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Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan 2005+

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Comments

  • LASHAWNLASHAWN Member Posts: 303
    My reservoir is full, but I'll go ahead and have it flushed out and put in new fluid as it is 8 years old. Thanks guys
  • srs_49srs_49 Member Posts: 1,394
    i think the pump can still cavitate, even with a full reservoir, if, for instance, the screen isf clogged and preventing fluid from flowing down to the pump.
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  • schnabeljs11schnabeljs11 Member Posts: 1
    Same problem on a 2007 GC, read many other posts that the power steering reservoir screen can get clogged (very hard to tell by looking at it), and this causes the cavitation that others spoke of. Easy fix. Buy a new reservoir on eBay for less than $25 including shipping. Not too difficult to pull off the old one - good videos (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QjBLYltLYY). Once I replaced the reservoir, and filled the new one with fresh power steering fluid oil, I've not heard a sound from my ps in 6 months.
  • LASHAWNLASHAWN Member Posts: 303
    Thanks for the info. I had the power steering fluid flushed a few weeks ago and have not heard the noise since.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited May 2014

    How's your van been otherwise @qbrozen? Apparently the '08s have a worse reputation that other years. We're looking at an '09 Grand Caravan this afternoon.

  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    edited May 2014

    They do? I wonder why. Its been largely OK. Engine/trans are fine (we got the 4.0L with the 6-speed trans). We are nearing 90k miles. As for repairs, I've had to replace the DVD player, the power 3rd row ate itself, a plastic coolant pipe cracked, and now the A/C. The 3rd row is the one that really bugs me. Wish it didn't have the power folding option. I still haven't fixed that, by the way. Just removed the 40% side altogether for the time being. My efforts in repairing/replacing thus far is a LONG story.

    Probably the best testament I can give is my wife's. There is NOTHING she'd rather have than that T&C. She tried on all the minivans and she said this was far and away the most luxurious and solid feeling. I've even tried to talk her back into SUVs, but she wants nothing to do with it. She is a total convert now. My only option for her is to get her a new T&C. I've actually been eyeballing the prices on Caravans lately. Could get a brand new fully loaded version for under $30k.

    Oh, I almost forgot about the brakes. So it seems to be widespread that they wear quickly. When it came time to replace ours, I went with aftermarket drilled Centric rotors and pads. Rotors are still fine now 60k miles later and the front pads wore out just about 5k miles ago. They are a bit noisy (not squeaky or grinding, just ... very much like loud truck tires) when stopping hard, but I'll take that tradeoff.

    It also goes through tires like crazy. I've tried having it aligned twice but it is within spec. This latest time, I bought a set of light truck tires rather than passenger vehicle tires. Seems better so far in terms of wear, but they do add to the noise. Make sure you rotate them often. I made the mistake of leaving winter tires at the same 4 corners for a whole winter last year and the fronts were toast when Spring came around.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454

    Thanks @qbrozen. The 09 Grand Caravan just got new rear brakes on it; nothing else done to it. New tires, not much road rash although Caravan hoods up here seem to paint bubble along the front lip. Also has a bad TPMS that they'll fix. Now has 125,000 miles, has the 3.8l. We almost pulled the trigger but we're a few hundred bucks off. Dealer has a great reputation but they are talking about how much they have in the van instead of what the value it.

    There's an '08 up the road we may have to revisit.

    Nice thing about Caravans, if this deal doesn't fly there's another 200 vans to look out within a couple of hours drive.

  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889

    125K? wow.
    One thing I noted with ours is that the corrosion is surprisingly low. I mean, even underneath, things like suspension components, etc, are just about rust free, which I think is pretty rare in a big "American" vehicle. Only thing I'd wish they had done, which you find in most vehicles these days, is add some sort of splash panel under the engine compartment.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454

    @qbrozen said:
    125K? wow.

    Yeah, barely broken in. B)

    If it's still there tomorrow or the next day, I think we'll get it and plan to drive it for 10,000 miles or so and see how we feel about a new car around the end of the year. It's coming in at $9,800 before tax.

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481

    which one did you pick from the ones we looked up?

    @stever said:

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited May 2014

    '#7372, the one-owner vehicle that lived twenty miles away. "No mileage, no other information except re-registrations. No mileages indicated anywhere. No accidents reported."

    Turns out it wasn't the preacher's car, belonged to an older gentleman (boy, that covers a lot of us). Not sure why no maintenance showed up since I think the dealer did most of the work on it. It was a trade-in. Oh, it's got newer Michelin's on it and it's silver. The other one we liked had mismatched tires and was dark gray, almost black.

    It's about $600 below clean TMV.

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    edited May 2014

    Sounds good. TMV is usually a good buying price

  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889

    what model is that GC?

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454

    It's an SXT.

  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889

    hmmm... well, there was an average one with 116k that went for $7500, another average with 112k for $8200, and a below average with 145k for $5400.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454

    Where are they - back East?

  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889

    all over. Albany, N Carolina, and Cali.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited May 2014

    Interesting. I searched MD, VA, NM, ID, TN and the Midwest. Most SRXs I found were over TMV. Have to check out California since I have to go to LA in July. A fly drive could work. Not sure we can wait quite that long though. Hm, don't see any '09 or '10 SXTs within 200 miles of LA under $11,000. Are these craigslisted vans then?

    Also surprised that Fitzmall in MD and Dave Smith in ID had little used Caravan inventory.

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