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Chrysler Minivan Transmission Problems

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Comments

  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Yikes! You're responding to a message that is nearly six years old! ;-)

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • showme1325showme1325 Member Posts: 1
    My wife has a 98 T&C and loves it. It has a few minor things though. A while back the automatic door locks (when you hit 20 MPH or so) quit working, the traction control quit, and more recently the cruise control quit. The van also will sometimes shift erratically but still goes in & out of gear fine. I was wondering if this is more likely the transmission control module or a problem with the transmission itself? Any help appreciated.
  • chowbuickchowbuick Member Posts: 13
    hi i just read your post please read my posts on this sight chowbuick i have a 1998 plymouth voyager the transmission pump seal was found leaking like a siv during a routine oil change when they took the tranny out to find the problem my torque cover and case had ahuge crack resulting in rebuliding my tranny to the tune of 3600 and beacause i have over drive it cost that much trannys for my van were impossible to locate even thru plymouth i had 120,000 miles on mine and no shifting problems if you swee my many other postson this sight i have had a nightmare with my van also just for saftey sake watch you serp belt and tensinor if the tensenor is out of alignment it will chew you belt good luck to you ihope you have better luck with your tnc then i have with my voyager
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    "...crack resulting in rebuliding my tranny to the tune of 3600 and beacause i have over drive it cost that much trannys for my van were impossible to locate even thru plymouth..."

    I'm really thinking that you need to find a different dealer. These transmissions are VERY easy to find and they do not cost any $3,600 either. We have the 3.8 liter engine in our 1998 DGC (which means that we too have the 4-Speed OverDrive transmission), and when the torque converter failed this spring my local dealer located AND installed a factory remanufactured transmission in three days. Cost? $2,600.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • chowbuickchowbuick Member Posts: 13
    shipo i dont have the 3.8 i have the 30 everytime i post truth or anything on this site you slam me down i also had to replace my case i have no idea of where you are but i have the bills to back me up if you can find your parts go for it with my blessings but please dont act like this ios a joke because it is not after all there are some lemons in everything i was just unlucky and got one
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Dude, I'm trying very hard to be the voice of reason here in spite of your very negative rhetoric. The fact is that I have a real problem with folks using anecdotal evidence of one vehicle (with an unknown an unknown service history no less) as a blanket indictment an entire model or brand (even brands that I'm not fond of for one reason or another).

    Your most recent post about your transmission woes seem to indicate that you've been dealing with a less than scrupulous dealer (not an unheard of thing for any brand). That you had to pay as much as you were charged (and then apparently had to wait for the pleasure) leads me to believe that you've not necessarily been treated the best. As for which engine and transmission you have; yes, I know that you have a Mitsubishi engine. What I was trying to say is that our vans have nearly identical transmissions and to refute what ever you were told about the availability. Like it or not, there have been millions of these vans made over the years, and there are plenty of these transmissions in the rebuilt/remanufactured pipeline.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • gregmangregman Member Posts: 24
    Anybody able to recomend a quality cooler for my '05 T&C LX.
    Prefer not to deal with Chrysler on this item due to excessive markups on parts.
  • vchengvcheng Member Posts: 1,284
    I have used a Hayden unit from PepBoys with my 1999 DGC with no problems. You may want to check those out.
  • gregmangregman Member Posts: 24
    Thanks for the info vcheng. There are no PepBoys where I live but can you give any details? Did you do the install yourself? Is there any difference amongst coolers?
  • vchengvcheng Member Posts: 1,284
    Hayden oil coolers are sold by a number of outlets. Check whatever chainstores are in your area. You can start your search here:

    http://www.haydenauto.com/hdoilcoolers.htm

    There are several models, rated according to GVW. I put in the biggest "Rapid-Cool" unit I could fit in there. I did the install myself. The kit comes with everything that one needs. The cost was about $70.

    If you have a choice, choose a plate-and-stack type cooler as there are more durable and efficient. The pipe-and-fin types work too, just not as well in my opinion.

    Good Luck.
  • jasonmwcjasonmwc Member Posts: 6
    How difficult was it to install? I have a 2006 SXT with a "mini" trans cooler already installed (that is what the dealer called it) so the lines are already running from the transmission.

    Thanks.
  • vchengvcheng Member Posts: 1,284
    ... is very easy to install. I just took off the bumper cover to gain easy access to the front of the radiator, and installed and plumbed the add-on cooler without a problem.

    All told, it took about 2 hours, allowing for a couple of beer breaks. Be sure that you route the hoses carefully so that they do not chafe against anything.
  • simon12simon12 Member Posts: 1
    I have been fortunate with this older van. I bought over a year ago with 120,00 now have 158,000. I have had to replace only mechanical things (struts, tires) and had one trans service done at about 138,000 . But now I am worried. At starting up the engine there is an intense jumping rumbling that remains for about 5 miles then drives smoothly.Every morning this jumping rumbling is stronger and lasts a little longer. does anyone know what's about to go?
  • bob134bob134 Member Posts: 1
    Rebuilt transmission at 90K miles. Van now has 155,000 miles and it is "harsh shifting" when slowing to a stop, also occasionally "harsh shifts" when going forward.
    Repair shop replaced control mod today---still having same problem.
    can this be fixed reasonably?
    (3.3 engine)
  • lar4lar4 Member Posts: 6
    I have an 84 caravan with the 3 litre automatic. I have 320000 km on it and it is just starting to stick in third gear and not shifting down when I come to a stop. Any ideas?
  • derf1940derf1940 Member Posts: 1
    ALL MINI-VAN TRANSMISSIONS HAVE A DOWN SHIFT PROBLEM .
    ( VALVE PROBLEM ) THREE DROPS OF BRAKE FLUID IN THE TRANS
    AT FOUR MONTH INTERVALS WILL CURE THE SHIFT PROBLEM AND
    AT 150,000 MILES YOU CAN TRADE A GOOD TRANS IN ON A GOOD VEHICLE .( SAME KIND )
    YOU MUST ALSO CHANGE THE OIL ( 1 GALLON IN THE PAN )
    AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR . THESE TRANSMISSIONS REALLY NEED THE ADDITIVES THAT KEEP THE SHIFT PATTERN SMOOTH .
    I KNOW HOW TO FIX THE TRANS ,BUT IT IS A PILE OF TROUBLE FOR THE AVERAGE AUTO MECHANIC AND UNLESS YOU HAVE A DEGREE IN STATIONARY ENGINEERING , YOU WONT KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT ( EVEN STAT. :sick: ENG`S DONT UNDERSTAND IN MOST CASES .)
    IT IS NOT A SIMPLE FIX FOR CHRYSLER
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    I think that the wise participant and lurker here in the Town Hall will take your comments with a very large grain of salt. Said another way, anybody who attempts to follow your advice will do so at their own risk.

    FWIW, given that the above post was your very first here at Edmunds two things occur to me:
    1) Said post was hard to read as it was all in "caps" and as such it comes off as somebody who is just ranting (and thus easy to ignore), and
    2) Until you've posted here for a while your credibility is highly suspect and from my perspective at least, very easy to discount.

    If I've unjustly dismissed your claims, please, offer some supporting science to back up what seems to be a preposterous recommendation.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • lar4lar4 Member Posts: 6
    I looked at the oil and it seems to be over filled couild this be the cause of inproper shifting?
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Did you perchance look at the oil level after the engine had been off for some period of time or was the engine running and the engine and transmission warmed up?

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • lar4lar4 Member Posts: 6
    I just bought the van in Dawson Creek BC Canada and drove it down to Vancouver. I did check all levels before the trip and it was a bit high .5 litres to much the van was running and in park when I checked. I siphoned some out and got the level right but now it doesn't want to shift into third until it is good and warm. I am really hoping on an easy cheap fix for it and not a transmission job any help would be great. This is my first mini van and I enjoy it and want to keep it in good shape but am hearing night mare stories about them now. I am not sure about that brake fluid in the transmission deal and am not willing to try it at this time. Thanks for the help.

    Larry
  • dougd7dougd7 Member Posts: 71
    Does this rumbling sound like marbles in a can? Does it seem worse when the A/C is on at idle? If so, I would have your mechanic check for a cracked flywheel. Mine did the same thing. Started to do it occasionally at start up and progressed to all the time when the A/C was engaged. I thought it was the compressor, but what is happening is the flywheel is cracking in jagged patterns around the plate that bolts over the flywheel and the sound of the flywheel moving back and forth is transmitting down the crankshaft and "exiting" through the compressor. Local mechanic charged about $550. It was about $68 for the flywheel and about $466 in labor plus tax and shop supplies. For reference my vehicle is a 2000 T&C Ltd AWD with 144K miles.

    Good luck.
  • stu5stu5 Member Posts: 2
    I very recently bought a 2003 Voyager with 70k miles. It was made in Aug 2002. It is my 4th Chrysler minivan. I must be a glutton for punishment. My last one that I still drive is going on 200k miles. Its trans was rebuilt at 107k miles. I learned to keep changing the trans fluid with the right stuff.

    My question today: My recent purchase has been great for the first 700 miles. To be protective, I took it to the dealer to have the trans fluid flushed and filter changed. The next 100 miles I have been driving (past few days) the hard downshift started as I coast down past 30 mph. Thud each time. I still have the rest of the 2000 mile, 2 month lubricated drive train parts warrantee, so I will take it back to the dealer, since it ran well until they changed the fluid and filter. What could have happened? What should I insist on that they will probably give me a hard time about?

    I read about the early model 2003s having bad pumps. Maybe the pressure is low when coasting at low engine rpm. How come the problem started after the fluid change. What could they have screwed up?

    I will try to take it in Friday, 10/20/06. Any advice forthcoming I could use very soon.
  • tsharplestsharples Member Posts: 1
    Hi, I recently brought my 1999 Chrysler T&C AWD minivan (120K miles) in to the dealer for routine servicing. When the mechanic dropped the tranny pan, he found a lot of metal at the pan magnet, which appears to be the remains of a failed bearing. No burned fluid tho. He is recommending a ($2000) rebuild, depite the fact that the transmission drives and works flawlessly. For now, I just had him do the other work, replace the fluid, and drove the van home. It still runs and drives perfectly, no odd noises, no shifting problems. Is this something I can just let go for a while? Any idea which bearing it might be? Thanks!
  • 5305ccw5305ccw Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1996 dodge caravan 3.0 with 3 spd trans. Will a trans from 1995 3.0 with 3 spd. work? Some say yes some say no. One said it won't do to a crank position sensor. Never heard of one. But why is it on the trans instead of engine. And could I put one on the 95 or make the van think it is there. From what I have learned it stops the spark. Please help. :confuse:
  • stu5stu5 Member Posts: 2
    I will do my own reply to my question.

    I took my car to the dealer with copies of the TSBs in hand pointing out what I expected them to do per Chrysler instructions. I did not expect them to do the more major surgery of dropping the trans to replace the pump, on the 2000 mile used car warantee. Unfortunately I was right. They only did the controller software update, which supposedly re-taught the trans how to shift properly (their words).

    So far, after 1 week of driving, it worked. But they did agree, if I had further problems of this type, since it was now documented, they would "fix" it again, even after the 2000 mile warantee ran out (a few more weeks from now) They didn't say how long after the expiration. When I tried to pin them down, they just mumbled.

    They said it was possible that the TSB had already been performed by a previous owner, and the new pump was in there, but had no way of knowing without pulling the trans. They further stated that the tech should have reflashed the controller when he did the fluid/filter change, and if he had, I would not have had any problems.

    Comments anybody???
  • ntbillntbill Member Posts: 20
    You wrote: They further stated that the tech should have reflashed the controller when he did the fluid/filter change

    The tech should reflash the controller? Wow. I'd like to have shipo's opinion on that. This is great if they reflash automatically, but I suspect that if you don't tell them, maybe they won't do the reflash.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    My opinion? Hmmm, under the old adage of "If it ain't broke, don't mess with it", I'd be very upset with my dealership if they did a reflash on my transmission when all I wanted done was a fluid and filter change. Why? The 4-Speed transmissions in our vans is a "Fuzzy Logic" system that learns your driving style and adjusts the shifts accordingly. A reflash would wipe out what the TCU has learned, causing you to have to retrain the system. That said, if there was an outstanding TSB recommending that a relfash should be done, then it's a crap shoot.

    True story: I did the European Delivery thing on my 2002 530i and while in Europe, that car performed flawlessly. When I picked it up here in the States I immediately noticed a trailing throttle to on throttle hesitation, sometimes much worse than others. I initially attributed it to the different fuel we have over here in the States, assuming that once the fuzzy logic drive-by-wire system became accustomed to the new fuel (and the driving speeds below 120 mph) that the problem would self correct. Unfortunately as days became weeks and then months without any improvement I took it to my new local dealer (I'd moved from NJ to NH in the meantime) and had them look into the problem.

    The mechanic test drove my car and initially dismissed the problem by saying "All of the manual transmission cars do that."

    I of course countered with, "Yeah, bull. It didn't do that when I had it in Europe."

    "It didn't?" He sounded genuinely surprised.

    "Nope, ran perfectly."

    He took it back into the shop and found that the computer carried a firmware revision that was released while my car was on the boat and as such couldn't possibly have been the original code. He reflashed the OBC with the (then) latest and greatest firmware version and problem solved. Had I known that the Vehicle Prep Center (VPC) or my selling dealership was going to do an obligatory reflash I would have done everything in my power to prevent that.

    Note to self, "For your next ED car leave a note in it demanding no reflash." ;-)

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • dburnettdburnett Member Posts: 3
    Hi guys,I'm new to the forum and need some help or opinions. I have a 03 T&C with 49k and the tranny makes a grinding noise when shifting to reverse. Also, the van will jerk if you try to move it in any gear.It feels like the brakes are holding it back and I hear a click sound inside when the brake pedal is pressed, a new sound. Any thoughts would help before its towed to the dealer. Thanks.
  • tonymacctonymacc Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2001 Tow& Country AWD with a 4 speed transmission.
    The check engine light came on and I am getting a P0700 and P0740 Error Code.
    This is what I found on the web
    P0740-TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH CONTROL CIRCUIT
    When Monitored: During Electronically Modulated Converter Clutch (EMCC) Operation.
    Set Condition: A) Transmission must be in EMCC, with input speed > than 1750 RPM.
    TCC/L-R sol achieves the maximum duty cycle & can’t pull engine RPM within 60 RPM of
    input speed. B) Transmissions is in FEMCC & engine slips TCC > than 100 RPM for 10
    seconds.
    Tcc solenoid possible causes
    • Check for misfire codes
    • Intermittent TCC solenoid
    • Check the TRANS fluid level and condition
    • Input shaft seals
    • Internal problem or TCC solenoid
    • Oil pump/shaft/seals
    • Torque converter
    • Valve body
    This is what happened. I checked my transmission fluid and it was low I added 2 quarts ATF+3
    A few days later the check engine light came on.
    I checked the transmission fluid and it seamed to be too high, I replaced all of the fluid with ATF+4.
    “Disconnected the hose from the radiator, ran the engine while adding fluid through the dip stick.”
    Problem not solved brought it to the dealer toque converter flying apart, pump pressure low, I need a new transmission $3500.
    Brought it to a transmission shop, recommended I try changing the filter if that doesn’t solve the problem just run the car the way it is.
    A rebuilt transmission would cost $2500

    Went home changed the filter there was sludge in the pan and on the magnet, nothing unusual but I don’t think I would know a problem if I say one.

    I red a lot of talk on the web about the P0740 code but nothing on what they did to fix it.
    I reset the code and took the van on the highway. Steadily accelerated to 70 mph. The light did not come on, going up a slight incline at 70mph and the light came on. I repeated this twice.
    The check engine light has to be reset each time it comes on.

    Any advice would be appreciated, I have some questions.
    Does the computer monitor the TCC all the time it is engaged or just when the engagement takes place?

    Where is the TCC solenoid, is it in the solenoid pack bolted to the front of the transmission?
    Could this be the problem? Can it be removed and cleaned?

    I am assuming the valve body is the assembly that the filter attaches to, can I remove this myself and if so what do I do with it once it is removed, can it be cleaned?

    What can I do to check for and eliminate each of the potential causes?
    • Check for misfire codes
    • Intermittent TCC solenoid
    • Check the TRANS fluid level and condition
    • Input shaft seals
    • Internal problem or TCC solenoid
    • Oil pump/shaft/seals
    • Torque converter
    • Valve body

    Thanks for your help
    Tony tony
  • rsmartinrsmartin Member Posts: 4
    get ready to replace transmission. your tranny is eating its guts as you drive. it will soon totally fail and let you sitting with a just a smooth whirring sound from the engine.

    i know, this is what happened all 3 times our 2001 T&C Limited transmission failed in the last 2 years. Just replaced it for the third time this week.

    My wife drives like a grandma, so I can assure you it's not from improper driving. I will never buy another chrysler.
  • relengerrelenger Member Posts: 1
    I bought a van off my grandfather for $200. when he went to do a tranny filter change he put Dextron-Mercon Oil in it and drove it. then it wouldn't move in second gear. so he flushed it out and put ATF+3 in it. then i bought it.
    here's what it does. when you put it in drive it goes through first gear fine then it shifts to 2nd and just makes a whining noise and acts like it want to move but dont. if you put it in reverse it goes backwards like normal. To get it to move forward you have to shut it off and re-start it. are the bands just tore up or do i need a hole new tranny?
  • coolgpscoolgps Member Posts: 3
    Tony,

    Looks like I am joining the club of Town and Country transmission woes. I'm getting the P0740 code as well. Both shops say I need a new transmissinon. I have a 2001 LXI with 95K miles. I'm shocked how bad this is. Chrysler just told me too bad and they are not going to help. I too will be out sharing the news to never buy Chrysler again. They do not stand behind their cars and are horrible quality. I'm strictly Toyota and Honda now. I urge people to run from Chrysler.
  • tonymacctonymacc Member Posts: 3
    Can you give me the details of your P0740 error? Do you see any difference in how the van is driving.
    When do you get the error when you are going over 55 MPH ?.
    Did you do anything that was different, changing the transmission fluid, adding fluid?
    Let me know how it works out and I will keep you up to date on my situation.
    tonymacchiaroli@yahoo.com
  • coolgpscoolgps Member Posts: 3
    The Town and country is seriously a bad design for their transmissinon. Do not buy this car. My transmission failed under 95 thousand miles! Poor quaility and electrical doors will fail you for sure. Run from Chrysler!
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Of the three Honda Odsseys and two V6 Accords in our neighborhood only one of the accords is still on its factory transmission. That said, one of the Oddys is on its second replacement transmission. Not a good failure ratio especially considering none of them have even 80,000 miles on them yet.

    Of the three DGCs in our neighborhood only one of them has required a transmission (one of ours @ 109,000 miles). To my way of thinking at least, 100,000 miles on a slush-box transmission isn't at all bad, and as such when the transmission in our 1998 went out last Spring I didn't hesitate for a moment regarding what to do. I simply had a factory remanufactured unit installed as quickly as possible.

    Run from Chrysler? Not me. My wife and I have owned cars from Japan, America and Germany and by far the two DGCs that we own have been the most reliable of the bunch (well, two of the German cars were ultra reliable too, they just didn't get driven as many miles).

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • dburnettdburnett Member Posts: 3
    Well guess what? The transmission is gone...Luckily, it was replaced under warranty minus the deductible. It was in the shop for a week,not too bad considering the dealership was sold the next day after it was towed. We are now looking for a new vehicle though. A transmission should last for more than 48k. Thanks
  • mfahey1mfahey1 Member Posts: 419
    This comment isn't aimed at any one person who is having transmission problems but it never ceases to amaze me that people fail to do normal routine preventative maintenance such as changing the fluid and filter at the recommended interval (or sooner) and then can't understand why their transmission didn't meet their expectations for service life.
    The same goes for the coolant. Extended life coolant doesn't mean it lasts for the life of the vehicle, just that it lasts longer than traditional antifreeze.
  • 97xpresso97xpresso Member Posts: 249
    How often was the fluid and filter changed in the 95,000 miles? And if so, who changed it? Dealer or quik-lube place?
  • dburnettdburnett Member Posts: 3
    In response,all the preventative maitenance had been performed. The transmission was serviced by dealer and I do the oil,filters,and etc. It's fixed now so problem isn't so much a problem now. We had over a 100k on the 97 T&C with no problems. We'll just keep our fingers crossed.
  • abhay1abhay1 Member Posts: 1
    Hi all,

    I have a 2006 Town and Country that I bought in May this year. This past friday when I was heading out to work I put the car in reverse and the car didn't move. I put it in drive and the car didn't move either. I'm not sure if its a tranmission problem or not. The parking brake is off. Nothing out of the ordinary has happened, I parked the car thursday night and friday I was about to take it to work and it just doesn't move.

    To me it feels like the brakes are engaged for some reason and they are not being released. When I put the car in reverse or drive it feels like the car wants to move but something is stopping it from moving and thats why I think the brakes are engaged.

    Has anyone had this problem or even heard about it? Again this is a new car, a 2006 Town and Country with about 6K miles on it.

    I have it scheduled to be towed Monday morning to the dealer but I wanted to hear if somebody else has had this problem.

    Thanks for your input.

    Abhay.
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,384
    The real key in the T&Cs and GCs is to buy it with the 3.3 liter engine. The 3.8 is the same engine bored out further for more power but the transmission was not built to handle that extra power. The engine overwhelms the transmission.

    I would bet that is the same case on Honda automatics that fail. I'm actually wondering if anyone can build a decent minivan transmission for a big engine.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Thinking back on this from an empirical perspective, I've actually seen more 3.3 and 3.0 liter vans need new transmissions than the 3.8 liter motivated ones. True, false? Don't know, I don't have the raw numbers in front of me. That said, if you check, the model and revision number for the transmission fitted to the different engines ARE different, and I know for a fact that at least the 3.8 version (and maybe to a certain extent the 3.3 version as well) is a heavier duty unit than is sold on lesser engined vans.

    Specific to the transmissions in our two 3.8 liter DGCs, the one in our 1998 failed a few months after our local dealership introduced ATF+4 into the transmission for the first time. Was that what caused the failure? Many folks say "not a chance", however, there is plenty of evidence to suggest otherwise. Either way, the original tranny on that van managed to go 109,000 miles (exactly) before it went Tango Uniform. The tranny on our 2003 is fast approaching 80,000 trouble free miles and given that it is a newer and more robust generation of transmission, my bet is that it will see the far side of 150,000 miles before it even thinks of acting up.

    The good news for DC minivans in the future is that the current 4-Speed transaxle is at the end of its life, and even if it has become a robust and long lived transmission, it cannot easily escape its stigma of being plagued by problems. A year from now the Gen5 DC vans should be on the road and by all accounts these new vans should be sporting an all new 6-Speed automatic gear box on many (if not all) models. Will that one develop a reputation of being more reliable? Only time will tell, however, it is my understanding that momma Daimler had a lot of input into the gearbox and that it should prove out to be a good transmission.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,384
    Do they even sell lesser engined vans anymore?

    What you are saying makes sense. Will note carefully if looking at Chryslers when replacing the Ody - which won't be any time too soon despite its 110K. I figure at this point I value no car payments over a new car.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    "Do they even sell lesser engined vans anymore?"

    I believe that the 2.4 liter engine is still available on some SWB Caravans, although I haven't checked that one in quite some time. The much maligned Mitsubishi 3.0 liter V6 is thankfully long gone while the Flex-Fuel Chrysler 3.3 liter unit is still very much in production and in favor with many mini-van drivers.

    "What you are saying makes sense. Will note carefully if looking at Chryslers when replacing the Ody - which won't be any time too soon despite its 110K. I figure at this point I value no car payments over a new car."

    Same boat I was in earlier this year. When the tranny in our 1998 bailed I was looking at either a new van and payments (something I haven't had for quite some time) or spending $2,600 on a factory remanufactured unit for that van. Considering the fact that it only had 109,000 miles on it, has an engine in it that now at the 130,000 mile mark still isn't using any oil and has been otherwise generally reliable (I've spent something like $300 in unscheduled repairs beyond the transmission), I figured that the $2,600 was money well spent.

    Regarding the factory reman units, they are built to the latest engineering build (i.e. model year 2000 build or newer) of that generation of transmission and as such they are designed to use the new fully synthetic ATF+4 tranny fluid. Said another way, the replacement transmissions will most likely outlast the factory unit by tens (or even hundreds?) of thousands of miles.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,384
    $2,600 on a factory remanufactured transmission on an otherwise sound (especially the engine!) car is money well spent.

    The transmission in the Ody was a factory remanufacture from, I believe, 2004. We hope for the best there. Should there be a failure the old quote was somewhere in the $5 - 6K range! (This is why there is really something to be said about domestics - cheaper parts!) At that point I'd have to think about it. Another factor that I'd take into account is that the local independent transmission shop does really excellent work and cheaper than the dealer. I'd certainly consider him.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    When my neighbor told me that he'd had to pay just under $5,000 for the second replacement transmission in their Ody I didn't believe him, I was certain that he'd had other work done too. Based upon what you've said, he apparently wasn't pulling my leg. Oops! My bad. :P

    I think you're absolutely correct, if I needed a new tranny for an Odyssey that was outside the warranty period, I would almost certainly use an independent shop that offered a good warranty. ;-)

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • bri1270bri1270 Member Posts: 1
    Hi All,

    I have a 1998 Grand Caravan. A while back, we had the lower ball joints replaced, and in the process, my mechanic replaced both axels as well. He said they were a tad loose, and it was relatively inexpensive since he already had everything apart. Well, since then, I have had a small nuisance leak coming from the axel seal on the drivers side. I have taken it to 4 different places (no dealers though) including a transmission specific shop, and no one can figure out why the seal is leaking. The seal itself has now been replaced about 6 times. I was just wondering if anyone else out there has had the same problem, and if so, what the fix might be.

    Thanks,
    Brian
  • crestonavecrestonave Member Posts: 209
    We bought a brand new 1996 Chrysler T&C (redesigned) and took the extended warranty. The transmission failed at around 50k and was replaced under the extended warranty.

    My wife loves her minivan so we traded in the '96 T&C in 2001 for a brand new Dodge GC ES and again took an extended warranty. At about 50k miles the transmission failed and was replaced under the extended warranty.

    Pretty sad, huh? These are the only two cars I've ever taken an extended warranty on, and it obviously was money well spent.

    Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Honda, here I come!
  • w9cww9cw Member Posts: 888
    Here is my experience with my one and only Caravan: a 1994 Grand Caravan ES, purchased new in July 1994, with 160,650 miles currently on the clock. Up until a few days ago, the ONLY mechanical repair, other than brakes, serpentine belt, and plugs (normal maintenance items), was one starter motor two years ago - and, I replaced the starter myself at a parts cost of $77.

    The original 4-speed ECT is still shifting fine - no transmission replacements here. I change engine oil every 3 months/3K miles (Mobil 1 5W-30), and ATF every 20K miles.

    Re. the "Up until a few days ago . . ." statement: the head gasket on the front bank of cylinders on the 3.3L V6 began leaking badly on Saturday, so the Grand Caravan ES may have come to the end of its road. It's unfortunate, as the exterior and interior are excellent. The independent shop wants $1,500 to $2,500 to replace the head gasket(s), which is not really cost-effective. Their estimate is almost entirely labor, as the cost of a FelPro complete head gasket set from most parts houses is around $100. So, I may be spending my next few weekends doing this one myself!

    All in all, it's really been an excellent vehicle.
  • masterpaul1masterpaul1 Member Posts: 421
    I'm sorry to hear about your misfortune. Was regular maintenance done on the trans. and was it by a Daimlerchrysler dealer? We bought an 01 DGC EX used in Sep. 03 with only 37K. We know have over 80K and no trans. problems. The trans. has been serviced once by a Daimlerchrysler dealer at around 54K. :)
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