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Caravan/Town & Country Electrical Problems

652 messages,  Last post on May 01, 2013 at 8:12 PM

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


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Messages Page 11 of 66

#93 of 652 town and country electric lock system by memartinez

Aug 01, 2007 (7:30 pm)

i have a 2005 T&C touring. i have had problems with a strange noise coming from the steering. i took it back to the dealer at least 4times and thank god it was under warrenty. the dealer claimed they were not hearing the noise i claimed was coming from the steering so i made the dealer drive around with me until they acknowledge the sound. it would happen mainly when vehicle initially started up and i was moving in reverse. the problem i have now is with the power locks. i took it to the dealer and they charged me $100 to download knew software to the computer so the power locks would once again work. i asked for an explaination of why a vehicle that i purchased only 2 1/2 yrs ago power locks stopped working? the dealer would not give me a straight answer . i asked if the computer in the vehicle needed updated software why wasnt this something chrysler should pay for? again he went around the question. i just wanted to know if anyone else out there had this problem with the power locks just stopped working.

#94 of 652 Re: 97 Town & Country - Intermitent Electrical Problems [ringonbob] by dodgenightmare

Aug 05, 2007 (10:51 pm)

Replying to: ringonbob (Jul 25, 2007 6:28 pm)
Hi Ringonbob,
 
Read the posts on DodgeTalk.com
 
http://www.dodgetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=108869&page=6&pp=20
 
There is a whole thread (six pages) there talking about exactly the same symptoms as you describe, AND a fix for it.
 
Has to do with the circuit board(s) behind the instument cluster on your vehicle. Some of the solder points are cracked, andneed to be resoldered. I just tried that fix, and so far so good.
 
Here's one of my recent posts on that site - but go there and follow the whole thread because you'll get to understand it better:
 
Well, I did as I thought to do: solder the cracked solder points (five of them) at various spots on the PRNDL3/Odometer circuit board - the smaller of the two boards found behind the instrument cluster. Spent $4 on a soldering iron, and $2 on some solder - plus a few hours pulling the cluster out and putting it back together (which is not difficult or complicated if you have the Chrysler CHILTON manual, or some other version of it). Put the thing together and what do you know. The car started up immediately after not having responded at all for over two days.
 
And that was 4 days ago. It has started on every first attempt since. Not bad considering it (the cluster) died every single day before then for over a week. Though only time will tell, it looks like my vehicle is back in order. Have had some really hot days - over 110F - and some really humid ones, lately, but neither caused any problem. Before the solder job, those exact conditions were guaranteed to kill the cluster and result in the no start/run trouble.
 
Not having any exact explanations of where on the cluster circuits to look, or pictures of what to look for, I scoured both circuit boards for solder points that looked like they should be connected but weren't - those points that had a wire right next to it coming up through a small hole in the circuit board and bending back toward the solder point, but not actually connecting - there were three that had a hair's width of space between the wire and the solder spot. I soldered all those together, adding a little more solder to ensure a secure connection. Then there were another two or three solder spots that had hairline cracks in them - I used a magnifying glass to confirm my suspicion. Soldered those, too. I found nothing suspicious on the larger circuit board - the one that drives the needle gauges (fuel, speed, tac-o-meter, and temp guage). Everything was on the small circuit board that drives the PRNDL3/Odometer readouts.
 
After soldering the suspect spots, I plugged the cluster back into it's socket in the dash, and the vehicle started up no trouble. I too forgot to try starting without the cluster in place, first. But then I remembered someone saying they tried it afterwards, and had no trouble running the vehicle even without the cluster. So I disconnected the cluster again and tried starting the van. Fired right up and kept running no problem.
 
Interesting. Now it's all back together, and so far - for the past 4 days - it has brought us home every time. I am so thrilled.
 
But only time will tell.

#95 of 652 Re: 97 Town & Country - Intermitent Electrical Problems [dodgenightmare] by ringonbob

Aug 07, 2007 (7:12 am)

Replying to: dodgenightmare (Aug 05, 2007 10:51 pm)
Dodgenightmare,
 
Thank you so much for the response. I am excited to take a look at that smaller circuit board. I have pulled out the instrument cluster and the large circuit board on the back looks fine. My assumption is that the smaller board that you described is underneath the larger board, inside the cluster. I will report my findings. Thanks again.
 
PS, I love your screen name.

#96 of 652 Re: town and country electric lock system [memartinez] by tcdriver5

Aug 09, 2007 (1:45 pm)

Replying to: memartinez (Aug 01, 2007 7:30 pm)
Yes, had exact same situation. 2005 T&C LX and door locks not working. Remove battery cable to reset computer, and then they work for a few days and then they stop again. Take vehicle to Chrysler and am advised I need a software update to the computer and they charge me for it! Why are we charged for a problem with Chrysler's computer programming?

#97 of 652 Re: 97 Town & Country - Intermitent Electrical Problems [ringonbob] by shorcute

Aug 11, 2007 (2:54 pm)

Replying to: ringonbob (Jul 25, 2007 6:28 pm)
Hello, my husband and I have a 99 town and Country we have the same problem as well. All the above that u just listed happens to us. We had a new ignition switch placed on the car but this still keeps happening. Then there are times while we are drving that the dash and odometer lights all go out as if the car was off. If we continue driving sometimes it may pop back on, and even if we turn it off it may restart put the dash is still dead. Like you said this is hard to prove in front of a mechanic.

#98 of 652 Airbag, cruise, and horn doesn't work by shawn_beshears

Aug 13, 2007 (12:50 pm)

I have a 97 T & C and the airbag light is on, the cruise doesn't come on, and the horn doesn't work. All three of these pertain to the steering wheel, but I removed it and can't find anything disconnected and I can't find a fuse that would control all three. Is this a common problem? What could it be?

#99 of 652 Re: 97 Town & Country - Intermitent Electrical Problems [shorcute] by shawn_beshears

Aug 13, 2007 (2:34 pm)

Replying to: shorcute (Aug 11, 2007 2:54 pm)
Hi. I just did some more searching and foud out that there is a recall on my 97 for the clockspring in the steering wheel/column that connects the steering wheel electronics to the rest of the system. Go to www.chrysler.com. There will be a section where you can check for recalls. You put in the last 8 of your vin number and it shows what recalls have been put out, which ones have been completed or incompleted, that sort of thing. Hope this helps, good luck.

#100 of 652 2001 Chrysler Town & Country Electrical problems Headlights, & inst.Cluster by tcproblems

Aug 16, 2007 (9:56 am)

I have a 2001 Chrysler T&C van that has been having trouble for the past several months. The problems it is having are intermitant but happen every couple minutes. The headlights will flash on and off all the time while driving even if the headlights are turned off. At the same time all of the instrument cluster warning lights flash on and off and the speedometer and tach and all of the guages will come on and off and a lot of the time the guages will quit working altogether until the van is turned off for a while. The guages will come back on the next time the vehicle is started. I Have replaced the body control module already to no avail. does anybody have any ideas? Any help would be greatly appreciated..

#101 of 652 Door Lock Issue by janhaddad

Aug 21, 2007 (5:07 am)

I took my 2005 T&C Touring model back last week for the recall on the seat belt sensors, and told them my locks were not working also. It cost me $557 for a new "control module" which supposedly controls all the electrical systems, icnluding registering mileage, etc. I have only $40,000 miles on it, and said I was flabbergasted this could happen. No reply, except "that's the way it is!" I am following up with Chrysler.

#102 of 652 Re: 2001 T&C Radio won't work after battery change [tafkap777] by minivanhell

Aug 21, 2007 (10:57 am)

Replying to: tafkap777 (May 09, 2007 9:27 am)
I am having the same issue along with a host of others.
 
First the power doors only worked intermittently. Then the speedo gauge would go crazy and now doesn't work (although all of the other gauges seems to Tach, fuel etc.)
 
The Air conditioner won't turn off. The fan control knob has the little light on it but does nothing. Fan always blows on high.
 
The stereo just has the blinking EQ lights. This must be some anti/theft thing.
 
I took it to a recommended repair shop that specializes in electrical work. they told me I need:
 
New battery
Right Door Latch
Left Door Motor
Front Control Module
 
Parts = $839
Labor = $675
Total + $1619

Messages Page 11 of 66

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