2000 Chrysler Town and Country Transmission Question

jkb56jkb56 Member Posts: 3
edited July 2014 in Chrysler
Hello all,

Brand new here, so 'sorry' if this particular topic had come up in the past and discussed.

Purchased a used 2000 Chrysler Town & Country LXI if I remember having about 142,000 miles on it.

When slowing down to a stop, at about 8 miles per hour, I hear and feel a 'clunk' from the transmission.

Know someone that had the same model, and told me this was common with these models because of some overdrive system in them?

Contacted a transmission place, and was also told that this was common in these vehicles.

Was advised by both to drive the vehicle in [3] when doing a lot of driving around town with lots of starting and stopping. But on the highway, basically going over 40 mph, to keep it in [D].

Did read in the user manual that driving in [3] reduces gas mileage. When I do drive it in [3] I do not experience the clunk when I slow down to a stop.

However I've noticed 'a little' erratic shifting sometimes in the transmission, driving about town in [3].

I had asked the transmission shop if that 'clunk' I'm hearing is causing damage in the transmission, and I was told that it will eventually need to be serviced/rebuilt.

Have to wonder if that is true giving the reputation of transmission shops...

Anyway, can anyone help me here? Is this something common in this model? Should I just ignore it as something particular with this vehicle, or am I facing some major repairs down the road?

Comments

  • jkb56jkb56 Member Posts: 3
    Is this post visible?

    Posted it a couple days ago, didn't have that little 'new' symbol next to it???
  • rhtransrhtrans Member Posts: 84
    Clunking on the downshift is common but usually can be easily remedied by runnning what we call a "quick learn" on the trans computer. It simply programs the computer to know how much volume of oil it takes to apply a certain clutch pack before the accumulater bottoms out. In this case it would be the underdrive clutch pack. The reason you don't feel it when in regular drive is because the u/d clutch is on in 1st thru 3rd and goes off in o/d...so when slowing down you feel the clunk when it makes a 4-3 downshift. Any loss of power to memory of the computer can cause this...blown fuse, dead battery, changing a battery.. ect. But, it can also happen if there is an internal pressure leak. I'd cerainly have a quick learn done first before any other action is taken, which any reputable transmission shop should do to begin with...hope that helped.
  • jkb56jkb56 Member Posts: 3
    Wow! Didn't know the computer controlled the transmission that much. This is a recent purchase for me, having a 1987 Plymouth Voyager for many years now, and still going. So now I have the two mini-vans...

    I do know that the battery had been removed, as shortly after I got it, I had to have the top strut housing reinforcing kits put in, and took it to someone that would not only glue and rivet it, but also weld it.

    So the battery was off of it for a period of time.

    And I did call a transmission shop and was told nothing about doing any 'quick learn' done through the computer system. Obviously I won't be going there!

    I will for sure call around to other shops and question them about this, and when someone seems to know as much about this as you do, I will take it in and have this done.

    I 'really' appreciate this information! I would have never imagined how much more complicated these newer vehicles can be, after driving my old 1987 all these years.

    Thanks again.
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