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Comments
SO FAR NO PROBLEMS AFTER 46,000 MILES
thank you in advance
Has anyone changed and flushed their coolant system in this van. I tried to do it by turning
the draincock valve on the lower left hand side of the radiator about 20 times and nothing
comes out. The van is cooled down and I have the radiator cap removed as specified in the Hayes manual. The coolant just don't want to come out. Anyone one have any ideas before I try
to take the lower radiator hose off ?
Thanks.
Mike
i too am having the same problem on my van. WHat year is yours ?
It makes a click instead of starting. Sometimes it takes 5-10 cranks before it starts. I know it needs the starter and solenoid.
Question is: how much did it cost you, and how hard was it to put in. I looked at the chiltons manual and it says its around by the cross member. Is it easily accessible when you raise the front of hte car ?
thanks...
I recently drove the 99 T&C LTD I bought in May up north and for the first time drove in the rain for an extended period. When I arrived, my right headlamp housing had a great deal of water in it.
Use of my low beams while I was there dried out that portion of the housing, but the high beam area remained water fogged until I returned to the sunny south.
The right outboard amber running light below the headlamp housing wasn't working at all, but must have dried out before I found a replacement bulb because it was working again when I went to replace the bulb.
My dealer service department gave me the impression that this problem was not uncommon. They put some sealer on the seams of the housing and stated that this usually (but not always) did the trick. A replacement headlamp housing will cost over $400.
Just another reason why I think I will look elsewhere for a replacement when I get rid of this van. The headlights are marginal enough as is without water and/or dirt getting into them. And if this problem began with the 96's DC should have noticed and corrected the problem by the 99 model year.
Make sure the wheels are torqued to 80 lbs./foot and the rear brakes are properly adjusted. As for brake pads and rotors you want to investigate the cross drilled rotor and pads at www.powerstoprotors.com.
Cheers,
Cesar
it seems to me as though it was just a small glitch that was made in assembling your van at the factory. i remember our 98 grand caravan se leaked small portions of water from under the dashboard right above where the front passenger's legs would go when it rained.
just curious, what other problems have u had with your van that might make you want to look somewhere else for a replacement when you decide to sell or trade in your current t&c limited? both of our chrysler vans have been flawless and we have liked them both very much.
-adam
I've heard a few people mention that turning it off would help going up hills or something.
I have a 91 grand voyager 3.3L and a 98 grand caravan 3.8L. Both with 4 speed o/d. Neither of them seem to have a way to pull the tranny out of o/d once it gets upto speed.
On the 98 there is a light by the gear label light part saying "O/D OFF". Like it can be illuminated, but i can't find a button anywhere or how to do it. ???
what's goin on ???
thanks...
I have a Dodge Caravan with approx. 23000 miles on it. It is a 2000 and we bought it new at the end of Aug 2000. We had it in for inspection in May (around 17000 miles) and no problems were found. In the beginning of October the brakes grinded to a halt and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The problem was the inside, front driver side brake pad was found to be worn. The inside brake pads do not have squealers on them so there was no indication that these were failing. My question is, is this normal for the inside brake pad to go without the outside brake pads even reaching the level to set off the squealer. Also, is it normal for this to wear this bad in the 6000 miles since inspection? Our dealer had to replace the rotors and brake pads which cost almost $300. I realize that 23000 is a lot of miles but the car is only 13 months old (when this occurred) and it seems to me that for this to happen there has to be a problem with the caliper. I still owe the dealer the money and, based on the feedback I get from this post will determine if I pay them or not. Dodge has not been of any help either because they said there was nothing they could do since my wife had given the dealer permission to fix the vehicle (as if she had a choice.)
Needless to say I will never buy another Chrysler product or will I buy a vehicle from Reedman in Langhorne, PA. Thanks for your replies.
Brian
commenting on the fact that they consider the
headlights somewhat "dim". I noticed this problem soon after we purchased our slightly used 99 TC,
since the light was actually worse than those
on our '91 Grand Caravan and I was disappointed.
A bit of an investigation showed me that barely
12.9 volts of the 14.3 volts available were getting to the actual headlamp bulbs. (These are approx numbers from memory, but they are in the ballpark. Interestingly enough, one side had most of the drop in the positive side, while the other had it on the ground return.)
Adding extra (thicker gauge) wires in parallel with all the supply and ground wires in all the low and high beam circuits reduced the total voltage drop to less than 0.3 volts, and made all the lights (low and high beams)noticeably brighter.
Adding almost 10% voltage makes the lights "whiter" as well
PLEASE UNDERSTAND that this is NOT a typical do it yourself wiring job. I am an electrical engineer with over twenty years experience, and regularly repair everything on our cars. Please do not attempt it if you are not familiar with wiring techniques used in automobiles, and know how to use wiring and wiring tools. It is very easy to have badly installed wiring cause an electrical fire.
thegrog3@hotmail.com
-adam
Reading these comments really puts me off. I know nothing about "Vehicles" except how to drive them and what looks good to me. Good looks I've assigned to the Plymouth Voyager.
As a Granny I can't afford to be sitting beside the road on the way to the mountains or to the beach (or grocery store). And I can't afford alot of time and money on repairs.I do need 7 seats to also carry the children's parents.
Any sound advice out there???
Alternate 7 passenger vehicles would be stationwagons with 3 seats. Having owned both a 3 seat wagon and a van, the van seems preferable (also much more recent vintage) due to upright seating, all seats face forward and better view at city intersections.
One last point on reliability is that average reliability is better as time goes buy so our expectations are quite high for few problems and you are less likely to have a breakdown now than ten or twenty years age. Even so maybe you would like joining a travel club with mobile repair help like AAA and carry a cell phone. My wife has found this a great reassurance when on her own.
Thank you for the reassurance.
Jeff
That is what I believe also. They should not wear as uneven as these have. Even the mechanic said that but he didn't find a problem (something obvious that didn't hit him over the head) so naturally I am stuck with the bill.
does anyone know for sure ? see my previous post #867.
thanks...
I went to Fullerton Chrysler (Southern California) after they told me to bring the car in. Once I got there, the first thing the Asst. Mgr. Of Service asked me is if I know the difference between a recall and a TSB (technical service bulletin). Basically, his point was that I have to pay for a TSB. I told him, not if the car is under warranty. He then said, "What year is your car?" He should know the answer, the model just came out (2001 model). He then asked, "Is it still under warranty? How many miles is your car?" How many people drives 36,000 miles in less than a year? The rest of the conversation does not matter. I knew then and there I do not want them touching my car.
I then went to Huntington Beach Chrysler. Upon arrival, the first thing I was asked is if I have an appointment. I told them, No, when I called Chrysler Corporation, I was just told to bring the car down. (This is a lie, I did not call Chrysler Corp. I just read from these postings and by calling other dealers that I was to bring the car down). Nonetheless, his answer surprised me. He said, "We do not work for Chrysler Corporation. Chrysler Corporation does not pay us. We are an independently owned dealer." When he saw the look on my face, he retorted, You don't want to pay for this, do you? . Basically, he is upset that I do not have an appointment. Point taken, but on the other hand, I was not asking him to fix the car right then and there.
A few exchanges later (and I want to point out, I still kept my cool because I just want them to change the roof rack) he calmed down, took the part number down and told me he would call me when the part came in. When it did, the work was performed and I was off on my way.
When the survey came, I told Chrysler Corporation the work was performed as expected, but that I was surprised at how rude the Service Manager was and how I felt my business was not appreciated. I was happy with the work, but I was not happy with the way I was initially treated. I did write that after the initial unpleasantries, I was treated as expected.
A few days ago, my ABS warning light went on. I called this same dealer to make an appointment (they were closest to my work) and was assigned to the same service manager. I did not want to deal with him again, but I had no choice. He said he can't see me until next Tuesday. I made the appointment anyway. I then called a different dealer and they were able to see me the next morning. I brought the car in and got better than expected service. The problem (rear wheel sensor) was fixed right away.
A few hours later, the same Service Manager @ Huntington Beach Chrysler called me and said, :Don't bring your car in. We don't want you to bring your car in. Your comments on the Chrysler Corporation Survey cost me $300. What kind of response did you think you were going to get?" I was taken by surprise, I just said, "Okay" and hung up. I couldn't believe it. Do I have to go through this verbal abuse every time I want to have them fix my car?
So I called their General Manager and told him what happened. His response was, "If you were not happy with us the first time, why would you want to come back?" Wow! This is new for me. I have never heard of a dealer refusing service to someone for writing a negative survey. After all, aren't surveys designed to find out why customers aren't happy? Apparently this dealer did not believe or want second chances.
So, I called Chrysler Corporation again and reported what happened. Even though the person on the other end eagerly took down the report (he couldn't believe it either). I expect nothing to come out of this (and by the way things are going, I HOPE nothing comes out of this).
I am not asking anyone to boycott the dealership. They seem to do good work and I am sure most people have no problems with them. I am still convinced I just caught this particular Service Manager at a bad time. I was thankful this happened. I now know for sure where not to take my car. And BOY, do I have a story to tell
Does anyone know anyone else who has been blacklisted from a dealership? For writing a bad survey?
Last but not least, I know none of you read my actual survey, but do you think I am fair in my survey, saying that I am happy with the work done but not the way I was initially treated?
I know the dealer is upset because of the bad remark, but, do you think they are justified in asking me not to bring my car to them? (even though I no longer want to?)
Sounds like you found a good dealer anyway.
Brian
If you ever have inoperative cruise/horn/air bag light coming on, almost 100% of the time, the problem is with a part called "Clock Spring". It is a part that is located in the steering column, and its job is to make connection to all steering wheel electrical functions.
At least '96-01 vans have weak springs and contact is no longer there after several years of use. If you ever have this problem, DO NOT pay for dealer's diagnoses work. Just very specifically tell the service adviser to replace the piece instead letting them diagnose and charge $70-100 for some item that fails all the time anyway.
We are considering the purchase of a new minivan and have driven them all. My wife (who will be a major contributor to this decision) likes the Chrysler Town & Country the best. It is without a doubt the most comfortable and nicest to drive of them all.
I am concerned about design and assembly quality and have heard about premature transmission failures with Chrysler minivans. I have been talking to the local transmission shops to get some idea of what they're seeing. I've also been driving by and taking notes on what brands are in the lot awaiting repair.
Now supposedly all Chrysler transmissions are bad according to a lot of people that I talk to. This might surprise some of you, but I'm not seeing many Chrysler minivans at any of the area shops! Out of the 231 cars and trucks I've logged over the last 7 months at three shops, only 14 were Chrysler minivans. These were in the range of 1989s to 1996s. Nothing before or after those years.
At two of the shops they said early 4 speed electronic transmissions had a seal failure problem that was very common. However, these same two shops said that newer versions were not a problem.
We do know several people that have had transmission problems with their Chrysler minivans and in each case it was later determined that the wrong transmission fluid had been installed when the transmission maintenance had been performed. The bottom line here is do not use Dexron type fluid.
The owner of the third shop did say that "Chrysler transmissions are junk." However, at his shop I could only count 2 Chrysler products over the same period. He said GM's were the best, and maybe they are, but 54 of his transmission jobs were done on GMs, another 22 were Fords. I noticed his personal vehicle was a Chevy Tahoe and I suspect he is unable to give me an unbiased opinion.
We enjoy the power doors and liftgate.
The transmission failings seem to have improved and as you stated the proper transmission fluid seems critical.
And as you have seen any make can have failures. In the last 2 months we have had family members replace transmissions on a Continental and Suburban. Luck of the draw I guess.
Good luck in the mini-van hunt
I did not think this was the problem, because on some occasions it had started honking after we were well out of range of the van. Anyway, I was right, the van still has the problem. I took it back in today and they could not reproduce the problem (again, it happens only occasionally).
I could not find the problem listed in a TSB or similar complaints. I have a friend with a Chrysler minivan that had the exact problem. They had the alarm disconnected. The Dodge dealer that that was not doable, because the entire system works together and disconnecting the horn alarm would affect the entire system.
Does anyone know what the cause is or have any recommendations for repair? Has anyone else experienced this?
Scott
As for me? My family has a 2000 Chrysler Town & Country LX 3.3L van that now has 33k miles on it and has had no problems. The van still drives and looks just as new despite a year and 3 months of hard and sometimes very fast driving. There are three neighbors on my street who also have DC minivans (one neighbor actually has two DC minivans, a 1999 and a 2000 model, both 3.3L) and none have had any serious problems with their vans.
I also agree that there is no other minivan on the market that has the comfort features and excellent drive/handling that the DC minivans have. Also, the free 100k mile warranty that Chrysler is offering makes buying a DC minivan now even better. Good luck with your purchase!
-Adam
(16/M/CA)
(especially on the sliding doors)they could be dirty, causing the interior lights to activate
and setting off the alarm.
I was concerned about transmission problems, but could find no real data that gives the Dodge a worse rating than others. Several negative articles were so biased, I totally discounted their value in our decision. We know several neighbors with various makes of minivans and have heard as many opinions as there are owners. I can say that the most loyal owners are the Windstar fans who also seem to be spending a lot more time and money keeping the things running.
My past experience with FWD cars is limited to a 1996 Saturn and a 1999 Honda Civic. The Saturn has had no transmission trouble in 125,000 miles other than the GM clunk between first and second. The Honda at 48,000 miles is just off it's first rebuild on the tranny at $1,650. Anyone want a cute white Honda tin can.
So far, the Grand Caravan is quickly winning over all drivers in the house, it's peppy, quiet, and fun to drive. Time will tell.
http://www.detnews.com/2001/autosconsumer/0112/16/a01-368193.htm
As for me, my 2000 Town & Country LX with 33k miles continues to run great, and is still on it's origional transmission.
-Adam
Now it appears that Chrysler should pony up. Anybody else with a Chrysler van with the 3.3 or 3.8 engine have experience with this leak?
On the transmission issue raised here, I hope DC has fixed the problem. It started with the "Ultradrive" in '89. When I bought my '91, I specifically asked what was done to correct the problems. I was told that new seal material and an added internal seal was the fix, and my new van should be just fine. It failed at 58K. Mopar fluid only is all it ever saw. I don't think they meant to lie to me back in '91. I think they really thought they had it fixed. They really think they have it fixed, now, too. Just like in '92, '93, '94, '95, '96.... Get the extended warranty, just in case. It may indeed be fixed, but I would be more comfortable with a couple more years of good statistics and reports, from more than just two or three regular posters on the boards here.
my dad has owned two dc minis over the last 12 years. the first one, an '89 grand caravan, went through 2 transmissions in about a 2 year time span and 20k miles. my uncle bought that van from my dad when it had about 50k miles. as far as i know, that third tranny is still working.
when dad sold the '89 he bought a '96 town and country lxi, which now has around 90k miles and hasn't had any problems...for what that's worth. there is no doubt that the tranny has improved significantly since the time it first came out and was dubbed "ultradrive".
couple interesting things about the 41te. a mechanic friend of mine said that many of the so-called tranny failures weren't actually tranny failures at all, they were differential failures. the 41te has a diff/tranny all housed in one transaxle unit. i guess that with some abuse (such as excessive spinning, etc) it was rather easy to cause failure of the spider gears in the diff, occasionally the gears would actually pierce the transaxle casing when they broke...
Chicago Tribune story
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Most DC Owners would better spend their time worrying about debris falling from the sky aka Superman Story than fuel fires in DC minivans.
On your 97 Caravan, you have (somewhere) in your main wiring harness, a factory 'arm' wire, normally triggered by a double pulse to your lock circuit from your transmitter. Your circuit is reading that same type of pulse from somewhere else in the vehicle, my guess is a faulty lock switch on one of the doors. If not, check or replace relays, found behind the lower dash panels. Pull the face of the lower dash off, and trigger the locks, and listen for the clicks, you can't miss them. Cheap place to start. Next, pull the fuse to your power locks, and see if the problem continues. My gut feeling is that you will find the solve with one of these two ideas.