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Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan 2005+

1446 messages,  Last post on May 15, 2013 at 8:51 AM

You are in the Chrysler Town & Country/Dodge Grand Caravan Forum.

What is this discussion about? Chrysler Town and Country, Dodge Grand Caravan, Van

Messages Page 41 of 145

#397 of 1446 Re: 2005 Dodge GC SXT suspension [arts] by samnoe

Dec 16, 2004 (7:06 pm)

Replying to: arts (Dec 16, 2004 5:32 pm)
Do you feel any difference in handling with the sway bar? I have the touring suspension in my new Dodge Grand Caravan, but unfortunately the '03 Town & Country I drive at work handles better than mine, and have less body lean in turns! Let alone the ride is much more settled and smooth.
 
By the way, I feel that in the DC vans, the horn is not easy to operate. You have to push the horn (steering wheel) very firmly, with more effort than other vehicles, and avoids me to give sometimes a last second warning to other drivers. I don't know - my Windstar's horn has been much more easy to use. It's a minor issue unless it's a second before an emergency and you can't warn the other driver.

#398 of 1446 Re: 2005 Dodge GC SXT suspension [samnoe] by arts

Dec 17, 2004 (6:44 pm)

Replying to: samnoe (Dec 16, 2004 7:06 pm)
I can't say if there is any difference because the rear sway bar came on the car new - I have not driven one without the rear sway bar. Actually, my question is: How did I get the rear sway bar if I don't have the Touring Suspension?

#399 of 1446 2005 GC SXT wind drumming at 70mph by burta10

Dec 18, 2004 (5:46 pm)

We're deciding between a 2005 GC SXT and the 2005 Odyssey LX. Took a test drive with the GC SXT today, and as we were on the autobahn (I'm US military stationed in Germany) a drumming in our ears started at about 65-70 mph. It was much like the drumming in your ears you get in the driver/front passenger seat when someone opens only a back window in a sedan, just more subdued. I checked that all windows were closed, but that wasn't the problem. Is this possibly a problem with the roof rack cross-bar, or the exhaust? It doesn't seem to be possible that it was the engine. Has anyone else experienced this?
We drive a 96 Merc Villager, which was great for 9 years, but has recently had an expensive transmission repair and other annoying problems (air conditioning that can’t hold a charge, etc.), and we also would like something a bit bigger. My wife’s overall impression was that the 2005 GC SXT was cheaply built in comparison to our Villager, the GC engine was rougher and felt weak, and the Villager drove like a car while the GC SXT drove like a boat. We liked the Stow-n-Go, but the show-stopper for us was the resonance/ear drumming at our normal autobahn cruising speed from 70-80 mph. Does the SXT we drove have a quirk, or is this normal?

#400 of 1446 Re: 2005 GC SXT wind drumming at 70mph [burta10] by 97xpresso

Dec 19, 2004 (6:49 am)

Replying to: burta10 (Dec 18, 2004 5:46 pm)
I have read other posts about noises in the vehicles equipped with stow n go. They mostly talked about exhaust noises, as the routing of piping and muffler placement have changed to accomendate the new floor pan design.

#401 of 1446 Re: 2005 GC SXT wind drumming at 70mph [burta10] by hansienna

Dec 19, 2004 (9:20 am)

Replying to: burta10 (Dec 18, 2004 5:46 pm)
NOT heard in the 2005 GC SXT that I drove mid February this year.
      Does your Villager (Nissan Quest) have a luggage rack and cross bars? Most owners of DC minivans are impressed with the lack of wind noise common to most other minivans.

#402 of 1446 Re: 2005 GC SXT wind drumming at 70mph [hansienna] by burta10

Dec 19, 2004 (1:22 pm)

Replying to: hansienna (Dec 19, 2004 9:20 am)
We have the luggage rack with crossbars on the Villager. We do hear wind noise, especially over 70mph, but it does not include the ear drumming. IMO, the Villager motor/transmission was as quiet as the Dodge GC SXT, but the Dodge was quieter in general with wind noise...with the exception of the resonating ear pressure. The only thing I can think of is that a door seal wasn't working right, or a mid-window wasn't sealed, or maybe even something with the way the interior vents work when back is on and front isn't. This didn't seem to be anything motor or even exhaust related. It was something to with the aerodynamics of this particular vehicle. This one was probably a fluke.
Anyone else experience anything like this with a DGC SXT?

#403 of 1446 Re: 2005 GC SXT wind drumming at 70mph [burta10] by samnoe

Dec 19, 2004 (9:49 pm)

Replying to: burta10 (Dec 19, 2004 1:22 pm)
No, I don't experianced anything of these with my 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT. I do have some minor rattles which I hope the dealer will take care of at the first oil change. Otherwise it is very quiet.
 
Today was the second snow here in upstate NY, and my wipers wiped the ice all over the windshield - CRAP! I need the windshield wiper de-icer back SO BAD! Chrysler! DO YOU HEAR ME? I'M SCREAMING! Please give it back - I will pay you for that even an additional 200 bucks!

#404 of 1446 Re: 2005 GC SXT wind drumming at 70mph [hansienna] by 97xpresso

Dec 20, 2004 (3:56 am)

Replying to: hansienna (Dec 19, 2004 9:20 am)
But were you driving 70-80 MPH?

#405 of 1446 Re: 2005 GC SXT wind drumming at 70mph [97xpresso] by samnoe

Dec 20, 2004 (6:56 pm)

Replying to: 97xpresso (Dec 20, 2004 3:56 am)
Yes, I have driven 70-75 mph. Would you try to test drive another van? Just to make sure the one you tested was not defective.

#406 of 1446 Stow 'n Go by samnoe

Dec 20, 2004 (7:20 pm)

Chrysler Town & Country's Stow 'n Go™ seating and storage system was named Popular Science's "Best of What's New" in the Auto Tech Category for innovative technology. Stow 'n Go™ allows both the second- and third-row seats to be easily folded into the floor, converting the Town & Country from 7-passenger seating to 161 cubic feet of cargo space. Stow 'n Go™ seating and storage system is the latest of more than 50 minivan and industry firsts that Chrysler Group has developed for its market leading minivans.
 
(Source: Chrysler's web site).

Messages Page 41 of 145

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