUY]

That scenario sounds like the Duel Valiant when its radiator hose "blew".

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Avery4
Big problem. My 2000 Dodge Stratus 2.4L blew a radiator hose and started smoking, not steaming. There was smoke coming from under the hood. The oil cap melted. The temp gauge was pegged, the temp light was on and the oil pressure light was on. It was still running great though. I drove home, about 1/4 of a mile. I opened the hood and the oil cap was melted and rad hose blown. The paint on top of the engine was smoking. Is there anything I should do besides let it cool down, refill with oil and water and see if it runs? Is the 2.4l Dodge Stratus engine well made and likely to survive
?


After replacing the hose, and coolant, and checking the oil, I'd pressure test the cooling system too. That would determine if you blew a head gasket, or did some other damage to the engine. After that only time will tell, keep an eye on the oil and the coolant.

If the engine got hot enough to melt the oil fill cap I wonder how the valve stem seals and misc. other parts weathered the storm.