Need some information or help PLEASE

[Debi-Jill]

Hello

I would like to first say that I am a stupid female so PLEASE help me firgure out what is wrong with my 98 Dodge Stratus PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some times but not all the time when you are setting at a long stop light or in traffic my oil light will start to flicker on and off. If the light has been flickering then when you do take off it smokes like you would not believe. But other days you can set though the same lights and traffic and nothing happens at all. When the light flickers is spitters and sputts and acts like it wants to cut off too. Now I know that I have an older car with a LOT of miles on it (153,000) but I am a single mom so I can't afford anything else.

This started to happen after going down the interstate one day and the car started bucking like it was out of oil, but when I checked all the fluid levels were fine. The check engine like came on that time but not long enough to leave a "code" I had that checked. I have had my car to several places and no one so far can tell me what is wrong with it and one man just said keep putting oil in it and drive it until it blows up.

So if you have any ideas PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks
DJ

[Dodgevanman]

Do you happen to notice what color smoke? Blue, White, or black?

[Debi-Jill]

Hi Nate :-)

[Debi-Jill]

Hi Nate :-)

The way it looks in the rearview mirror it is white and thick.

Any Ideas??????

Thanks
DJ

[Dodgevanman]

White smoke generally indicates coolant getting into the cylinders somehow. Either by a bad head gasket, bad intake manifold gasket, cracked head, or cracked intake manifold.

Sometimes it's hard to diagnose any one of these conditions without some specific tests. Do you have a mechanic that could take the car to?

[pirahnah3]

knowing the strats quite well i wouldl ean towards a new headgasket is the cure for you. Alot of the strats cant seeem to make it far beyon the 120k mark withought needing one. And if you have 153k on it shes prob due. Thatwould be my first guess withought being able to look at it.

[LB3711]

what engine do you have?

[Debi-Jill]

The engine is a 6 cylinder 2.5

Thanks
DJ

[LB3711]

do a compression check see if theres a bad valve or a bad ring