Wow I appreciate these items you mentioned. Sounds like what I am having. Sounds like the noise coming from the engine bank closest to the front grill. Will check these easy items first. It has around 190,000 miles on it. Will come back to your website to tell what it was. thanks Phil
Sir, you have NO idea what you just did for me! I'm single, live in Missouri...middle aged and everyone around here thinks I'm nuts....but everything you just covered is what is going on w my van...I have a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan with a 3.8 multi port, 108,000 original miles...bought it from a little old widowed lady for three grand....very clean van....rides nice...just put a new rack in.....Just put nearly a Grand into the thing....pretty sure I got WAY over charged, but I'm looked upon as a stupid old lady.....but anyhow, then something was making noise in the motor....and everything you covered is exactly what is going on with it! I'm out of money to fix anything else on it at the moment, but I WILL figure it out somehow....that's the way my life works...lol....one door closes and another one opens! ....I've had my van for 14 months....have really enjoyed the heck out of it until now....just because I'm so frustrated....but YEP! Timing Chain, for sure....and the Alternator...and the valve covers are leaking but not really using any oil...not adding much...I've got a "car" history, from back in the day, from my "Racing Days" when I was very young....but everything has changed so much and I'm really actually used to owning Chevy Products....but I do have Grandkids now, which is why I bought 'Gertie" in the first place! LOL.....That's why I DO get so annoyed when I walk into a shop for advice and they think I have "stuck on stupid" written on my forehead....LOL....I just politely SMILE and NOD! ....TY for your VIdeo!
i am having problem w 09 grand caravan 3.8 244,000 miles. changed oil pressure sender. occasionally oil light comes on wondering if oil pump might be worn too much.
3.8 r good motors my dodge 05 is going on 300.000 miles never had any problems with the engine. The trans on the other hand is iffy at best well the shell drive gear is what brakes most the time. Good video. The other thing to check is the fly wheel bolt. All u have to do is take the cover off the trans and put a socket on the crank pulley and rotate it back and fourth and look at the fly wheel. It will make a clacking noise when started or in drive at stop sounds like a rod Knock.but if u put it in neutral noise will get Quieter.hope this helps someone. God bless.
Great tip. Hopefully it helps someone with that problem. I agree, thee 3.3 and 3.8 liter engines are very well built. I have two vehicles with the 3.8 liter engine. One in my minivan the other in my Neon. Both run flawlessly!
Would have great if you would have thought about recording the noise it made so we could hear it. I would hate to go through all that just to find out it is something completely different. I might have been able to tell, if I could hear the sound it was making. Oh well, hind sight, right?
I've been having that noise for the last year on my 02 grand caravan with the 3.3L. I also thought it was a bad valve or lifter at first until i took a mechanics stethescope to it.
By chance is the belt your presently using a Dayco brand belt? I had a Dodge Neon with a Dayco brand belt and it would squeal on start up no matter how tigh the belt was (manual tensioner). Switched to a Gates Poly belt and the problem was gone. The Goodyear Gator back belt is also a good belt and will likely solve the issue.
Searching youtubes etc, there's A, Lot! of videos on that Morse Chain for the cam timing on the 3.3 and 3.8. I have a 3.3 in a car I just bought, knowing the motor was "big end noise", and has eaten the bearings - the cause, 2 litres of oil in a motor that's meant to have 4.7 litres of oil. The 3.3's look to be cheaper to buy repair parts for then the old Slant Six is now.
Great stuff. Same thing happening here. My harmonic balancer was also on the way out and it was a contributor to noise. I'm gonna try removing my belt as you did and check all those other components. What year is your van?
@@Arizonaperfect Great! Mine's a 2005 T&C 3.8L I get the rattling noises and also a strange heat shield type of droning sound when coming to a stop. Reminds me of the classic Cylon centurion drone mixed with their robotic voice. I'll try your techniques first. By the way, did you notice a difference in performance at all?
How many miles was on the van when you discovered this problem? It makes me think of loose lifters or something on the noise I'm having but it runs great. Mines a 3.3.
My mini van had 132,000 miles on it when I bought it. I'm not sure when the engine noise started because it had the noise when I bought the vehicle. I'm guessing it probably started within a thousand miles from when I bought it. Since I've replaced the alternator, idler pulleys, and timing chain the engine is quiet and running perfect. The vehicle now has 159,000 miles and has a lot of life left in it. My suggestion is to remove the alternator drive belt, start the engine and see if your engine noise goes away. If it goes away then you need to figure out which component driven by the drive belt is causing the problem. 3.3/3.8L engines are not known to have lifter issues. It's the third generation 5.7 hemi engines that have lifter and camshaft failures.
Noise after change the water pump sound like geers to tight and grinding what could it be not metel grind sound like only started after change water pump
The timing chain and gears come off without having to remove the engine. Lift the vehicle and remove the right front tire and plastic splash shield. Support the engine with a jack and remove the right engine mount, Remove the air filter housing, accessory drive belt, alternator, power steering pump, crank pulley, and anything else that stops you from removing the timing cover. That is a very general idea on what is involved in this repair. Not a difficult job, just very labor intense. Make sure that the new timing chain set is exactly the same as the old timing chain set. The timing chain cam gear has slots for the cam sensor signal. Different model years had different cam sensor slot locations, depending on the year of the vehicle. Get the wrong timing chain set and it won't run or trip the check engine light. Might be a good time to replace the water pump while you're there!
The 3.8 liter V6 engine is one of the most reliable engines Chrysler ever built. I own two of them, one in my 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan (160,000 trouble free miles) the other in my Dodge Neon (I installed it, see my other videos). If you keep the oil changed and don't overheat the engine, it should easily go 300,000 miles or more! The only problem I've ever heard of is the rocker shaft retaining bolts pulled out of the cylinder head. This was fixed when the factory did a redesign of the engine around 2005. The newer engines have more bolts holding the rocker shaft to the cylinder head. You can easily identify the upgraded engine by looking at the upper intake manifold. It's made from black plastic. I plan on driving my vehicles until failure. I'm guessing that it won't be the engine that lets me down.
Without seeing the vehicle, it's very difficult to diagnose any issue. I always start with a visual inspection of the vehicle. Look for any loose components under hood and under the vehicle. Repair anything you find. If I were to take a guess, I would start with looking closely at the motor mounts and exhaust system. I've seen minivans where all four motor mounts had the rubber isolators fail. If you don't find anything, just wait. Eventually it will reveal itself. Not the best method, but as long as you don't feel it's a potential safety risk, time will reveal what it is. Drive on!
Just bought one with a loose chain. It has 100k miles on a 2006.. Van is super clean. So I coughed up $800.00 for it..Everything else looks new. AC even works...
I just bought a 2005 Touring van with the 3.8. I'm having a light - (not loud) knock at low speed during acceleration. Hoping it's not a rod knock. I couldn't hear the knock at first because of the belt noise which is gone since I replaced the alternator and idle and belt tensioner. It has 224,000 miles on it. Maybe ( I hope timing chain or rocker arm) .
My best suggestion is to video tape the noise you are hearing and post it on TH-cam. I'm sure someone will watch your video and tell you exactly what the noise is. The 3.8 liter is a very good engine and can provide years of trouble free service. Because you don't know the history of the vehicle and how badly it was abused or not, start with basic maintenance. Even though the factory recommends 5w-20 weight oil, try switching to 10w-30. 5w-20 was used for slight fuel economy gains during cold starts. Use a Mopar oil filter only. They sell them at Walmart and cost the same as a cheap-ass Fram filter (remember, Mopar has a vested interest in protecting your engine, aftermarket oil filters main goal is to make money). A cracked transmission flex plate or loose torque converter bolts could also be the problem. Again, it could be in the valve train or even a timing chain slapping due to stretch. There are many different causes of engine noise. Take the time to post a video showing the issue and someone will give you the exact cause. TH-cam is a great resource, use it before you start spending big money throwing parts at the issue. The 2005 minivan was one of the best years of the minivan. My 3.8 has minivan 165,000 miles and runs like a champ! I would confidently say there's another 100,000 miles left in it. When you figure out the issue with your van post a video to help others! If all else fails, just keep driving the vehicle and eventually the issue will reveal itself!
@@Arizonaperfect th-cam.com/video/uXVpYFrcL98/w-d-xo.html When I start the the engine it makes the noise for a few seconds I'm guessing while the oil pressure builds. After that during driving at low speeds I hear it is not noticeable at highway speeds
I've got a 2008 town and country with a 3.8 in it and I'm hearing a snapping noise I looked at the balancer and I seen a bright blue spark making a snapping noise anyone know why or what would cause this.???
No oil pressure light on. If the problem started after you changed the oil, I would replace the oil filter again. Use a Mopar filter. Mopar has a vested interest in making sure your engine gets the correct flow of oil.
My Caravan now has 175,000 miles! It runs perfect. Drove it from Lake Havasu Arizona to Detroit and averaged 24.5 mpg. From Detroit I went to Tennessee, North Carolina and now I'm in Texas. The vehicle is comfortable, economical and totally stealth (Champaign Gold paint)! Cops never give it a second look. There's at least another 100,000 miles left in it. I did bring my tools and did an oil change before I left Detroit. I change the oil every three to four thousand miles. I now understand why they sold so many minivans back in the day!
I think that I could give a stock SRT4 a run for the money. Start boosting the SRT and it is going to be faster. No matter what you do to the SRT4, it will never be as smooth as the 3.8L V-6! I've owned both an SRT4 and a V6 Neon and I would take the V6 every time. It's more fun to drive and an overall better package.
Life keeps getting in the way of my helicopter plans! First retirement, then moving to Arizona and then building a new house. Really cuts into my helicopter time.
Wow I appreciate these items you mentioned. Sounds like what I am having. Sounds like the noise coming from the engine bank closest to the front grill. Will check these easy items first. It has around 190,000 miles on it. Will come back to your website to tell what it was. thanks Phil
Thank you so much for taking the time. Having similar noises....
Sir, you have NO idea what you just did for me! I'm single, live in Missouri...middle aged and everyone around here thinks I'm nuts....but everything you just covered is what is going on w my van...I have a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan with a 3.8 multi port, 108,000 original miles...bought it from a little old widowed lady for three grand....very clean van....rides nice...just put a new rack in.....Just put nearly a Grand into the thing....pretty sure I got WAY over charged, but I'm looked upon as a stupid old lady.....but anyhow, then something was making noise in the motor....and everything you covered is exactly what is going on with it! I'm out of money to fix anything else on it at the moment, but I WILL figure it out somehow....that's the way my life works...lol....one door closes and another one opens! ....I've had my van for 14 months....have really enjoyed the heck out of it until now....just because I'm so frustrated....but YEP! Timing Chain, for sure....and the Alternator...and the valve covers are leaking but not really using any oil...not adding much...I've got a "car" history, from back in the day, from my "Racing Days" when I was very young....but everything has changed so much and I'm really actually used to owning Chevy Products....but I do have Grandkids now, which is why I bought 'Gertie" in the first place! LOL.....That's why I DO get so annoyed when I walk into a shop for advice and they think I have "stuck on stupid" written on my forehead....LOL....I just politely SMILE and NOD! ....TY for your VIdeo!
L😂L at Usually Scamming Auto-shops
rawsome! THANK YOU for this video.............. about to find out..............
i am having problem w 09 grand caravan 3.8 244,000 miles. changed oil pressure sender. occasionally oil light comes on wondering if oil pump might be worn too much.
Good work
3.8 r good motors my dodge 05 is going on 300.000 miles never had any problems with the engine. The trans on the other hand is iffy at best well the shell drive gear is what brakes most the time. Good video. The other thing to check is the fly wheel bolt. All u have to do is take the cover off the trans and put a socket on the crank pulley and rotate it back and fourth and look at the fly wheel. It will make a clacking noise when started or in drive at stop sounds like a rod Knock.but if u put it in neutral noise will get Quieter.hope this helps someone. God bless.
Great tip. Hopefully it helps someone with that problem. I agree, thee 3.3 and 3.8 liter engines are very well built. I have two vehicles with the 3.8 liter engine. One in my minivan the other in my Neon. Both run flawlessly!
Thank you so very much for taking the time to make this video. Any links for the timing chain video!!!
Thanks For the tips, i have the 3.3, would a loose chain be louder when i put in drive? than when at red light get quiet?
Would have great if you would have thought about recording the noise it made so we could hear it. I would hate to go through all that just to find out it is something completely different. I might have been able to tell, if I could hear the sound it was making. Oh well, hind sight, right?
Good ideal I add mine
He actually show the noise in the time chain
Yes when he moves the chain you would know it sounds just like that
Hi... can I get a link to those sounds?? Thank you@@darrellhammond507
I've been having that noise for the last year on my 02 grand caravan with the 3.3L. I also thought it was a bad valve or lifter at first until i took a mechanics stethescope to it.
Where was the sound coming from?
was ALSO a stretched chain?
By chance is the belt your presently using a Dayco brand belt? I had a Dodge Neon with a Dayco brand belt and it would squeal on start up no matter how tigh the belt was (manual tensioner). Switched to a Gates Poly belt and the problem was gone. The Goodyear Gator back belt is also a good belt and will likely solve the issue.
this helps thanks
Searching youtubes etc, there's A, Lot! of videos on that Morse Chain for the cam timing on the 3.3 and 3.8.
I have a 3.3 in a car I just bought, knowing the motor was "big end noise", and has eaten the bearings - the cause, 2 litres of oil in a motor that's meant to have 4.7 litres of oil.
The 3.3's look to be cheaper to buy repair parts for then the old Slant Six is now.
I think mine is doing the same thing, thanks
Great stuff. Same thing happening here. My harmonic balancer was also on the way out and it was a contributor to noise. I'm gonna try removing my belt as you did and check all those other components. What year is your van?
My van is a 2006 model year. Since I made the repairs I've had no engine noises or failures. The van runs great!
@@Arizonaperfect Great! Mine's a 2005 T&C 3.8L I get the rattling noises and also a strange heat shield type of droning sound when coming to a stop. Reminds me of the classic Cylon centurion drone mixed with their robotic voice. I'll try your techniques first. By the way, did you notice a difference in performance at all?
How many miles was on the van when you discovered this problem? It makes me think of loose lifters or something on the noise I'm having but it runs great. Mines a 3.3.
My mini van had 132,000 miles on it when I bought it. I'm not sure when the engine noise started because it had the noise when I bought the vehicle. I'm guessing it probably started within a thousand miles from when I bought it.
Since I've replaced the alternator, idler pulleys, and timing chain the engine is quiet and running perfect. The vehicle now has 159,000 miles and has a lot of life left in it.
My suggestion is to remove the alternator drive belt, start the engine and see if your engine noise goes away. If it goes away then you need to figure out which component driven by the drive belt is causing the problem.
3.3/3.8L engines are not known to have lifter issues. It's the third generation 5.7 hemi engines that have lifter and camshaft failures.
Omg thank yooou!!!
Noise after change the water pump sound like geers to tight and grinding what could it be not metel grind sound like only started after change water pump
How do you take the timing chain cover off a of a Dodge Caravan 2008 V v6 engine 3.8 L is the s XL
The timing chain and gears come off without having to remove the engine. Lift the vehicle and remove the right front tire and plastic splash shield. Support the engine with a jack and remove the right engine mount, Remove the air filter housing, accessory drive belt, alternator, power steering pump, crank pulley, and anything else that stops you from removing the timing cover. That is a very general idea on what is involved in this repair. Not a difficult job, just very labor intense.
Make sure that the new timing chain set is exactly the same as the old timing chain set. The timing chain cam gear has slots for the cam sensor signal. Different model years had different cam sensor slot locations, depending on the year of the vehicle. Get the wrong timing chain set and it won't run or trip the check engine light.
Might be a good time to replace the water pump while you're there!
would a loose timing chain cause low 60 psi compression on cynlinders 2 and 3, misfire, rattling and low power when put into drive?
No, any problems caused by a timing chain issue would most likely affect all cylinders.
How many miles can you expect out of a 3.8 engine? I hear that are pretty reliable as long as they are taking care of.
The 3.8 liter V6 engine is one of the most reliable engines Chrysler ever built. I own two of them, one in my 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan (160,000 trouble free miles) the other in my Dodge Neon (I installed it, see my other videos). If you keep the oil changed and don't overheat the engine, it should easily go 300,000 miles or more!
The only problem I've ever heard of is the rocker shaft retaining bolts pulled out of the cylinder head. This was fixed when the factory did a redesign of the engine around 2005. The newer engines have more bolts holding the rocker shaft to the cylinder head. You can easily identify the upgraded engine by looking at the upper intake manifold. It's made from black plastic.
I plan on driving my vehicles until failure. I'm guessing that it won't be the engine that lets me down.
Getting a loud bang when the vehicles first starts. Does not happen all the time. Any ideas?
Without seeing the vehicle, it's very difficult to diagnose any issue. I always start with a visual inspection of the vehicle. Look for any loose components under hood and under the vehicle. Repair anything you find. If I were to take a guess, I would start with looking closely at the motor mounts and exhaust system. I've seen minivans where all four motor mounts had the rubber isolators fail.
If you don't find anything, just wait. Eventually it will reveal itself. Not the best method, but as long as you don't feel it's a potential safety risk, time will reveal what it is. Drive on!
Just bought one with a loose chain. It has 100k miles on a 2006.. Van is super clean. So I coughed up $800.00 for it..Everything else looks new. AC even works...
Replaced all engine mounts still sounds like its knocking around
How many miles did the van have, to get a idea when this problem starts to occur?
Most of the ones shown around youtube are over 200,000km. a lot are well over 300,000.
My van had 137,000 on it when the pulley started to make noise.
would have been nice to see how you removed timing cover
I just bought a 2005 Touring van with the 3.8. I'm having a light - (not loud) knock at low speed during acceleration. Hoping it's not a rod knock. I couldn't hear the knock at first because of the belt noise which is gone since I replaced the alternator and idle and belt tensioner. It has 224,000 miles on it. Maybe ( I hope timing chain or rocker arm) .
My best suggestion is to video tape the noise you are hearing and post it on TH-cam. I'm sure someone will watch your video and tell you exactly what the noise is.
The 3.8 liter is a very good engine and can provide years of trouble free service. Because you don't know the history of the vehicle and how badly it was abused or not, start with basic maintenance.
Even though the factory recommends 5w-20 weight oil, try switching to 10w-30. 5w-20 was used for slight fuel economy gains during cold starts. Use a Mopar oil filter only. They sell them at Walmart and cost the same as a cheap-ass Fram filter (remember, Mopar has a vested interest in protecting your engine, aftermarket oil filters main goal is to make money).
A cracked transmission flex plate or loose torque converter bolts could also be the problem. Again, it could be in the valve train or even a timing chain slapping due to stretch. There are many different causes of engine noise.
Take the time to post a video showing the issue and someone will give you the exact cause. TH-cam is a great resource, use it before you start spending big money throwing parts at the issue.
The 2005 minivan was one of the best years of the minivan. My 3.8 has minivan 165,000 miles and runs like a champ! I would confidently say there's another 100,000 miles left in it.
When you figure out the issue with your van post a video to help others!
If all else fails, just keep driving the vehicle and eventually the issue will reveal itself!
@@Arizonaperfect th-cam.com/video/uXVpYFrcL98/w-d-xo.html
When I start the the engine it makes the noise for a few seconds I'm guessing while the oil pressure builds. After that during driving at low speeds I hear it is not noticeable at highway speeds
@@Arizonaperfect th-cam.com/video/y1mIVeAWBBI/w-d-xo.html
@@Arizonaperfect I talked to the previous owner he said the motor didn't like 5w20. He uses STP full synthetic 5w30
I've got a 2008 town and country with a 3.8 in it and I'm hearing a snapping noise I looked at the balancer and I seen a bright blue spark making a snapping noise anyone know why or what would cause this.???
Can you take and post a video of the condition you are describing? Be interesting to see the issue and it would make diagnosis easier.
@@Arizonaperfect how do you post a video
Thank you
Having this issue i think and no im not crazy (yet)🤓
Was your oil pressure light on ? Mine is and there’s oil in there it happened right after I did oil change.
No oil pressure light on. If the problem started after you changed the oil, I would replace the oil filter again. Use a Mopar filter. Mopar has a vested interest in making sure your engine gets the correct flow of oil.
@@Arizonaperfect interesting, I seriously hate after market parts nothing goes right with them smh 🤦♂️
@@Arizonaperfect but thank you for reply I’m going for it
My 3.8 is making a random noice.. grinding sound…
Need to pull the belt tomrrow and diagnose…(yay)🙄
may i ask how many miles does this have?
My Caravan now has 175,000 miles! It runs perfect. Drove it from Lake Havasu Arizona to Detroit and averaged 24.5 mpg. From Detroit I went to Tennessee, North Carolina and now I'm in Texas. The vehicle is comfortable, economical and totally stealth (Champaign Gold paint)! Cops never give it a second look. There's at least another 100,000 miles left in it. I did bring my tools and did an oil change before I left Detroit. I change the oil every three to four thousand miles. I now understand why they sold so many minivans back in the day!
how fast is this compared to a srt4?
I think that I could give a stock SRT4 a run for the money. Start boosting the SRT and it is going to be faster. No matter what you do to the SRT4, it will never be as smooth as the 3.8L V-6!
I've owned both an SRT4 and a V6 Neon and I would take the V6 every time. It's more fun to drive and an overall better package.
@@Arizonaperfect dang thats awesome making me want a neon lol hope it keeps running nice and smooth for you
@@Arizonaperfect have you or are you willing to do a swap?
@@Karrguy1973 No, I do this for fun. Too much work for me to do it a second time. Thanks for the confidence in my skills!
@@Arizonaperfect understood, thank you for sharing sir, you are the mad scientist .
I will never buy another Chrysler product after owning this T&C
"Go through there and do what you gotta do”
- way too much detail there!!
When are you going to get back to helicopters ?
2.4ghz is much better now 👌🏽
Life keeps getting in the way of my helicopter plans! First retirement, then moving to Arizona and then building a new house. Really cuts into my helicopter time.