2.4L engine failure modes???

I've got a 2002 Caravan with the 2.4L engine.
It's got 92,000 on the clock.

I'm wondering what is the most common failure mode with these engines?

I gather that since the head gasket redesign of 1999, the head gasket
is no longer a common failure.

I'm curious since when I check replacement or rebuilt engine prices
for the 2.4L, they are rather high in the range of $3500 PLUS labor.
It's a fairly complex engine with its twin overhead cams and balance
shaft design.

Can I expect this engine to get to 150,000 miles with average
maintenance?

Anyone out there run any of these engines up to high mileages without
a teardown? They've been used in the Caravans, the Cloud cars and the
PT Cruiser.

When they fail, what typically goes first? Bearings? Rings? Cams?

Doug

 

Since you shouldn't have the headgasket to worry about, it should be
just regular maintenance items. The manual for my Stratus recommends a
timing belt change at 101,000 miles. The water pump should be changed
at this time since it is easily accessible. The timing belt tensioner
was changed for the 2003 model year from a *plunger* to a "wind up"
style, but I don't believe it is necessary to change it. The newer
style tensioner requires that the timing belt covers be changed as
well.

The only other failure that I have experienced was the rear main oil
seal. The transmission must be removed for replacement, as it is one
piece.

I am hoping to get at least 150,000 out of mine.

-KM

 

I have a 1999 4 cylinder Voyager, with oil leaking down the engine from
somewhere up high. Is this the common headgasket failure mode? Or is
it more likely a valve cover or camshaft seal? I'll go out to a car
wash and spray the engine clean to see for myself as soon as the weather
warms up a bit, but I thought I'd ask just in case somebody has any
words of wisdom for me.

 

Inside driver's door frame, there should be a month/year for when your
van was manufactured. If it was built in late 1998 or early 1999, it
could still have the bad gasket. When the one in my 1998 failed, it
started leaking oil from the left-rear corner of the engine. There
were no other symptoms of a typical headgasket failure. There is
supposed to be a way to see view the gasket from the side, and the
multiple layers of steel will be visible. This would mean that you
have the new gasket.

-KM

 

Thanks, I'll check that out. I'm always amazed at the amount of good
information that is shared here.

 

Be carefull if yours leaks. It ends up with low oil supply to cams & they
chew themselfs up

 

Any 2.4L engine owners with high mileage out there?
I'm referring specifically to the 2.4L only.


Doug

 

Yeah, I have 160,000+ on my 98 Stratus with the 2.4. It had the bad
gasket, but Chrysler agreed to participate in sharing the cost; repair
was not free, but not 100% either. And the other failure was the rear
main seal, like somebody else mentioned. That really sucked - a friggin
amount of labor and $$$ to change a $5 part.
It's started burning oil lately - about 1 quart every 2000 to 3000
miles. (It's regular operation burning, you can't see or smell it, not
the bad valve startup puff of black smoke). I'm using Mobil 1 Extended
10W30, and that's why I notice - because of the long change intervals. I
wonder if changing to a thicker oil will improve things - like the
Rotella synthetic 5W50?

 

Sounds good, except for the real main seal.

I'm using a quart of oil every 3,000 to 4,000 at 92,000 miles on my
2.4L I'd bet that even with your engine using a quart every 2,000 to
3,000 miles, the factory would regard that as still within spec.
It's not really much consumption.

At what mileage did you change the timing belt?
Did you do the water pump with it?

When/if you also changed the serpentine belt (fan belt) did you also
change the tensioner?

Doug

 

Yeah, except it isn't. Now that I opened the spreadsheet with the
service dates to answer your questions below, and see that I had to
replace the cat converter too at about 100K. I had forgotten about that one.

Did the belt together with the main seal, at 86K. It was not due
yet, but it's good we did it, as it had two teeth broken off. No, the
water pump is still the original.

No, just the belts - I had them both changed together with the head
gasket at 80K.

 

Thanks for the post.
However, the cat converter failure has nothing to do with engine
failure, unless of course the engine was misfiring for many miles,
clogging the converter with unburned fuel.

If you didn't simultaneously have something else wrong with the
engine, the converter simply failed on its own.

Doug

..

 

You are being pedantic Technically, what you say is correct, but
from a user point of view, the "check engine" light comes on

Yeah, that's how it was.