Our 1997 Grand Caravan with 170K loses more air conditioning every year. So, I assume I have a slow leak. Is recharging something I can do myself with the new type cans offered by auto parts stores? Also, I think the radiator fan no longer comes on, I never hear it and the engine temp will go up when driving slowly around town.
View 1 RepliesI just completed a front brake job on a 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan, installing new rotors and pads. Right front rotor and pad installation went perfectly. Left front - I heard a faint "hiss" as I compressed the caliper piston using a c clamp. In addition, as I placed the new inner pad against the caliper/piston, I noticed that the piston had become slightly "uncompressed," meaning it moved back out a little bit on its own. I compressed it again with a c clamp and had to rush to get the caliper back in place with the new pads in place before the piston SLOWLY worked itself back out and I wouldn't be able to fit the caliper around the new rotors and pads. I completed the brake job, pumped the brakes, and took it for a ride - all seems fine. The pedal is not spongy and it does not travel all the way to the floor.
Do I have anything to worry about? This is my 6th brake job in total. This is my first brake job on this vehicle. The slight hiss and the fact that the caliper piston did not stay seated after I compressed it bothers me.
This question concerns starting our 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan with 170K. The problem started about a week ago. When turning the key to start the engine, nothing would happen. No click, no noise, no engine turnover. By turning the key to off and then back on several times, the starter would kick in normally. The starter has never been replaced and I don't recall any electrical work ever being done on the car. I take it to our mechanic about every 2 years for a tune up and replacement of belts and hoses as needed.I have a friend that is a good shade tree mechanic and he is willing to replace the starter.My question is: Is the problem most likely a bad starter and if so, is replacement by my friend a reasonably easy task.
View 2 RepliesReplaced the ac compressor/filter dryer/exp block on 04 dodge grand caravan. pulled vac for 45 min, let sit for 1hr. No movement of needles no leaks. charged system to 2.69, start van turn on ac compress clutch engaged but will not cycle off stays engaged. Air temp from vents 60 to 65 deg, low side 55 psi high side 250 psi at 85 deg air temp needles do not move up or down stay steady. high side hose from compress very hot ( burned hand on it ) low side hose to compress warm/cool.
View 5 Replies1996 Dodge Grand Caravan, 3.3 L engine. When the outside temp is a good range (50 degrees F & above) there is no problem starting. But when it gets below 40 deg. F and really chilly outside temp, I still have strong battery power, but when I switch on the ignition, I don't hear the normal fuel pump activation swirl sound and does not crank - simply silent click. Then I can wait when the outside temp improves and cranks up no problem.
View 6 RepliesTwo related problems:
1) Our 2008 dodge grand caravan's recycled cabin air/exterior air flipper is broken. You know, makes the clicking clunking sound until it gives up?
2) Unfortunately this has made the exhaust smell that much worse.
Usually when you drive above 35mph you don't catch engine fumes, but when its anything less you fear you're poisoning your family into early cancer. Obviously we have a leak in the HVAC system somewhere and anytime we take it somewhere for service on something else they just shrug their shoulders.
How to locate the leak so I can keep the engine compartment out of our a/c?
Our van shuts off while driving. This means I have no power to brakes or steering. The only warning light that comes on is the traction control light. Therefore when hooked up to diagnostics there is no information. We have had it to 3 different places with no results or answers. We did have the ignition switch recall performed. We have filed claims with Chrysler with no answers other than arbitration and with the NHTSA.
View 4 RepliesI have a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan that is having multiple electrical issues. The problem first starts to show with the instrument panel needles going all the way to the right and coming back to the left. Some of the instrument lights stay lit. Then either in the next few minutes or days, the engine will shut off while driving. I can wait 30 seconds and sometimes it will start. After this sequence occurs, when I turn the key, the instrument lights will come on for a millisecond and then the engine will not start at all. I take it into the dealer and they say that the battery is severely discharged. They charge up the battery and the problem goes away for 1500-3000 miles. Of course, the dealer does not know what is causing the problem.
It seems like one of the issues could be a defective ignition switch, but what I can't figure out is what is causing the battery to severely discharge?I have removed the BMC fuse, waited 30 seconds and this would allow the vehicle to start, but I have stopped trying this approach because it does not remedy the situation long term.
Our 1997 Grand Caravan with 170K has transmission fluid seeping from the outer seal where the left driveshaft connects to the transaxle. Is there a stop leak liquid that can be added to the transmission fluid safely? Is replacing the seal a major expense?
View 2 RepliesProblem 1: Headlight switch occasionally needs to be jiggled to get headlights on.
Problem 2: Wipers only work in the "spray and wipe" mode.
My Solution: Removed dash, installed new switches, replaced dash.Result: Now the right headlight does not come on at all. Wipers STILL only work in the "Spray and wipe" mode.
Question: Where do I go from here?
Upon cranking my 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan and driving app. 10 miles the speedometer and odometer will stop working and the motor will sound strained for the rest of the driving time. The rpm's go up and it dies from time to time when making a quick stop or turn. It starts right back up. The next day upon starting again the process starts all over. What's the problem?
View 1 RepliesI've got a 1997 Dogde Ram 1500 Pickup. It's got a major coolant leak that seems to be coming right from the middle of the front of the engine. I can't see where it's coming from. I changed the thermostat and the water pump, but it seems to be even behind that. There is a rubber hose that comes off the water pump and disappears between the two banks. I can only see a tiny end of it, where it goes. It looks like getting to that would involve taking off the whole intake manifold. If that's the case, I might as well total the truck. I dunno...
View 12 RepliesMy dad has a 97 Dodge Neon 4 cylinder. The car has been leaking oil, and on Sat the leak grew and was real bad. He took it to the only shop he could find open who put it up on the lift and said the leak was coming from the front of the engine. On monday they did the work ($286) and told my dad it was a seal on the front of the engine behind the flywheel. My dad is old and doesn't hear well and the mechanics english was not real strong and his writing on the recepit is not real clear. As I am worried my dad might have gotten taken, is there a replaceable seal on the front of the engine that could go and cause a leak? They showed my dad the leak as the car was on the lift and running as that was only when the leak occured. I am concerned my dad was taken. He says he drove it around and such and didn't see any leaking when he picked it up and left it running in his drivway for a while upon getting home and no leak. Just wondering?
View 11 RepliesI have an appointment next week at the dealer to have this checked out. My 2015 Grand Caravan with just over 30,000 miles, has been leaking a bit. Enough to make a mark on any spot I park in for longer than an hour or so. I placed a white poster board under the front end to see if I could identify where and what it may be. After about 6 hours, I checked and it seemed to have several drops of what certainly looked like engine oil. A dark golden. The leak seems to be located about 3 or 4 inches inside the front driver's side tire.This has been going on for just under a month. I keep checking fluid levels, and the engine oil doesn't seem to be diminishing at all, though it is a bit tough to tell exactly because it is clean and hard to see on the dipstick for this auto novice.
An attempt to crawl under didn't produce any real info, seems there is a bit of the oil anywhere in the area when dabbed with a white rag.Again I am a novice, so I am just asking what I should expect when the van is checked out. The car has had all needed maintenance at the correct intervals, though the last couple changes have admittedly been at a quickie place.My father, a former mechanic till retirement told me in theory there is no way to be leaking oil and not have at least some lowering of the oil level, obviously.Could this just be seeping so slowly to not notice a level difference? I know it is next to impossible to get a diagnosis here without a real inspection, but based on the location of the drips and the color of the liquid, any guesses would be great.I am 6,000 miles away from the end of the warranty, and we have a long road trip planned in a few weeks.
In May of this year (2015), it started to die. What I mean is it loses all electrics and it kills the engine. No dash lights, no odometer, no headlights, no radio, no blower, no electric windows, no electric locks, no interior lights, no visable sign that it has power at all except a tiny red light on the dash that blinks every few seconds.Always at low speeds under 30mph, usually while under load from either being on the freeway for a bit or while the AC was running or both. If I wait long enough, it comes back on all by itself but this can take seconds or hours. The radio is not reset, which is the only other indication that the battery terminals are not at fault. I am getting power to the starter, but nothing else.
When it first started happening, we thought it was a fuse or relay and swapped out several, but while it was dead, nothing affected it. It only happened three times until July when it stepped up its game and would die multiple times a day.Under advice of a shadetree mechanic, we replaced the Powertrain control Module (PCM) located behind the front bumper under the driver side headlight. This seemed to solve the problem for almost a month when the water pump decided to fail and we replaced it, the thermostat and radiator fan thermometer, only for it to die exactly as before only the very next day.The shop ran it until it died, took the pcm off and checked to see if it was overheating, but it wasnt. They checked the battery cables, fuses and anything else they could think of.
I got it it back at the beginning of October and on its first night out it died twice. I was driving it and noticed that it was a hot muggy day about 80F and because I was wary of it dying I chose not to run the AC, but the air coming from the vents was still quite cold. First time it died we popped the hood and the Eatx shutdown relay was hot enough to fry an egg. I replaced it with a spare I had, and all the systems in the van sprang back to life. It made it a mile before dying again and this time the new relay was hot, but all I did was wiggle it and back to life it went. Drove it 12 more miles home, then the next day back to the shop without incident.
I went to talk with the shop a couple days ago, because I really need this thing fixed but they are not sure what to do next. I told them about the AC running even while off and so we pulled the fuse for the AC clutch entirely. I ran it around for twenty minutes and even with the temp on the dash at normal hot position center of the gauge and blower at full tilt and set to hot with AC off, I had the coldest air until I hit a bump and suddenly I had hot air. Thinking the AC clutch was seized I took it back to the shop, verified that the compressor wasnt working anymore while engine was running and thought we may have fixed the issue.
Three days later, I have driven it all over with no issue, only for it to now die twice in a mile all within a mile of home. On the way home, the heater wasn't blowing as hot as it could be, until I almost made it to my freeway exit, by then I was worried that it was going to die after I had slowed down to the side road speed which it did happen.
I opened the driver door to get out and that was all the jarring it took to turn everything back on, the second time I had popped the hood and was reaching for the clips to the fuse cover to check the eatx shutdown relay when it all came back on. The relay was no warmer than the relay for the fuel pump. Between the first and second event, I could feel it hesitating every few seconds like it was about to lose power. After the second event I was so close to home I may have been a little lead-footed and did not notice.
Addendum: The bellows in the interior heater broke back on Valentine's day, so no matter what the dial it set to, it only blows out the upper body vents on the dash. The radio has an issue that it can no longer play tapes and one of the speakers is mostly silent. I wondered if either of these were shorting out and causing issue.
I have a 2010 Grand Caravan, and the engine just stops while moving down the road. Once you shift to neutral, the engine starts again easily. The only common thing we've found is that the skid control light goes on. It doesn't seem to happen when going more than 30 mph, and does seem to happen more when the temps outside are changing, but both when we get a warm spell or a cold snap. The recall work on the key assembly has been done, and the key always seem to be in the on position, so it's not that known issue. The local garage couldn't find anything or even replicate the problem. The dealership replaced the spark plugs and did a fuel system cleaning. Those were probably due, but they didn't seem to work much.
View 5 RepliesI have an odd issue. I bought my car used from the dealer. The fuel pump was replaced last December, as well as had an oil change. The fuel pump died right after the oil change but are seemingly unrelated since the pump was bad when i bought it. After the pump was replaced my van stated acting up over the next couple days. The fuel gauge would dance randomly. That has since settled down. Now when i make left turns, the rpms drop and i have to pump the had to get it going again or else it completely stalls out in the middle of an intersection. .. it had been steadily getting more frequent and only on left turns. Right turns runs fine.
View 3 Replies2010 Dodge Grand Caravan. On the way to work I was trying to accelerate from about 40mph to 50 mph and my van started to jerk a few times and then the check engine light immediately turned on. I only had a few more miles to work and it was fine the rest of the way.
View 1 RepliesI had my car power steering lush at a repair shop! Unfortunately, power steering is too noisy (lot of air trapped). The mechanic fixed right away at the time I picked up my vehicle but still had some noisy, he suggested I drove for few days to get the air out. After a week driving and the air still trapped. I brought my vehicle back to the shop and had the mechanic fixed again! and this time I got power steering leak when I drove home! I returned to the shop and he said he replaced both bad power steering hoses. Noise was gone (engine was at operating temperature).
My power steering is still noisy at a touch of turning steering wheel (not even turn the vehicle), it's noisy when engine first started regardless the temperature outside. I drive my car for few blocks and the noise goes away. I won't bring my car back to the shop anymore, they may make it worse. Logical thinking, I think either the air still trapped deep inside the steering system or the O-rings at hose ends are defective. When engine is cold O-ring is cold and shrink, it does not seal properly and when it reaches operating temperature, O-ring expands and seals properly. That's my thinking, of course, I can be easily wrong. There's no power steering leak to the floor!
Will those after market power steering seal additives like Lucas 10008 and other fix my vehicle power steering issue? is there something I can do at home to fix this?
2002 dodge grand caravan. We feel the heat from engine block inside the two front seats (driver and front passenger). We also feel heated wind (blowing strong) and smell coolant when standing outside the vehicle by the driver and front passenger door with the engine idling.
There's visual small leak, once the vehicle is parked. I wonder where the leak is (not on radiator and the radiator coolant level remains full). I bought Preston Radiator Complete Care and Stop Leaks. I haven't put it in yet, just wonder if this will work.
I recently had to replace my drive belt on a 97' dodge grand caravan sport 3.3 engine. The belt shredded and this is how i knew i had to replace it. Since i replaced it i notice a whine type of noise that increases in pitch as the engine is accelerated. The other thing I've noticed is that all electrically related operations work better as it is accelerated. For example, the air blows harder, the wipers move faster, and the lights brighten. Now i honestly can't say that it didn't do this before i changed the belt. I wonder if a bearing is going out on a pulley. I have noticed the same behavior on my daughters 98 sable. Also note that i did get all of the pieces of the old belt out from the pulleys and i did spin each of them to make sure the were moving without any resistance.
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