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Dodge/Plymouth/Chrysler Minivan Problems & Solutions

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Comments

  • royallenroyallen Member Posts: 227
    You might get more information and feedback on the Warrantee conference of Edmunds. Think of this contract like insurance. Purchasers money goes to the company. Claims are processed and if all details are satisfied, claims are paid, if a detail is missing the claim is not paid. At the end the money paid out to warranty holders is less than that paid in by some percent for company overhead and profit. If you can afford the possibility of paying more than average in one or two years, you will be ahead in the end. You also avoid the effort of documenting claims.
  • jragsdalejragsdale Member Posts: 1
    My wife and I have leased a 1996 Grand Caravan SE and are in process of turning it in (end of lease) and acquiring a new van (make uncertain at this time). The problems we've had with this van, however, discourage me from getting into another Dodge van any time soon, but maybe (when compared to other vans) this isn't so bad. The problems we've had are:
    Battery went bad inside of two years.
    Passenger-side sliding door rollers - replaced twice, third set is failing (door slides slow and requires effort to close).
    Windshield wipers - turn on for no reason, wipe back and forth a few times and then stop, usually not in proper stop location. Also, when we turn the wipers to the intermittent setting, the wipers are on full (as though there is no intermittent capability). When wipers are turned off they stop immediately, regardless of where on windshield the blades are (they just stop!). Takes several clicks of wiper control to get wiper blades to normal stopped location (at base of windshield).
    Rear brakes - tinker toy quality. Several visits to brake shop, drums turned, drums replaced, master cylinders replaced, shoes replaced. Still dissatisfied with brakes.
    Air-conditioner - this one hurt the wallet. Compressor failed in August of '98. New compressor $800.00
    Infinity ten speaker stereo (cassette w/o CD) - replaced once. Unit currently in van is bad (volume controls don't work a majority of the time. Turn up volume, gets quieter or no effect. turn down volume, sometimes no effect have to turn knob 10, 20 times to affect volume).
    Serpentine belt idler tension pulley - the shaft that holds the tension pulley to the engine block broke completely off, allowing the tension pulley to fall off and get entangled in serpentine belt which was in process of coming off due to broken tension pulley. Dashboard lights lit up like a space shuttle launch gone bad. Immediate and complete loss of steering (had my wife been driving she would have crashed!). It was all I could do to manhandle the steering wheel and get us off the highway and out of traffic. Vehicle towed to Dodge dealer and repaired. Called Chrysler customer hot-line and they took care of bill for this, but still had the aggravation of another mechanical problem on this vehicle.
    Cruise control - van accelerates on its own. I haven't taken vehicle in for this yet.
    Power door locks - driver door lock does not always work when locking doors. It sounds as though mechanism slips. You can hear motor for door lock spin, but lock does not go up or down. On several occasions we've had to use key and manually lock driver door.
  • royallenroyallen Member Posts: 227
    Sorry to hear your discouraging problems. You might want to get a look at TSBs on your vehicle. Topic 59 post 184 says there is a TSB on the wipers repaired by a new multifunction switch. Steering problem would be worth reporting to the NHTSA. www.nhtsa.dot.gov
  • xingze_caixingze_cai Member Posts: 47
    Thanks for your information! There seemed lots of problems with Dodge Caravan posted from this site, especially engine and transmission. And the factory only offers 3 years warranty on it. I'm wondering if I need to have any protection solutions ahead. If I'm not wrong, what you suggested is forget about the extended warrantee, do maintainance work on Caravan regularly. If it is really broken, it just my bad luck and repair it. Is that correct? Thanks again!
  • royallenroyallen Member Posts: 227
    First, you must research reliability from other than case reports on Edmunds such as www.intellichoice.com, Consumer Reports April Auto issue and Carpoint.com. I think intellichoice shows $1000 average repair cost or less for 5 year/70,000 miles on a '98 Caravan. I'll bet that a warranty would only cover a portion of these repair costs and cost considerably more. The Chrysler V-6 engines have a very good reputation. The 4 speed transmission was poor in '89 and '90 with somewhat slow but steady improvement. I have had a '95 for 1 year and am careful about the transmission. It must be serviced every 15000 miles. Care to use the correct fluid is important. I've added a transmission cooler ($32 for cooler + install kit at Auto Zone). I keep it out of overdrive when below 45 mph city driving. My repair expenses for 10,000 mi = $65 for a battery. If I use $1000 for 70000 mi, my budget should be .14 per mile, or $140 for 10000. I'm $75 to the good. Does a warranty cover a worn out battery - I bet not. I hope this helps.
  • inswizinswiz Member Posts: 1
    My sister-in-law was in an auto accident on 12/23/99 in her '94 Dodge Caravan. She was in a line of traffic waiting to enter a mall when she was hit from behind and pushed into the vehicle in front of her. The rear hatch popped open (my nephew was sitting in the rear - 5 yrs. old), the air bags never deployed (but had on the car in front of her and behind her) and her seat snapped causing her to be in a laying position when she came to rest (which put her in premature labor at seven months!) Do you know of anyone else who may have had any of these problems or any recalls which she wasn't aware of to fix these problems?
    Thanks
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    Royallen, too bad you have not been here giving that advice for the past 10 years! If all Chrysler owners followed your habits, no one would perceive any problems at all with their transmissions. As a matter of fact, the population at large would probably double the life expectancy of most transmissions with such good habits. Good work! Are you a mechanic?

    Inswiz, recall or no recall, I don't think I know a human being who would not sue Chrysler if that accident happened as you say!

    Guitarzan
    Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    I suspect you're probably correct. The filters are not like oil filters, they do a long duty. The fluid does get worn out quickly, you're right, especially from heat. Good idea to install a drain plug. Can you drill this with the tranny on the car? Are you going to pull the pan yourself?

    Guitarzan
    Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • royallenroyallen Member Posts: 227
    I hope to drill it on the vehicle. I have 'til next summer before it is due and I'll need a plan to prevent letting the bit penetrate too deep like grind off part of a nail head and tape it to the bit so only 1/4 " is in front to work. I think I'll put something like clay in the bit groves to limit leaking as the hole forms and have a big rag and big pan to help. I'll also have an hour or two to let it drain if I need to stop before a complete hole is made. Once it drains, it should be easy to get the hole done, tap it for a 1/4 x 28 plug and use an "O" ring to seal it.
  • creidcreid Member Posts: 54
    I see the aspect of placing a drain plug into your transmission but I wonder how thick the steel really is? Let's say the pan is 1/16" or .0625" thick then you would only have 1.75 of thread lead to hold the plug. I would just check the thickness of the pan before going through w/ your idea. According to Unified Standards (Machinist Handbook 24th Edition) there is a 1/4-32 UNEF that would give you 2 threads per inch if they make a plug w/ that fine of a thread even 40, 48 & 56. I was a machinist for ten years in the Navy & dealt w/ many alterations on engines both gasoline & turbine. I even dealt w/ low pressure & have seen plugs blow. I wonder if there is any pressure build up in the auto transmission? I would just hate for something to happen & your on the side of the road. My 2cents.
  • royallenroyallen Member Posts: 227
    Thank you for the points you made. I'll have to check out the pressure question as I assumed the dipstick tube was essentially a vent, but that could be wrong. The 32 pitch or higher thread is also an excellent idea.
  • knudsvigknudsvig Member Posts: 1
    We just got rid of our 96 grand caravan le with only 69K miles. Three reasons: bad rotors $300, water pump pulley $350, broken bolt on the cylinder head $890. No more for me. I just bought a 99 taurus wagon le.
  • mattmalmattmal Member Posts: 1
    Our 1996 Dodge Caravan chirps every mile or so. I am thinking it might be a pulley somewhere or a belt. I know that there are not any birds in the engine. By the way, we just bought an extended warranty for the van from Allstate so we would feel good about it for the next couple of years. We have 78000 miles and 'assume' the trans will go soon. We thought about buying a new van but we like this one and taxes alone on the new van would exceed the cost of the warranty.
  • gmusic7gmusic7 Member Posts: 42
    re posted from the dodge/chrysler minivan topic


    1984 Cutlass Supreme: other than maintenance, it had no problems, original engine and tranny, 167,000 miles. car was rear-ended and was totalled.

    1978 Chevy Van: 170,000 other than maintenance, same tranny, same engine, we call it the ferrari because of it's poor gas mileage (no offesnse to ferrari owners), but it still runs well.

    1991 Chevy Camaro: 102,000 same as above, no problems.

    1997 Dodge Caravan (Base): Grinding brakes finally resolved with different brand brake shoes. frozen calipers, left and right sliding door locks malfunction, (why is the door totally inoperable if the power locks fail?), the popular wiper problem: they have a mind of their own. and now at 45,000, the tranny decides to fail.

    lack of maintenance? remember the previous cars listed at the top of this post? all GM...not that all GM cars are great either...but at least the ones listed above are/were going strong at over 100,000 miles and no problems.

    should've stayed with GM. gave chrysler a chance, they failed miserably. they're nice to look at, they're nice to sit in, but start putting on the mileage and prepare for something to go wrong. just from my experience. sorry if this is too long.
  • royallenroyallen Member Posts: 227
    By "eyeball" the transmission pan is very close to 1/16" thick in your example. It is also vented via the filler tube so there is no pressure to seal. Since it's not due for service until next summer, I will not have further follow-up until then. Thanks again for your advice.
  • ellb1ellb1 Member Posts: 1
    We would love to get some info on a class action suit against Daimler-Chrysler (Dodge)! We are the unhappy owners of a 96 DGC-LE, 93k miles 2 trannies, one fuel pump, numerous wiper motors, door locks, electric windows, broken driver's seat , everything plastic broken (since the car was about a month old),a broken steering belt, 3 batteries, and 2 radios later, and a car that dies any time the gas gauge is under 1/2 tank...and so much more. Aren;t these vans meant for driving? We figure the reason they are a low risk for theft...they read these too! We had an extended warranty...a lot of this stuff happened after the 75K. Help!
  • eickmeiereickmeier Member Posts: 19
    I bought a '99 base GC a year ago. It now has 15k miles and has had no problems. It was driven off the lot at the dealership and hasn't been back yet. The advice I have gleaned is to adhere to the "severe" service maintenance schedule. I plan to replace the fluid and the filter in the trans shortly. We bought this minivan based on our very good experience with a '90 Caravan with the 3.0L engine and the 3-speed transmission. It now has 105K miles. Aside from recommended replacement of the timing belt and the oxygen sensor at about 90K and normal items such as brake pads and shoes and one battery, I think the other repairs have been pretty reasonable. At ca. 95K I had the fuel pump and the engine computer replaced. I have a suspicion that the faulty computer may have hastened the demise of the fuel pump. These two items cost about $700. I must admit that I may have contributed to the computer problem when awhile back during an oil change, I spilled about half a quart of oil directly on top of the computer! The only problem I had early on was the gas-charged struts for the rear hatch had to be replaced.
    I have replaced the trans filter and the fluid on the '90 three times. Prior to the last change I was getting some shudder at 45 mph on hills. I finally adjusted the kick-down and the reverse at 95k for the first time. I have always used Dextron but I now know to use ATF+. After the adjustments and Pennzoil Dextron that said it would eliminate shudder, I have no shudder and the trans works great. I do all my own basic maintenance.
    My only problem with the '90 now is a minor oil leak that may be coming from the rear camshaft seal or the valve cover gasket.
    One final thought. In '90 the regular Caravan cost me about $16k new, with AC, the V6, and the auto being the only add-ons to the base price. The 1999 Grand Caravan with 3.3L, 4 speed, tilt, cruise, power locks, windows, etc, cost me $19.5k new. Given reliability comparable to that I have had on the '90, I'd say the '99 was a much better deal. Time will tell but so far I am happy with both our minivans and I feel we have gotten good value out of them.
  • royallenroyallen Member Posts: 227
    I would think a web search should answer your question. Also you might find help at the Center For Auto Safety, a consumer advocacy agency at www.autosafety.org
  • jbarnardjbarnard Member Posts: 1
    I have a 96 Grad Caravan I have had weird gremlins with the power windows each side has had to be fixed 3 times. I feel it was due to a power regulator burning the window regulators out. I mentioned this to my dealer and he told me I didn't know what I was talking about and replaced the units again.

    I explained the fact that the control panel occasionally lit up items like the low gas light even when I just filled the tank fifteen to twenty minutes prior and my windshield wipers would occasionally turn on by themselves.

    The dealer had in my opinion decided fixing the problem would not occur because the warranty did not give them enough money to diagnose a problem they could not repeat or have the talent to find.

    At 70,000 miles my Caravan started leaking fluids. My Dealer said that it was a leaky oil filter. Even after they changed the oil it still leaks the dealer says that happens after an oil change.

    I don't care for my dealer... I tryed another dealer but he indicated he did not want some other dodge dealers problems. I called Dodge and they got my dealer to fix the window yet again but I feel that since the warranty is up and so is my blood pressure I will dump this thing and not buy another Caravan again.
  • thebrakemanthebrakeman Member Posts: 18
    I am new to the town hall, but I have browsed thru most of the discussions for the vans. It seems that '96 and older DC vans have problems with transmissions, but so far the '97 and newer are much better (mine is fine at 43,000 miles).

    A few people (dog-something), find it hard to believe that anyone would buy a DC van knowing that there are transmission problems. Yet when they are told that the Honda site posts plenty of problems, they still are OK with buying a Honda.

    Use your own logic, or take it easy on DC.
  • jfd3rdjfd3rd Member Posts: 6
    The Way We Were?
    Great movie title but a scary direction for American car manufacturers. Being Dad to four and saddled with a minivan as a family mover, I chose the Candy Apple Red Dodge Caravan ES in 1996 sticker'ing at 29 large. Quite the looker for a mini-van. This was to replace the 87 Ford Aerostar which had served us relatively well with 85,000 on the clock, and we'd now make the move into front wheel drive van-land for snow conquering.
    Was that "Caravan" or "Aspen all over again". The first two stormy years of our relationship included three trips up town on the hook. For all the "1976 right reasons" brought to you at a 1996 price... Cooling fans in-op, Battery in-op, than the classic Water Pump at 42,000 miles 300 miles from home, and take note that these are only the tow truck assisted troubles with my three year old son enjoying the ride from high atop the tow truck cab with Billy-Bob and his home made lunch. Now the dealer goes for the full house reporting "dead spots" in my starter at just out of reach of the warranty period. This apparently a common occurrence. Being a spoiled Toyota owner my mind sees visions of unspoken customer service programs which soothe the troubled vehicle owner and foster a repeat consumer, but I was quickly shaken from my Toyota Land slumber by the cold God Bless American Auto manufacturer policy of "Maybe if more than 2% of the vehicles have problem". 2% of the Caravan, Town & Country, and Voyager market?? That's leave 49 states of customers who might return to the 35K, we'll get it right next time, counter. The service manager did see light at the end of the tunnel with policies now the Daimler headed up the Chrysler name..

    Current undocumented features:

    AIRBAG Light On always
    Wipers like to cycle 2 to 6 times when shut off
    CD Player Skips on high number tracks ( Second Unit )
    Leaking Transmission Fluid from Radiator lines
    Driver Side Sliding Door is rubbing Paint off external door jam

    Daimler Chrysler seems to think they are loosing market share due to the lack of GEE WIZ features like automatic sliding doors, Rear hatch opening obstacle sensors, and more powerful engines. I don't think so. I think it's the same engineering that went into the Aspens of yesteryear, which Lee Iacocca spoke of in his book.

    I would suggest not waiting for another model year for Chrysler to get it right. The types of problems most people have listed here are LOW TECH.
    Batteries ( Been Around a While )
    Cooling Fans ( Not exactly new )
    Water Pumps ( Already said it )
    Wipers
    CD Players ( My $250 Alpine works great in my
    Camry )
    Leaks
    Etc.

    Take your $20K - $35K and try a manufacturer who does the engineering before they embarrass themselves! - My $.02

    PS - Would LOVE TO HEAR FROM A CHRYSLER ENGINEER or Executive on this topic!!!
  • swampcollieswampcollie Member Posts: 87
    welcome to the club...
  • 4aodge4aodge Member Posts: 288
    chrysler may not have the most reliable vans on the market, but they do have some of the best looking, driving, and feature-filled automobliles out there for a sub 40 grand price tag. I love my 98 Grand Caravan SE that we've put 50k miles on in less than 2 years. We havent had any leaks or problems, and the origional battery lasted to 45k before it went dead. Even if my tranny went out tomorrow, I would still buy another chrysler van. Neither the Honda, Toyota, or Mazda have the great feel that the Caravan gives u when driving at 70 mph with six kids in the car down the freeway. I know I look good and feel good in my Caravan, and that's why I love it!
  • jfd3rdjfd3rd Member Posts: 6
    Toot Toot!
  • tony17112acsttony17112acst Member Posts: 35
    Does anyone have Anti-lock brakes on their 1990-1993 Town & Coulntry/Caravan? ON my T&C, the brakes vibrate violently if you press the pedal down while in park or when driving. I took it to a dealer and they swore it's supposed to do that. I just wanted to hear if anyone else has this brake system but it does not do this. Thanks!
  • thebrakemanthebrakeman Member Posts: 18
    Define violently....ABS for that vintage vehicle will not pulse as quickly as they do today (the actuators keep getting better/ stronger/ faster....).

    However, ABS will not pulsate unless the vehicle is in park. If the dealer told you that this is normal, give him his sign!!!!
  • thebrakemanthebrakeman Member Posts: 18
    I said that backwards....

    ABS will not pulsate IF the vehicle is in park. Only if you are moving and 1 or more wheel is locking up.
  • tony17112acsttony17112acst Member Posts: 35
    The problem is that they vibrate even when you have it in park. All you have to do is press the pedal down and BZZZZZZZZ. I talked to the dealer again and I told him that if this was normal, wouldn't it e noted somewhere in the owners' manual since it's such a severe departure from what's normal? He said he feels it SHOULD be in there, but it's not. Get this: He called me again and said that he has a technical service bulletin that says it's supposed to vibrate even when not moving. Does ANYONE have a 1900-1993 chrysler minivan with ABS? ...and do the brakes vibtrate while in park? Thanks.
  • thebrakemanthebrakeman Member Posts: 18
    Go to another dealer. Brakes should not pulse unless you are in an ABS-stop.
  • tony17112acsttony17112acst Member Posts: 35
    Well, the dealer gave me the printout of the technical service bulletin. it says:
    After every 2 to 5 brake applications you MAY hear the ABS pump motor running. This will occur whether the brake applications were normal braking or anti-lock braking. The sound of the pump motor may be accompanied by a slight vibration in the brake pedal under light brake application. These characteristics indicate the ABS is recharging itself. THIS IS NORMAL OPERATION OF THE ABS.

    Isn't that weird??? Does anyone else have the vibration while you are in park like I do?
  • thebrakemanthebrakeman Member Posts: 18
    tony17112acst
    I have a 1989 Probe GT with ABS. Being an early application for ABS, I get that pump sound and sometimes feel it in the pedal whenever I start the car. I don't hear or feel anything like that in my '97 Town & Country. I wouldn't doubt if you get this on your '93.
    However, you described it as "violent". Again, I would need a definition of "violent". The pedal vibrating against your foot is not violent. If the whole van is shaking and you don't feel safe, that's violent!


    buckalew
    A brake rotor or drum is a hunk of iron exposed to the air without any corrosion protection...... that spells R-U-S-T. When it is damp, and you leave your car parked (even for a few hours or overnight), rust starts to form on the braking surfaces. When you drive the car again, it will take your brake pads a few applications to rub away this small layer of corrosion, which is why your problem goes away.
    This is normal.....don't worry about it.

    thebrakeman
  • eickmeiereickmeier Member Posts: 19
    With all the concern about transmission failures on the 4-speed electronic transmission, I am heeding the advice to change fluid and filter according to the severe service schedule. I do this stuff myself, it is cheap to do, and I enjoy the work. The other recommendation I've seen is to add an auxiliary transmission oil cooler to supplement the in-radiator cooler. So, I started out to buy one at the local parts store but I decided to take a look before I left to make my purchase. Lo and behold, my '99 base Grand Caravan with 3.3L HAS an oil cooler at the top of the radiator on the drivers side with dimensions of about 4 inches by 13 inches by 3/4 inch deep. It is a little smaller than the add-on coolers I've seen but then those are recommended for use with heavy towing. How many people out there have factory installed oil-to-air coolers? Maybe this is a recent modification DC has done to help improve transmission life. Take a look at your van and let me know what you find.
  • ehlouieehlouie Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1997 dodge se caravan. On many trips ( no mountains - Bakersfield to Sacramento), my best gas mileage is barely 21. Although it is within their range ( advertised), I have always exceeded the expected ranges on all of my other new car purchases. I have the 3.3L engine. I know of 2 grand caravans ( 3.3L and 3.6L )that get over 27 mpg. My van runs rich as there is a lot of black soot at the tail pipe. The dealer says the vans all run rich. The oxygen sensor has been check and seems ok. The 2 vans mentioned do not run rich. Other wise the van's engine starts and runs well. On some trips I have babied it and still not much better. I heard that the caravans are known not to get good mpg. The japanese vans seem to do better. Is this the norm. My van has 24k miles, so it is broken in. Comments , any one .
  • 69impala69impala Member Posts: 4
    ehlouie,

    I just traded my 97 GC ES with the 3.8L engine (I'm not familiar with the 3.6L). While I occasionally saw highway gas mileage in the mid-20's, I more typically got highway mileage in the 21 mpg range. I typically drove 70-80 mph, and was not shy about moving it along to pass in traffic. I'm sure that if I had kept to the speed limit and been more gentle in accelerating, I would have seen better gas mileage. People I know who claim to get significantly better mileage than I get drive at a slower pace. In comparing your GC to the Japanese vans, you should remember that your GC is bigger, and catches more air. The front and rear profile of a GC is smaller than a full size van, but not by a large margin. While you may get poorer mileage than the average GC, my experience says that you are within the "norm."
  • 69impala69impala Member Posts: 4
    tony17112acst, your ABS brakes are normal, weird as it may be. I had a 1991 GC with ABS from 1991 to 1995. On a regular basis (especially first thing out of the garage in the morning), they would set up a "thumping" sound that continued for two or three seconds (as best I recall)and I would feel the vibration in the pedal. I always thought it was strange, but was told it was normal. I also experienced something similar during a test drive of another new van, so I do believe it was normal. And it was unique, because my subsequent vehicles with ABS did not do it (a 93 Concorde, 96 GC, 97 GC & 99 300M). The ABS unit did fail after the van was out of warranty, but Chrysler paid for the repair. And it thumped after the repair also. Don't worry about it.
  • royallenroyallen Member Posts: 227
    Check topic 639 Post your Mileage here.
  • jcho4jcho4 Member Posts: 1
    I am considering buying a 1990 Dodge Caravan. Overall, it is in good mechanical shape...with one exception: The engine rocker arms are doing a lot of clicking. I've understood this to be "normal" as cars get up into this mileage range (150k). It is not burning oil but I am wondering what problem(s) may be lurking because of the noise and what could be done to elminate or reduce the noise. Engine oil is full and clean.
  • StrategoStratego Member Posts: 29
    Those ABS brakes you had were likely the Bendix 10 system which had a high failure rate.
  • xingze_caixingze_cai Member Posts: 47
    Hello there,

    I used to change the engine oil myself and want to change the transmission oil on my own also. I looked at the transmission fluid pan underneath of my 98 Dodge Caravan (Sport model), it seemed that I have to unscrew all the screws there and take out the whole pan cover, not like the pan for the engine oil tank. Is that correct? If that is the case, will that make dirt everywhere when the pan cover is losed? I appreciate if you can give some advise and instructions! Also, what transmission fluid should I use, Morpar from the dealer or other brand? Thanks a lot!
  • eickmeiereickmeier Member Posts: 19
    Changing the transmission fluid can be a messy job. You have to loosen all the pan bolts and then remove those to the rear of the pan. Place a container underneath the back of the pan and carefully break the seal. The fluid then comes gushing out hopefully streaming into the pan. That is the theory. Half of the transmission fluid normally ends up in my driveway. One word of caution, if the pan has never been removed before you will have a hard time breaking the seal which is RTV sealant. I had to carefully pry with a pry bar using a convenient thick aluminum casting on the transmission to loosen the pan. You have to replace the transmission filter and most aftermaket filters include a nice gasket to use that makes removal of the pan much easier next time.
    Use ATF+ fluid only. I have used Quaker State as it is cheaper than the Mopar and meets the same specifications. When you refill, start with 4 qts for the 4-speed transmission and then add additional fluid in small quantities so that you do not overfill. My change took about 4.5 qts. Best of luck.
  • swampcollieswampcollie Member Posts: 87
    BE VERY CERTAIN YOU GET THE RIGHT FLUID...THIS IS CRITICAL.. LOOK IN YOUR MANUAL AND GET EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS.... EXACTLY..
  • jfd3rdjfd3rd Member Posts: 6
    An update on the $29K 1996 GCV-ES

    The horn, airbag, and cruise control were fixed by replacing the clock spring under the steering wheel ( $250.00 )
    The leaking transmission fluid was fixed by tightening them fancy clamps and rubber hoses Chrysler's been using for 4+ decades ($29.00)
    The Wipers were fixed by replacing the control stalk ( Number 3 ) Extended Warrenty
    The CD Player and Radio had to be replaced

    Thanks for listening and thanks for the horn tooting lessons boys!
  • cdolneycdolney Member Posts: 2
    The 2000 Caravan I have the transmission is slipping/jumping on the freeway at about 60 MPG while maintaining speed. Anyone else hade this happen? Do you have a clunking noise in the LR of the van? It sounds like a bottle rolling in the tire and goes away at acceleration. Please let me know. I am taking it in the Dodge on THURS. and telling them to FIX IT!
  • cdolneycdolney Member Posts: 2
    (Updated with proper spelling... :-)
    The 2000 Caravan I have the transmission is slipping/jumping on the freeway at about 60 MPH while maintaining speed. Has Anyone else had this happen? Do you have a clunking noise in the LR of the van? It sounds like a bottle rolling in the tire and goes away at acceleration. Please let me know. I am taking it in the Dodge on THURS. and telling them to FIX IT!
  • swampcollieswampcollie Member Posts: 87
    yeah..that is normal...
  • ih8fordsih8fords Member Posts: 1
    I have a 96' GC SE with 38k miles and have not had any major problems. One brake repair, two sliding door roller repairs and two recalls for items that were working fine at the time, all under warranty. Transmission seems fine, no noises or slipping at varying speeds. The van is quiet at most speeds below 90 mph. (gets noisy at 110).
    Suppose I should have the transmission fluid and filter changed soon but beyond tires, brakes, oil and wiper blades I haven's spent any major time getting to know my local Dodge service dept. Some of you folks have had so many problems I think you could have solved a lot it with a rural untraveled road, a match and a long walk to the nearest telephone. Good luck with your new manufacturer!
  • mfd395mfd395 Member Posts: 5
    I have a 96 Grand Caravan LE with 46,000 mi on it and we have had numerous problems. We have had the turn signal stalk and turn signal itself replaced. The whole radio replaced. Two recalls. One on the rad. fan. Another on the fuel pump. The transmission jerks heavily. Horrible in the snow. Suspension sounds as if it going to fall off from underneath the car. Ohh yeah one day we were at the shore and the window wouldnt go up. I was fuming. They saw no problem but just banged on the door and It was fine. After 6 months of banging on a door you can get really annoyed. They had to replace the window switch twice ans then found out that it was the motor. That had to be replaced. The same thing happened on the back vent window. Both on the same side...drivers. We have had the CHECK ENGINE SOON light on and they said that the emissions computer had to be reaplced. We have had two sets of brakes. And the thing eats oil. We have to put a quart in every month. We really take care of it and use only Chrysler Products. Oh yes we have so many noises comeing from the steering wheel you might as well have the radio on. The back seat also jerks too. Our from cupholder/money tray jingles all the time too. We are really sick of it. We have a 91 Honda Accord with 99k on it and have had only routine maintinence(hope i spelled that right!). I would never buy anyhting but a honda again.

    I went to the auto show here in phila and I tried closing te doors of the honda and they felt like a mercedes. Closing the door of our van is like smashing garbage can tops together. Tin ones nonethless. When we go into our Honda everyhtin is so quiet. Go into the CHryisler and it sound like you are at a football game.

    Despite all of the problems we still love our van. But an oddessy may be coming soon!
  • carleton1carleton1 Member Posts: 560
    than Tayalynn had with her 1999 Odyssey.
  • capecoddercapecodder Member Posts: 17
    Get a life, carletonl, will you please. Are you paid to do this? They say Paxil works well for obsessive-compulsive disorder, you know.:-)
  • walterchanwalterchan Member Posts: 61
    Sounds like your 96 Caravan is a lemon did you know that. If I were you, you would take it bact to the Dodge dealer and get a refund beacause I have never heard of so much problems in your Caravan.
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