Thousands to fix this Mobility van! PROBLEM doesn’t point to the FIX?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ต.ค. 2023
- Problems with a car can be presented in many different ways. The problem with this 2001 Dodge Caravan is another elusive problem, and will shock you when you find out what it is. 🛍️ Don't forget to check out @MrsWizardsWays for art she created from the Wizard's shop: • The Ultimate Upcycle! ... (auction ends 11/1/2023)
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#dodgecaravan #carwizard #vanlife #mobilityvan #mobility #airconditioning #carrepair - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
I appreciate how respectful and considerate The Wizard is toward this customer and her vehicle. As he mentioned, replacing a van like that would be very expensive for anyone, especially someone who's presumably on a fixed income.
Can someone explain to me what fixed income means? I’ve always heard this, but what’s stopping someone from saving up and starting a business or a side hustle? Especially if you literally don’t have a job, lol
@@myrusEW What I mean by fixed income is retirement/Social Security. Someone on Social Security can only make a certain amount in a side hustle or part time job before what they earn is deducted from their Social Security benefit.
@@nellayema2455 ya but, if you break even by working, then by the time you are making more...it should cancel out no? like ur making the same, but now ur working and got clients and ways to increase ur income?
I’m not surprised the chassis changes were so well engineered/over built. In a former life I was a fire fighter/paramedic and our agency used Braun Ambulances which were some of the best built units available.
These older, Chrysler minivans are currently running and driving strong, even if they are aging each year.
I had a 2001 Chrysler town and country my neighbor in 2019 rear end my while I’m riding my bike and side and my van and there a check in engine light evap issue thank to biker van killer from 2019
@@benemtb7067 That makes total sense.
@@benemtb7067 Did you get rear ended on your bike and suffer a traumatic brain injury?
@@benemtb7067I hope you're ok now.
have a perfectly good dodge caravan we use as a truck and family hauler was given to us for free
My dad had an 04 dodge caravan that he had for years. It sat outside forgotten about for many years. One time I put a battery in it and it fired right up with no hesitation even with torn up plug wires, those 3.8s are lowkey indestructible. That car just refused to die.
Had an 04, the motor was unkillable. The electrical system wasn't tho.
I have a 1994 Dodge Caravan. It's getting long in the tooth, BUT the engine won't quit at close to 200K. The AC quit, so we just cut it loose - the car is a beater, but will not quit, thankfully. It is now a game to see how long it will last. It is good to us.
@rong7604 mine was like 160k and the Accessories like radio, AC, wipers, and power steering would die after it rained. We junked it after we jumped it and every light was pulsing. The alternator barely kept it on. Rusted out too.
We have the 07 built in Canada during the Daimler-Chrysler era, its a fantastic rig with the stow and go, rust is an issue here in Michigan, however the mechanicals and accessories all work and it is extremely comfortable, our mechanic never has an issue getting parts and its on the road in a matter of hours, we will keep it until the wheels fall off or it disintegrates.
My German cousin who worked with the German equivalent of the Red Cross went all the way to Seattle to attend a car show to get ideas and make contacts with folks in the access community. It’s amazing what is out there for the disabled! And it was worth the trip to find alternatives to what is on the European market.
As a suggestive courtesy gesture for the customer to calm the growth of the rust, I'd pressure wash and undercoat with a lanolin based spray. At the end of the day the humbleness, meticulous care and attention to your work is outstanding
I remember these being more common when I was a kid. Now I'm 24 and I beauty see them anymore. They still seem modern to me. I personally love these. My aunt has one that I'm planning on buying soon. They're extremely reliable just like you mentioned. And hers is a great example with only 117,000 miles. Rides so smooth despite there's a few suspension concerns that I will fix whenever I buy it from her.
117,000 miles is pretty low
@@curiousgeorge986 Hell yeah, I know right! Compared to my beloved 05 Mazda 3 with approximately 201,800.
I have had 2. The transmissions usually last to 180,000. On both the bodies rust.
My dad had one when I was a kid and the transmission died 12 years ago. It had 100,000 miles. These transmissions are complete trash.
@ditiprel4 That's a shame. Though that's kinda like my Mazda 3. The transmission was on borrowed time at 186k. It was already slipping on cold start when I first bought it from my aunt and I knew eventually it was gonna go out in me. It was just a matter of when. For some reason I was never nervous either. Thing is after it warmed up it would shift super smoothly. After getting it rebuilt it shift like a dream. If I had to get the one in the Town and Country rebuilt I would 100%. It's Hella worth it. Then little by little pay back my credit card.
As a paraplegic myself, I see these vans at the place I get the lift for my truck worked on, these vans run around $100K and have financing up to like 25 years. Glad to see Wizard being honest and taking care of the customer.
Best one I came across, was a 90s VW Polo diesel. It'd crank, but not start. That turned out to be a broken wire in the tailgate!
Works like this, the fuse controlling the engine ECU shares that fuse with the brake lights, so the wire for the 3rd brake light in the tailgate breaks and shorts across the tailgate hinge, this blows the fuse, which, in turn, disables the engine ECU and results in a non start situation.
Took me a couple of days to work THAT one out!
I've had a few of these vans. I had a 94 with a 3.3 a 98 with a 3.8 and a 2002 with a 3.3. All of those vans were in the neighborhood of 250k miles before I sold them and they always got there and back. Saved the best for last, about 4 months ago I bought a 2005 grand caravan sxt with only 74k miles on it. This van is mint, zero rust perfect paint and interior, I kinda feel like I'm driving a rare museum piece. Love these older vans
Thank you very much for your comment.
Ive got a 2005 with 317,000 miles on it, still going strong.
A common power steering issue with '01-'07 Dodge/Chrysler vans is a clogged filter screen in the power steering reservoir, restricting fluid flow. The screen cannot be effectively cleaned so the reservoir must be replaced. It's cheap and is easy to work on because it sits right on top of the engine. By the time I bought my '06 (at 51K miles) mine had already been replaced.
Never had one, but told
By owners, they are very
Solid and reliable 😊
I'm still driving my 2001 caravan! its still going strong even in Canadian winters.
I had no idea you could do this with a minivan. My father-in-law had a 1986 Dodge Ram Van converted with a wheelchair lift for my brother-in-law. It was massive.
If Chrysler would have released a version for wheel chairs from the factory they would have owned that market because those conversions are very expensive. They may have, but I never knew about it. My uncle had one that served him well. He traded in a full size Ford van in on it the fuel economy was killing him so he got a Caravan. Wish there were more mechanics like you Wizard great video!
Man, the love you give to cars is insane. Even the overlooked “boring” ones. It’s so weird, I find myself enamored more by older cars then newer ones. the reliability, the fun times they provide for families, kids, fathers, mothers, the disabled. You’re a mechanic by trade, but operate like your customers are families you treat like yours. It’s refreshing to experience, and I wish more mechanics were as passionate and as loving as you.
I bought a 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan with that 3.3 engine brand new. It is the last new car I'll ever buy and let me just say it was the best car i have ever owned. I loved that thing. I put 170,000 miles on it and I did every bit of maintenance and repair on it myself. The most complicated repair I ever had to take care of was a leaking intake gasket. Did a couple water pumps. My A/C quit because the evaporator in the way back of the van corroded and leaked. one solution you could have proposed to that lady to save a little bit of money is to bypass the rear portion of the A/C. Removing and replacing that piece in the rear of the van is a total pain so I disconnected and capped the refrigerant line that runs to the back and re charged the system. It blew ice cold out of the front and the difference, even in the back seat wasn't all that noticeable. My van, like 100% of the dodge caravans in the northern states had terrible rust problems. The rockers were rotted away and the bottoms of all the doors. I still wanted to keep that van forever because I loved it so much. My wife made me get rid of it and I sold it to a friend of one of my kids. The kid put tens of thousands of miles on it. I sold it to him for $250. Best deal that kid ever got. You are spot on about those engines. They are bullet proof. I knew that the Dodge transmissions had a bad reputation so I was careful about the way I drove it and I dropped the pan and changed the filter a few times. It still worked as new when I got rid of it.
I used to work for a catering company that had four 2001 like this one.
Every one of them had transmission issues 😊
The Chrysler unltradrive 4 speed automatic transmission is garbage. Well known issue with every one.
@@davebrown9725 While they aren't the most robust units, I think they get a bad rep because so many people don't know how to work on them properly or bother to maintain them. They absolutely need clean ATF+4 and ONLY ATF+4. So many of them were killed by quick lube places putting Dextron in which will kill them in short order. They also have minor electronic part failures that instantly shops will go "it needs a new transmission" when in reality it was a $30 speed sensor or $80 solenoid pack.
They needed an aftermarket transmission cooler if you wanted any hope for them to last.
That's because NO ONE does their service. I have 3 of these vans for my business and I change the transmission fluid and filter around 40,000 miles. Not a single issue and all 3 vans are approaching 200,000 miles soon. Very hard miles, backroads to city and carry a ton of weight. I call them Battlevans because I would take one into battle with me if I needed to. Super easy to work on and they have never left me stranded.
@@kimblem.w9952 they don't overheat, half the condenser core is the cooler by stock, they die because they see no fluid or filter change, and they die at 150,000 miles and people still immediately call them garbage like they didn't endure all that torture for that long
Yeah I ran into this issue working for a parts store. People would want their car fixed over the phone and we’d have to tell them to take it to a mechanic unless it was something really obvious
@nathan2664, yeah same here. I get those at least once a week and sometimes every day. People want the instant, CHEAP fix, and/or they think we are mechanics .
@@davidcoudriet8439 yeah most people just wanted free mechanic advice
I had a feeling the belt got shredded since EVERYTHING runs off of ONE belt on these Dodge/Chrysler motors. Not a bad thing, per se. But problematic when it gets shredded and then you can't operate the vehicle safely. Kudos to you, Wizard, for pointing out that a knee-jerk diagnosis isn't always correct until you dive deep into what the problem is in any vehicle. For example, in my '02 Silverado, I had lost headlight function. I literally ripped apart my dashboard to switch out the Ambient Light Sensor, scratched my head about the steering column multifunction switch, groaned about the headlight switch on the dash, and swapped out bulbs to no effect. Here's what really made the entire 2 and a half week ordeal so hilarious... I had forgotten my truck was a plow truck and had all the switches and gear for a snowplow... I looked down at the kick panel and noticed that the SWITCH for the controls to the snowplow was inadvertently pushed onto "Plow" so that the headlights would switch over to the lights on the plow, which I don't have. Just flipping that little switch gave me my headlights back, and my wife had laughed for nearly an hour at my silliness. Had a couple of cold beers after that one! 😆😆😆
When I was younger, my folks had a 1995 Grand Caravan, and then a 1999 GC as well. Both with the 3.3 V6. Agree with Wizard that the engines were reliable as heck. What let both vans down though was the really crummy transmissions. (which to my recollection, Chrysler was infamous for in the 90s)
I have a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan SE. Bought it new. It's one of the best vehicles I've ever had. 10 years with no issues whatsoever. But I do maintain my vehicles myself. I don't let anyone touch them. Especially the dealership.
Looks like the original A/C compressor too. This video makes a very good point. Always have the vehicle properly diagnosed and that will save time and money.
I'm so glad you've taken care of this customer. Can't wait for more videos !!!!!!!!
Had a serpentine belt break (I heard a thump and lost power steering) on a '98 Ford van. I realized is was the belt, and was able to strong arm it a mile to home (4 turns) and had it flat-bedded to my mechanic the next day. My van has the 4.6 liter Triton engine, which can run in limp mode even if coolant is lost. It happened in 2021 when the van was 23 years old with 70k miles (original belt). My bad for not changing it sooner (my mechanic had noted it needed replacing, but I was too busy). The AC had no issues (was not running the AC at time of belt failure). I got off easy!
We owned several of these vans and other than rust I would say they had been great vans. That engine gave me many, many years of trouble free life other than the alternator. Up here in the snow belt they seem to go and actually it wasn't the alternnator itself but the alternatitor pully. It would get rusty after a few years and grind away. This was my favorite generation of them too. The only thing that killed these for us was rust. It might seem a little strange to praise a Chrysler product today but this was back when they still could build good automobiles. Not perfect, but good. I could see an ac compressor going on this though. Ain't no Toyota. But it's reliable. What I liked about these vans was the fact it looked good (subjectively) and they just keep going even if slightly junky today. If it wasnt for the rust prone issues I probably would still own one to throw around.
my area in northern bc canada not prone to rust i feel for the people who live in the rust belt having to buy another car because it rusts away every 5-10 years
Tempted to get one of these for delivering packages for USPS, currently doing it out of my 98Sentra
Some of the best vans. Tons still on the road.
My 03 Caravan with the 3.3 was so reliable ,its a tough act to follow . ran like new till I gave it to my niece a few months ago with over 180,000 on it , it is rusty but trusty
I like the new intro bro
Bought a new 2002 Grand Caravan. Loved it. Had a transmission issue right from the start that was quickly remedied under warranty. Ran fine for 10 years and 110K miles. They go through tie rods and the front brakes go long before the rear brakes do. The AC compressor had a bearing going and made some noise. Knew that would cost me some $$$. Decided to let it go and move onto the next new car. But I really enjoyed that van for 10 years.
This is a particularly nice example of an accessibility conversion van! It's very cleanly modified and appears well thought out, and well executed. Not all accessibility vans are built this well, or this nicely.
I very much have a love-hate relationship with these vans. I hate working on them, because often, they're cobbled together and very poorly executed, but I also love working on them because so many technicians refuse to, and it can be difficult for an owner or operator to find someone to fix problems on this highly critical piece of equipment. A few of them I've worked on, they had names, and were considered a family member by their owners, and it just highlights how important and special they are.
I'd say that is one lucky owner. Considering the value of this particular van, they're getting off cheap with needing JUST a new AC system. Great video wizard! Very profound knowledge and excellent advice.
Thank you so much Wizard for this in depth explanation! As a wheelchair user myself and someone who needs a van like this to get around to doctors appointments and such its hard to explain to the average person that I cant just "go out and buy another car" as they are very very expensive even for used ones.
Rust kills these vans in the North but love them.
I like older caravans better because of the bubble look and the column gear shifter
I love column shifters! I'm sad they got rid of them in the 5th gens
@@elliottcarson1248
I know right. From what I’ve heard they were the smoothest ones. If it was kept it likely would be like the Chrysler Aspen gear shifter and stayed until 2010 or even 2020 when van was discontinued!
@@42luke93 it would have been a nice retro touch! Some of the ram trucks still had them until recently.
@@elliottcarson1248 I was just at the 2023 NYIAS and they still offer it. On the heavy duty trucks is where you can find it. They shifters unlocked so we can use it. I had a lot of fun shifting that thing multiple times. They must’ve rigged the emergency break to stay on.
@@42luke93 that's sweet! I hope they keep the shifter around for along time.
I'm really glad you're keeping that on the road. Being more simple than today's cars, that is far superior for the customer.
This generation of Caravan / Grand Caravan / Town & Country has the three "tower" A/C vents in the center of the dash. Very cool, no pun intended!
These vans are very comfortable.
We have an 07 where it’s just starting to rust now, at around 194K miles! Still runs like a top and easy to repair, these Grand Caravans from that generation in general are FANTASTIC!
My dad had (he just recently passed) a 2015 Chrysler Mobility van. The dealership, several garages, and the Mobility dealer couldn't get rear shocks for it. Within an hour I found the axle was from a 2003 to 2007 and used the coil helper shocks. Two hours later the van rode like new. The conversions are not all straightforward or well documented.
What a great video that shows how honest you really are with that customer,peace to you friend🙏🙏🙏🙏🌟🌟🌟🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
A new one of these is 70-90 grand, and that one in the condition it is in without AC is probably worth 15-20 easy. As long as there’s no killer rust, it would be worth putting an engine and trans in it if it were to fail.
Damn AC pump 😄 had a 1993 Mustang with the 2.2 or 2.3 4 banger. Trusty little car. But the AC pump died. At the time the AC pump was on its own belt, so I ended up just cutting the belt and not bothering to fix it haha. Had the car for another year, sold it to a guy who just wanted it for the shell.
Currently have a 2005 in the fleet. Bought it for $2600 a couple of years ago when prices were high and inventory was low. Other than the typical rust, this van is quiet and runs and drives better than my Lincoln. And it hauls an insane amount of stuff with the seats down. Much more versatile and economical than a cargo van or transit. Brought it back to practically perfect mechanical condition front to back for less than $1000 and a few days in the driveway. Outstanding value in these things.
Hesitant at the start watching your vids after watching hoovie, but you, the Mrs, and your guys, superb wonderful people. I really enjoy your vids, especially cos you have real integrity.
Keep on keeping on.
In the background; Phaeton, 6 series, Alpha, Ferrari, Ferrari, Ferrari, L82 Vette, Lambo, Comanche, not your typical garage in the middle of farm country. So cool as always Wizard.
You r right on...these vans r cheaper to repair than replace for average family. Love your care for the van owner.
We have a 2004 grand caravan 3.3 294K+ still runs great. Engine runs like new. Transmission slips when it's cold, like 30°. But it's our trash/mulch/moving van. We'll keep it until something expensive breaks.
Wizard. Wife and I had to tow a friend, her daughter, and her dogs from Erie PA to Batavia NY a few years back. 04 Town and Country. First they lost steering, then every light on the dash lit up.
Took the van to our shop, wife used the 94 Astro, our loaner and delivery ride, to get them home.
Same exact cause.
Had the part on my shelf from an engine swap, new one had a good compressor, so we saved it.
Called the wife, told her to stay and visit, be up around 1600 tomorrow. Got the dogs out of the house, and repaired it, having spare belts from a 3.3 we used to own. Recharged the AC, crashed for the night.
Got the dogs in L's van, and drove up. Visited, had dinner, and headed back.
Ended up snowed in the next morning, their intended travel day. My dually would have made it down fine, but there was a "thank you" moment, as they may have not made the truck stop.
The thought alone, no heat, side of the road, and the van disabled still sends a cold chill down my spine.
These are surprisingly good vans. My parents bought a 2003 Grand Caravan used in 2005. After they passed I took over the van. It now has around 345,000 kms. Original motor 3.3 and trans. Only things replaced have been brakes, rear wiper motor, struts and shocks, A/C compressor and a door latch on sliding door. The only thing killing it is the body rust. Maintenance is a key to long life on these. I found people say the transmissions go early on these, key is oil and filter changes, but something to watch is this. I even use it to pull a trailer with motorbike or ATV on it, so it has been loaded up somewhat. If you find it starts to give rough shifts around 100 km per hour (62 mph), it is not a transmission issue, don't listen to shady mechanics. I'll just about guarantee it, it just needs new spark plugs. A slight misfire causes the transmission to shift strange. Put in new plugs, issue goes away. Drive train wise the old van just keeps going, I use it for driving to work everyday and for pulling a trailer for things on the acreage. I really can't knock it, it has been excellent, just rust is the main issue.
You're right. Regular maintenance should be a religion for any Dodge minivan owner.
@@NVRAMboi Regular maintenance should be a... list of misconceptions and lies meant to brainwash people?
I have a 1999 Caravan that was given to me because the people who owned it were told by their mechanic that it needed a new transmission. The car was 100 miles away from where I like and I had a friend that was taking me to the van then following me home. Before I left for home I changed the filter and trans fluid using atf4 in case the mechanic put the wrong fluid in. It rode great going home but shortly there after my wife complained that it wasn't shifting right but I found it was missing and replaced the plugs and that corrected it for a short time but started giving us problems again. Turns out the wires needed to be replaced also. Its our second car now but we've had it for four years now and it runs good. I told the people who gave it to us to get a new mechanic.
I have a 2006, 235,000, and it just quit shifting and just stayed in 1st gear. I checked the codes and replaced the solenoid and speed sensors, still bad, did Aldata's suggested trouble shooting the circuits, still bad. Went to replace the ECU modual and had to take it out to see the part number, had to put it back to move the van. Now it works great. It appeared the 4 screws holding to the ECU to the body were slightly corroded. By taking it out and in, it made it properly ground again. So if things are screwing up with the electronics check the ECU ground. Dumb location for ECU under the van by the left front wheel well, not very well weather protected if the wheel liner is loose or damaged
Totally agree with. Regular maintenance is important to any vehicle, whether a Dodge, Toyota or a Fiat. It makes a world of difference in the end. Regular maintenance is cheap compared to repairs.@@NVRAMboi
Thank you for the great videos!
I have an express van. Going down the road the Pwr steering went out. Got towed home. Guess what no serpentine belt. Idler pulley was bad. So I guessed your problem list. Nice job!!
My old 99 dodge grand caravan runs like a top 198,000 miles on it. I put a rebuilt transmission in a couple years ago if that motor went and replace it and keep on driving it there’s no rust everything in it works It’s been a great van.
I always thought all the wheelchair conversion vans (and nowadays some trucks too) were so cool. The electronics, the paint matching, the integration of the tech- it’s so cool.
It is cool, but ain't cheap. IMO, Braun may be the very best in accessibility conversions.
I never knew these had such solid engines, good to know!
Thank you, Wizard. I have a used 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan [not a mobility van] that I recently bought. My local mechanic has done some work to it. Probably needs a water pump because it's leaking quite a bit of coolant. I haven't narrowed down exactly where, but I'm keeping the fluid topped off. Reassures me to hear you say these can give a lotta miles.
I had a Dodge Van just like that you worked on. I have a little newer now 2010 Dodge Van. I would be lost without it. Enjoy your videos and when you are on Hoovies.
Have had several of these guys never had any issues they last forever get decent mpg and ride really good even to be 20yrs old
My mom had this exact van the thumb nail brought me back
You're a good man sir.
Nice minivan! I'm on my 3rd one in this model year range, and I love them! Be sure to carefully inspect the rear axle. My 03 caravan's ultimate demise was when the rear axle completely rusted through and buckled. It turned out that all the mounts from it to the frame were hopelessly rusted, too. Your customer's van is very rusted, but perhaps not to that extreme. BTW, if I were you, I would do a complete check on the engine to make sure it wasn't damaged by the lack of cooling before doing any work on the AC.
Great job old guy! Now your in my area, so the trans little square box that the slips between shifts is located near the steering column. And the click, in the steering column, with the defective radio that can caching of fire, or the shift cable rubs in the wire on the fire wall. And thus is the better van to use. Great show.
No muffler Newton thanks!!! Hilarious.🤣 thank you Car Wizard.👍🇨🇦🇺🇸
I'm always amazed how rust-free non Michigan cars are. My 06 Town and Country is a rust bucket. However, the 3.3 L V6 has 281000 Mi on it and still runs like a top. No dash lights are on.
Interesting- I have a 2001 Ford E150 Handicap equipped van that I bought used, 2nd owner,, with 850 miles on it. Now has 81,000miles! We use it mostly only with our wheelchair using son. No chassis mods needed for it but they put a raised roof on it. Not the greatest conversion but still works for us. I looked at the Entervans before I bought ours - didn't like them and some of the points the Car Wizard raised were exactly why I didn't.
Good video, as usual, Car Wizard!
Grand Caravans were great vehicles. Sold my 05 at 130K, next owner put over 200K on it. Sold my 14 at 105K, next owner has over 220K on it and still daily drives it.
I have 3 of these vans, not the mobility vans, just the standard mini vans.
My first is a 2000, the body style just before this vehicle. In 2001 Chrysler did change the body style, but a vast majority of the drivetrain is still the same vehicle. So a 3.3L from the 96-2000 body style should work in the 01-07, short of some upgrades that the later engines may have had.
The 2000 is out of commission at the moment, the engine quit, and the distributor is not spinning. This van does have the 3.0L V6 from Mitsubishi. Chrysler used these engines in several vehicles, and 2000 was the last year it was available in the vans. I'm looking for a replacement engine for this van.
My current daily driver is a 2006 Grand Caravan. It's practically a luxury vehicle. Love the van. It does have the 3.3L. It's pretty well equipped, but I would have preferred if it didn't have the stow and go seating. That I don't like. The standard seating is much nicer. But it's a very comfortable vehicle to drive and ride in.
I just bought a 2005 Grand Caravan for my daughter for a school vehicle. We bought it with a couple of issues, but also only paid $350.00 for it. I've traced down the issue to either the camshaft position sensor or the crankshaft position sensor. It's throwing a P0016 code which is the 2 are not reading correctly. It can be running on reduced power and doe struggle to pick up speed, and then other times it will drive like it's completely fine. I have both sensors but haven't replaced them yet. But for $350.00, I absolutely have no problem spending a little to get it running right. It should make a good reliable vehicle for my daughter. It's not quite as nicely equipped as the 2006, but it doesn't have the stow and go seating, which I might have to swipe it from her from time to time. If I get the 2000 running, she might trade me for that one.
On our 3rd town and country, 2-05s and now an 06. Wife totaled the first at 155k, gave the 2nd to my sister in law at 235k and the latest is pushing 200k that my son uses for college. Love these things. With the stow and go seats you can haul a 4x8 sheet of plywood in the back with the hatch closed. Amazing versatility. Don’t knock one unless you’ve owned one. Hated the boxy look of the next generation but the later Pacificas seem to be the reincarnation of this van.
I have had a 93, 99, 01 grandcaravan I like them they are good cand for cheap. Great family hauler
I took my driving test in a 2005 caravan with the same body style.
That compressor ceasing and the belt screeching before breaking off was a catastrophic event, and would have been heard and felt while driving. That, and the alternator light and beeping should have gotten the owner's attention, but she never mentioned it to you. This shows that some car owners are completely oblivious to what's going on under the hood, even when warning bells start ringing! Mr Wizard, I agree with you 100%; you can't troubleshoot a car over the phone.
I have the 2005 version of this (Braun) Entervan. 122k miles. It works and does the job it was designed to do.
I had a 2009 Mitsubishi outlander with a bunch of symptoms like:
• unstable idle
• slow acceleration
• bad gas mileage
• weird engine noise
• check engine light
• various lights for the car's systems
Do you want to know what fixed all of that?
One spark plug on cylinder 4, I replaced them all, and two new valve cover gaskets for this tranverse V6 engine.
It had vacuum leaks from the valve cover gaskets and once replaced all of the engines accessories were able to function and cleared their own codes. It went back to brand new power and fuel efficiency.
i had similiar stuff on a 98 audi but it didn't have warning lights, also the transmission jerked randomly. It was caused my bad maf 🤔Also fixing that was mistake since the car blew headgasket like 200km later lol
As always, it's a great instructional video.
A disabled person that parked at the luton airport at the time of the ev battery fire lost his wheelchair accessbile van . They said it's a write off although it wasnt in a section of the collapse and was untouched. The police still said it's a write off so it will be crushed. Poor guy won't have a van for a while.
A real pair of creative wizards!
I just bought one of those because i now ride a power chair. My van was kinda base model and the sliding doors were manual. So i needed to retrofit the electric parts to it. It wasn't an easy job at all like you said! Lower door rail, toothed rail for the power slide, cable from the motor to the hinge, wiring harness etc. were all extended. And of course you can't find the right parts anywhere. So i needed to make them myself. Everything else works as of now except the door open switch because i need to fab the bracket for it. Surprisingly enough when Braun does the conversion, all needed wires are already there. You just need to do the wiring harness from the b pillar to the door itself and everything just works plug n play. Of course the wire colors are different on Braun vs Dodge so luckily i found wiring diagrams for the conversion and for the car itself so i could do the harness.
For my surpirise the OEM remote already has the buttons for the sliding doors inside! and they are already programmed I just needed to buy new case that had the buttons to press the switches on the pcb.
Yes, the Entertain conversion is built by Braun!
Rust rust rust is the problem with these vans. You always see them rusted around the rear fenders. I once was gonna get one used my friend was selling, had my mechanic check it out and it was COMPLEATLY ROTTED underneath. He had no idea it was rusty. I said nope and he sold it to the junkyard. Always get a used car checked out by a mechanic guys.
I have the 3.8 in my 07 Pacifica base model. It's been good to me. Ticks like a sewing machine, but I would and do go anywhere in it. Lots of miles here in the TN mountains mostly.
Our 03 T&C has 211k miles on it and runs and drives great! It's just rotting apart!!
Interesting side loader for the wheelchair most of these type of vehicle appear to load from the rear hear in the UK
Which is why when I bought an '08 Highlander and had it at the dealer for a/c work, I had them change the serpentine belt as well. Peace of mind.
Amazing to see a 4th gen Chrysler minivan lose power steering and it is NOT the rack! XD I remember the P/S rack was a huge issue on these vans in the early part of the generation before Chrysler finally made a fix for it. I totally concur with your decision on this repair~ Keep up the awesome work, good buddy~ B-)
Haha. We replaced (2) power steering pumps and a rack under warranty. "At least Dodge is consistent." :)
Everything BUT the engine was a problem with these.
You know what's funny, mine was leaking so I tightened that plastic cap under where the steering column attaches and put a little of that Mopar RTV around the edge of the cap... good to go, no more leaks. Been driving it like that for years now.
You should! Have mentioned the name of the other halfs channel, its what keeps husband's alive you know 😂😂
Have one just like it, 2003. Slight oil leak, Trans leaks a tad, probably necause 1 volt stripped and looks lime trans pad was...must have hit something so dented a bit. Lucas or AT205 should fix it😂 Still runs good and for a cleaning van, 2 years still going.
Similar thing happened to my mom, she told me the power steering went out on her 5.3 suburban. I ran through all the same scenarios in my head and told her it could be any of those. Finally getting under the good I found the tensioner self destructed and threw the belt
He right I had 2 of these well past 200k and it never died..i ever ran one with barely no oil and it still ran like a champ
I got a 2014 Camry, AC compressor was dead, and some electroinc actuators behind the dash. I had the dealership fix everything, cost about $2500. It was very worth it.
Braun vans made in Winamac Indiana. Hauled hundreds of them around the country. They also use Toyota, Honda & Ford explorer chassis along with other models
I have a 2003 grand caravan and the air compressor did the same thing but also took out the alternator and other pulley. I put in ac delete bracket
Thanks for your comments. I own 3 mobility vans in my business 2 of them are Dodge Caravans. A 2002 and a 2007. They are absolutely worth repairing and I have far exceeded the base prices I paid in keeping them maintained because you simply cant find them anymore. The prices on new mobility vans are just plain ridiculous and most disabled people are on fixed incomes and could never afford them. Dealerships even try to buy my mobility Caravans from me when I bring them in because they still are only at about 100K miles. They are great vans with simple engines just as you said.
My mom has one of these vans she bought brand new in 2007. Thing still runs and works even tho she barely maintains it 😂
My mom has a 2006 Grand Caravan, bare bones, brown, no screen, no captain seats, no power doors and I always thought it was a lame car as a kid compared to my friends denalis and stuff, but she still has it and I drive it occasionally. It actually has really nice power with a mid range (3.6?) engine and is really smooth and comfortable to drive. Nothing brings back road trip memories like a spin in the old armadillo.
Had an 05 that same color:) Worked well even with a questionable history till it's replacement in 2015 with an odyssey that is also still working well. Only major issue is these bottom out easy so have to be careful:)
Anyone who has looked at that engine for 5 minutes and has a clue would immediately know the serpentine belt is gone.
Had that happen on my old Subaru outback, but the belt itself snapped. At that point I immediately sent it for timing job because it was timing belt driven and I assumed it was in similar condition as the serpentine belt.
I had a water pump fail on me, but it wasnt leaking, it kept throwing the belt, but it got wrapped around the fan. Was a pain to figure out what was causing it.
I am a person that sometimes forget how to put gas in my car. I enjoy your program and other similar shows. So when a friend has car trouble I spout out what might be wrong occasionally I'm right. My friends ask hows a dummy know what was wrong?
That's a very common problem on those Dodge caravans! I've seen that a lot. Automatic transmissions are another weak point on these vans as I'm sure we all know! But yes these handicap vans are super expensive and worth a lot more than your average Dodge Caravan for sure! In addition to the car not having any oil leaks I also notice that it doesn't seem to have a lot of rust either, which is a very good thing! Hopefully it will continue to serve her well for a little while longer!