Dodge/Plymouth/Chrysler Minivan Problems & Solutions

newyork999 · July 2005

My air conditioner works great at night and in the morning when it is not so hot.
However, when the sun is beating, I have to keep it on maximum and it never gets too cold. I gave it in for service and of course they said nothing is wrong.

Any one else have this problem

caravan3 · July 2005

I had a mechanic friend of mine tell me that dollar for dollar the caravan is the best buy. He also said the 3.3 is the better motor and the 3 speed autmatic is the better transmition. So there you have my 2 cents worth
Thanks
caracan3

masterpaul1 · July 2005

If you have a meat thermometer, use that to check and see what the temperature is when you have the air on full blase at it's coldest setting. Write down the degrees and see what a specialist says. (I think around 50 degrees is normal). I believe that the temperature changes depending if you are doing city driving or on the highway.

wandafun · July 2005

Lately, after driving about 30 minutes, i'm idling at a light, and the oil light comes on and the warning bell dings constantly. When I put it into neutral or begin moving, the bell stops and the light goes off. have checked the fluid level, and all is well. has enough coolant also. any ideas? 2000 Grand Voyager, 125,000 miles

lastwraith · July 2005

Sorry, I don't know specifically what the fan behavior is in the Caravans. But in all my other cars, one fan runs if the a/c is not being used, both run when you turn the a/c on, and when the coolant temperature sensor hits a certain threshold the radiator fan speeds up while the other fan remains constant.

Let us know what you find out if you get a chance.

chuckg · July 2005

Do you have the recirculation turned on? That should freeze you right out of there if it is.

eddiwill · July 2005

Here's one to make you feel good about a new purchase: driving home our BRAND NEW 05 T&C (only 28 miles on it at the time), as we slow to turn onto out street, the engine cuts off. Electrical is fine, tank is, like, 95% full. We restart the van, go about 50 yards, begin to brake to enter our drive way, it shuts off again.

So, I'm thinking it's so new, it just needs to be driven a bit more (what do I know?!). Long story short, I drive out of our neighborhood, begin slowing for a stop, and it cuts off again!

Not happy at this point...

It's now in the shop, where the mechanics have hooked it up to their diagnostic equipment and also driven it around a bit. Of course, they "can't replicate the problem." (didn't mechanics used to figure stuff out?)

Any ideas? It's intermittent, but when it happens, it's when you're slowing to a stop.

I'm sure they won't "take it back." :-(

hayneldan · July 2005

I know some people with high mileage engines who have had good luck with an oil additve called Restore. Be sure to get the right one since it comes in 4 CYL 6 CYL and 8 CYL concentrations

helphelpanyone · July 2005

will he need to release the tension before putting the new belt on?? .....he thought the new belt was a little too small but maybe the tensioner has not been released. I rented a long wrench thing from Auto Zone becuz they said it would make it easier to put the new belt on. If there is no diagram on the radiator support to show where the tensioner is or the pulleys......do you know where I would be able to find one??

hayneldan · July 2005

Yes you will have to release the tension on the old belt to remove it. It is located from front to rear Ac pulley,(lower front) Alternator pulley (upper front) Crankshaft pulley (Lowest the Largest pulley) Idler Pulley (top center) Tensioner pulley (the smallest pulley appears to be on an arm and will move) power steering pulley (top rear) Waterpump pulley (bottom rear). Hope this helps

pkrdfair · July 2005

currently own a 2002 Chrysler T&C LXi with 3.8 liter. My electrical problems started when one morning my van would'nt start. The local shop diagnosed it with a computer as having a bad ECM. They replaced that. The vehicle had no problems for about a week and then the same identical thing happened. No start problem. I had it towed in (the tow truck driver also couldn't start it) The shop started it immediately upon arrival and then checked the starter, battery, neutral safety switch and ignition wiring and found no problems. It continiued to start for them with no problems. I picked up the vehicle, took it on vacation and also had no problems. This last time I saw the ABS lite come on (which I had also noticed intermittently on the prior times) As soon as i shut the vehicle off it would not restart. As i began to analyze all occurrences it dawned on me that the abs lite was on prior to all three occurrences and also i had noticed that the seat belt lite had been flickering on and off at different times (although this didnt necessarily happen before the no start problem) This time the shop noticed that the fuse was blown for the ABS circuit. As soon as they replaced the ABS fuse the van started. This was noto necessary the prior two times. The shop checked the ABS module (it was O.K.) and checked wiring (said it was O.K. too) they don't know what else to try. They told me that they would just be "throwing parts at it" at this point. Any suggestions or input would be helpful.

mwhalen · July 2005

The exact same thing happened to me the other day. The fuse, spring and ring are most likely part of the plug on your wifes cell phone not part of the car. But, the failed radio is probably a result of the plug coming apart in the outlet. I suspect that there is an in line fuse somewhere, but I have dismantled my entire dash and not turned it up. Have you solved your problem? If so how? :sick:

mwhalen · July 2005

As it turns out, your wifes cell phone plug probably came apart in the upper power outlet and the metalic ring caused a short in the system which blew a fuse in the IPM Relay and Fuse box located next to the battery under the hood. I had the exact same problem today and was able to fish out the plug pieces and fix the plug (put spring in first, followed by old style glass tube fuse, followed by metalic ring ... there should be a threaded piece of plastic and a metalic little tip that goes through the middle of the threaded piece of plastic and acts as the spring loaded tip to the cell phone plug). With mine the metalic tip had fallen into the dash and I had to fish it out from behind the bottom of the CD tray. Once you are sure all the stuff is out of the outlet (especially the metal stuff), purchase a mini 20 amp fuse from your local auto parts store and replace the RDO 20 amp fuse in the IPM Relay and Fuse box on my 2001 Caravan it is about midway up the left hand side of the Relay and Fuse box (left as you look in under the hood). This fix should cost you < $2 and will allow you to enjoy your radio again.

I hope this helped.

gabhanjacisa · July 2005

lastwraith: $8.99 later, I believe the problem is fixed. The thermostat was apparently broken in half. My wife drove 15 hours yesterday from MI to SC w/no heating problems. Thanks for your help. (You are right on the fans, also.)

cathc · July 2005

Update: Found "Cig/Acc" relay in box under hood and replaced. All working fine now, so "never mind"!

psu5394 · July 2005

Hi,
We have a 2000 Chrysler Town and Country with 91,000 miles. Recently it has started to make a clunking noise when it starts up. After running for a few minutes the noise gets fainter. When shifting into any other gear the noise stops completely. Any idea what would be causing the noise?

mveit · July 2005

I have a 96 DC with 156,000 miles on it. We have replaced one CV joint at about 121k miles and my steering wheel is starting to wobble, which I think indicates it is time to fix the other one. We like the amenities of our van, but are concerned that it might start costing us a bunch to keep running. Blue book (7/2005) is about $2500. Things that make us wonder if it is time to sell include:
1) The CV thing will be about $600.
2) Our A/C makes a funny sound when we shut the engine off, and we have had to have it charged in the spring the last two years.
3) We just replaced the fuel pump.
4) The dealer says we should put a water pump and timing belt in.
5) Transmission has made a ringing sound while idling in neutral for 60k miles.
Is this transmission going to go out soon?
6) Minor things like the slider door mechanism breaking and some of the exterior molding starting to come off makes one wonder about the general integrity of the chassis and accessory equipment.

We do like our van though, great for four kids, with the dual doors. (all paid for) :-)
Can we drive this one more year w/o paying a bunch of money in repairs?
Or, is it best to sell now and get something else while it is still worth $2500?

liljoe2 · July 2005

I have a 1997 Town & Country with the 3.8L engine (130K miles). When I get the van in overdrive on the Interstate I keep feeling a sensation like an engine miss or just a slight lapse in power. This only lasts about a half a second and the motor just continues on. I watched the tach as I drive but it doesn't indicate a power loss or surge. I thought it was the transmission slipping but it only happens in overdrive at high speed. Any ideas?

petras2 · July 2005

hi..my 96 3.8 just passed 100k relatively trouble free miles...i want to keep it for a few more years, i'm trying to head off a possible sudden breakdown on future long trips.. anyone have any idea how long oil/fuel pumps usually last? other than water pump, what other drivetrain areas need to be watched on this model? thanks in advance

dalek · July 2005

Recently when I try to start my Caravan it will just click, once. The radio and clock go out but the lights do not dim. As I try again and again to start it it will do the same thing. Most times on the 4th or 5th time it will start to kick over, slow cranking as if the battery is dead. One more try and it will usually start. The battery is only a couple of years old. When I tried to jump it the cables touched together and there was plenty of juice, jumping it seems to work but not all the time. I don't think the jump is really a help just a coincedence. I'm thinking it is the starter but am not sure. I'd hate to replace the starter if this is not the problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

marine2 · July 2005

My air conditioner works great at night and in the morning when it is not so hot.
However, when the sun is beating, I have to keep it on maximum and it never gets too cold. I gave it in for service and of course they said nothing is wrong.

You might also make sure your recirculating button is on when running the a/c. It makes a big difference in cooling coming out.

will97 · July 2005

Hi all, I have a 2002 T&C LXi so far we had a few minor problems that were covered by the warranty. The power steering rack was replaced, a some module that actually affected the radio/CD, and steering wheel controls was also replaced and the electronic module that controls the transmission gears was too replaced.

Now, when we leave the minivan outside in a hot day and/or start driving in a very hot day the A/C fan shuts off (intermittently), the windows don't open, and the radio doesn't turn on. Everything else works, no issue with the engine/trans. However, it becomes very dangerous to drive b/c of the soffocating heat inside the car and not being able to open any window.

The dealer cannot duplicate the problem and therefore is not giving me any solution or alternative. I am starting to think that the problem could be related to the ignition as they were messing up around there in the previous repairs.

Any ideas what can be wrong ???

Thanks guys!

Will

hayneldan · July 2005

Try cleaning the battery terminals

strek · July 2005

Clean the battery terminals and the inside of the battery cable clamps with some sandpaper or a wire brush.

Strek

badgerfan · July 2005

I was on vacation last week, but I see hayneldan has responded.

I might add that the tensioner pulley is not something you can release and walk away from leaving it in the released position. It is a spring loaded arm on which the idler pulley is located. I can't remember for sure, but I either used a box end wrench, or a socket on my ratchet wrench, and used a two or three foot piece of pipe or conduit over the wrench handle to gain more mechanical advantage, so it does not take as much force to hold it in the released position in order to slip the belt on.

Hayneldan is correct, there is definitely a belt routing diagram easily found under the hood on or near the radiator housing, and it shows exactly which pulley is the tensioner one.

The whole job is relatively easy to do, once you get the routing right on the pulleys. Probably is easier as a two person job, but with patience I did it myself with no assistance, though I am a mechanical engineer, so this type of minor maintenance is right up my alley!

sam55 · July 2005

I have a 97 Grand caravan. It doesn't overheat, but I need to put antifreze often. I can't see any visual leaks. A shop told me I need to change radiator, but I don't see a leak. The van has 147k miles. Sam

hershberger · July 2005

I currently own a 2001 T&C with such a problem. Sometimes
the key just won't turn. Relieving the pressure on the steering
wheel doesn't help. Sometimes working with the key for
5 to 10 minutes to get it to free up. Something is jamming
it and we haven't taken it to be replaced. Currently we leave
the key in the ignition but remove the security chip. With the
key left in the ignition we have no problems. It only happens
after the keys is removed and re-inserted. I will post what the
problem and fix is when we get it repaired.

hershberger · July 2005

7-26-2005 - Your post does not give the year of vehicle, but on my
2001 T&C the serpentine belt idler tension pulley is located about
center of all of the pulleys. It has no grooves in it (smooth as opposed
to the drive pulleys of the alternator, a/c...etc which have grooves). You have to
go from underneath the vehicle to access it. Also, I had trouble getting the right
sized belt for replacement from auto parts supplier. Make sure you take the
old belt in to match the size to the new one.

Hope this helps

badgerfan · July 2005

Per a helphelpanyone earlier post, the van in question is a 1996 Grand Caravan. I assume it has either the 3.3 or 3.8 V-6 engine. The tensioner is accessible to both release the arm tension or replace the tensioner pulley itself from above, not underneath the engine. You are correct in that the tensioner pulley is smooth as I replaced that pulley last year as it was sqeaking due to the ball bearings in the pulley going bad. I did not have to replace the tensioner arm itself, only the pulley.

I had no problem getting the proper belt, first time from a NAPA parts place and bought an aftermarket pulley from a Checker auto parts store.

pete77 · July 2005

I had it checked out by an AC specialist and he found nothing wrong with the AC. He did notice that there was some moisture in the lines and that was causing the pressure to be high. He evacuated the system, removed the moisture and recharged it. I still notice some degree of warming up when at idle, but not as much - maybe it is just a little cooler today that it was yesterday (weather-wise)

Total cost - approx. $65.00

pete77 · July 2005

I would like to check my rear drum brakes but could not get the drums off. The manual stated that there is a place where a screw driver could be inserted and "loosen" the brake shoes so I can take the drums off.

Does anyone know where this is or how to remove the brake shoes? I don't see any holes where a screwdriver can be inserted other than the 3 places which are covered by oval rubber stoppers.

I know that there are some car shops who would check the brakes for free, but I don't like to do that because I know I won't have them do the brakes (can't afford it).

Thanks in advance.

pete77 · July 2005

How is the engine? Does it have the check engine light on? Did it pass the EPA tail pipe test?

If the check engine light is on, it will be hard to sell it for the blue book price. Also, consider the EPA pipe test, if it does not pass, may require you to spend more money on getting the van to pass so you can register it for an extra year.

If you are selling it to a dealer, he may only give you something like $600 for it (from experience).

In our case, we have decided to put a spending limit on our 96DC van (98K miles). If we should spend more than $500 to $1,000 to get the van in good running order, then it may be better to get a new one. So far, the repair cost is less than $400 and we will keep it and defer purchase until next year.

mongo26 · July 2005

My caravan has a couple of problems so here is the first one. Im losing 1 gal. of coolant every 200 hundred miles, theres no apparent leaks, its not in the oil, its not the heater core and its not in the transmission. I took it to a dealer and they cant find it either they said i have to wait till it gets worse. So where is it going i need help. Second problem my oil light came on, but theres oil coming out of the oil pressure switch at the end of the connector right next to the wire. I read thats its also a sending unit should there be a small oil line hooked in there? Any help would be great, thanks for your time and concern a devoted dodge owner.

awhetzel · July 2005

I have been having a problem for several months now with my 98 Voyager:
it will shudder for a second or two and then the gas pedal will stop
responding. If I am going at a high enough speed (55-60 mph) when I
floor the pedal, it will all of a sudden, respond, with the rpms
shooting up from a start-point of 2000 to potentially as high as 5500.
My speed, however, will only increase about 4 or 5 mph. As I do this,
the transmission sounds as if it's shifting at the last possible
moment. When it finally shifts, there is a steady decrease in speed
until the van finally responds to the gas pedal being depressed and
then there's the rapid increase of rpms as I described before.
If I am going at slower speeds, it is much more difficult to keep it at
a constant speed. As I was trying to keep it at 35 yesterday, there
was none of the rapid rpm increases; although I had my foot on the gas,
most of the time the van would just very slowly coast and occasionally
speed up a bit, but my speed was normally somewhere between 10 and 20
mph. Also, it started to make a popping sound and I could feel
something popping underneath the van on the driver's side. I noticed
there is something hanging down there: I know I have a broken CV boot,
and maybe that's it? But there was a time about a month ago that the
same popping occurred and I didn't notice anything hanging down then.
Also yesterday as I tried to make it through a series of stoplights, I
could hardly get the van to respond at all--it would barely go when I
accelerated and the transmission was shifting in a funny way.
When the van is acting up like this, most of the times all I have to do
is pull by the side of the road and let it idle for a minute or two and
then it's fine--I've even driven it 45 miles without it acting up
afterward. I have on two occasions smelled some burning smell after
prolonged driving while it is acting up, but I have not smelled it if
the van's been driving fine. The problem has occured several times as
I tried to drive up a large hill.
This problem does not occur every time we drive the van, nor does the
engine die--the accelerator just does not respond. We have replaced the
spark plugs and distributor cap, the fuel filters have been replaced as
has the fuel pump and although we are unsure as to whether or not the
mechanic cleaned out the fuel tank after he replaced the fuel pump,
nearly everything else about the fuel system has been cleaned out.
Two other pieces to the puzzle: my cruise control may or may not work
during the same period of driving, and although the battery and
alternator are fine, the van tested before as having an electrical
output of 1.5 volts.
The theory about my van is that it has some electrical problem which is
causing the transmission to act up, and the problem is not with the
transmission itself. The transmission has been replaced on this van,
although the engine has not. Also, I failed to include that when the van acts up, the gas pedal has
to be nearly pressed to the floor to get it to respond, if it will.

We have let four different mechanics look at it, and none have been
able to fix it. We are desperately in need of some help! If you have
any ideas as to what is wrong, please let us know!

olivershouse · July 2005

2001 Caravan drips water onto passenger floor. Cleaned drain line and replaced drain line valve. Still drips.
Anybody have a copy of TSB 23-010-04A-titled AC water on passenger floor)?
Thanks

hayneldan · July 2005

My criteria for trading or repairing has always been to take the repair cost and think of it as car payments. I.E. if the cost of the repair is less than 3 to 6 months worth of car payments, and you are happy with the vehicle otherwise, fix it!

lastwraith · July 2005

Great, at least it was a cheap and easy fix once you figured it out. Thanks for the solution/feedback, it's appreciated.

lastwraith · July 2005

Hopefully you are all set then, keep us posted though. Seems like a lot of low $ fixes recently....a good trend;)

As for the rear drums, sorry but I have not had the opportunity of getting near my van to check that out. I can say however, that when I changed out the discs in front, the Haynes manual I had was flat out wrong for my model year. I eventually figured out my own way of removing everything, but having the wrong info didn't speed the process at all.

strek · July 2005

I had the same problem with a Haynes manual for my '95 Caravan. I had to change an oxygen sensor and could not find it using the Haynes manual. Those manuals leave a lot to be desired.

Strek

lastwraith · July 2005

They do, which is why I buy the service manuals from Helms Inc or a similar manufacturer if possible. I don't work on the van too much simply because it doesn't often need work and the cramped nature of the design (engine-wise) makes it doubly difficult anyway. The Haynes is at least slightly better than nothing I figure. But yeah, I hear you.

royallen · July 2005

Why not try behind one of the rubber stoppers? Best bet, the lower middle one. The adjustment is a "star wheel" like a nut with 20 or so teeth on the outer edge which your screwdriver engages. You might get a Haynes manual to help with DIY repairs. Rear drum brakes would be difficult to work on without pics and diagrams. Roy

tcprob · July 2005

I have the same problem with my 2002 Town and Country LX. Did you ever get the problem resolved? If so how? Thanks

fish06 · July 2005

Well, I was heading home from the movie theater and it was dark enough for me to need to use the headlights, so of course I turned them on and I thought I had a burnt out headlight so I went out to check them out, and my driver side headlight was dimmer than the passenger side headlight. I then went inside the van and noticed that the left turnsignal indicator on the dashboard was light up (dimmer than normal) and no, my turnsignal was not in use, when I used the turn signal nothing happened except for one "click" and then the indicator burned steady.(When the turnsignal "clicked" the headlight also light up a little brighter) So not wanting to drive I fiddled with the high beam switch hoping it would come to the rescue, and it did, the lights went back to normal, until the next time I needed to use them, the same thing happened. Now if I turn on the parking lights and the hazard lights the front two amber turnsignals blink at opposite times, but the back blink at the same time, when I have the parking lights on and use my left turn signal it blinks alot faster than the right turnsignal.

Just went to the garage to check this out... when the hazard lights and headlights are on at the same time, the driverside headlight flashes along with the amber marker, and I just noticed that ALL THREE lights are light up(when it falshes), and on the passenger side only the front two bulbs light up, the third burns steady as a marker I guess, but to make this worse, with the hazards on, the turnsignals flash oppositely as I said before. When I pull back on the highbeam trigger (with ignition off, key out) the left turn signal still lights up.When I turn on the AC the
headlights come on. The lights are not "full power", but both of them are on, they are the only lights on except for the drivers side amber marker/turn signal is also light up, the tail lights are fine(off). In hopes to clarify what I am saying: When I turn on the AC the headlights come on along with the drivers side marker/turn signal, these are the only lights that come on when I turn the AC on.

Thanks for your time/help,
Oliver

courtneyrae · July 2005

I have what I think is this same problem with my 1990 Plymouth Voyager. I have searched everywhere and can't find any answers yet. So far, when I take it in somewhere, the mechanic can't make it happen. I would love some help with this too.

fish06 · July 2005

Thanks for your help, it was only a loose ground wire, which was a major relief as I have not had this van very long..... thanks for all of your help.

opie4 · July 2005

have93 pgv no fire on2 and 5 coil injectors are working coilpack plug has 4 wires and 3 are showing to have fire doesnt seem to take fuel corectlywhen accel pedalas if its flooding any thoughts

bonadento · July 2005

Had a problem very very similar to this on my 93 Caravan. Took it in to 2 different Chrysler dealerships as well as various independent mechanics. After it finally happened for one of the Dodge mechanics, he found the coil was breaking down. This was 5 years ago, and I have replaced the coil once again since then when the problem occurred again. Apparently, they don't make ignition coils like they used to!

97xpresso · July 2005

I had this problem with my 2001. The front passenger carpet would get soaked from highway speeds pushing water back into drain tube, thru the firewall onto the carpet. Part # 56000724AB is a hose which curves downward that slips over existing drainpipe. About $7.00. Make sure that the hose is slipped on all the way to firewall to insure bottom notch in pipe is covered. On very hot humid days I still get a drips of condensation from the evaporator housing, but nothing compared to the thouroghly soaked carpet of before.

olivershouse · July 2005

Thanks, I'll give that a try.

exploder750 · July 2005

Just took care of this on my '95 yesterday.

A diagram from a manual would be helpful if you've never done this. :confuse: The starwheel adjuster is behind the oval rubber stopper located in the center on the bottom. You need a small screwdriver to push the spring loaded pawl bracket off of the starwheel. While doing this, you need a brake adjusting tool (essentially a bent screwdriver) to loosen the starwheel. This will loosen the drums enough to remove. Take apart the wheel bearing and off comes the drum! When reassembling, use the brake adjusting tool to tighten the starwheel (you'll hear it ratcheting against the spring loaded bracket) until there's some drag of the drum against the brake shoes. Good luck.

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