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Town & Country/Caravan Heating / Cooling

24

Comments

  • jakesecorjakesecor Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the advice as my 2002 T&C Limited with automatic temperature control is experiencing the same blower malfunction. I went to the dealer this morning and learned that the part number for my vehicle is 4885482AC, costing $63.35, but the part is back ordered and only 3 or 4 dealers in the US have it in stock as of now. As always when buying electrical parts it is important to know your vehicle's VIN when ordering a part otherwise you might buy the wrong part and find out that it might not be returnable.
  • jakesecorjakesecor Member Posts: 2
    Update - 4885482AC is the old part number. Another dealership gave me the right information and the part, which fixed the problem.
  • wdw66wdw66 Member Posts: 1
    On my 99 Town & Country the front driver and passenger fan has stopped working. (It will occassionally work for a few minutes then stop working again). The air is stil cold. If I have the vent on outside air we can feel the cold air being forced through by the outside air.
    The rear air fan is working fine. Any ideas before I contact the dealer. Thanks
  • hfse3hfse3 Member Posts: 1
    I have the same problem on my 2001 T&C and they gave me the 4885482AC part number which has been on national back order for 2 and half weeks. Do you have the part number the other dealership gave you?
  • dshymanskidshymanski Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1997 Town and Country (3.8 v6) with a rear heating unit. The Send/Rec lines that head to the back of the vehicle are completely deteriorated and are dumping coolant onto the ground.. Basically where the metal flange (next to the catalytic converter) meets the rubber hose fittings is completely gone on both lines. I assume this is due to the extreme heat caused by the converter (the rest of the undercarriage is clean) I was wondering if there was some way to plug the lines to the back so the vehicle can still be drivable until I can get the car to my shop to replace the lines in their entirety. Any advice on where to plug them and what to use would also be appreciated.

    It looks like replacing the lines next to the firewall/motor requires the exhaust system to be dropped out and a few other parts removed to get to these fittings.
  • thespeederthespeeder Member Posts: 1
    the FET part number is: 75343p

    I got one from www.mouser.com (part# 511-STP85NF55). Works great!

    $1.79 plus shipping. Good luck.
  • steel1966steel1966 Member Posts: 3
    Folks,

    So I went to the local Chrysler Dealer to have my vehicle looked at, since replacing the resister pack did not fix my issue where AC works in the rear, but not in the front. The dealer said it was a bad blower motor and would cost $400 to fix.

    Is this a normal price? How hard is it to replace myself with basic tools? I am handy, but I am just not sure how to go about doing this? Is there a website with directions on stuff like this?

    Also I need to replace my spark plugs as well. Can this be easily done or do you have to remove a lot of engine components to get them replaced in a 2002 T&C EX 3.8L?

    Thanks for any suggestions...
  • gabhanjacisagabhanjacisa Member Posts: 19
    OK, I know that some people say not to do it, but I put in a can of R134 refrigerant with stop leak about 3 months ago, and I must say I have been pleased with the results. The air has blown much colder, and I do mean much colder, than before.
  • kiddwolfkiddwolf Member Posts: 1
    Russ12,
    Have an 02 with same issue. Dealer says its the control head in the passenger compartment. Part # 5127466AB - $540 from them ... $261 from newchryslerparts.com.

    Haven't tried to replace it yet ... but how tough could it be?
  • tomy2tomy2 Member Posts: 7
    I have a 3.3L engine (2001 town & country), the front 3 spark plugs were easy to remove. Back 3 required removing wipers, the wiper cowl grille (6 bolts), whole cowl wiper assembly (6 bolts), disconnect wiper fluid hose & wire to wiper moters. Once removed it gives access to back plugs and PCV valve.
  • alphornalphorn Member Posts: 1
    We just spent $600 having the rear heating system lines replaced and all that wnet with it in our 2002 T&C. Do you think there is some kind of design flaw that could be turned into a recall? 5 years is much too soon for a garged van in NJ. I think there is probably a desing flaw with the catalytic converter, as you suggested.
  • eddyx1eddyx1 Member Posts: 1
    Front fan will not turn off . Tried new relay switch, still on high. I think it might be the actual climate control in the interior of the car. Also, my front AC never works, but the back does. I am sure it is two different issues, but dealers says $700 at least to replace the climate control because of dual control system (front and back)
    I would replace it myself, but can't find the right part # or part.
    Any idea why this is happening? Any idea what part(s) I need?
    Wife really frustrated, so any help would be great.
    Only 60K miles.....gets me mad
  • neil05neil05 Member Posts: 2
    Like an earlier post from someone else (no solution provided yet), my blower direction is stuck on front vent. I move my dial around (and the indicator lights move too), but no matter what, it's stuck on front vent.

    Any pointers to what part controls this, and where I should look is helpful!

    Problems with my HVAC on the 2005 T&C Limited are:

    1. Blower direction stuck on front-vent
    2. AC compressor does not kick on when I push the snowflake button
    3. Lights are burning out like crazy, and only the left most buttons are illuminated on the panel.

    Posted those other two problems because I personally think there's some type of root cause behind all of them..

    Thanks!
  • gviethgvieth Member Posts: 2
    I have a friend that has a 2004 T & C that can not turn the blower down.
    The zones work ok except when the system first comes on.
    He can't turn the system to manual or off.
    Any ideas?
  • jeffs72jeffs72 Member Posts: 6
    When my 2008 Grand Caravan sits overnight and the temps are lower than about 15, the HVAC system won't switch to the dash or defroster vents until the car has had a lot of time to warm up (more than 45 minutes). When it's warmer out, the system switches fine.

    I talked to the dealer and they said this is a common problem when they are new. Part of me thinks they just don't want to deal with the car; part of me thinks this might be reasonable. However, I also don't want them ripping the dashboard apart if they don't have to because of the likelihood of introducing a rattle.

    The problem is that I have to drive with my window open to keep the window clear. And when it's zero outside, that is not a lot of fun.

    has anyone else had this problem? I didn't see any TSB's about it and with the current cold snap, the problem is getting to me. especially since this car isn't even a month old yet.

    Thanks,
    Jeff
  • tedebeartedebear Member Posts: 832
    Can't you just switch it to manual control if you want the defrost mode right away? You're talking about the auto climate control, right?

    I have a fairly new Chrysler with auto climate control and it takes at least 5 minutes before the fan starts blowing on high when it's really cold unless I switch it to manual.

    I guess the engineers figured people wouldn't want cold air blowing on them and the computer waits until the antifreeze has reached a certain temp. Turning the knob from "A" to manual overrides all that.
  • nightstnightst Member Posts: 2
    I have a T & C 2000, 3.3 w/ 95 K.. My AC stopped working properly a while back and I took the car to the dealership for a diagnose. They told me that evaporator got a leak and the replacement would cost me $1,200. I didn't replaced it since it was still working and I figured, when is completely dead I will replace it myself.
    A few days ago, I noticed a squeaky noise coming from the serpentine belt. After taking it to the dealership again for a diagnose they told me that the noise is coming from the AC Compressor and needs to be replaced for another $1,300

    And now since the AC doesn't work any more I was thinking to replace them both including the compressor clutch, but I've been reading and reading most of the posts related to my problem on this forum and some other websites and before I buy the Repair Manual, I was wondering if one of the Edmund's Professional staff or one of the members can give me some info/tips on how to, and steps to be accomplished. I used to work on small car engines few years back when cars didn't have so many parts controlled by the computers. I also was wondering if the AC doesn't work any more I still have to take the van to a shop to discharge the rest of the freon if there is any left before proceeding with removing the AC compressor? Any help would be gladly appreciate it.
  • nightstnightst Member Posts: 2
  • jeffs72jeffs72 Member Posts: 6
    I wish it was that simple. The problem is that no matter what I set the climate control to, the air blew out of the heater vents (the ones at the feet). It did this even if I manually put it on Defrost and put the fan on max (makes for cold feet, that's for sure).

    The good news is that we had a warm spell and this problem seems to have corrected itself. I'm not sure if somehow a little bit of water was in the ducts or if the system did just have to "break in". I'm just happy it works right now.
  • chaz6chaz6 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2001 Chrysler Town & Country LX MiniVan. It has nearly 160,000 miles on it. I live in Michigan where it gets cold and snows. Two weeks ago (end of January), the vehicle began having heating issues...

    Upon start up, the engine runs fine. The needle on the engine temperature gauage remains at the bottom, at "C" for at least 5 to 10 mins. Then it slow increases to the 1/4 mark. Then within 1 minute it shoots up the the 7/8 mark close to the "H". (The first few times this happened I shut off the vehicle). However, now I found that after another 5 minutes, the needle lowers back down to the "just below the 1/2 way" mark.

    At the same time, my cabin heat stopped functioning correctly. Related? Perhaps.

    I can't get any heat in the cabin unless I'm traveling at least 40 mph. Therefore while driving through town, there is not heat. On the highway, I have all the heat I want. However after slowing back down to below 40 mph, the vehicle begins blowing cold air again.

    Since I take my children to school in the morning, they are freezing the whole way. I don't dare turn on the heat since it only blows cold air, but instead I've given them blankets. After dropping them off, I hit the highway to get to work, and then I'm warm and toasty!

    Let me know what you think,

    Chaz
  • tedebeartedebear Member Posts: 832
    It sounds like a stuck thermostat to me. When it first takes a long time for the temp gauge to rise and then you say it shoots way up, that indicates to me that the thermostat suddenly opens and lets all that trapped hot antifreeze through.

    The fact that the heat only works at higher speed might mean that there are clogged passages and you're only getting effective coolant flow when the engine is at a higher rpm and generating a higher water pump pressure.

    I recommend a new thermostat and a cooling system backflush.

    Also, I'm not a mechanic but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express. ;)
  • luvmyvan4luvmyvan4 Member Posts: 2
    I have a question about the a/c in an '02 LXi with a 3.8L engine if anybody can help out. The automatic temperature control (ATC) doesn't seem to be working like it used to. When I bought the van the a/c ran ALL the time, and I couldn't get "just" outside air, it was always "cool and dehumidified" air. Well, there was a big hole in the evaporator core, so a new core, accumulator, and interior cabin filter and $958 later...it doesn't work like it used to. My question is: is the a/c really supposed to run all the time, or not? I actually kind of like being able to cool the front seat (back seat a/c still seems to kick in to maintain temp) with outside air...but I also think it needs to be fixed if it needs to be fixed. TIA! :shades:
  • hywllhywll Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2001 T&C with the dual control heater. The passenger side slide bar works but there is no heat from the vents. drivers side is O.K This problem just started this week . Is this a fix it yourself problem.I should say their is cold air and ACbut no heat. Any advice is appreciated.John
  • jbob1315jbob1315 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2003 3.8L town & country van with auto climate control. this weekend i noticed that the blower fan in front will not turn off and it runs in only one speed. the temp adjustment works fine. when i try to turn off theheat/a-c the fan get louder like it is in recirculation mode even though the control panel looks like it is turned off. is this due to the resistor?? does anyone know the correct part number??
  • james90xjames90x Member Posts: 2
    i have a 2001 t&c limited and last night my blower fan stop working. the one in the rear is still working. Could this be the resistor/power module that is attached to the blower be the problem???
  • james90xjames90x Member Posts: 2
    Can anybody tell me what should i check if my 2001 T&c blower fan doesn't come on. I change that resitor module that's located in the glove compartment but that didn't fix the problem. Any ideas???????
  • jbob1315jbob1315 Member Posts: 3
    there is a fantastic website that should be able to help. you set the price as to what the answer is worth starting at $9 on up if you are satisfied then you pay but not unless the answer works a great time saving tool i have used it in the past well worth $9. good luck :confuse:

    http://car.justanswer.com/
  • tedebeartedebear Member Posts: 832
    I'd try a free Google search first. There are many links dealing with 2001 T&C blower motors. Here's one that might have the answer:

    2001 Blower Motor

    From the above link:

    just wanted to update this topic, I replaced my blower motor module tonight, took a whole 2 minutes and it fixed the problem
  • sfrisbeesfrisbee Member Posts: 2
    jbob1315; re: message #79

    I have the same exact problem you have, also on a 2003 T&C! The blower fan will not turn off and runs in only one speed. Temperature control works fine. When I turn the climate control system off, the blower switches into recirculation mode, even though the display is off. Coincidentally my daughter got a jump start yesterday, and they did not disconnect the battery. jbob1315 or others have an idea on this one?

    thx Fris
  • 43ngin43ngin Member Posts: 1
    I have an '06 Grand Caravan ( still under warranty )with the automatic Climate Control system. Recently I have noticed the air compressor cycling when the system is in manual mode ( non-auto mode ) without the air conditioning or the defrost switched on. I hadn't encountered that before. In fact, I have always thought that was the so-called "economy mode" in which the compressor would not cycle unless the air conditioning or the defrost was switched on. I understand the auto mode cycles the compressor as the system determines it necessary. I just normally prefer it in manual and turn on the air or defrost when I decide it's time.

    When I noticed it cycling, I took it to the dealer service I bought it from. They said "that's completely normal". I made sure they understood that it was in non-auto mode, but they insisted it will cycle the compressor periodically in non-auto mode. I may be wrong, but that doesn't seem right to me. Can anyone confirm or refute the dealer ?
  • hunterdshunterds Member Posts: 1
    Had the same problem as bravado1 with our 2003 Chrysler Town and Country van. Replaced the control module (p/n 5179985AA) and problem is solved. The control module cost $103 in Mpls, MN. Thanks for your help bravado1!
  • fmoyerfmoyer Member Posts: 1
    A C is not working. It was OK until we had the circuit boad on the control panel replaced to correct a problem with the blower fan control. any help.
  • heffe2001heffe2001 Member Posts: 1
    My 1999 T&C Limited's rear AC vents only seem to blow hot air, even when the AC Controls for the drivers side is set to max cool (slid all the way left). I'm also having an issue with the AC turning off and on with the fan controls set to the first selection. It'll blow cold for a few minutes to so, then it cuts out completely. It'll come back on occasionally, but not always. It runs perfectly fine when in position 2 (although the rear still blows hot, almost like it's set to heat instead of cool).

    Any ideas?
  • neilwneilw Member Posts: 2
    Has any body found a solution to the 2003 T&C front blower fan not turning off. IOur developed this very problem today. Identical to the way it has been described by others!
  • luvmyvan4luvmyvan4 Member Posts: 2
    I have an '02 T&C with the automatic climate control. If you've used the defroster and not cycled the a/c on and off, but just turned the knob from defrost to vents, then you're basically running the defroster through the vents. Try turning the automatic climate control on (low a/c) and then turning the a/c off again. This works in my van.
  • sfrisbeesfrisbee Member Posts: 2
    I fixed mine with a plug-in replacement of the blower motor power module. The module is located behind the glove compartment door, which folds down out of the way by squeezing in the side stops. For my 2003 T&C with automatic climate control, the module was $70 from dealer part dept.

    sfrisbee
  • neilwneilw Member Posts: 2
    Thank you to sfrisbee. I will give this a try.
  • mrfixit454mrfixit454 Member Posts: 1
    Same thing on our 04 Pacifca. To get around this.. in manual mode, we turn the "snow flake" on, then off and it seems to not cycle anymore.
  • bohica5bohica5 Member Posts: 1
    i am looking to see if anyone has had a similiar experience.. my 05 T & C was just diagonsed with a bad compressor for the A/C. In order to get a warranty on the new compressor, the entire system has to be replaced, costing about $1600..
    Can anyone provide further info, or has anyone has a similar thing happen ?

    Any help would be appreciated
  • mr_rplmr_rpl Member Posts: 2
    I have a 1999 T & C with 3.8L engine with rear a/c. The compressor went out on me. We replaced the compressor and dryer. We flushed out the system. AFter we got everything back together, we charged the A/C system. It is still holding the charge and does not look like freon is leaking out. However, it will not blow cold air like it used to. The air will blow cool when driving, but other than that, the air is not cool at all. Is there something we overlooked or something that we need to do to get the air cold again?
  • scovert640scovert640 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan with a leak in the rear A/C evaporator. I have been told it will take 4 to 6 weeks to get a replacement as there are over 6000 of these units on backorder. I can't help but think with this kind of failure rate that these are defective products and should be on recall. The car is about 8000 miles out of warranty. I would like to hear from others who are experiencing this problem.
  • kccatkccat Member Posts: 1
    I just learned today we have the same problem on our 06 Grand Caravan. Our van has 59,300 miles. The independent garage we take our vehicles to estimated the repair (including rear evaporator core, receiver drier, and evaporator expansion valve) would be $1043.00. Same garage also told me that the water pump will probably need to be replaced soon, which I think will be around $400.00. I am ready to bail out of this vehicle unless I can get some help. The AC leak is very small, we had it charged in May - they could not find a leak and put in dye - the cold air lasted a little over a month. Like you, I was told the parts were on order. I had them charge it once more today because of the 90+ temperatures now - not sure how long it will last. I called the dealer and could get no help. I am wondering whether to trade in now or make the repair.
  • scovert640scovert640 Member Posts: 3
    I have been checking into A/C problems on the internet and received this message from a large auto parts supplier:
    Well, you are correct about this being a widespread problem. I was contacted by my vendor a few weeks ago, notifying me that this evaporator core is under development, and that I had better place my order, because orders for this unit are huge.



    I just checked AllData and Mitchell for any bulletins regarding any A/C issues for your Grand Caravan (I checked Chrysler Town & Country as well), but there was nothing pertaining to the evaporator. Yet. I can tell you that there was a little-known bulletin related to the 2001-2003 models of your same vehicle with respect to the A/C compressor, in which Chrysler extended the warranty due to a higher than normal failure rate.



    We sell more Chrysler evaporator cores than any other, so they do have some problems. At this point, I recommend (1)making a big fuss, especially with the facts you have. If enough folks do that, they’ll cover the replacement. You might also post this issue on some Chrysler web forums. (2) Keep checking back for a technical service bulletin to be issued for this problem.



    TechChoice Parts Distributors

    3051 FM 663

    I am currently trying to contact the Chrysler District Service Manager and intend to follow up on this problem as much as possible.
  • scovert640scovert640 Member Posts: 3
    I took my van to a local independent repair shop as they were a little cheaper. They ordered the part one day and it came the next so there are some evaparators around. I only hope this one is better than the original. I have had no response from the district service manager so I assume they don't care about the problem and I didn't want to give any more money to the Chrysler Corp.
  • inhistimeinhistime Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2006 Grand Caravan STX w/ 18,000 miles. The rear A/C evaporator was replaced this month by the dealership. I had to wait about one month for the part to arrive because there were several other vehicles waiting for the same part.

    When the outside temp is over 90 degrees the vehicle interior is still warm. I am sweating even when using the recalculate feature :( The dealership checked it for the 3rd time and found nothing wrong. Have you experienced this problem and do you have any suggestions for a solution? Thanks
  • thedogethedoge Member Posts: 1
    I am in the same boat (waiting for the rear A/C evaporator) :sick: . 06 T&C with about 35K miles (phew just made it). Been enjoying the 90+ degree days with no A/C while waiting for over a month now. What crap. They should provide a loaner car for such a prolonged issues under warranty!

    I am also concerned about how long it will stay fixed since I am about to go out of warranty.
  • pixelpusher010pixelpusher010 Member Posts: 1
    I guess we are part of a much bigger 'club'. This weekend, I noticed fluid all over the garage floor at the right rear tire of our 2006 T&C. Wasn't sure what the leaking box was, so took it to the dealer today. He informed me that it was the Rear A/C Evaporator and that it is a $945 repair. Also said there were over 300 units on backorder and he could not give me a date at all. But would call when it came in.

    $945 for a this part? On a vehicle barely 3 years old, and then to find all of this info.... also found posts that this was a problem on the '05 model and Chrysler issued a recall for the "rust belt" states. :mad: :lemon:
  • fisher6836fisher6836 Member Posts: 1
    Hello All :

    I have a 2006 SXT (50,000 miles) which just had the rear evaporator replaced yesterday. The wait was about 4 weeks. The cost was $1,068 at Fire Stone. I can not believe that Dodge will not stand behind defective workmanship. At least they should be going after their subcontractor. It appears that the evaporator and the expansion valve are one unit. I was told that you can not just replace the expanson valve. There is also a hose that is recommended to be replaced. I do not believe I will buy a dodge again if thet can not stand behind their workmanship.
  • vanman17vanman17 Member Posts: 1
    Hello,

    I just had to replace the rear evaporator also in my 2006 Dodge GC SXT. Got dealer to provide the part free but had to have a Dodge Dealer install it. Problem is that I had already paid almost $400 to have a repair shop try to fix it. They are the ones who discovered the problem. So I had to pay labor twice for same work!!!
    Very disappointed but not surprised by Chrysler's not issuing a TSB on this problem. If they had I would have went to a Dealer in the first place.
  • 93taurus93taurus Member Posts: 6
    I have a 1994 Grand Caravan LE, with front and rear air. This is a minor problem, but maybe someone else has had the same problem.With the front air blowing out the dash vents on high, the air drops to the floor vents. I can shut off the blower switch, then turn it back on and it switches back up to the dash vents. When the air drops to the floor, a clunk can be heard, possible a malfunctioning blend door.If anyone has had this problem, I would appreciate the advice.
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