What is wrong with your 1998 dodge stratus if it wont turn over but the lights still come on and the battery is not dead?

Answer 1

There are several possibly problems. 1) Starter relay under hood is bad, rare but happens. 2) Starter/Ignition fuse bad in under hood fuse panel or under dash. Should be a yellow 20 amp fuse most likely. There is an EATX fuse that is in its own little special holder that pulls out. This is common, it is in the fuse box under the hood and is yellow 20 amp. This supplies power to the ignition switch and other things for the engine/computer. 3) ignition switch is bad, especially if you start it a lot and has high miles140k+ typically.

If you can find the starter there is a trigger wire on it, usually brown. If you can jump it with a wire directly to the (+) side of the battery it should crank. Be sure to have the key off. This will check for a bad starter. Also, there is a heavy read wire going to the starter. Make sure this has full battery power all the time. On a starter that is used a lot or has higher mileage the contacts get worn and won't make contact. On most Chrysler starters these can be changed out or bought separately from a starter repair shop usually for $10-$20. Much cheaper than a $200 starter. This is fairly common.

I would also check the battery cables, both (+) and (-) for good connections. It doesn't take much to power headlights but it takes a good connection to make a starter work. Check for corrosion around the ground wire to the frame and to the engine. Use a steel brush to clean the connection and put a little grease on it when you put it back together to keep it from corroding again. Good luck.