Dilemma on repairing old Van 280k miles

[VanLifer39]

As the title states,

I have a 2013 Chrysler T&C Van that's been having some mechanical issues. The motor seems fine. Isn't burning oil or leaking. The transmission is another story. Initially when I bought it for $2500 to drive back from Chicago to MD it was fine. The trip concluded on May 5th.


The heat wave is when the 62TE transmission and fuel relay started to become more pronounced. The tranny is having torque converter lockup issues when coming to a stop. Sometimes it'll stall. Then the other day the tranny would only do to 3rd gear and no higher but still drove at 50mph with high rpm.

I scanned it and found a bunch of codes P0731 gear ratio error in first
P0733 gear ratio error in 3rd
P0841 LR pressure switch rationality
P0736 gear ratio error in reverse
Lastly P1790 fault immediately after shift.

I was able to clear all codes and added a qt of ATF+4 the only codes that keep coming back are gear ratio error in reverse.

Yesterday in had to Jerry rig a bypass cable for the fuel relay to the rear cigarette lighter fuse since it gave out and wouldn't start. Glad I was in a business park parking lot.

I'm at odds as to it I want to shell out money to fix the van. It needs suspension, brakes, tranny repair or worst case replacement, and a TIPM fuse box remanufacture replacement. Tipm is an easy diy install. The Van is very nice exterior wise no dents. Some rust on the lower fender wheel well areas. The AC words very well

The odd part is no CEL in regard to the tranny.

Should I shell out and fix things little by little or bank my $$ and get a better van?

It's very unknown how long I can limp around in this van.

 

[JimPghPA]

Start by checking the trany fluid level. Sometimes an old trany is just low and topping it up to normal makes it work fine again.

Very basic, but the effects from simply being low are the same as more severe problems.

Sure it may well be that with that many miles it is other things, but look for the low cost problems / fixes first.

 

[Nick1994]

Fix it. Anything else used you buy could have the same fate and you’d be back at Square 1 again.

Those vans are a dime-a-dozen. Should be able to get a low-ish mile used transmission for really cheap. www.car-part.com would be a good place to start.

 

[cptbarkey]

Should I shell out and fix things little by little or bank my $$ and get a better van?

The internet has no clue about your financial status or your goals, so asking this question is not going to get you what you want except endless opinions.

Figure out your financial status and your goals and decide. Good luck.

 

[CarbonToast]

As long as you drive it for 1 year after fixing it you are money ahead.

If you fix it and sell it soon after then it's probably breakeven at best.

 

[Doc8404]

Same situation I have with our 2012 Altima. We are dumping $4k and maybe more now that the CEL for
Evap is on.

Don’t want or need a new car and used is a crapshoot.

Only difference is we owned since new.

Good luck.

 

[joekingcorvette]

If you can find another one like it for $2500 get rid of it and buy the other one. Usually you save money by doing repairs however sometimes the repairs can cost more than the replacement vehicle.

 

[atikovi]

Dump it while it still runs and you can get some money for it, then get one with lower mileage. Throwing good money after bad makes no sense. If it still looks good, you should be able to get $1500-$2000.

 

[Fitter30]

Just put a used trans in a 03 chevy astro van. Hoping to get another year or two out of it. Probably buy a new set of tires this fall.

 

[KrisZ]

Dump it while it still runs and you can get some money for it, then get one with lower mileage. Throwing good money after bad makes no sense. If it still looks good, you should be able to get $1500-$2000.

Yup, OP bought it for a reasonable $2500 so dumping it seems like the best option to me too.

 

[JimPghPA]

There have been a few good posts about lucas transmission fix in a bottle. I don't know the exact name of it. But almost all Auto parts stores like Advanced auto Carry that product. I've never seen A bad post about lucas transmission Fix. It might not work but It might work. Not too expensive to try.

 

[SC Maintenance]

What is the overall condition - rust and interior.

Is it a car you want - or its just a car?

What are your needs? Is this something you would drive 2 miles to the store and back, or ?

You will need to decide. If its just a spare car I would fix the relay, try some transmission in a can, and see if you can get another 6 months off it.

If its in rough shape anyway, dump it while it moves.

 

[sloinker]

@280K miles this van is used up. You can try to patch it for a few more months but at the end of the day you are going to need a different vehicle.

 

[andrew_j]

It’s way past expiration.

 

[dguzzi]

Sell it or use it for parts if you buy a similar vehicle. IF you sell it be honest with the buyer!!

 

[D60]

If you REALLY want to pursue this, I'd watch some vids and order the parts to completely rebuild the 62TE. Drop it, get it on the bench and go.

Even then realize the van may have other issues soon, so view it as a learning experience and try to enjoy the journey.

If you don't have the facilities or willingness to do this, that's ok but I'd start saving for a different, newer, lower mileage vehicle

 

[Donald]

Dump it. Transmission will cost more than you paid for it.

Ten+ years old and 280K miles, it's used up.

I think someone else dumped and you bought it.

Fix the obvious problem that are cheap to fix and dump it.

 

[JHZR2]

You bought a 280k Mike van for $2500. You bought a gamble. You made a gamble.

You can double down and potentially end up ok for a while, or lose twice as much.