Chrysler Minivan Transmission Problems

royallen · August 2004

Has anyone noticed Edmunds "true cost to own" based on 5 years and 75000 miles. For example-
'03 Caravan maint 4361, repair 1253,dep,gas etc,total 28435
'03 Odyssey maint 4221, repair 1233, ...." " " total 32838

'01 Caravan maint 5579, repair 2274, .... " " " total 27705
'01 Odyssey maint 5467, repair 2104, .... " " " total 33371

One would notice very little difference in projected repair cost on average and even more interesting very little savings operating a '01 vs a '03!

Steve, I have a guess that these repair cost estimates come from fleet operation data. Is this true? Roy

stever · August 2004

I'm not sure where we get the data for the TCO - the blurb says "the costs are researched and placed into a series of proprietary algorithms developed by Edmunds' statisticians."

For our Maintenance Guide, the labor rates "are determined from data provided by a company that regularly surveys rates being charged by dealer and independent repair facilities throughout the U.S."

Steve, Host

royallen · August 2004

Steve, very interesting - I can't resist some humor: "Statistician: A man who believes figures don't lie, but admits that under analysis some of them won't stand up either."
To the extent the totals are reasonably on target, one can see why Caravan outsells Odyssey. Roy

andrelaplume · August 2004

it oustsells because it is far cheaper. Thats what has me looking now. The comfort, ride etc etc. certainly are plusses. The negatives are the tranny and possible a/c.

dustyk · August 2004

Andre,

Yes, I agree with you that people do have the perception that Chrysler mini-vans have a "flawed" transmission.

Try something. Do you have a transmission repair place near you? If you have one in convenient proximity, visit it every day for one or two months a note what's sitting there waiting for repair. I think you'll be surprized.

As to Dodge Caravan owners not keeping them long, nothing I've ever seen supports that. In fact, it might be the opposite is true. Those one or two-year old used mini-vans of any type are far more likely to be just off lease or used rentals.

Regards,
Dusty

dustyk · August 2004

I would hope Toyotas are more reliable. They're more expensive, which I think is one of the reasons the Chrysler mini-vans are still extremely popular. These are generally accepted to be the mini-van for the masses, where Toyota and Honda have the perception of being "upscale."

Regarding Consumer Reports, yeah, I agree. The difference between CR and others is CR is unsolicited and prone to statistical biases. In addition, their database is indiscriminate, compounding the problem.

R.L. Polk and others obtain names from various new car sale or state registration systems. So for one, they know what kind of vehicle you will be supplying data for. CR has no way to verify that information.

Most others report in more finite terms, while CR uses the silly "dot-category" system which is arbitrary and biased.

Bests,
Dusty

mrblonde49 · August 2004

Don't know what to tell you. I got the car under the affiliate rewards program at 1% under invoice (and then less 6K in rebates) - so there was certainly no padding going on. I think he said there was a reduction of about $100 in the standar price of the warranty contract (because I had tehe partner program). But it seems like you are getting quoted much higher than that

andrelaplume · August 2004

Let the delaerships report problems into a public data base. That would put it all to rest. No chance of that happening thought.

andrelaplume · August 2004

I will call a few tranny shops and ask them. Of course I'd expect they would work on more Dodges since more are sold. I will ask about vans 4 years or older thus out of warranty. It will be interesting to see when they start seeing the Toyotas and Hondas showing up with problems.

For what it's worth I just went to:

http://1sourceautowarranty.com/

I saw this mentioned somewhere else on Edmunds; I am not saying it is a good or bad source; just a reference.

I plugged in a 99 Caravan SE w/70K miles as well as the same year Toyota Sienna CE and Honda Odessey LX with the same miles. Unless I messed something up, a 12mo/12K warranty on the Dodge is $1800, the Toyota is $1200 and the Honda is $1100. Interesting I thought.

royallen · August 2004

These warranty data are interesting since they are estimates of risk done by actuaries using statistical methods. The difference from Edmunds cost predictions is this company's financial results are at stake. Also they differ from JD Powers, which is reporting after the fact results, while the warranty data are estimates of expected results like the betting odds of a horse race and what happens will be somewhat different. So in the above example Honda is predicted to cost slightly less than Toyota, however, only the company will know later when the claims are all processed if it turned out to be true. Roy

stever · August 2004

Looks like an interesting benchmark you came up with Andrelaplume. I'd be curious to see some other company quotes (although many won't quote after 60,000 miles).

Steve, Host

andrelaplume · August 2004

The major reason I even found it was that a family member has a 99 w/70K coming out of warranty. It has had 2 tranny's so far. He is afraid to keep it w/out a warranty. I'd thought I'd look on line for him.

Here's another, not as bad looking for Dodge but still....

www.webdirectwarranty.com

2/24 Dodge GCaravan w/$100 ded: $1750
2/24 Toyota Sienna w/$100 ded: $1612
2/24 Honda Odessey w/$100 ded: $1319

I did make sure to keep the coverage consistent as well as the vehicle age and miles.

badgerfan · August 2004

A coworker of mine just bought a new 2005 GC with Stow and Go seating and paid $19800 (no trade in). I assume this is the price before tax title and license transfer. This sure sounds like a good deal, even assuming it is an SE Plus with no additional options, which has an MSRP of $25180.

He is not a car nut, so the conversation wanders pretty quickly away from the details of the van he bought, and it is his wife's primary car so it doesn't come to work with him.

Quite a good price for a long wheel base, basic family minivan but with the stow and go seats.

My opinion on extended warranties: Don't buy any. Save the money in an interest bearing savings account earmarked for car repairs. You will likely be money ahead if you "self insure".

hansienna · August 2004

Most interesting that the Caravan costs less to own than an Odyssey when a reliable company does research ("True cost to own" an'03 Caravan $28,435 vs $32,838 for an '03 Odyssey).
An old wive's tale takes a long time to die as indicated by the erroneous perception that Chrysler minivans are less reliable than Honda or Toyota.
After reading the various forums in Town Hall, it appears to me that owners of DaimlerChrysler minivans are having fewer problems than are owners of Honda or Toyota. The DC minivans continue to offer the most long term value of any minivan.

andrelaplume · August 2004

Not sure where that data comes from. Could they have been comparing the cheapest model Caravan vs a more expensive Odessey. We all now the Honda's cost more to start with. Hey I am no Honda or Toyota fan. I have owned Toyotas, Plymouths and Fords and can say none are as bad or as good as their reputation portrays them. Still, I think you will have a VERY hard time convincing most folks that the DC is as mechanically sound as the Honda or Toyota. Cheaper to own...well I suppose if you buy one new and get rid of it before the tranny goes then yes, it is cheaper to own. (Lets not talk about depreciation on th DC though!) The fact is that the DC vans are just as comfy, drive as well or better, are just a roomy if not more so and compete well in the gas mileage arena. But...based on CR, postings here, some Edmunds reviews and 3rd part warranty pricing they simply do not have not have a good mechanical reliabilty record. For all their fine qualities the sell cheap, depreciate quick and have a greater chance for mechanical failure. Of course it's nice to get a new van for under $20K or a one year old one used for $16K. Just understand what your are getting and put some $$$ aside for future repairs and you'll be fine.

neuroid · August 2004

Hey guys,

I've read over a good bit of the discussion here, and I've got a car-buying quandary for you nice people :-). I'm looking at two cars right now: A used 2004 T+C Touring edition and a new 2004 Toyota Sienna LE. The T+C has 18K miles on it, and is pretty well loaded: power doors + gate, dvd player, leather interior, etc. (no navigation system, but just about everything else I could ask for). The Sienna would be a base LE model, with power Rt. side door and rear air. The prices on the two are almost identical (about $24,500). The extras on the T+C are *very* nice, but it does have 18K miles on it, and I'm a little concerned about the reliability of the T+C. They have basically equivalent warranties (3/36 bumper-bumper and 7/70 powertrain, I think), except for the fact that the T+C has used up 18K of it's miles.

So whaddaya think? Which one will we be happier with? Keep in mind that we've got four kids, and take 300+ mile trips a couple of times a year.

I've also considered buying an extended warranty for either (not from the dealer).

Also, for the 2004 T+C, do I still need to worry about it using ATF+3 (or +4) transmission fluid as has been mentioned here and in some other places? Is there a way to look at the fluid tell what's in it now? Though I assume it would have the original transmission fluid...

Thanks very much in advance for your response.

andrelaplume · August 2004

What will the TC be worth next year? The Sienna? How about after 3 years?

hansienna · August 2004

Comfort or perceived reliability edge? Are you buying a minivan to use or is resale the primary factor.
If most factors are comparable, I would always prefer the NEW vehicle where I am the responsible driver and know it has not been abused before I buy the vehicle.
Based on reading many forums in the Town Hall, I would NOT worry about transmission failure in a late model Chrysler minivan.

neuroid · August 2004

Thanks for the response hansienna. I'd be buying the van to drive for a good while; probably at least until it's paid off. That's part of the reason the mechanical reliability rating of the Sienna is more attractive to me. But if I'm going to have the van for awhile, the 'creature comforts' of the T+C are pretty attractive. I'd have to pay several thousand more $ to get the same features in the Sienna.

andrelaplume · August 2004

I do not suppose you can wait 6 months or a year and find a similar T&C, no doubt it will have deprciated a great deal by then. You could band the saved $$$ for future repairs. You could be getting the best of both worlds.

neuroid · August 2004

An interesting idea, andrelaplume, but waiting isn't much of an option. Our other car is a 1991 Chrysler LeBaron with no air conditioning, and a somewhat dodgy heater. We've got four kids, and while we all technically 'fit' in the car, it's not a pretty sight. :-)

jtheron · August 2004

neuroid,

Have you looked for new 2004 T&C's?

We purchased a new 2004 T&C Touring Platinum edition with a list of about $36,00 and we paid about $24,000 for it, why look at a used T&C when brand new ones should be out there for the same price?

We are overall very happy with our van, its the nicest car/van/truck we have ever owed.

neuroid · August 2004

jtheron,

Maybe you live in a vastly different market from me, or maybe you're just plain lucky, but I haven't seen a price anything like that good here (Raleigh, nc). $28,000 - $30,000 is the asking price for a new 2004 T+C touring edition around here. Congrats on the great buy, though!

vanfan · August 2004

I am currently looking to purchase an 04 T&C Touring model (not the Platinum, but they have one in stock) and would greatly appreciate knowing all the incentives/rebates you were given.
Thanks!

stever · August 2004

Please try the Chrysler Town & Country: Prices Paid & Buying Experience discussion too.

Steve, Host

jtheron · August 2004

Hi vanfan

I posted our buying experience in prior post, I will copy those post for you, hope it helps. Dealer did not seem to care about incentives we qualified for although there were many incentives at the time we bought
Sorry for the LOOOONG post
Good Luck

2005 Town & Country and Grand Caravan
#119 of 278 Looked at the 2005 decided to buy the 2004 by jtheron Feb 29, 2004 (5:08 pm)

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We checked out the 2005 T&C to see the new features, were not impressed by the Stow n Go seats, neat how they fold into the floor but to us they seemed uncomfortable, not enough padding, to narrow, to short , small headrest, and flat back. Also wondered how they would hold up over time with dirt and stuff falling into the bottom of the seats and the folding system, the durability of the folding covers also concerned us.
Both my wife and I noticed how you could feel the cupholders as you entered the 2nd row captains chairs. She is only 5'2'' and 120lbs and said she felt uncomfortable in the seats, said she could fell the seat frame or cupholder assembly. I am 6'4'' and 240 lbs and I noticed the same things, also didn't like the fact that the headrest was sticking into the middle of my back when I first sat down, had to raise the rather small headrest up a long way to protect my head, seemed like my shoulders were above the top of the seat and exposed, felt weird. The seats seemed very odd looking, the back was flat and felt strange and uncomfortable, the 2004 seat backs are much taller and they cradle the body as they are curved, just feel more natural.
The Stow n Go seats fold into the floor, easy quick and neat, but how many times do you need to do that? some may need it often but many people won't just depends on ones usage habits. To us we did not want to have to every day endure what we felt were uncomfortable seats for the ease of the Stow n Go option that we would only expect to use once in a blue moon. We have a family of four and will use the 2nd row seats almost every day, yet we would only very very rarely need to use the full cargo storage space.
After we looked at the 2005 we decided to buy the 2004 while they were available and were discounted. We were offered almost $12,000 in discounts on a 2004 T&C van priced at almost $36,000, we felt that was fair although we would have held off buying had we not been disappointed in the 2005 seats.

Chrysler Town & Country: Prices Paid & Buying Experience
#35 of 54 mrblonde49 by jtheron Mar 01, 2004 (6:05 pm)

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Hi blonde.
Thanks.
No, ours was not an advertised special, the T&C advertised special was for a MSRP of $27,490 and a newspaper ad price of $18,964, for a total discount of $8,526.
We inquired about the price they would sell a Touring with a MSRP of $33,505, they said they would sell that one for $27,218,(giving us a discount of $6,287) they would allow $800 for trade value for our van plus wanted $26,418 cash. (my error in my original post, as it was another dealer said our trade was worth $600). We laughed at that, their first offer, and showed them their own ad that discounted the $27,490 van by $2,239 ($8,526 - $6,287 = $2,239) more than they were offering us yet we were buying a $6,015 more expensive van. We also had 10 ads from other dealers in this and neighboring metro areas that showed T&C vans discounted by $9,500 and $10,000 and $10,500, some ads said $500 below invoice and customer keeps all rebates, some ads said $1,000 and now even $1,500 below invoice with customer keeping all rebates.
We told them we felt $21,000 cash + trade-in van was fair for a $33,505 - 2004 T&C Touring, they asked us were we came up with $21,000? We said we didn't know anything about vans but the pricing info we got was from all these different ads, and then we started listing off all the various rebates the ads mentioned, we said we felt our offer was reasonable, but if it was not it would only be because the ads we based our offer on must have been misleading.
After some time when they tried to get us to increase our offer (which we said we originally only planned to pay $20,000 so we were already $1,000 more than we wanted) they also tried to get us to accept less options, like removing the center console, we held firm and then after more time they said yes they would sell us the van with a $33,505 MSRP for $21,000 cash + our old van. After I looked at the new van I noticed they were quoting for a van without leather and I wanted leather. A Platinum series in a different color was available that was $1,490 more MSRP but included a free DVD priced at $895 for a gross price of $35,890, the increase in MSRP + the "free" DVD was $2,385 and we offered them $1,500 more to get to $22,500 cash + the 1993 caravan. The DVD was wanted by our children and was included in the Touring model we priced and was included no charge in the Platinum Series, only we got the DVD for no charge by moving up to the leather seated Platinum Series.
We felt the price was fair and it was $1,500 less than another dealer said was his lowest offer he would sell at, so we took it.
Only thing we can think of if the discounts are out of line was that our trade-in van, a 1993 caravan with 99,000 miles was worth more than the $600 or $800 the dealers said they would allow for it or more than the $1,500 that kbb and edmunds said was a fair trade in value for it, who knows? They kept showing us all kinds of numbers and we were getting confused so we just focused on how much cash they wanted.
Interesting thing was after the paperwork was printed up for us to sign, the 1993 caravan that we traded in, the one that the dealer said they would allow us $800 trade-in value for, they listed it on the purchase contract as having a trade-in allowance of $6,995. We thought it was worth more than $800 and figured the kbb and edmunds price of $1,500 was fair but we know it wasn't worth $6,995. We made a comment to the salesman on how we were surprised that the 1993 caravan went from being worth $800 to $6,995 in 1 day, said if we knew they were worth so much we would have traded in 3 more of them and got the new T&C for no cash, he didn't say anything to that.
Also we noticed that the various ads showed discounts for, loyalty and conquest and farm bureau and military and college grad and mail certificate and national and TDM (whatever that is)and trade-in allowance and such, but the dealer didn't ask us what rebates applied and didn't seem to care which ones we may have qualified for or not.
Good luck to you with your new van and best to you.

jtheron · August 2004

neuroid
The "asking" price on our van was much more also, We "offered" the dealer what we felt was reasonable and what the newspaper ads indicated was fair. My suggestion is to give the dealer and offer that you are comfortable with. We told the dealer we would give him a check on that day for the van and offered him a price, took us about 3 hours from the time we drove in with our old van to the time we drove out with our new one. We even told the dealer we had the old van cleaned out, had the title to the old van and our checkbook to pay for the new van
Give the dealer an offer, he can only say no
Good Luck

jackleg · August 2004

<<<<Well, like it or not the perception is there that these vans have a flawed tranny. >>>>

  To those of us who had their tranny's go it certainly is not a "preception " .

   The killer for me was the mechanic diagnosing the problem before the van was off the tow truck. Customer relations aren't a strong point either once you've made the purchase.
  But you are correct I bought my former T&C because it was a great deal and a very attractive vehicle . Turned out it was all a mirage . Burnt out A/C compressor , 1 burnt out power window motor , and a completely smoked trans before 80,000 miles is to much for me . It's hard to think about the beating I took trading it in after it was fixed , so in the end was it a good deal on a pretty van ? No way . Damn shame to because Chrysler continutes to make some of the best looking vehicles but I can't go back down that road .

eman · August 2004

I have an 01 T&C 3.8l, out of the goodness of my heart decided to have the tranny oil and filter changed along with a regular oil & filter change at 48,000 miles. I drive out of the service shop and as I brake and hit 30 mph i get the had downshift. I can duplicate this hard downshift by manually shifting from D to 3. Had no problems before this. Any suggestions?

mngolfer · August 2004

I would suggest you check the fluid level. It might be low. Was the transmission serviced by a Chrysler dealer or a transmission shop?

eman · August 2004

thanks for the response. It was serviced at a Firestone tire shop. I didn't think this would be a problem to drop the pan, change the filter and add new fluid. My first reaction was that maybe it was an air lock or something since it happened immediately after the service.

The invoice shows ATF+4 fluid.

I have the towing package which should have an extra oil cooler - if so it might take more fluid. I will double check fluid level.

I have an appointment with Chrysler this Friday but am afraid it will cost me dearly whatever they do. firestone claims no responsibility.

You wrote that "dealer found code for loss of prime". firestone said they found no trouble codes when they checked.

eman · August 2004

I learned my lesson. I had a "hard downshift" problem after having the trans oil and filter changed by a local shop. As soon as I drove out I noticed the hard downshift at about 29 mph. the local shop threw up its hands saying they only changed oil.

Thanks to this board and the local chrysler dealer - after oil and filter change the computer needs to be reset for "loss of prime".

Here is the lesson:
1. Local shop did service for about $80, plus another $84 at chrysler to reset the computer for a total of $164 or so.

2. chrysler dealer would have charged $160 for this whole service without my running around.

3. Do not have a local shop change the tranny oil!!!!

4. chrysler is also remiss since they did not mention the computer needs to be reset (in the manual) after an oil filter change- such as "change oil, filter and reset computer"!!!

masterpaul1 · August 2004

So was there any damage to your trans? and are you saying that after every regular oil/filter change they reset the computer or did you mean after every trans. fluid/filter change?

just4fun2 · August 2004

I would be willing to bet you that a Firestone tire shop did not use "Chrysler" brand ATF+4! Ask them to show you the container that the ATF+4 was in. I stopped at a quick lube place and ask them if they carried the auto manufactures recommended fluid for all cars. My answer was that they have a 500 gallon bulk container(Dextron) and that they use an additive package specific for the vehicle. Sorry, not in my car!

I have a 2000 Sebring convertible that requires ATF+4 and I had the Chrysler dealer change the transmission fluid and filter for $99.00. There was no mention about resetting the computer. Maybe my Chrysler is different. Call a Chrysler dealer and ask how much they want for a transmission oil/filter change using ATF+4, then ask about resetting the computer.

Something smells about this situation.

eman · August 2004

I learned my lesson. I had a "hard downshift" problem after having the trans oil and filter changed by a local shop. As soon as I drove out I noticed the hard downshift at about 29 mph. the local shop threw up its hands saying they only changed oil.

Thanks to this board and the local chrysler dealer - after oil and filter change the computer needs to be reset for "loss of prime".

Here is the lesson:
1. Local shop did service for about $80, plus another $84 at chrysler to reset the computer for a total of $164 or so.

2. chrysler dealer would have charged $160 for this whole service without my running around.

3. Do not have a local shop change the tranny oil!!!!

4. chrysler is also remiss since they did not mention the computer needs to be reset (in the manual) after an oil filter change- such as "change oil, filter and reset computer"!!!

masterpaul1 · August 2004

Our 2001 GC trans. filter and fluid change is $149.00. This is the price at a 5 star chrysler dealership.

eman · August 2004

I learned my lesson. I had a "hard downshift" problem after having the trans oil and filter changed by a local shop. As soon as I drove out I noticed the hard downshift at about 29 mph. the local shop threw up its hands saying they only changed oil.

Thanks to this board and the local chrysler dealer - after oil and filter change the computer needs to be reset for "loss of prime".

Here is the lesson:
1. Local shop did service for about $80, plus another $84 at chrysler to reset the computer for a total of $164 or so.

2. chrysler dealer would have charged $160 for this whole service without my running around.

3. Do not have a local shop change the tranny oil!!!!

4. chrysler is also remiss since they did not mention the computer needs to be reset (in the manual) after an oil filter change- such as "change oil, filter and reset computer"!!!

just4fun2 · August 2004

My dealer is also a 5 Star dealer. Maybe the price will differ between the Chrysler van and the Chrysler Sebring convert. I guess where you live will also dictate the price.

I believe that the transmission fluid/filter changes should be left to the dealer and not some do-all garage.

Just my .02 cents.

dustyk · August 2004

Just4,

You are right on. In fact, Chrysler is the ONLY one that currently makes ATF+4. No one else is licensed to do so.

ATF+4 is a synthetic blend with a very broad temperature range. Dexron is not synthetic and is susceptible to low temperature flow problems and high temperature oxidation. Any so-called "additive package" will only contain friction modifiers and not be able to change the basic chemistry or comparatively poor performance of Dexron.

Regards,
Dusty

hansienna · August 2004

THANKS for your accurate information. Reading your postings helped me overcome distrust of Chrysler vehicles after my 1970 Dodge van was the worst vehicle I ever owned.
     Comparing one son's 2001 Ody EX with another son's 2002 GC Sport convinced me that DaimlerChrysler minivans are the BEST BUY. DC owners are NOT reporting as many problems here in the Town Hall with newer DC vans as are being reported by Odyssey or Sienna owners.
     I initially planned to get a Sienna when I read the specifications on the 2004 Sienna. After closely looking at the Sienna, I did not feel it was the value of the Odyssey. After comparing the Ody EX with the GC Sport, I felt the GC is the better value.
     I recently purchased a nice pre-owned Chrysler T&C (clone of my son's 2002 GC Sport) that has less than 27,000 miles for less than half the price of my son's new 2001 Ody EX. With the 73,000 miles and 54 months remaining on the 7 year/100,00 mile Factory Powertrain Warranty and 48,000 miles and 54 months left on the DaimlerChrysler "Added Care" warranty purchased by the original owner, I feel I got a very good deal.

c1rybick · September 2004

I (a junior at Mississippi State University) am driving my mother's 97 ES Grand Caravan after my Camry was hit by a truck and totalled. We never had the transmission make the clunk when it downshifts into 1st as you come to stop on the original transmission, but last spring the transmission died, and was replaced with a rebuilt Jasper. Mom's mechanic (a very good independent mechanic, she doesn't use any dealership service dept) installed it, but unfortunately says that the clunking is sort of normal and to see if the dealer has any updates for it. Recently, though, the tranny has also started very rarely not engaging when I'm driving. I'll press the accelerator, and it takes the transmission a second or two to propel the van, which makes it lurch.

Our van has 138,000 miles on it and has been babied pretty well (my mother was almost the exclusive driver of it and didn't drive it hard). But my uncle's 04 Sienna XLE has much higher build quality. Chrysler builds good looking cars, it's just a shame that they can't get the quality up to par.

dustyk · September 2004

Does your independent mechanic have the DRB2 diagnostic tool to correct reset the PCM after a overhaul or replacement? Your symptom is extremely typical of not having the modulator cable set correctly, or worse, not connected. If this is the case continued driving will destroy the transmission.

Best regards,
Dusty

zotparkerm · October 2004

Our new T&C will roll backwards down hill (and accelerate) while in drive if the brake pedal is released.

All previous automatics do NOT do this.

Dealer shop says it's fully within manufacturer spec.

Is this a new feature of automatics, or a flaw?

shipo · October 2004

Granted that I don't drive all that many cars equipped with automatic transmissions (mostly rentals and an occasional trip to the dump or Home Depot in one of our Caravans), however, every car that I have ever driven (including our two Caravans) with an automatic tranny has been able to roll backwards while in "Drive", assuming the hill was steep enough. Some more, some less. The basic nature of an automatic is that there is no physical link between the engine and the wheels when the car is in "gear", engine at idle and vehicle sitting stopped. It would make sense to me that as manufacturers strive to eek out every last mile from a gallon of fuel that somebody would address the drive line loss at idle. Maybe I'm missing something; however, it seems logical to me that if you reduce the pressure in the torque converter while stopped and at idle (thus making it easier for a car to roll back while on a hill) that the car would use less gas while in that mode. Yes, no?

Best Regards,
Shipo

dustyk · October 2004

It depends. If everything else is fine with this transmission then maybe it's okay. Not sure how steep a grade you're talking about, but like Shipo I've found that every car or truck I've owned would go backwards down hill if the grade were steep enough.

Dusty

mueller · November 2004

1996 Dodge Caravan 3.3 auto. I had my transmission completely rebuilt around 150000kms. Seemed fine until the end of winter when it got minus out. The transmission would then not downshift completely when I stopped. It would downshift upon acceleration from the stop then shift up to second. Once the vehicle warmed up it would no longer do this. I took the van in to have it looked at and they could never find anything wrong with it. They checked the pressure, vacuum and codes. Now it has been an entire year and winter is starting. It shows up more now that it is cold again. The trans oil is synthetic. The transmission control module was replaced two years before the rebuild. Any suggestions?

Werner

lee9 · November 2004

I have a 00 Grand Caravan with 100k miles. Over the past month or so the transmission has surprised me by shifting a little jumpier. This happened again today when the car was cold. Does anyone know if this is an indication of a transmission going bad?
I have been thinking of selling this car outright since the new car dealer will only offer $2000.00 for it. I would hate to sell it to someone and have the transmission go on them.
Thanks for your thoughts

hansienna · November 2004

Have you used Edmund's pricing to get trade-in and retail for your 00 GC with the options and condition yours has?
An 00 GC Sport with many options in good condition is probably worth about $6000 as a trade in. Dealer's always try to "steal" a trade in by offering an absurdly low value for your old vehicle.
Most dealers make more money on a used vehicle than is made on the new one.

chuckg · November 2004

Regarding your transmission, if this was my vehicle, the first thing I would do is change the transmission fluid and filter. The important part to remember here is that you must use the proper type of fluid. I believe that for your car you need AFT-4 fluid (check your owner's manual). You may want to have this done at a Dodge dealer.

If this solves your problem, then you could sell the van with confidence. If not, trade it.

lee9 · November 2004

Thanks Hanasiena & Chuck for your replies. I'll go ahead and change the fluid...hasn't been done in a while.
Regarding the Edmunds pricing I wondered if it was realistic. There are a number of vans like mine in our area that remain in the paper for around $4500.00.

Chrysler Minivan Transmission Problems

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