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Comments
1. Drive about 15 miles to let it heat up.
2. Put the gear to Park and leave the engine on.
3. Take out the stick and wipe it clean.
4. Insert the stick and take it out again.
5. If the level is between the hole "warm" and the hole "hot", that means it is in the correct level, right?
First trip was to the White Mountains, NH 150 miles each way and averaged 20 mpg w/ac
Second trip was to Frederickburg, MD 480 miles each way and averaged 20.5 mpg w/ac
Third trip was to Sebago Lake, ME 150 miles each way and averaged 21.2 no a/c
I changed the oil (Pennsoil) just before our trip to Maine and have now noticed (first time=cold engine, second time=warm) that the 3.8 engine is making a slight rap on startup. I just crossed 10k miles and I am somewhat concerned. Is this normal?
Besides that we are very pleased with this van.
I bought this van for my wife and now I would rather drive it than my 2k accord. Needless to say, she's getting very impatient with me because she never gets to use it.
BTW, what weigh oil are you using?
thx
If you search the website and have done your homework, and send an email to the address in the format required, you may get copies of TSBs free of cost.
Replaced the oil filter only and topped off the oil: Problem solved.
I think sometimes the anit-drainback valve gets stuck, or some cheaper filters don't even have one in them.
Of course this was done to the passenger's door and the driver's door was unlocked! They tried to steal my 1.5 din CD player. They got the cowling off just fine (and they kindly left all the knobs, screws, etc. on the floor) but couldn't undo the two 10mm bolts holding the player to the dash. They did however, steal my detacheable "antitheft" face plate. Another wonderful security feature.
I never would have guessed that the door locks on these things were totally cosmetic given what I think is now a horrible door design.
with 3.8 engine. It has 82k miles, but van looks
to be in excellent shape. Ford dealer wants
$14,900. Is it worth it, or am I asking for
transmission or other problems with such high
mileage?
So I don't now to this day what the real cause was. I would appear it was not a problem with the gage cluster or the control modules - I believe it was a intermittent wiring or wire harness connector problem. Since you already have had all the modules and cluster changed, there is a good chance you have a wiring or wire harness connection problem. These are extremely hard to find and fix, especially if it is an intermittent problem. A good auto electrical shop may have some luck, but it could be time intensive and thus get expensive.
RE: #521 Vnt07, Check the connections to the Body Control Module. Do you have an after-market alarm installed in your van? If so, check around the connections where they tied into you van's wiring.
You will probably have to live with that, but the engine is a good one and will last many miles..
Trans went at 34000 miles and took 21 days in the shop to fix. tho they gave me a rental, I still had to pay every day for the insurance...no opt out... a clear scam to my way of thinking, since my insurance would have coverred the rental and I'm convinced it just lowered the true price dodge paid for my rental.
Other repairs: Gas tank replaced, front suspension and struts failed, horn went twice,body weld leaked and was repaired with glue, not a weld, second transmission didn't always shift for the first few thousand miles, thjo not often and now seems ok...Dodge dealer says nothing can be done "they're all like that"
If you had the factory alarm system it would have gone off when the lock was raised.
On a grander scale,
I noticed that Dodge doesn't use the smartkey (like GM, Honda...). My Honda Accord also has an id coded into it's stereo to avoid a sucessful theft. i.e it won't work anywhere else, I can't remember if the Infinity in my LE has this feature. Anyway, doesn't this make the Chrysler product an easier theft target?
We now park the vans in the garage, which is where they should have always been in the first place. Some lessons you are taught can be expensive!
I totally agree. My wife always leave the vent windows open, even though I constantly tell her to close them when exiting the vehicle. I guess it's just a matter of time before someone rips the window open and steals the Infinity. Only then can tell her I told you so...
Had to call DaimlerChrysler directly to get a loaner car when they were unable to procure a master cylinder for eight days. Either there has been widespread failure, or DC does not properly maintain parts supply. But after patiently waiting two full business days without a car, the dealer apparently felt it was acceptable for the customer to bear the cost of a rental until the part arrived. Fortunately, DC felt differently and paid for the Enterprise rental. Most insurance policies give you the same coverage on a rental you have on your own vehicle, so "insurance" is not necessary. It will only preclude you from paying your deductible and processing a claim through your own insurance. The rental's insurance usually has a really high deductible, so the additional insurance allows you to basically walk away without paying anything, but I'm not absolutely sure. Usually, it's like you said; a way for the dealer/renter to offset some of the cost of the free rental, and you probably didn't need it. But the dealer/renter proposed it as if it was not an option, and they wouldn't rent the car to you unless you took it, right? If so, you can try to reclaim your $250 or so, but I don't know how much of a case you have
It is summer 1996, the family has grown and it is time to sale the trusty '88 Celica for a family-mobile. Unfortunately, the Previa was over-priced and unsafe and the Odyssey is too small. We drive every other van on the market and were very impressed with the design, lay-out, drive, and conveniences found in the Caravan. Knowing that reliability was a question mark, I dove in and we bought a Grand Caravan LE with the 3.3 liter V-6.
During the warranty period, I got a new battery, a new cooling fan relay, a new windshield wiper switch, and had the door locks repaired. Overall, I was not real upset but was not 100% satisfied with these irritating repair inconveniences. Meanwhile, we are enjoying the conveniences and comfort it provides for a traveling family of four (five including the dog).
It is September 2000, and the van just turned 60,000 miles. I have only spent maintenance dollars on the vehicle. I find myself bragging about my American car and how I might by another one in about 2 years. It is Wednesday night and I am out-of-town on business. My wife leaves for church in her trusty van. She slows at a stop sign and hears "strange noises" like she ran over something but knew she had not seen anything in the road. She puts it in reverse and backs up - she then sees "car parts" in the road in front of her. A neighbor pulls up and says he saw something dragging under the car. She finds the car still runs and is barely able to get it back to the house (about 1.5 miles and after picking up the "car parts"). It can hardly be steered and begins showing high temperature.
I talk to her that night and she has it towed the next morning to the Dodge dealership. That afternoon I get the fateful call. The bolt in the belt tensioner that holds it into the undercarriage had sheared in two!! OK - so a new belt and tensioner, right?? Wrong!! This unfortunate incident somehow took out the power steering pump and water pump. Final damage totaled $974 all because a bolt sheared!! After expressing my dissatisfaction in such a ridiculous failure, I told my dealer that I would supply the two pumps which dropped the price by $250. Somehow, genuine Mopar Parts with weak bolts didn't seem worth the premium.
Remember the wiper switch that was replaced during the warranty period? About 2 weeks before this failure, the wipers started doing the same thing - would not go into high speed wiping (only intermittent and low speed). I mentioned to the dealer to fix that also since it was there. They called that afternoon wanting 183 of my additional hard earned dollars so we could have high speed wiping again. I asked to speak to the service manager and said I would pay it because we intend on driving in the rain. However, I told him it had already failed once and that it was an apparent faulty design and if I was expected to pay for Chrysler's design flaws that I would quickly become a one time customer. After a call from Dodge to their HQ, the $183 was removed from the bill.
All in all, I am disgusted but was glad that they at least replaced the wiper problem for free. 3/8" bolts should not shear at 4 years and 60,000 miles on a car that has been driven and maintained like this one was. Anyway . . . . . my wife was happy to have her van back.
Next van purchase? My reliable '91 4Runner (120,000 miles) which landed me into a 2000 4Runner this past January is reminding me what quality is all about. The Sienna, though small, will get a hard look from me in 12/02 when my 4Runner is paid for. The final decision will be determined by the next 2 years and what else I spend on our Caravan.
By the way, if you have an older Caravan, I would have the belt tensioner inspected for "weak bolts." It might save you $1,000!!!
THE END!!!!
I noticed that the hydraulic lines from the pump to the rack run quite close to the exhaust and catalytic converter. Although there is some heat shielding, thermal deterioration of the fluid is inevitable. Also, unlike other vehicles, the fluid reservoir is only an overflow catching/ replenishment tank so changing the small amount of fluid in there won't help.
Any ideas / thoughts on how to periodically replace the fluid would be very welcome. (Maybe even add a small cooler in the plumbing?)
After a drive, stop van and open all heater controls to maximum heat. Wait for the vehicle to cool off *completely*. Remove radiator cap. Crawl under left front and loosen drain cap. You may need to open it a good several turns before it starts to drain.
Optional: Remove vent plug on thermostat housing to aid draining the block. There are block draining plugs as well.
Hint: Don't follow the options.
Hint: Antifreeze is toxic to the environment and should not be disposed off in storm drains. It is poisonous as well. Dispose off the collected fluid in accordance with local laws. In some communities, it can be flushed down the toilet. Please chack in your area.
Wait for thorough drainage. Retighten drain plug. Refill with 1 gallon of a *phosphate and silicate free coolant* only. Fill remainder with *distilled* water. Recap radiator.
Option: Use vent plug to purge air from the block as detailed in the Hayne's manual.
Hint: Don't bother.
Start engine and drive around. Check for leaks, and top off (this is usually required since I skip on the purge business.) Double check for leaks and level after about a week of driving.
Thanks for the posts! By the way, before refill with new coolant, should I fill the same amount of water to flush it? Someone suggests to fill the water(about 2 gallons or so), run the engine for serval minutes, drain them all, then fill with new coolant.
I am big on preventative maintenance. By the way, I just changed the brake fluid on my van after one year, and it was already turning dark.
Steven: The owners manual maintenance schedule is a pretty good guide, however, vehicles in "severe service" which includes most city commuting, need more than others. Also the cost/benefit depends on whether you do it or you pay for service. If you reduce the cost then more prevention is cost effective. Where I draw the line is the promotion of fluid "additives" to prolong life, improve mileage, etc.
And besides, its a hobby as good as any other, no?