Did you recently rush to buy a new vehicle before tariff-related price hikes? A reporter is looking to speak with shoppers who felt pressure to act quickly due to expected cost increases; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com for more details by 4/24.
2008 town and country starter problem
i have a 2008 Chrysler town and country..with the 3.8L..any help would be appreciated
the vehicle has a new motor installed with a new starter...when you hit the key to the run position you can hear the starter pop out but not spin.....however if you manually jump the starter terminal it turns the engine over but will not give spark to start..even with the key in the run position.. there is power at the starter but it is not actuating the motor to turn the engine over.....just pops out......here is the other and bigger issue...it is currently at the Chrysler dealer and they called to tell me i have a seized motor....a motor that i know is not seized....so i asked what my bill was and was told it was at $150 ish and would be $250 after he takes the belt off and tries to turn it over manually and looks at the torque converter bolts to make sure they are installed properly......after a while i get a call saying the motor will not budge with a wrench on it......then tells me the next step is to remove the spark plugs and check for liquid in the cylinder......WHAT......would you not already have the plugs out to try to turn it over manually......compression should make it vary hard right?...lol....so i am at the end of my rope.....feeling like there is some shady stuff going on and would really appreciate any info that might actually help get it going
the vehicle has a new motor installed with a new starter...when you hit the key to the run position you can hear the starter pop out but not spin.....however if you manually jump the starter terminal it turns the engine over but will not give spark to start..even with the key in the run position.. there is power at the starter but it is not actuating the motor to turn the engine over.....just pops out......here is the other and bigger issue...it is currently at the Chrysler dealer and they called to tell me i have a seized motor....a motor that i know is not seized....so i asked what my bill was and was told it was at $150 ish and would be $250 after he takes the belt off and tries to turn it over manually and looks at the torque converter bolts to make sure they are installed properly......after a while i get a call saying the motor will not budge with a wrench on it......then tells me the next step is to remove the spark plugs and check for liquid in the cylinder......WHAT......would you not already have the plugs out to try to turn it over manually......compression should make it vary hard right?...lol....so i am at the end of my rope.....feeling like there is some shady stuff going on and would really appreciate any info that might actually help get it going
0
Answers
However, there are lots of things that can cause a motor not to turn, such as a timing chain jammed against its guides (I'm pretty sure your 3.8 uses a timing chain, not a belt), for instance.
And yes, your engine can "hydro-lock" if water gets into the cylinders. That would cause the piston to come up, try to compress the water (which it can't) and bend the connecting rods---thus jamming the motor.
Also, a starter motor, if jumped indirectly, can "motor" within itself (spin like a regular electric motor) but without throwing out the pinion gear into the flywheel. So yes, your starter motor can spin even if the engine is seized, depending on how you energize it.
I'm not saying you need/should purchase your TIPM from where I bought mine, I'm just saying to verify that the internal relays are not the factory-installed pieces of garbage. If the relays haven't been replaced, there's a big chance the problem will resurface.