Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager Cooling System (radiator, fan, etc.)

pmary · January 2007

Hi- for replacement;
Does any one know where the cooling fan (electrical)relay module is located.? Most repair manuals leave out its location.

Claires · January 2007

Not sure if this helps, but there was some discussion about this awhile back: Re: Cooling Fans not coming on

Claires · January 2007

Hi, folks,

I've moved the drum removal posts to our existing brakes discussion, where they'll have a better chance of being noticed and answered: 2001 - 2006 rear drum removal by bobconstance

pmary · January 2007

Hi,
After much searching I found the Relay resting on top of the front bumper (rail frame re-bar) in behind the grill on the driver's side.To access it you will need to remove the head lamp (3 screws) module.The Relay is attached (factory installed)by a large rivet. A large pry bar may be required to free the faulty relay. Remove the wiring harness with a small hooked flat screwdriver under the (hidden) inside area of the locking tab. Before re-connecting put a spot of vaseline on each tab of the new module to reduce moisture corrosion.The Relay has to be firmly re-attached to the bumper to create a heat sink.You will need to remove the rivet from the bumber with a long cold chisel and re-attach the new module with a 9/32" self tapping large screw (or see dealer's replacement part). Re-attach the wiring harness before re-attaching the module to the bumber.Make sure it is well secured- the radiator is right behind it!

pmary · January 2007

Hi,
The 9/32" self tapping screw just wouldn't cut it. I wound up tapping the hole with a 5/16" NC 16 tap bit mounted from a small T bar tap ratchet. I removed a piece of a web from the grill to give me some leverage. Its a very tight area in behind the grill to work with but a threaded bolt and lock washer now has the cooling fan relay firmly re-secured. I think a secure mount might work as a ground for the circuit as well so a tight installation with no loose play is a must. Be careful not to tighten the bolt too hard or you may strip the (2) threads in the hole. Some thread lock might be a good idea as well. The cooling fans are now working once again with a warm engine idling while stopped in traffic !

hof · February 2007

I have a 2006 Grand Caravan with only 2500 miles on it. When our January cold snap hit, I noticed the temperature gauge never gets above the mark JUST BELOW the midline. At first I thought it was because of sub-zero temperatures. Now that it has warmed up into the 40's, it still isn't reaching the midline. Should I be concerned?

Steve from Indy

97xpresso · February 2007

That's about where mine (2001 Caravan SE) stays, no matter if it's 0 or 100 degrees outside.

shipo · February 2007

Since the advent of the ODB-II diagnostic requirements from Big Brother (in 1996 IIRC), I have yet to see a single car sold here in the U.S. that didn't have a temperature gauge that wasn't a glorified idiot light. When the engine is cold, it shows cold, when the engine has already overheated, it shows hot, and for pretty much everything else, it shows in the middle.

For confirmation, check virtually any car you want, Chrysler, Mercedes, Lexus, BMW, Jaguar, Kia, Nissan, Subaru, it doesn't matter.

Best Regards,
Shipo

amduncan · March 2007

PMARY

I am curious what was the reason for replacing the relay module?

I have a '03 caravan and the radiator fans are coming on all on their own, even with no keys in the ignition. From what I have found on the net and the error code form the dash (P1491-Radiator fan control relay circuit) I suspect it is the relay myself.

any help is appreciated

singlemom3 · April 2007

singlemom3 · April 2007

My van is overheating when air is on and idling. The fans are not working. We have checked the fuses and relays.

Singlemom3

momspimpride · June 2007

Hey ya'll .... We have a 99 Grand Voyager expresso.
My hubby replaced the radiator and since then the radiator fan hasn't come on.
He rigged it up someway but we now have to pop the hood and connect it to the battery for the fan to come on each time and take it off.... he says he can purchase a switch for 3 bucks and install it in the car so we can turn it on & off inside but that can't be the only way. Any ideas on what may be wrong and what we need to do to fix it? :confuse:
If the fan was broken why would it work w. a direct connect to the battery?
I might add...in case it's helpful... directly after changing the radiator, the hose going from the tranny to the radiator burst, we lost all of our fluid and thought the tranny had blown. :sick: Still dont know why but since then I found out we were using the WRONG fluid (dextron or something) so I bought some ATF+4 and found a new cooler line and problem solved for under 50 bucks...PLUS the tranny no longer has the slight slip that it had before around 35mph (due to incorrect fluid, I bet)

tatalesua · July 2007

I am a single mom and have put some money into my 1997 Dodge Caravan here lately and am still having problems. I am wondering if my thermostat is bad as the van has a tendency to overheat when going small distances and once in a while on 20-30 mile distances. Also I just had to put a new battery in and every time I get in my van you have to go 7 - 10 miles for the gauges to reset. What's up and can anyone please, please help me. I try not to beg but I am giving up at this point. I put in my own battery and my own auto shut off relay switch as my fans would not shut off when the van was not running and no keys in the van.

hdbrg1 · July 2007

2000 AWD sport. My temp gauge is at half way just idling. The thermostat is new, and I fear I will need to replace the radiator. It looks corroded and rusty at the ends. Are there any alternatives?? The car is on its last legs(140k) and I hate to put toooo much money into it. I pull a Coleman pop-up with it, and wonder if I shouldn't. Any thoughts??

xwesx · July 2007

Is that not where it is supposed to be? The temperature gauges on my Subarus always point mid-way between L and H when fully warm, as does my 1998 GC. None of them move higher than that (unless there is a problem!).

Where did yours normally top out when warmed up?

hdbrg1 · July 2007

My gauge normally ran between 1/4 and a 1/2. I noticed a couple weeks ago that it was running at half way, and a problem I do believe I have. Not sure how far I can drive safely. I live in Germany and there's not a whole lot of Chrysler dealers around. And if I drive to Italy or France I'm really hurting if it breaks down. Guess it's time for a new van.

xwesx · July 2007

Well, start with flushing the radiator with a good solvent to clear any blockages and see where that gets you. If the van is running too warm, you would probably notice some significant variations (drop) in the temperature gauge when you are running at high speed and low rpm (such as descending a long hill).

The bottom line, though, is that if you cannot feel at ease when driving it and do not want to fix it, then it is likely time to move on to something else.

masterpaul1 · July 2007

Does it over heat in cooler temps.?

1) Check the fuses for the cooling fans.

2) When you see the temperature gauge going up to hot. Pull over, open the hood and see if the cooling fan is going. (If not, it might be the coolant temp. sensor.)

3) With the van running in Park, at idle speed, turn on the AC and see if the cooling fans are running. (Both fans should run all the time when using the AC.)

4) Make sure there is nothing blocking the flow of air through the cooling coils in the radiator. Sometimes you might have to run the garden hose over the cooling coils to rinse away all dirt and lent build up.

5) You can check the top radiator hose when the van is cold, to see if the thermostat is opening up and not stock closed. When you first start the van, let it run in Park at idle. As you see the temp. gauge going up, feel the top radiator hose to see if it is getting warm/hot. If it is still cold, then the thermostat has not opened yet to allow the coolant to flow thru the radiator to be cooled. If you see the temp. gauge going past the halfway point and the top hose is still on the cool side, it might be the thermostat :shades:

muggelberg · August 2007

I have a 2001 Dodge Caravan, the blower switch only works on high. How hard is it to fix myself?? Thanks for any help.. Bill

vcheng · August 2007

pmary · August 2007

Hi,
You may have a short in the primary power wire from the relay to the cooling fan motor. A multi-tester in the continuity setting would confirm if theres a break in the line. An akward visual inspection from underneath the vehicle may also spot it. If so,cut the bad piece out and splice in an equal gauge of wire to graft it in to position. Ideally, copper wire could be soldered with rubber heat shrink tubing placed around it to seal it.

muggelberg · August 2007

Thanks everyone, I ended up replacing the resistor pack myself (very easy). I think it cost me $18 and some change. I ended up having to cut off a small piece of wire to the blower motor(melted) and replace the end with a female connector from autozone for about $6 dollars.

All in all I think the whole thing was about $24 and tax.

And to think, the dealer said it was going to cost me $80 to LOOK AT IT!!!!

Thanks
Bill :shades:

eric2 · September 2007

my 98 voyager overheated again today, it has an overheated problem about 1 month ago, I replaced the fan relay, then it seems running good until today. When I stopped my car in the parking space, I heard a noise coming from the front, sounds like something boiling water. I guess it was the coolant, but when I look at the temp guage, the temp was right at the middle, seems normal to me, but next second, lots of white smoke come out under the hood, but no burnt smell, and the coolant spill over over the floor.....smoke stops about after 10 mintues. what should I do next?? please advice.

shipo · September 2007

What you saw was apparently steam and not smoke, a very important (and fortunate for you) distinction. It sounds like you need to fill the radiator and coolant overflow bottle and get it to a decent mechanic to debug the problem.

Best Regards,
Shipo

jrcaracci · March 2008

The radiator fan keeps running on my 2001 Chrysler Town and Country, even with the ignition off. Also got engine light signal. Switched 40A relay in fuse box and this did not change situation. I believe the fan motor control relay is stuck in the closed position. Problem is I can't find where this relay is located on the car. Checked Chilton and Haynes manuals without success. Can't find anything on-line pertaining to location. Both Murray's and Autozone have replacement part but were no help in locating where to find it on the van. Dealers are all down for the weekend.

Does anyone know where this relay is located.

johnson11978 · March 2008

have a 2003 caravan 3.3l with 100,000 kms that keeps loosing coolant. dont notice any on ground, white exhaust, filmy windows or odors. No matter how hot engine is running, the rad hoses are never hard, alwalys soft but not collapsed. any help would be appreciated.

shipo · March 2008

I'd check the weep hole on the nose of your water pump. While the pump on our 2003 is still intact and not leaking after well over 170,000 kms, I've heard from other 2003 owners that their pumps started leaking right around the 100,000 km mark.

Best Regards,
Shipo

mosander1 · April 2008

I have a '93 Caravan 3.0 litre that runs like a top; it does, however, suffer from age related complaints, the most recent of which is a coolant leak. I naturally found this following a much needed cooling system flush. The leak appears to be coming from the pipe on the return side to the radiator. The hose is new, and the little pipe it comes off of appears to be in good shape, so if I had to guess, I would say the o-ring on the engine side of the pipe is shot. My question is this: How do you replace it? Visibility is nil when it comes to seeing just how to get at it.

Many thanks in advance for any input,

Mosander

dmains · April 2008

The fan motors on my 1999 voyager are not working. Fuse is good. Where do I look from here?

Thank you

srs_49 · April 2008

Could be the fan relay. Pull the connector off the fan and, probe the connector pins with a voltmeter. When you think the fan should be coming on (by looking at your temperature gauge), i think their should be 12V across the pins.

Another thing you could do is to try and apply 12V directly to the fan motor (after taking off the connector) and see if the fan spins. Need to be careful if you do this using the battery, however, 'cause a short might melt the wires you were using.

The purpose of these two experiments is to try and isolate the problem to either the fan motor itself or the controlling relay, sensor, and associated wiring.

dmains · April 2008

I cannot seem to locate the relay for the radiator cooling fans. Would appreciate some help in finding the relay.

Thanks

jrcaracci · April 2008

My 2001 had the relay between the front of the radiator and the grill on the cross bar, drivers side. Take the six screws off the top of the grill and you can spread it enough to get a hand on the relay to pull out the plugs. Helps also if you remove bolt on top of cover, driver side of radiator that holds down the plastic cover. Gives you more room without taking out the whole grill. Could not find the right part anywhere on line or at Local auto supply shops(Autozone and Murrays).. Best bet is to go to Dodge or Chrysler dealer for the part and they will also help you locate and give tips at getting to the part.

Hope this helps. I just replaced mine last week. My problem was that the fans would not shut off, so I had to pull the 40A relay in the fuse box.

crackorn · May 2008

Same problem with my 99 voyager got the o rings changed $ 250 still leaking I need to take it back but the weird thing is it seem to leak when there is no pressure when it's cold as it just empties what's above the I guess that o ring that was changed
When it's hot there is nothing.........

tecguy · June 2008

I have a 2003 Dodge caravan and the radiator fans are coming on all on their own, even with no keys in the ignition.Error code (P1491-Radiator fan control relay circuit) I suspect it is the relay myself. any help is ... :sick:

jrcaracci · June 2008

Same happened to my daughters 2001 Town&Country. Answer should be in #38 on this list and the answer I got in #31. The relay is between the radiator and the grill in the 2001 and probably on your 2003. Could only find the right relay at a Chrysler/dodge dealer. It costs about $65 if you install it yourself. Check with your dealer to make sure the relay is located the same as my 2001 model.

dmains · October 2008

the headlights on my 99 voyager do not seem bright enough on high beam. I just replaced them with the sylvania ultra lights but it made little differance. Any suggestions?

xwesx · November 2008

Could be a combination of things. If the wiring is okay (receiving full wattage), then it may be adjustment or be due to yellowing of the lens cover. The covers on my '98 DGC are quite hazed and the lights are quite inadequate. But, I have a set of PIAA driving lights mounted to the front bumper, so brights are, well, just that.

There are, apparently, products on the market to remove the hazing/yellowing, but doing so tends to cause them to yellow more quickly in the future. Still, that might be better than replacing them outright!

caterajunk · January 2009

Hi All...

I had a air compressor put in my 1999 Plymouth Voyager and the freon was not replace. Can you tell me how many cans of freon to put in. The mechanic told me to get three cans for him to put in and bring 50.00 but my son knows how to put in and have added 1 and a half cans but car is not cool enough . Is three cans sufficient?? We don't want to put too much so please advise.

Thanks so very much....

Dodge2005 · January 2009

I have a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan with 85k and seems to be leaking antifreeze. Is this common?

Will leak stop fix it?

shipo · January 2009

"Is this common?" No.

"Will leak stop fix it?" Maybe, maybe not, it depends upon what's leaking.

xwesx · January 2009

Any idea from where your leak is coming? As Shipo said, it depends on what is leaking. Also, depending on what is leaking, it may be easier/preferable to fix the leak rather than put an additive in the coolant.

sdavis1982 · June 2009

I have an 02 caravan with error code p1491, I replaced the fuses and the relay but the fans keep coming on even with the ignition off until eventually the battery is drained. Does anyone have a fix for this?

pmary · June 2009

Hi,
I used to get the P1491 code on my 01 Caravan before I changed my leaky engine cooling radiator. It seemed that coolant was draining on to the wire leading to the far fan motor creating a grounding short. Some of the wire insulation was cracked so I graffted in a new section. The old rad looked okay until I took it out and and the the hot side tank was corroded along the fins. There is 2 other small rads (tranny& AC) that hang off the front of the engine rad and 2 electric fans. It took me a couple hours and a 6 pack of beer to fix it! The fan relay was behind the rad on top of the cross beam on the driver's side. I had to remove the head lamp module to access it.

pmary · June 2009

On my 01 caravan the fan relay is behind the rad on top of a cross beam on the driver's side. You have to remove the driver's side headlamp module to acess it.

schampio · July 2009

The service manual for 1998 T&C LXi 3.8L is a bit misleading on this. Its still on the drivers side at the bottom inside of the radiator mount just above the inlet hose. No need to pull the headlight as it doesn't buy you anything. You'll have to pull the air cleaner hose and aircleaner holder to get at it. Mine wasn't riveted (thank goodness) and dropped below the the lower bumper flare for easier access after I pulled the 2x 8mm machine screws. The interlock was pesky (slide the orange lock plate near the seal lip to the left and it will release without breaking. I found a $52 Niehoff Ignition Relay RL38851 OE at Kragen/Oreilly's that fit perfect, considerably cheaper than the $96 the dealer wanted for the same thing. Chrysler really needs to rework their design for ease of access. Its one thing to put it here for cooling (theoretically) but really, right above the hotter than heck radiator return hose and down where every puddle can splash it? According to the service department this is a frequently failing item.

kayjade · December 2010

i have a Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager 96 just wondering where does the return hose go into the rad mine seems to be missing so i gotta replace it. look at the jug today and was leaking out cause no hose

jnapper · March 2011

I have a 1998 Plymouth Voyager with the 3.3 engine. I have a problem with the cooling system leaking antifreeze. I replace the cap and the thermostat. The problem seems to be on the drivers side of the vehicle. There was no wetness on the top of the motor. What should I be looking for?

jimmyfalbo · September 2011

i done mine and at 3 cans it got cold 4 it got better

evrp99 · November 2012

I have a 1999 Ply Voyager with a 2.4 that I bought brand new. In the last two weeks it has been running hot whenever I turn on the AC.
I have replaced the fan assembly, coolant temperature sensor, and the radiator fan fuse. It still runs hot with the AC on. For some reason the fans are not coming on when they are suppose to. The fans are working because I tested them before I put them in. The new sensor gives the correct temp reading on the dash. Suggestions for what I may have missed, thanks.

Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager Cooling System (radiator, fan, etc.)

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles