Chrysler Town and Country EX/LX/LXi/Limited

hayneldan

I too attempted to change the plugs on my 96, and was succesful with changing the front three and the difficult no 1 behind the alternator from above but was unable to change 3 & 5 (no ramps). Took it to my favorite mechanic with a lift and paid him to do those 2. I strongly recommend changing the spark plug wires at the same time as the plug changing is such a hassle.

tsu670

Thanks for the tips everyone. I have the tools and car ramps, but alas my arms aren't long enough to reach up there (rather short in stature). Images of breaking plug off at base, cross-threading new one, etc. Gee, it's too bad. Love doing this sort of job myself. It's halfway fun, and there's a ton of satisfaction in knowing the correct plugs are in there and the gap is set right when the job is done. Saving $$$ isn't the issue. My trusted mechanic retired and moved away, so maybe I'll just make an appointment and take it to my local Chrysler dealer. For those of you who were able to do it yourselves, congratulations. I envy you, indeed.

tomtomtom

Most likely, the buttons on the remote were press accidently. It happened to me a few time when I first have the van so I made it a habit to hold my car keys until I am far enough before I put it in my pocket. It is too bad we have to do that but when we want power everything I guess this is the price.

bobrobin

Hello again,
Well, the good news is that the dealer replaced the BCM (Body control module (computer)) in my T&C yesterday and that fixed Items #1 (headlights on with wipers) and #3 (turn signal chime/msg)in my earlier post (#1432). Chrysler says item #2 (messages about adj pedals) do not and will not exist. It seems that quite a few items relating to the adjustable pedals do not work as advertised in the owners manual. Now the bad news. While they had the car in their possesion, I received a large (about 3 inches in diameter) ding with numerous scratches on the right front fender. After a long discussion they agreed to repair it, but now it means I will have to take it in to the body shop.

tomtomtom

did they say what cause the ding?

bobrobin

No, in fact they argued that they had no way of knowing as to whether the ding was already there when I brought it in, but I know without any doubt that it was not.

cmike1

We were very excited to find a Limited T&C with only 40,000 miles in excellent condition for $12500. We had been looking for a few weeks, and missed on a couple of nice ones, but I am glad as this one has been the best so far.

A couple of questions in case anyone can help - I am looking for a good place to find a few different things, and would appreciate any help if you have experience with these:

1) Wood dash kit - I am assuming we can use the same as the grand caravan. There is only one piece of wood around the radio and then the 2 small strips on the doors, and I would like to complement. if anyone knows the OEM style factory match type of wood and a good place to get it from, please pass it on.

2) A rear spolier (pre-painted if possible) - the Grand Caravan Sports look really sharp with these, and I would like to add one to the T&C.

3) Running boards - again, I think this actually makes the most visible impact - lessens the "bubble" effect, and enhances styling greatly.

Any help would be appreciated - thank you!

nfl2

I had the same problem with my 2002T&C Limited. The mechanic fixed it by telling me to leave the lights in auto mode(A). For anyone having trouble with tire montoring system, the car is suppose to come with a magnet shaped like a small hocky put with a hole in it. My dealer confessed to me the mechanics in the shop didn't have one so they couldn't fix the screen that reads (service tire system now), which comes on every time I start the car. I emailed Chrysler two days ago, and got a call from my service manager that Chrysler called them to tell me when the magnet comes in they will fix the probem for free and give me the magnet so I can do it myself. One dealer parts guy told me there is a service buletin out that states there is supposed to be one with every car that has a tire monitoring system. I had orded one anyway, since they only cost $13.50 each.

nfl2

Does anyone know what happened to this web site? It was written by someone that talked about all the existing, present and future Chrysler products coming down the line. It was not connected directly with Chrysler.

stever

Somehow I don't think you mean http://www.carsandtrucks.com/. Their Auto Research link does look pretty darn terrific though.

Steve, Host

nfl2

Thanks for trying, Steve, but that was not it. It had pictures of new products, and words like BUZZ that you could click on to see what was coming down the line for Chrysler.

stever

Well, if it looked like this, it seems like it's defunct.

Steve, Host

ottowrkr

the Buzz site was shutdown a few months ago .

smulvey

My Kia Sedona does not have these automatic checking features , but it does not need extra magnets to perform flawlessly for me.

I looked at these Chyrsler cars but they seemed too expensive. I also had some trouble with a Chrysler front wheel drive car's transmission, where it needed to be replaced 2 times in 70K miles. this made me leary of the Chryslers.

That and the fact I worked with their QC engineers on a project once and saw how they organize their resources.

uga91

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2003-06-30-minivans_x.htm

I can not believe this tid bit of information has not been discussed here yet. How do you new owners of 2003 models feel about this? I do not like the fold flat seat. It is a feature I would never use. With 3 kids, I use my rear seat each and every day. I love the split fold/remove design of my rear bench. On trips, I can remove half of the bench and increase storage while still having seats for all 5 of us. A solid folding seat would be reason for me not to buy a van. Oh well, Honda fooled so many people into thinking they are great that Chrysler finally took notice.

nolid5

I agree with you the fold flat seating is a nice feature but I have to haul kids around not plywood. If I needed to drop the third seat into the floor that often to make cargo room I think I would buy a pickup. The full bench fold flat seat is not practical for my family. I like the ability to split the rear seat & have extra storage space. Plus the new van is so quiet I don't have to yell at the kids in the back seat.

libertycat

uga91

libertycat

I like the new Sienna and MPV better than the T&C because they both have fold-flat third row seat and roll-down second row power windows. The Sienna has a VERY luxurious interior with much more wood than the MPV and T&C, more room than both, and available seating for 8, although I'm dissapointed it's not available in the XLE or Limited. However, the T&C's name and styling beat the Sienna and MPV and also has AWD and power liftgate available two things the MPV lacks, but the Sienna also has.

uga91

Remember that the T&C will have the fold flat floor next year. I like just about all the vans--there is something to like about all of them and something to not like about all of them. My 2003 Chrysler Voyager LX is my 3rd Chrysler. When time to replace comes around, I shop them all but come back to Chrysler. We don't take many trips and I do most of my driving in the tight streets and parking lots of Atlanta, so I wanted a shorter van. That is why I did not get a Grand Caravan or T&C. I have the quad captains and split folding rear bench, so I have the interior flexibility of a T&C at a size I prefer.

larry238

Hi, I'm new here. Lots of good info. I'm looking at an used 99 LTD at a dealer. It has 17" chrome aftermarket wheels. When I questioned the salesman about the 17" wheels, he said the LTDs had 17". True? I thought they had 16". Any problems with using 17" on this vehicle?
Thank you

rpotwora

I have a 2003 with DVD. When I was driving I notice a strange noise coming from behind the dash. Very loud. It sounded like some sort of alarm and I could feel vibration that appeared to be coming from the radio/cd player. I shut off the a/c and radio and it still did it. I pulled over and shut off the van and it still did it. I restarted and it stoped by itself about 5 minutes later. I don't have a clue what it could be. Suggestions?

libertycat

I have NO clue what it could be.

uga91

Has the dealer been able to determine what it was yet?

rbell2

I cannot believe how Chrysler ruined the rear luggage space with the "split fold" rear bench design. The rear bench no longer glides forward to allow more rear cargo while still providing a 3-seater bench with enough leg room for children. When we go on our long 1-week vacations, I have used that feature on my '96 DGC every time and can pack the whole house behind the third row without losing the seats for my kids. Now the way the seats are designed in the '03 there is about 60% of the available cargo as I have in my '96 with the seats all the way back (maximizing leg room). When the seat is pushed all the way forward on my '96, the '03 design does not even come close in volume. Have you noticed that with a '04 Sienna or the Ody, there is as much cargo room behind the third row (w/o folding it) as you get in a T&C with 1/2 of the rear bench tumbled forward. Chrysler really blew that one. I will be buying a '04 Sienna or a Ody in the next 2-3 months. Maybe their new design will be an improvment.

momstruck1

to know if anyone still has one of these and if there are any major problems we should look for . She is looking into this to replace an older mini van. thanks

uga91

I guess that is why they make Ford trucks and Chevy trucks. I also had the sliding solid rear bench on my 2001 van and found the sliding feature to be helpful. However, one of the reasons why we traded our less than 2 year old van on a 2003 model was to get the split folding/split removable rear bench. Removing half of the rear bench makes for a huge amount of storage area, IMO. I have 3 kids, so I still have half the bench left for seating purposes. How many kids do you have? You must not need the third row when you travel if you used to slide it all the forward in the past. This design is much more useful to me than a solid fold flat bench like Honda is so proud of. I understand the Sienna has a split fold flat seat--I would like that.

rbell2

I have two kids - they only sit on the 2nd row together on long trips when they are watching the TV. My son prefers to sit on the rear bench and sometimes lays down some on his pillow. Having a sliding rear bench allows us to get all the cargo we need while losing no seating space. Take a ruler and measure the distance from your rear bench to the hatch and then go measure that same distance on an older model w/o the splits. You'll be shocked at the less amount of cargo space. Some friends of ours bought an '02 T&C LXI last year and were disappointed at how much little space they have w/o folding 1/2 or all of the rear bench. Also, have you ever sat in the middle of the split rear bench? Ouch!!
By the way . . . . War Eagle!!!!

uga91

You are right about the middle of the rear bench. It is useless as a seat. We definitley gave up a seating position with this design--unless an emergency or something, of course. As far as your friends go, I'm sorry to hear that. However, it is their fault that they did not find this out before buying the van. Didn't they look back there? They must have graduated from Auburn or something!

genieangel

I was about to purchase a 2003 T&C LXi on Saturday. Now that they are coming out with the 3rd fold down seat (a major drawback since I want to easily put the bikes in the car at whim) I don't know whether I should wait it out or not. I am getting a good deal on the '03.... I wonder if they will be giving good rebates on the '04 like they are the '03.... If I trade it in a year would I lose a lot I wonder?? Anyone, HELP me on my decision, they are holding the car for me!

genieangel

Does anyone know if Chrysler offers these $3,500 rebates and $2,700 internet discounts every year or is it just to get rid of the vans without the 3rd row seats???

stever

I don't have a crystal ball, but I don't see the incentives ending in the short term. From what I read, it's cheaper for the Big 3 automakers to keep the factories running and cranking out cars than it is to cut back on production since they still have to meet their union (and supplier?) contractual obligations.

Apparently they lose money either way, but they lose less money continuing to produce the cars - maybe they think they're making it up on volume <g>.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the rebates shrink a lot when the new models hit the showrooms though.

Usual disclaimers!

Steve, Host

uga91

There is drawback either way. From what I understand, fold flat rear seats production actually will not start until after the first of the year. So, it could be next spring before you get the van you want. Yes, your trade will lose more value. I would also think that the new vans will not be discounted like the current vans as Chrysler needs to sell them. The new Quest you say you want will not be discounted now, either. I guess you have to ask yourself--how often will you remove the seats? How hard are they for you to remove? They are easy for me, but then again, my mother-in-law thinks a 20lb box is immovable--so everyone's idea of heavy is different. Is the convenience worth the thousands more you'll pay to wait or get the Quest? If so, then there is your answer. If you have other uses for the savings you'll realize in buying the T&C, then you found your answer again. Good luck!

libertycat

Why does this dicussion and the "Dodge Grand Caravan/GC Sport" discussion have trim levels in their titles. IMO it would be easier to just have "Chrysler Town & Country" and "Dodge Grand Caravan" discussions and easiest to combine them like the "GM triplets" discussion.

cpaduncan

WE HAVE A 2002 T&C LIMITED WITH A CONTINUING STEERING NOISE (IT SOUNDS AS IF FLUID LEVELS ARE LOW). THE NOISE IS INTERMITTENT. HAVE BEEN TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. DEALER INDICATES TWO T.S.B.s HAVE BEEN PERFORMED. DEALER ALSO INDICATES THAT THEY REPLACES POWER STEERING PLUMB.
NOISE IS STILL THERE AND IS STILL INTERMITTENT, BUT SEEMS TO BE MORE OFFEND.

uga91

Have you checked the fluid level?

cpaduncan

Have checked power steering fluid levels, several times. I am beginning to wonder if my dealer has in fact performed the TSB's and replaced the power steering plumb, as has indicated. Has anyone had this problem(see #1475) and had TSB's done and they fixed steering noise? Any other ideas? Thanks-

tomtomtom

I have a 2001 T&C LTD. I had the noise and my dealer did fix it under the TSB suggestion and the noise has gone.

weberamg

Hello-

I currently have a 1996 T&C with 102k miles and FWD. At the time I bought this (July 1995), the AWD wasn't available. I'm now in the market for a replacement van. I'm looking at getting the all-wheel-drive version, but I was wondering of the general reliability of the system doing the normal street driving.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!!

Thanks

uga91

I got a letter from Chrysler today saying the warranty on my A/C compressor is now extended to 7 years or 70k mi, whichever comes first. Apparently there was a problem on the lubrication of some compressors of 2001-2003 models, so they are covering all of them for an extended period of time to guard against problems in the future. I like this pro active approach Chrysler is taking!

howie99mn

Anyone with a 2001-2003 T&C get a letter from Chrysler extended the warranty on the A/C compressor to 7 years/70? There may be some units with lubrication problems.

I don't know if this is good. I would prefer a recall instead but this save Chrysler big money by not replacing a known defect in A/C that could costs $1100 to repair?

howie99mn

I think that my dealer ordered shims to stop the noise. I am getting it done next week and let you know the tsb when I get it.

I am not having luck on my T&C. Been in the shop every 3 months for something wrong. But when it drives it really does a great job.

cpaduncan

INTERMITTENT STEERING NOISE APPEARS TO BE CORRECTED. DEALER HAD PERFORMED TWO T.S.B.'s AND SAID HE REPLACED POWER STEERING PUMP. NOISE WAS STILL THERE. ON ABOUT 5th VISIT, DEALER INDICATED HE REPLACED POWER STEERING PUMP A SECOND TIME. NOISE IS GONE.

kagenski

So where is the sensor for the auto headlights?

The dealer states that it is on the back of the
mirror, but testing shows that it has no effect.
And the dealer states that the ambient setting
is not reprogrammable.

My 02 T&C headlights are on nearly fulltime (ala
DRLs) but my 03 T&C lights do not come on until
it's quite dark. I would like the lights on
more full-time like the 02, but with the auto
switch controllling. thnx in advance...

kagenski

Could someone confirm that Chyrsler took away
the lighted controls on the Power Window/Doorlock
controls?

Only my driver window control has a "lighted dot"
on it. The other window controls and and door
lock controls do not light up. Also, the power
mirror joydisk does not light.

These all light in my '02 T&C. (And yes, checked
auto vs on for the light control)

Again, the dealer believes that this is normal.

tomtomtom

Go to the dealer's lot and turn on the headlight on few vans to see those buttons light up.

uga91

I like the letter over a recall. Whys should I go through the trouble of taking my van in for a new compressor unless mine breaks? Besides, it'll save millions, and Chrysler needs to do that.

bobrobin

kagenski, you are correct about the lighted controls. I noticed the same thing right after I got my 03 T&C Limited. The controls for doors, windows, etc are not lighted. Before this purchase I had a 96 Dodge GC "ES" and the controls were lit on it. Just more places to save money for Chrysler, I guess. What models are your "02" and "03" T&Cs? Limited(s)? I will try to check out the headlight sensor question "2003 headlight sensor location" for you as soon as I get a chance.

uga91

I noticed several "cost cutting" items between my 2001 van and my new 2003 as well.

hansienna

Heating coils at the base of the windshield have also disappeared.
     Hey, Chrysler has to eliminate some items to keep the cost down. The Chrysler minivans still have more luxury and comfort items at a lower price than any other minivan builder.
     What do you Chrysler owners think about the rumored "fold-into-the-floor" 3rd row seating for 2004 DC minivans that the Odyssey has had since 1999, MPV had since 2000, and now Sienna has for 2004?
     Will the Chrysler T&C Limited remain the quietest, most luxurious minivan with this change?