Plymouth Grand Voyager

shopdog97

My son bought a 1996 Grand Voyager recently. The original owner told us the speedometer and tachometer stopped working about 2 weeks ago. He never had a problem with it before. Other than that, it seems to be in very good shape with only 107,000K on it. I drove it and it runs very strong. I was told that the issue with the speedo and tach may be a bad output speed sensor on the transmission. This comes from a friend at a local Chrysler dealer. He also told me that if that's not it, then it could be a wiring or instrument problem(shudder the thought!) Eventually, this must be solved. Any suggestions anyone?
E-mail me at mlscas@rcn.com with any info you can give

xwesx

Is it only those two gauges that are out, or is the whole instrument panel not working? If it is just those two, then it very well may be the speed sensor, but that usually throws a code on the ECM.

shopdog97

xwesx, thanks for responding. Now I have to wonder whether this van has other electrical problems as well as the dead gauges. To answer your question, no, only the tach and the speedometer are not working. My son just got this thing on the road yesterday, and while he was here at our house, the van wouldn't start when he went to leave. I had to give him a jump. The battery's info tag says its only about 2 years old(it looks physically small for a van with this much equipment 525CCA) Now, the check engine light is on. We went to a local auto parts store and they checked the battery and found it to be a little low, but not critical. Both terminals were heavily corroded and I cleaned them with baking soda and took them off and used my terminal brush on them and the posts. Van started up right away but before he pulled away the check engine light came on again. His radio also doesn't work very well, a lot of racket and crackling is coming out of the speakers.(it does settle down though) I'm thinking there may be more going on here, I just hope for my son's sake it isn't too serious. These are the problems you face when you buy a used vehicle.

xwesx

Well, if the ECM is throwing a code (the check engine light comes on), that might help lead you in the right direction. I say *might* because with electrical problems, the vehicle could be receiving false positives from the actual problem source and therefore posting codes that are not accurate. Get yourself an OBD-II code reader. They are fairly inexpensive and one will pay for itself in no time at all.

shopdog97

xwesx, I had said a few days ago that the van's service engine was on. My son did go to our local Autozone and they did a scan for him. Here is what they found: HO2S 12 circuit condition- Heated Oxygen Sensor, Bank 1, Sensor 2. Basically he has a bad O2 sensor, nothing to do with output speed sensor. How many O2 sensors does this van have? On the OBDII printout it sounds like there are 3, and Autozone couldn't verify the number, saying that there are at least 2, one before the cat and one after. This says #2 is bad. I can understand how he could have a bad O2 sensor, I've had to replace them both on my 98' Dodge Dakota truck in recent years. But I suspect that there is more to this than just the sensor. I'm praying that there is not a major electrical issue. Now the output speed sensor is not very expensive(25.00 at NAPA) and we may go ahead and change it and first make sure the wiring and connector is OK. He is going to make arrangements to get the van into a local garage that he used to have work done and hopefully all these things will be resolved. Like I said, the van runs great and has a lot of power for its size, although I don't think it gets great gas mileage.

xwesx

It's a tough call. I cannot fathom how a oxygen sensor could affect your tach and speedometer, though it would certainly impact fuel economy. But I would also think that those two gauges are controlled by different sensors, since they are tracking speeds from different components (engine versus wheel speed).

Good luck with it; please share the resolution, if found.

shopdog97

I stopped at a local garage today and spoke with the owner on my son's behalf. He has been in business for over 30 years and I have faith in his work. When I described to him what's going on(or rather, NOT going on) with the speedo and tach, he was just about positive that it isn't the output speed sensor as we thought. The ECM would almost always set the code for that, and we aren't seeing it. Daryl(the shop owner)said that if the computer is working right, it would have given us that code. We checked all the fuses both under the hood and under the dash, and nothing appears amiss. My boy tells me now that his horn also doesn't work(it does blow when he locks the van remotely, so I'm thinking maybe the relay??) This again leads me to suspect other electrical issues, and I will suggest to my son that he get the van into Daryl's shop and at least have him diagnose the problem and move on from there. Like anything else this takes $$$$, something he doesn't have much of. He also found out that the spare tire mounting device is shot(probably why the previous owner had the tire and wheel in his garage instead of on the vehicle) He called a local dealer to get a price on a new one and it was absolutely rediculous. A local salvage yard had about 10 vans in stock, but knew all too well about this issue and said that none of his were any good. So for now he'll have to just keep the tire in the back in case he needs it until he finds one. It just bolts up underneath. He said he may found something on E-bay, so we'll see. Thanks again for your interest and when I know what's going on, I'll come back in and let you know. Have a great day!

shopdog97

Just a follow-up on my son's Grand Voyager: We did take it to this garage I spoke about earlier and I am waiting(rather anxiously)to hear now(10AM Friday the 20th) just what's going on. It is a lot more complicated that I could ever have expected. I think the former owner was told to get rid of this van when he started having these issues. Not everyone is honest and truthful, and that includes a 72 year old widower. This garage narrowed the problem to the ignition switch yesterday and we gave them authorization to replace it, but then I got call late in the afternoon and was told the thing went to what is known as Lock-Out Mode. It wouldn't even start or anything. The service manager called in favor from a former employee who now works at a local Chrysler dealership and has access to equipment to further diagnose this issue. This was supposed to happen late yesterday afternoon and we know nothing more at this point. We are hoping that no news turns out to be good news. The bottom line is let the buyer beware. I told my son that there are no guarantees in life and just to move on from here. I'll come back in later and let you know what the verdict is.

xwesx

That's amazing. And, you are completely right about that statement, "not everyone is honest and truthful." I was extremely leery about purchasing my '98 Grand Caravan a couple years ago, and thought for sure I was making a huge mistake, but it turned out that the seller really was honest.

shopdog97

Hello again. We now know what is wrong with my son's Grand Voyager. The manager of the garage called to inform us that the circuit board(behind the instrument cluster)is defective and must be replaced. Initially they suspected it was in the ignition switch and replaced it, but it did no good. Can you believe that they didn't charge him for that? Because that was not the fix, they wouldn't charge for that! I find that truly amazing. Someone from a local Chrysler dealership came in to use a DVR to help diagnose the problem and between him and 3 other techs they narrowed it down to this circuit board, which is why the speedo and tach aren't working. There is a remote possibility it could also be the BCM(Body Control Module) But they are leaning towards the board first. I am now convinced that the former owner did something to cause a surge of power by incorrectly jumping the battery or maybe reversing the terminals. None of that really matters now, so it's time to move on and fix it. The garage owner told me that these boards were notorious for going out on these vehicles and their related siblings, the Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country. I have to wonder if there was ever a recall on them. But he and another tech said that if the incorrect jumping proceedure was used and sparks flew, that would have been enough to fry this board. The bad news is that this part is $750.00 installed. And the man at the Chrysler Dealership must come back with the laptop and reprogram the computer once the board is replaced. Ain't life grand?? The garage may be willing to make payment arrangements with my son, as his only income is from Social Security due to a disability. These people were so wonderful to us , God bless them. When I took him to pick up the van yesterday they wouldn't even take the $80.00 diagnostic fee, they said they'd apply it to the total of swapping the board. It'd be a nicer world if everyone in business had their philosophy, they went over and above the call of duty in this case. Sorry for being so windy. Thanks for the support.

xwesx

Great story. I hope that it will be fixed with this attempt and the van will perform well going forward. Sounds like you really found the right place to take your business!

shopdog97

Thanks again for responding, xwesx. We're taking the van in later today to have that circuit board replaced tomorrow(Monday). I also am praying that this will cure this situation and my son will have a vehicle that has a working speedometer and tach and hopefully the horn and the cruise control as well. He had an issue with his coolant pipe leading to the rear heater last Thursday. Now I saw this the week before when I changed the O2 sensor the week before last. Apparently Chrysler let these vehicles(i.e. the Caravan and the T&C as well) leave the factory without much undercoating or other protection on these underside pipes. When I saw this seepage I told him I wouldn't be suprised if it didn't let loose before the winter was over. If you have one of these vans and DON'T live in the Rustbelt(or Pa.) like we do)then you might be OK. Well, dear old Dad was right and ol' faithful let loose just as he pulled up outside our home. The fix was simple enough, although you don't have very much room to work on these @&**##@ bleepin' things!! Got the cuts on the hands to prove it, too. Just needed to re-route the plumbing, and when all was said and done, there were no leaks and there's plenty of heat up front, and of course no more to the rear. Oh well, life goes on. The only other option is to replace the underside pipes and that ain't gonna happen. I'll stop back in after this upcoming repair and let ya know how we made out.

allenprimo913

hi,

im new here and i ve been reading all post about transmission. i have a 1998 voyager with 147k on it. my problem is when i am getting to speed up, it sounds like the transmission limps or hard shifting or something its hard to explain but after that it runs fine then when i slow down it does it again. im afraid it will damage the tarnny completely. i checked the fluid and its on add so i added and still same thing. while at running it sounds like it jerk when it upshift then gone when at high speed then when you slow down it jerks again.

another issue is , i have this blinking lights on the ac switch, defroster switch, wiper switch for the back window below the radio panel , they are continously bloinking then sometimes they turn off but most of the time it does it and i dont know if my ac is on or defroster is on?

does anyone has this problem?

i noticed something too that on the tranny there is a wire hanging with a white terminal and i dont know what this is?

any help wll do or input will do? :confuse:

shopdog97

Just wanted to know why the Air Bag indicator is always lit on my son's 96' Grand Voyager. Now it has been lit since he got it, and readers of this blog will note that there have been some electrical issue in this van. (The speedo and tach are now A-OK) but I was wondering what would cause the air bag light to remain on. The garage that fixed the other thing told me that it's NOT supposed to be lit. Any ideas or remedies would be greatly appreciated. We also have to see why the horn doesn't work as well. Nothing happens when you press on the wheel, no nothing. Usually you can hear the relay clicking or something. Could the relay be bad? The horn itself works when he locks the doors with the key fob. Unless the problem is in the horn switch itself. Don't we have to disable the air bag when taking off the steering wheel? I thank you for all suggestions.

cbwilsha

Both the Air Bag light and Horn problem will most likely be cured with a new clockspring in the steering wheel. There was a recall on your model clockspring back in 1998 or 1999 and, if yours wasn't replaced then, a Dealer will probably replace it for free.

C.B.

shopdog97

Thanks a lot for the info, C.B. I told my son about this and on Monday I will call our local Chrysler dealer and have them run the VIN and see if this van had this done. It would be great if he gets this fixed for free. Thanks again

etp

Time for a rebuild or trade for a new one. It will cost you around $2200 at an independent transmission shop. My son got his rebuilt and it works fine. The dealer will be much higher with a shorter warranty. Good luck and get 3 quotes for a full rebuild kit with extended warranty.

shopdog97

Note to CB wilsha: I did take your wise advise and contacted my local Chrysler Dealership today. The service advisor ran the VIN # and found out that the clockspring mechanism was in fact the subject of a recall and will be replaced at NO CHARGE!! Praise The Lord!!! When I told my son and daughter in law the news, they were elated. There were some other recalls on this van that obviously were not done as well, and the dealer is going to take care of them as well. He knew just what I was talking about and said that the clockspring effects the control of the airbag, the horn and the cruise control(which wasn't working either, by the way) Thanks again for the advise, and I think this is a great site where people seem to come together and help one another out wherever possible. Isn't that the way it shoud be with everything??God Bless!!

cbwilsha

Thank YOU for letting us know the good news. I've been thinking about you all morning because you said you were checking with a Dealer today. So many times we give advice and never hear back whether it worked or not. Good luck with the NEW Voyager!

C.B.

P.S. Sounds like you've come across a good Dealer so stick with him.

shopdog97

My son's 96' Plymouth Grand voyager is leaking Tranny fluid. I think its coming from where the halfshaft comes out of the transmission on the driver's side. Is there a seal in there? If so, how hard is it to replace it and what is involved? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

perry16154

problem: shifts good when cool. if you take it easy will get up to speed (60) no problem. if you gun it from dead stop to 75mph goes thru all gears, shifts at about 3500 rpm. sounds good right? well, when you are going 45 or 50 then get on it the rpms jump from 4500 to 3500 to 5500 like the transmission is confused. things i know about the van. the wiring has a short between main fuse box and coolant fan relay. power control module pin connection has what looks like marine liquid rubber all over it. i have changed the out and in transmisison sensors. no code shows up on the dbII scan tool, which is strange cause the service engin lite is on. checked all fuses at fuse box in cab and main, all fuses look good. van runs like a top and all electrical items work as they should. I am thinking go to the salvage yard and get new wiring harness going to pcm, change pcm and take it from there. is this a logical step to take?

cwchilds

I am having the same issue with my 98 PLYM GV 3.3L trans. When i stop and turn the van off it will be running fine. I too checked fluids and the fluids were fine. I had O'Reilly's tech tell me to check the shift solenoid switch.

Plus my cruise control doesn't work either. Light comes on but Nada. I had it checked by recall for the clock spring, dealership installed new clock spring but that didn't fix the cc problem. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

dustdesch000

did he by it used if so we had a '95 and we re placed the fuse and the light went off

semockr

I topped the reservoir off a couple of weeks ago and its dry again but I dont see any leaks or drops on the ground. Is this a indicator that my ps is getting bad.

mason127

I have a 1999 Plymouth Grand Voyager, 3.3 v6- 220K, with a leaking metal brake line. The leak is located in a braded area about a foot past the ABS Unit, running along the frame, and in the direction of the rear proportioning valve which is near the driver side rear wheel well.

The location of the ABS Unit presents a real access problem for the one end. I intend to replace both lines.

Your suggestions for an easy removal process, and if possible, a price/location to purchase the preformed lines would be appreciated. Thank you.