Dodge - Grandcaravan :: 2008 - Keeps Needing To Be Jump Started
Dec 12, 2012
We have had 5 instances over the past 2 months where we have had to have someone jump start the van for us. Two of the times the van was not running and the seat warmers were in use for 15 minutes with the key in ACC mode, when it came time to start the van it would not start, nothing would come on, battery completely dead. Another instance we were sitting waiting for pizzas to be done so we had a movie playing on the VES system, again with the key on ACC mode, the battery seemed completely dead again. The most recent instances the lights in the van came on but when trying to start it there was a clicking sound from under the hood, but the automatic headlights and interior lights all came on (battery not dead), so I hooked up the portable battery charger/jump starter and jumped it. It started right up, but the radio reset to the defauly of 12:00......
I had it to Auto Zone.and they tested the electrical system and found noting out of the ordinary... Could it be a bad started? Bad Cells in the battery?
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After 5 recalls on my 2008 Dodge Caravan (3 of which mentioned air conditioning), the air conditioning went out completely. All the estimates to fix it fall in the $800+ range to replace the rear evaporator. After telling one service manager that I'll just drive with the windows down, he informed me that I would be damaging the van and could cause other problems by not getting it fixed.
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My 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan has intermittent trouble starting. The starter has been replaced twice, and the WIN Module (and key) have been replaced. The same issue has been occuring, but never duplicates for the dealership. Their computer scan brings up no issues. The battery has been tested and is in good condition. It doesn't matter the time of day, or driving circumstances, the van will not always start.
It will have one click (and I can close the windows, turn on radio) but the van will not start. The Chrysler Dodge corporate office is getting me nowhere (big surprise there) and is not standing behind their customers-and Lampe Dodge is no better-so now I'm compiling information on my own to figure out the issue (since they are at a standstill with the van). What should I do now?
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I have a weird problem with the radio in our 2008 Grand Caravan.About 2 or 3 weeks ago, the sound just stopped. The radio display still worked, time, channel, volume, just no sound.The sound would come back after the vehicle had been turned off for awhile, then go away again after some time.Now it's starting doing something even stranger... The sound will die, sometimes static with volume control, sometimes no static, no volume. It comes and goes, the radio works fine one day for an hour or so, then dies. Some days, it doesn't work at all.
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Now that Spring is approaching, I am focusing on maintenance for my 2008 Elantra GLS. I have a brake question. When I first bought the car, my brakes were very responsive needing only a lightly press them to stop. I might say they were overly sensitive to the touch. Anyway, I since replaced both the front and rear pads since then. I am about ready to change the fronts again. Now when I press the brake pedal, I need to apply much more pressure to stop. My question is how do I get them back to where they were when I bought the car....meaning light pressure to stop the car?
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I have a 2004 Grand Caravan 3.8 engine. For the last 2 months the oil light has been coming on when car is first started. If I stop engine and start again the light will be off. I don't think its actual oil pressure because the car runs fine with light on or off. I'm thinking a bad pressure sensor?
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Sometimes when I start my 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan, 3.3 liter engine, the oil light comes on and stays on, even if I rev engine up. Engine sounds normal, does not sound like oil pressure is low. If I turn engine off and the immediately back on, light goes out and stays out. I replaced the oil pressure sending unit - didn't work. I hooked up a gauge - engine has 60 psi oil pressure at idle - plenty! I'm guessing an electrical problem in the circuit.
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I have a 2005 Grand Caravan, this winter has been a cold one. The GC has always started without problem but after I back out of my parking spot, it sits outside, I put it into Drive and it will not move and after I give it a little gas it would still not move. None of the gears seem to work, but if I wait a little bit and the Van warms a little more it will go into gear and all is good. This does not happen all the time and when it does go into gear and I drive I do not have anymore problems until the next time it will "act up" on me again. Is this a problem or is it a cold problem and not a transmission problem?
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My 2000 Dodge Grand caravan loses its gauges every so often. engine light comes on as well as ABS...
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I got a great deal on this van, and I love it, with one exception. On hot days (73 degrees and hotter) the van will not start if it has been parked in the sun; until the temperature returns down to around 61 degrees (usually overnight, but I have waited it out in the parking lot at work a few times).
When this happens, the lights and radio work fine; the starter motor will not engage. No click, no chugga-chugga vroom-vroom. Sad Curto.
Note: October through about May in North Carolina, this car is fine.
I have replaced the steering column (after replacing the clock spring); I have replaced the Power Distribution Center.
When the problem first surfaced two years ago, I had a mechanic install a wire directly from the starter motor relay to the solenoid. That was an expensive lesson. I'm not sure what the lesson is, so it was REALLY expensive.
So, I thought maybe the Auto Shutdown Relay. Nope... pull that out, and the starter still turns, so that is not my problem. Now I am starting to thing Powertrain Control Module, or something else that could have a temperature-sensitive component.
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I have a 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan with 120,000 miles. Starting at about 45mph the car has a really bad shimmy when accelerating. The shimmy fades starting at about 55 mph. There is no shimmy when not accelerating. Gently applying the breaks has no effect on the shimmy. I've put on new tires, Change the steering rack and struts and the engine and tranny mounts. what could be causing this?
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I have a '09 Dodge caravan. The ABS, ESP, TCS, and Brake lights are on. As we drive along the brakes apply, probably on only wheel. After we stop, we can drive on for a short way and it happens again. A mechanic told us that the steering sensor was telling the computer that the steering wheel was turned all the way to the left. I wonder if I pulled the fuse for the ABS pump and ABS valve if it would be safe to drive, at least until we can get it to the dealer for repair. I am cheap and like to get by as cheaply as I can/. I am not fond of ABS, or TCS any way?
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I have a 1993 Grand Caravan 3.3L V6. When I leave the van set for a couple a of days (or even overnight) and then start it, I have no oil pressure for a minute or so. After the engine has been running for about a minute or so the oil pressure finally comes up but not to normal. Once the engine has warmed up the oil pressure returns to what could be considered "normal". After the cold start, no oil pressure problem, the engine and the oil pressure is fine for the rest of the day. Let it even set overnight though and I have a repeat no oil pressure with start up.
I am thinking that there is a problem with the pick up tube not sealing properly and allowing the oil to bleed down while the engine is off for an extended period of time. So, in effect, I have to basically prime the oil pump at each start up. I haven't noticed any leaks of engine oil anywhere, so I am thinking that this is an internal problem. Is there a check valve or O-Ring associated with the pick up tube or oil pump that may cause this problem? Is it a fairly easy problem to correct? On this engine the oil pump is located in the front of the engine block behind the timing chain cover. (As best as I could determine from the Haynes Manual).
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Lifters are rattling. They have been replaced and are still rattling.
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I have a 1998 Grand Caravan 3.8L engine with 157K on it. A month ago changed the EGR valve and replaced the transmission oil. Two days ago, went for shopping, parked the van. Came back and did not start (no crank, nothing). Called AAA, checked for battery, which was good. Radio, wiper, lights work. Had to tow to the shop. The mechanic checked for all possible problems. Said everything (Fuse, battery, starter motor, alternator) is good. He is clueless. Told him to check the ignition switch (may be worn out). He says it doesn't seem so.
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The 96 Caravan I bought a year ago came equipped with an aftermarket dent in the oil pan. It's a bent up generally flat, not all at one point, but there's no leak and no other apparent problem, though of course it does reduce the oil capacity. When I had some overdue warranty work done at a dealer, the service writer told me the dent is exactly where the the oil pickup is, which mostly sounded like the dealer looking for some extra work. I decided I'd replace the pan myself when I had enough miles on the car to see if it was worth the effort.
The pan has a lower sump area that measures roughly 5" x 7" and that entire portion is pushed up somewhat evenly. I'd estimate the deepest part of the deformation is almost an inch, so less than 35 cubic inches lost capacity. 35 cu in = .606 quart.
I can buy a new oil pan w/ gasket at Rock Auto for a shade over fifty bucks to add to an order I otherwise need to place with them. A used pan at the local junkyard would cost ten or twenty bucks plus my labor plus the gasket, which I judge as not enough cheaper to be worth my time and inconvenience (they want me to capture the used oil and take it with me). So it's either buy the new oil pan, or fix something else. Or pull the pan, bend it back to shape, and replace the gasket? It appears to me that the pan gasket may be seeping, though not enough to drip, so it's probably due for a gasket anyway.
Should I care about this, or learn to love the dent?
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One tech wanted to replace both rotors and sanding down the pads to re-use (he said my brake pads can last up to one year). The guy in auto part said the surface of brake pads having hard spots could cause the pulsation, replace the pads. Of course, replace both rotors and pads is recommended but I have tight budget! What options do I have? can I just machine the rotors?
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I know if you smell antifreeze when you turn on the heater that is a bad thing. I don't have this issue, but when I walk into the garage after my wife turns off the van I get a whiff of what smells like antifreeze. There isn't a leak that I can find and nothing on the floor the garage out the normal.
2006 Dodge Grand Caravan 80K miles
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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.
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We have been having an issue with our gas tank not filling up continuously for over three years. It automatically trips the gas shut of switch every couple of seconds so it can take a while to fill up. Then every once in a while it fills up totally normally.
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I 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.
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